Beginning of the End - Ellen G. White

mostly of men untrained for war. Ahithophel knew very well that a
large part of the nation was still true to David and that he was
surrounded by tried warriors commanded by able and experienced
generals. Ahithophel knew that after the first burst of enthusiasm in
favor of the new king, a reaction would come. If the rebellion should
fail, Absalom and his father might reconcile. Then Ahithophel, as
his chief counselor, would be held most guilty, and the heaviest
punishment would fall upon him.
To prevent Absalom from giving up his rebellion, Ahithophel
devised a plan that would make reconciliation impossible. With
hellish cunning, this unprincipled statesman urged Absalom to add
the crime of incest to that of rebellion. In the sight of all Israel he
was to take to himself his father's concubines, by this act declaring
that he had succeeded to his father's throne. And Absalom carried
out the vile suggestion. This fulfilled the word of God to David by
the prophet, "Behold, I will raise up adversity against you from your
own house; and I will take your wives before your eyes and give
them to your neighbor. ... For you did it secretly, but I will do this
thing before all Israel, before the sun." (2 Samuel 12:11, 12). God
did not prompt these acts, but He did not exercise His power to
prevent them.
Ahithophel was totally without divine enlightenment, or he
could not have used the crime of incest to make treason a success.
People who have corrupt hearts plot wickedness as if there were no
overruling Providence to disrupt their schemes.
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