Thought of the Day 10.31.08

In the book of 2 Samuel, there is this famous story about how Absalom stages a coup d’etat against his father, King David. In the process, Absalom seeks the guidance of one of David’s wisest men, Ahithophel.

But David, learning of this development, sends his other friend, Hushai, secretly into the court to trick Absalom into rejecting Ahithophel’s counsel. This plot works, and Absalom follows Hushai’s advice. In response, Ahithophel does an amazing thing: he travels home, sets his house in order, and kills himself. (2 Samuel 17:23)

Like so many people, Ahithophel had based his identity on being wise, which meant being listened to. And as soon as his advice was ignored, he lost all sense of meaning in his life, and he was devastated. His wisdom and influence were his idols, and without them, he had nothing. If only he had rooted his identity in God instead of in the talents God gave him, he could have been spared this catastrophe.