In the first part of this series, we met Ahitophel of Giloh, the man whose counsel was regarded as though one had consulted the oracle of God.
The Bible does not tell us how Ahitophel developed such extraordinary wisdom. It does not tell us how old he was when David first began listening to him. It does not tell us whether he held any official office in the kingdom.
What it does tell us is that his counsel was remarkably accurate.
This raises an important leadership question.
If God were to place an Ahitophel in your life, would you recognise him?
And if you did recognise him, would you know how to handle him?
As we have already established in this series, leadership is taught in Scripture primarily through examples.
1 Corinthians 10 (KJ2000)
11 Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages are come.
Romans 15 (KJ2000)
4 For whatsoever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.
The story of Ahitophel was preserved for our learning.
Not merely to admire his wisdom.
But to learn how leaders should relate to unusually gifted advisers.
Recognizing an Ahitophel
Most Ahitophels do not announce themselves.
They rarely walk into a room and declare, “I am the wise counsellor God has sent.”
You discover them over time.
You discover them by watching patterns.
The first thing you notice is usually their accuracy.
Again and again they call situations correctly.
Again and again they see problems before others do.
Again and again they offer solutions that later prove right.
Everybody gets lucky once.
An Ahitophel gets it right repeatedly.
Not because he knows everything.
Not because he is always right.
But because he sees things that other people miss.
They Usually Speak Up
Many leaders make a mistake at this point.
They expect wise people to be quiet.
Ahitophels are rarely quiet.
Counsellors counsel.
That is what they do.
They have opinions.
They have observations.
They have recommendations.
Sometimes they speak when nobody asked them to.
Sometimes they volunteer advice.
Sometimes they interrupt discussions because they can already see where things are heading.
This can be irritating.
Especially for leaders who like being the smartest person in the room.
But it comes with the territory.
You cannot ask God for a counsellor and then complain when he counsels.
Do Not Punish Them for Missing It
One of the quickest ways to lose an Ahitophel is to humiliate him when he gets something wrong.
Even the best advisers miss it occasionally.
Even the best doctors make incorrect diagnoses.
Even the best lawyers lose cases.
Even the best investors make bad investments.
Nobody gets everything right.
The problem is that leaders often become accustomed to a counsellor’s accuracy.
When he finally gets one wrong, they react disproportionately.
A sarcastic comment.
A public embarrassment.
A dismissive response.
The wise adviser notices immediately.
And often becomes much quieter afterwards.
You may think you have solved a problem.
In reality, you have silenced one of your greatest assets.
Silence Is Often a Warning Sign
When an Ahitophel suddenly becomes quiet, pay attention.
Something has changed.
Perhaps he no longer feels welcome.
Perhaps he no longer feels heard.
Perhaps he has concluded that giving advice is pointless.
Perhaps he is now giving his best thinking elsewhere.
One of the lessons from David’s life is that Ahitophel’s wisdom did not disappear when he joined Absalom.
The gift remained.
Only the recipient changed.
Wise leaders understand this.
They know that gifted people cannot stop being gifted.
If their contribution is no longer valued in one place, it will often become valuable somewhere else.
Explain Yourself
No leader should blindly follow advice.
Not even advice from an Ahitophel.
There will be times when you decide to go in a different direction.
That is your responsibility as a leader.
But when you do, explain why.
An Ahitophel can handle disagreement.
What he struggles with is being ignored.
A simple conversation can preserve years of trust.
“Thank you for your advice. I understand your position. Here is why I have chosen another path.”
That conversation keeps the relationship healthy.
Without it, resentment can quietly grow.
Get the Counsel Before the Meeting
One of the most useful lessons I have learned is this.
The best place to receive counsel is often before the meeting, not during it.
If your Ahitophel always corrects you or disagrees with you publicly, eventually people will notice, and begin looking to him instead of to you.
That is not healthy for the leader, or for the organisation, or for the counsellor.
David had private access to Ahitophel. Notice the Bible does not contain any record of advice Ahitophel gave to David, suggesting his advice was always given privately.
Most wise leaders throughout history have had trusted advisers behind the scenes.
Public meetings are usually not the best place to discover what your adviser thinks.
You should already know.
Keep Them Close
Absalom understood something many leaders miss.
He understood Ahitophel’s value.
One of the first things he did after launching his rebellion was secure Ahitophel’s support.
He knew that winning Ahitophel to his side gave him a major advantage.
Wise leaders think the same way.
They do not take gifted advisers for granted.
They value them. They honour them. They listen carefully when they speak.
They understand that replacing a position is easy.
Replacing wisdom is not.
They Are Not the Holy Spirit
This may be the most important lesson of all.
An Ahitophel is not the Holy Spirit.
No matter how accurate his counsel may be.
No matter how impressive his track record may be.
No matter how often he gets things right.
His words are still human words.
His wisdom is still human wisdom.
His counsel should be weighed, considered, and prayed over.
The gift is valuable. The gift is powerful. The gift should be treasured.
But it should never replace your personal walk with God, or your need to hear from God.
Looking Ahead
In the next part of this series, we will examine Ahitophel’s actual counsel.
What exactly did he tell David and Absalom?
Why did people trust him so completely?
Was his advice truly as good as Scripture suggests?
The answers may surprise you.
More importantly, they reveal why leaders throughout history have searched for their own Ahitophel.
Continue in grace!