15 Aug. David escapes from Jerusalem
“A messenger came to David saying, ‘The Israelites are giving their loyalty to Absalom.’ Then David said to all his officers who were with him in Jerusalem, ‘We must leave quickly! If we don’t, we won’t be able to get away from Absalom. We must hurry before he catches us and destroys us and kills the people of Jerusalem.’ The king’s officers said to him, ‘We will do anything you say.’”
“The king set out with everyone in his house, but he left ten slave women to take care of the palace… All the people cried loudly as everyone passed by. King David crossed the Kidron Valley, and then all the people went on to the desert.”
“Zadok and all the Levites with him carried the Ark of the [Covenant] Agreement with God. They set it down, and Abiathar offered sacrifices until all the people had left the city. The king said to Zadok, ‘Take the Ark of God back into the city. If the LORD is pleased with me, he will bring me back and will let me see both it and Jerusalem again.’”
“’But if the LORD says he is not pleased with me, I am ready. He can do what he wants with me.’… So Zadok and Abiathar took the Ark of God back to Jerusalem and stayed there.”
“David went up the Mount of Olives, crying as he went… When David reached the top of the mountain where people used to worship God, Hushai the Arkite came to meet him. Hushai’s coat was torn, and there was dust on his head to show how sad he was.”
“David said to Hushai, ‘If you go with me, you will be just one more person for me to take care of. But if you return to the city, you can make Ahithophel’s advice useless. Tell Absalom, “I am your servant, my king. In the past I served your father, but now I will serve you.”’”
“’The priests Zadok and Abiathar will be with you. Tell them everything you hear in the royal palace. Zadok’s son Ahimaaz and Abiathar’s son Jonathan are with them. Send them to tell me everything you hear.’ So David’s friend Hushai entered Jerusalem just as Absalom returned.”
(2 Samuel 15:13-37)
Resentful of his elderly father, Absalom had moved to the southern capital of Hebron, where he stirred up considerable opposition to David. Declaring himself king of Israel and Judah at Hebron, Absalom marched quickly on Jerusalem to depose his father (see 2 Samuel 15:7-12).
Caught by surprise with no standing army at hand, David fled from Jerusalem with his court retinue and his personal bodyguard of just six hundred mercenary soldiers from Gath. He left only ten of his slave women to look after the royal palace in the City of David.
The royal party made their way across the Kidron Valley to the east of Jerusalem, and slowly climbed up the slope of the Mount of Olives where David (like Jesus many years later – see 2 Samuel 15:30 & Luke 19:41-44) cried over Jerusalem.
Before skirting the summit of the Mount of Olives and proceeding along the desert road to Jericho and the fords of the River Jordan, David ordered the priests Zadok and Abiathar to return to Jerusalem with the Ark of the Covenant.
David then sent his close friend and adviser Hushai back to the City of David in order to influence Absalom’s inner circle of advisers, and to act as an informer – sending out secret messages to David via the young sons of the two priests.
The photo shows the old city of Jerusalem from the slopes of the Mount of Olives.
You can read more about David and Absalom @ https://www.thebiblejourney.org/biblejourney2/30-israel-becomes-a-kingdom-under-saul-and-david/absaloms-flight-amp-his-rebellion-against-david