Last Sunday we looked at 2 Samuel 17 and the decision Absalom had to make about which counsel he was going to listen to. You can listen to the message here. Here are some of my notes from the message that I think are important when considering counsel from others.
1. Is it wordly counsel?
Worldly counsel can sound incredibly good but be biblically off. Here are two ways to discern if it is worldly counsel or Godly counsel. First consider the source. If the person talks about or refers to himself alot you can be certain it is worldly. Ahithophel referred to himself five times when counseling Absalom about going after David. “Let me take 12,000 men … and I will kill David.” If an expert gives advice and constantly refers to himself or his accomplishments ignore them. It is worldly counsel.
Secondly the way to determine if it is worldly counsel is if there is a hidden agenda. Ahithophel wanted revenge against David for his granddaughter Bathsheba and the killing of Uriah. Ahithophel was using Absalom to accomplish his agenda but wrapped the advice in language that made it look like it was good for Absalom. “I will kill David and let everyone else go.” It was personal for him and he wanted to exact revenge.
2. Is it Godly counsel?
There are two ways to discern if the counsel is from God. First is that the advice that you are getting is truthful. Hushai gave counsel to Absalom and was very direct in doing so. Hushai didn’t try to sugar coat it or even water it down he gave it directly to Absalom. Basically Hushai looked at Absalom and told him “Do you realize that you are going after the greatest warrior in all of Israel?” Absalom needed to hear this. When someone is giving us Godly advice they don’t cut corners or worry about hurting our feelings. They are direct, honest, and truthful.
The second way that we know counsel is from the Lord is that it is ordained by God. God used Hushai to defeat Ahithophel’s counsel. When people give us Godly counsel it is first God honoring, second God centered, and finally it is backed up by scripture. God was in control of this situation and He is in control of ours. If we get advice that leaves God out we are sure that it isn’t Godly.
So next time you seek advice or counsel in a situation make sure you go to a Godly person, better yet go to God’s word and see what God has to say. It is amazing how timely God’s word can be to your present day situation.
