Would you like to read James McNaught’s novel Sinking Sand”? click here: Sinking Sand
(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)
2 Samuel 17:22–29, “Then David arose, and all the people that were with him, and they passed over Jordan: by the morning light there lacked not one of them that was not gone over Jordan. And when Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his ass, and arose, and gat him home to his house, to his city, and put his household in order, and hanged himself, and died, and was buried in the sepulchre of his father. Then David came to Mahanaim. And Absalom passed over Jordan, he and all the men of Israel with him. And Absalom made Amasa captain of the host instead of Joab: which Amasa was a man’s son, whose name was Ithra an Israelite, that went in to Abigail the daughter of Nahash, sister to Zeruiah Joab’s mother. So Israel and Absalom pitched in the land of Gilead. And it came to pass, when David was come to Mahanaim, that Shobi the son of Nahash of Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and Machir the son of Ammiel of Lodebar, and Barzillai the Gileadite of Rogelim, Brought beds, and basons, and earthen vessels, and wheat, and barley, and flour, and parched corn, and beans, and lentiles, and parched pulse, And honey, and butter, and sheep, and cheese of kine, for David, and for the people that were with him, to eat: for they said, The people is hungry, and weary, and thirsty, in the wilderness.”
When David received the message from Hushai, he and his men crossed over the Jordan River to the territory belonging to the two and a half tribes that had stayed on the east of the Jordan. Ahithophel had gambled his future on Absalom becoming the king of Israel. When his advice was rejected he realised that the gamble had failed and he decided to take his own life rather than live without honour. Absalom gathered and army and followed David, hoping to find him and defeat the legitimate king’s army in a battle, legitimising his monarchy. Zeruiah and Abigail were David’s sisters so Absalom kept the military leadership among his own family. Absalom thought that this would be a wise strategy when he finally became king himself. David had established a great reputation as a courageous military leader so a member of his family would be sure to add dignity and skill to the new king’s army. When David reached the other side of the Jordan River, he found that there were many people who supported him as the king and wanted him to continue ruling the nation. In fact some of them brought equipment and food for David’s army to establish a camp and prepare for the battle that was to come.
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