The Bible Study Podcast, episode 259. Today, the Bible Study podcast continues the study of

2nd Samuel with Chapter 18. Welcome to the Bible Study podcast. I'm your host, Chris Christensen.

We continue on this story right now, the story of David and Absalom. You may remember that his son Absalom has rebelled against him after plotting it for four years. He finally puts his plot into action. David then counterplots and has some of his advisors, or at least one of his advisors,

pretend to be an advisor of Absalom and thwart him by giving him some bad advice.

We pick up the story in 2 Samuel 18.

David mustered the men who were with him and appointed them commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds.

David sent out his troops, a third under the command of Joab, a third under Joab's brother Abashai, son of Zoroa, and a third under Ittai, the Gittite. The king told the troops, I myself will surely march out with you, but the men said, you must not go out. If we are forced to flee, they don't care about us. Even if half of us die, they won't

care, but you are worth ten thousand of us. It would be better now for you to give us support

from the city. The king answered, I will do whatever seems best to you. So the king stood beside

the gate while all his men marched out in units of hundreds and of thousands. The king commanded Joab, Abashai, and Itai,

Be gentle with the young man Absalom, for my sake.

And all his troops heard the king giving orders concerning Absalom to each of the commanders.

David's army marched out of the city to fight Israel,

and the battle took place in the forest of Iphraim.

There, Israel's troops were routed by David's men, and the casualties that place in the forest of Iphraim. There, Israel's troops were routed

by David's men, and the casualties that day were great. Twenty thousand men. The battle spread out

over the whole countryside, and the forest swallowed up more men that day than the sword.

Now, Absalom happened to meet David's men. He was riding his mule, and as the mule went under

the thick branches of a large oak, Absalom's hair got caught in the tree. He was left his mule, and as the mule went under the thick branches of a large oak,

Absalom's hair got caught in the tree. He was left hanging in mid-air, while the mule he was riding kept on going. When one of the men saw what had happened, he told Joab, I just saw Absalom hanging in an oak tree. Joab said to the man who had told him this, what, you saw him? why didn't you strike him to the ground right there?

Then I would have had to give you

ten shekels of silver and a warrior's belt. But the man replied, even if a thousand shekels were weighed out into my hand, I would not lay a hand on the king's son. In our hearing, King commanded you and Abashai and Itai, protect the young man Absalom for my sake,

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