Group Check-in

1. What was the best part of your week?
2. What was the most difficult part of your week?

What Are 2 Samuel 16–17 About?

As David continues fleeing Jerusalem, fault lines in Israel’s loyalties become painfully clear. Ziba slanders Mephibosheth and wins quick favor; Shimei curses David along the road, pelting him with stones; and David, humbled and wounded, entrusts his vindication to the Lord.

Meanwhile in Jerusalem, Absalom publicly sleeps with David’s concubines, fulfilling Nathan’s word (12:11–12), and seeks counsel for how to finish the coup. Ahithophel’s advice is razor-sharp and deadly; Hushai’s counter-counsel, backed by God’s hidden hand, buys David time. Messengers narrowly escape, David crosses the Jordan, and unexpected allies supply the king in exile. Ahithophel, seeing his counsel rejected, takes his life. These chapters spotlight slander, rash judgment, and power plays set against God’s sovereign, often quiet, providence that protects David and frustrates evil plans.

Key Verse

“Absalom and all the men of Israel said, ‘The advice of Hushai the Arkite is better than that of Ahithophel.’ For the Lord had determined to frustrate the good advice of Ahithophel in order to bring disaster on Absalom.” —2 Samuel 17:14 (NIV)

S.O.A.P. for the Week

Passage: 2 Samuel 16:5–13; 16:21–22; 17:14, 21–24

Scripture: Read how David responds to Shimei’s cursing; note Absalom’s rooftop sin; watch God overturn Ahithophel’s counsel.

Observation: Human schemes are fierce, but God’s providence is firmer.

Application: Resist knee-jerk reactions to slander; seek the Lord before judging a report; trust His timing when wronged.

Prayer: “Lord, guard my mouth and my steps. Give me wisdom under pressure and confidence in Your sovereign care.”

Ice-Breakers

• Share a time you received bad information and made a quick decision you later regretted. What would you do differently now?
• Have you ever faced public criticism or shaming? How did you respond—defend, retaliate, or entrust it to God?

Group Discussion Questions

As we are covering three whole chapters in this study guide, we’re going to break things up for you…

1. When have you reacted under pressure and later realized you judged too quickly?
2. How do you decide when to defend yourself and when to stay silent?
3. When two pieces of advice both sound smart, how do you discern which is godly?
4. Where do you notice God’s hidden hand directing outcomes that seemed random?
5. Who are the “quiet helpers” God has used to sustain you, and how can you be that this week?
6. What keeps people from repenting even when they know they’re wrong?

Practical Takeaway

Slow down your judgments; verify before you decide. When wronged or slandered, practice entrusted silence: pray first, respond later (if at all). Seek counsel that is not only clever but godly… aligned with Scripture, humble, and peaceable. And don’t despise “small” obedience; God often preserves His people through ordinary faithfulness and hidden providence.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, when accusations fly and pressure mounts, anchor our hearts in Your sovereignty. Rescue us from rash decisions, defensiveness, and the hunger for spectacle. Give us wisdom like Hushai, patience like David, and the quiet courage of those unnamed servants who furthered Your purposes. Keep us from Ahithophel’s pride and lead us in repentance and hope through Jesus, our true King. It is in His mighty Name that we pray. Amen.