2 Samuel 18:25
And the watchman cried, and told the king. And the king said, If he be alone, there is tidings in his mouth. And he came apace, and drew near. And the watchman cried, and told the king. And the king said, If he be alone, there is tidings in his mouth. And he came apace, and drew near.
The watchman called out to the king that a runner was coming alone, and the king judged that coming alone meant he carried news, while the runner hastened on and drew near. David was waiting anxiously for word of the battle with Absalom, expecting good news because he knew the runner's character. Ahimaaz outran Cushi yet knew only that there had been a great tumult, so he was told to stand aside, while Cushi first received his tidings and then ran with a definite message. The contrast shows it is folly to run without a definite message, for the one who rushed to arrive first had no answer to what the king most wanted to know, while the other brought the true and essential tidings. Speed alone is therefore worthless in God's work; a messenger must first receive the truth and become acquainted with Jesus in secret, and then go out to speak what he knows.
Setting and Meaning
The scene is a watchman crying out to tell the king that a runner is coming alone, the king reasoning that if he is alone he must have tidings in his mouth, and the runner coming quickly and drawing near. A lone runner was taken as a sign that he was bringing news, since one coming without company was likely carrying an important message to deliver. Having the tidings ready is what distinguishes the successful messenger from one who runs eagerly yet cannot explain what he has seen.
David is found waiting anxiously for news of the battle with Absalom. His expectation of good tidings reflects his knowledge of Ahimaaz's character. In the setting, Ahimaaz greatly outran Cushi yet had only heard a great tumult and did not know what it meant, so the king told him to stand aside. Ahimaaz reported the victory but withheld news of Absalom's death, while Cushi first received his tidings and bowed and then ran with a definite message that mightily stirred the mourning father.
The verse belongs to the story of Absalom told in 2 Samuel 13 to 20, which grew out of David multiplying wives to himself and resulted in a large family of children by different wives where idleness, luxury, and jealousy developed unenviable characters. At its center stands Absalom the beautiful prince, whose ambitions were roused by fulsome flattery, together with his base conduct, the treachery of Ahithophel, the cursing of Shimei, the fear and flight of the king, his pathetic journey touching the hearts of old friends, the defeat of Absalom, and the father's sorrow over his wicked son's fate. Absalom had been unsafe for years because he was indulged, denied his father's care, and left exposed to temptation without protection.
The account to which the verse belongs is part of the retribution that followed David's wrongdoing against Uriah. That retribution extended through David's life and chiefly affected his family in Absalom's rebellion, fulfilling Nathan's prophetic denunciation and recording the judgments that followed the great transgression. It illustrates that sin can bring suffering long after the sin itself even when pardoned, as David's earlier sin and bad example to his children helped set in motion consequences that continued to trouble him.
Warning and Witness
In olden times runners carried important messages, and it was folly to run without a definite message. A runner without proper understanding may have to turn aside and stand still. The lone runner was expected to have tidings in his mouth, so that his coming alone was itself taken as a sign he brought news.
Ahimaaz rushed to arrive first but had no message and could not report what David most wanted to know, while Cushi brought the true and essential tidings. Zeal without knowledge leaves a messenger unable to deliver what is needed, however eagerly he runs. Having the tidings ready is what distinguishes the successful messenger from the one who cannot explain what he has seen. Speed alone is worthless in God's work. A messenger must first tarry in secret with Jesus and talk to God for the people before talking to the people for God, getting down with the Book to get up in power with its Author, and then run with patience, starting right and starting right away.
Ahimaaz greatly outran Cushi yet had only heard a great tumult and did not know what it meant, so the king told him to stand aside, while Cushi first received his tidings and bowed and then ran with a definite message that mightily stirred the mourning father. Quick running did not make Ahimaaz ready to bear witness, for he did not know what to say. Witnesses for Jesus must first learn what Jesus says and become well acquainted with him so they can tell what they know. A messenger should first receive the truth and message, then go out to speak it, for a man running without a message to deliver has nothing to say.
The story to which the coming of the runner belongs teaches the great lesson that no one can walk contrary to God's laws and not suffer. God may not openly reprove and may seem to wink at blindness, but in every transgression of divine law lies the inherent curse. Even amid that retribution David's kindness to the house of Saul is still in evidence.