David Flees as Absalom Approaches Jerusalem

2 Samuel 15-16

Several years after killing his half brother Amnon and his brothers, Absalom was reconciled to his father David (2 Samuel 13-14). Then Absalom spent the next four years grooming the people of Israel to favor him over his father, all in preparation to eventually rebel against his father’s rule. When it appeared to Absalom that the time had finally come to act on his plan, he staged a coup in the town of Hebron about 19 miles (30 km) south of Jerusalem. A messenger came to David and told him that the people of Israel had declared Absalom king, and David chose to flee Jerusalem with his household and many of his officials. They left the city and crossed the Kidron Valley to take the road that went up the Mount of Olives before heading toward Jericho and the Jordan Valley much further east. When he reached the summit of the Mount of Olives, he sent his counselor Hushai back to Jerusalem to act as a false counselor to Absalom and to keep David informed of his plans. Interestingly, 2 Samuel 15:32 notes that the summit of the Mount of Olives was “where God was worshiped.” Sometime during the ministry of Samuel, the Philistines defeated the Israelites in battle at Ebenezer near Aphek and captured the Ark of the Covenant. They took it to Ashdod, Gath, and Ekron but eventually returned it to Israel, where the Ark was then taken to Kiriath-jearim (1 Samuel 4-5; also see “The Ark of the Covenant Is Captured and Returned” map). After the battle, the worship center of Shiloh appears to have been overrun as well (Psalm 78:60; Jeremiah 7:12-14; 26:6). Many of the priests apparently relocated to the town of Nob near Jerusalem, perhaps on the summit of the Mount of Olives (1 Samuel 22:11; Isaiah 10:32; see “The Ark of the Covenant in the Promised Land” map), while the Tabernacle and altar were relocated to the High Place at Gibeon/Gibeah (1 Chronicles 16:39-40; 21:29; see “David Transports the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem” map). A little beyond the summit of the Mount of Olives, Ziba, the servant of Saul’s grandson Mephibosheth, met David with donkeys and food for his journey. When David learned that Mephibosheth was making plans to regain the kingdom of his grandfather, David rewarded Ziba’s loyalty by granting him all of Mephibosheth’s inheritance. As David and his officials passed by Bahurim, one of Saul’s relatives came out and cursed David and threw stones at him and those with him. David chose not to stop him and continued on to the Jordan River (see also “Absalom Rebels against David” map).