As we read through the various Biblical accounts, we naturally identify with certain characters, usually envisioning ourselves the morally upright one in the story. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 10:11, “Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the end of the ages have come.” These characters of old are like little mirrors for us and those in our lives.

David’s life is spiraling out of control, and he is forced to leave Jerusalem. The first character in this story is Absalom. We read how he manipulated the crowd against David and towards him in 2 Samuel 15:3-6, as he would stand in the gate, “Then Absalom would say to him, “Look your case is good and right; but there is no deputy of the king to hear you.” Moreover Absalom would say, “Oh, that I were made judge in the land, and everyone who has a suit or cause would come to me; then I would give him justice.”...In this manner Absalom acted toward all Israel who came to the king for judgment. So Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel.”

So Absalom in anger towards David manipulates the hearts away from him. We next read of the next group in 15:11, “And with Absalom went two hundred men invited from Jerusalem, and they went along innocently and did not know anything.” These men were the leaders. Rather than seeking the facts, they were easily swayed by Absalom and perhaps unknowingly joined in the conspiracy. We then see Ahithophel in 15:12, of which we read further in 15:31, “Then someone told David, saying, “Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.” Concerning Ahithophel, David wrote in Psalm 41:9, “Yea, my own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted up his heel against me.” We next read of another character, Ittai the Gittite. He had just defected from the Philistines to join David and his God only one day earlier. David urges him not to put his life in danger and to return, but we read in 15:21, “But Ittai answered the king and said, “As the Lord lives, and as my lord the king lives, surely in whatever place my lord the king shall be, whether in death or life, even there also your servant will be.”

We all know which character we want to be in this story, Ittai the Gittite. But if we are honest, we have all played a multitude of these characters at different times and with different people in our lives. It always seems much worse on others than it does on ourselves. More importantly, Ittai is a picture of Christ with us. Despite our sinful behavior, we read in Hebrews 13:5, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” We read of Jesus’ inseparable love for us in Romans 8:35-39, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?...nor height nor depth, nor any created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” So, we know that we have a Savior who will stick by our side no matter what. But how about us concerning Christ. Will we stick by Him like Ittai? Will we manipulate the truth and lead others away like Absalom? Will we naively and in ignorance allow ourselves to flow with the crowds, sometimes following and other times forsaking? Will we seek our own glory like Ahithophel rather than living for His glory (Matthew 5:16)? Are we all of these at different times? As mentioned at the outset, these examples are like mirrors. May we accept and attach ourselves to Jesus as Ittai did for David and experience what fellowship with our Savior is all about.