Reading for May 23rd

Read 2 Samuel 16.15-17.4
In 16.15-17.29: Overcoming Ahithophel.
In 16.16-19: Hushai's words are duplicitous.
When he says, Long live the king (v. 16), he means David.
Similarly when, he affirms his loyalty to the one whom the Lord and this people have chosen, he also means David.
In both cases, Absalom takes these statements as a reference to himself.
In verses 20-22: By sleeping with David's concubines, Absalom makes his claim to the throne emphatic.
His deeds fulfills Nathan's oracle (12.12).
In verse 23: The counsel that Ahithophel gave was very highly prized.
His motive for joining Absalom is not certain, but it is possible that he was Bathsheba's grandfather (compare 11.3 and 23.34) and may have held a grudge against David for his treatment of Bathsheba and Uriah.
In 17.1-4: Ahithophel's advice is to attack while David's forces are weak from fleeing.
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