So when we left off in my first post on II Samuel 15, David was escaping from Absalom by fleeing the city with his entourage. They stopped at the "last house". It sounds like David was leading and then, at this point, David slowed or stopped and everyone passed by. Here are who is listed as passing by:
- all his servants
- Cherethities
- Pelethites
- Gittites
- six hundred men who had come with him from Gath
- Ittai, the Gittie (foreigner in exile from Gath who just arrived; he had a lot of little ones with him
- Zadok, his sons, and all the Levites with the Ark (made to return)
- Abiathar
As David headed up the Mount of Olives. he was weeping, barefoot, and had his head covered. Soon the procession did the same.
Verse 30: I wonder if he took his sandals off for this as part of the grieving. Fleeing with shoes doesn't make sense. He had time, as he got a whole procession together. And it seems like you'd want shoes to run or fight for if Absalom came. Verse 32 notes this is where God is worshiped, so the barefoot (and the weeping and head cover) may all be signs of respect as he prepares to worship the Lord.
They are reporting that his advisor, Ahithophel was one of the conspirators, but I though earlier that he was mislead into traveling to Absalom in Hebron. I was under the impression he was more of a hostage to deprive David of a his right hand man? I guess we'll have to wait and see on this one.
Then his friend Hushai showed up and David sent him back to the city to feign loyalty to Absalom and gain information that he would pass to Zadok and the priests. So there was a bit of spark left in the old warrior. I hope that's not the only reason he sent the Ark back, though. That had the sound of genuine respect for the will of the Lord, not just more palace intrigue.