When Ahithophel saw that his advice had not been followed, he saddled his donkey and set out for his house in his hometown. He put his house in order and then hanged himself. So he died and was buried in his father's tomb. – 2 Samuel 17:23

Today's Scripture Reading (September 22, 2022): 2 Samuel 17

Benedict Arnold, Guy Fawkes, and Marcus Junius Brutus headline a list of people who share one distinction; they are all considered to be traitors. For Arnold, it was a betrayal of the United States during the Revolutionary war. Many have tried to figure out why a decorated American Revolutionary Army general would cross the lines and begin to fight for the hated British military. But the answer might be as simple as he was married to the wrong person, in this case, Peggy Shippen. Shippen grew up in a loyalist family in Philadelphia and exerted a significant influence on her husband. Guy Fawkes was involved in the Gunpowder Plot of 1605, a failed attempt to assassinate King James I. Guy Fawkes failed attempt is remembered every year on November 5, made immortal by a simple poem that begins with

            Remember, remember the fifth of November

            The gunpowder treason and plot

            I see no reason why the gunpowder treason

            Should ever be forgot.

Marcus Junius Brutus was involved in the successful assassination of Julius Caesar on March 15, 44 B.C.E. (Beware the ides of March), and his treason was immortalized by the playwright William Shakespeare in his play "Julius Caesar." Even if you haven't read the play, you probably remember one of the plot points written with three simple words; "Et tu, Brutus?" (You too, Brutus)?

Of course, the greatest of betrayals for Christians was Judas Iscariot's betrayal of Jesus Christ. And that was a decision with which Judas simply couldn't live. After the arrest of Jesus, Judas committed suicide by hanging himself, an action that we still struggle to understand. Maybe he finally realized that his betrayal was wrong, and in the aftermath of that betrayal, he basically found himself on the wrong side of what he believed. Or maybe his betrayal was simply a ruse to try to force Jesus into a confrontation with his enemies. If that was his motive, it didn't turn out the way he had hoped, and therefore, Judas saw no way out other than to hang himself.

Ahithophel was a young advisor to King David. Despite his youth, he possessed great wisdom, and his advice was highly sought after by those who ruled the nation. But during Absalom's rebellion, the young advisor changed sides, betraying David in favor of the young prince. Maybe, he was trying to back the winning side, believing that Absalom's rebellion would be successful. But when Absalom rejected his advice, he seemed to be a soldier without an allegiance. He had betrayed David, and now he had been excluded by Absalom. The advisor had no place to go, so he committed suicide by hanging himself.

Alexander Kirkpatrick (1849-1940), Religious Professor of Hebrew at Cambridge University, calls Ahithophel's suicide the first suicide on record. Christian biblical teachers see a parallel between Ahithophel and Judas; both followed a similar pattern and suffered a similar outcome, one betraying David while the other betrayed the Son of David.

Today's Scripture Reading: Psalm 41