After rebelling against his father, King David, Absalom sought counsel from David's former servant, Ahithophel. A traitor to the crown, Ahithophel entreated Absalom to grant him permission to kill David himself. But the Lord had ordained to defeat Ahithophel's counsel by causing Absalom to seek secondary advice. This interplay between the sovereignty of God and human responsibility, notes Alistair Begg, is the divine fulcrum upon which life hinges, showing us that God is at work in everything to bring about His good purposes.