A Footrace

Messengers were chosen to carry the news of the battle to David.

Ahimaaz, the son of the priest Zadok, requested the honor.

He and Jonathan had been chosen to carry clandestine messages from their fathers to David (2 Samuel 17:17–21). Apparently, he was also a swift runner (2 Samuel 18:27).

Joab denied his request, knowing that news of Absalom’s status would be the only thing David wanted to hear. Delivery of such a dire message would forever link Ahimaaz with bad news in David’s mind. This might adversely affect the way David looked upon the young man in the future. Instead, Joab selected a non-Israelite to carry the bad news.

He called upon a Cushite to take word to David.

Ahimaaz would not take Joab’s refusal as final.

After the Cushite left, he again petitioned Joab to be allowed to run. Joab remonstrated with him, “Wherefore wilt thou run, my son, seeing that thou hast no tidings ready?” (v. 22). The message was already on its way. There was no reason to send it twice.

But Ahimaaz was resolute; he wanted to run. Joab relented.

While the Cushite took the more direct route through woods and over hills to Mahanaim, Ahimaaz chose the longer but more level route up the Jordan River valley.

Being swifter than the Cushite, Ahimaaz outran him and came within sight of Mahanaim first. The watchman on the wall saw a runner approach.

He called down to alert David, who was sitting by the gate.

David wondered whether it was a single runner.

If many, it might have signaled a retreat.

The answer was one runner who looked like Ahimaaz.

David knew him to be a good man. Suddenly, a second runner appeared.

This complicated the issue. Ahimaaz reached David first and divulged that David’s enemies had lost the battle. As Joab expected, David only wanted to know about Absalom. Ahimaaz skillfully evaded David’s question (v. 29). The Cushite arrived and repeated that victory had been won. David asked, “Is the young man Absalom safe?” (v. 32).

The answer leaves no doubt in David’s mind as to his son’s status: “All that rise against thee to do thee hurt, [should] be as that young man is” (v. 32).

How often do our actions bring about the very things we dread most?