In his days, Ahithophel had the reputation of being one of the wisest men. To his credit, it is said that hearing from him was as if one heard from the oracles. Our text captures the counsel which he gave to Absalom after he dislodged David his father from the throne. Ahithophel wanted to execute an immediate military action at a time he knew David and his men would be tired. Mobilizing the army with that strategy, he was sure David would become afraid by the sheer force of number on Absalom’s side. In previous meditation, we learned that deception is one of the ways by which Satan gains advantage over people. We have another one implied in our text. It is called fear!
When the devil sends in the bait of fear, he rips open through the defense line and attacks eventually…When you are afraid, pray!
To its credit, fear can be put to some healthy uses. For instance, the fear of God is a noble thing. Without it we can never walk to please God. It takes godly fear to give to the Lord the honour that is due to Him. It is also by fear that we can avoid what God frowns at. From another perspective, fear also prevents us from certain dangers. For example, the fear of being devoured by beasts helps us to walk with caution when we visit wildlife parks; just as the fear of electrocution keeps us on guard while using electrical appliances. These are all healthy forms of fear. The fear to avoid is the one that the devil wants to instil by covert. This type is morbid and paralyzing. According to the Bible, this form of fear has torment. When the devil sends in the bait of fear, he rips open through the defence line and attacks eventually. David was able to defeat the counsel of Ahithophel through prayer. When you are afraid, pray!