"As the Lord lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king shall be, whether for death or for life, there also will your servant be" (2 Smuel 15:21).
The faithfulness of Ittai is put on display as an example for every follower of the King.
Absalom, in furry over the king's lack of concern for his sister's (the king's daughter) rape, undermined the authority of his father, the king, and stole the hearts of the people of Israel. After getting word of the revolt that was about to take place David fled from Jerusalem.
Upon leaving Jerusalem, Ittai, who had not long before left his native city of Gath to join the ranks of the king, pledged his faithfulness to the king. In spite of David's wishes that Ittai return to Jerusalem, for the king did not know where or for how long he would be gone, Ittai pledges his faithfulness with these words,
"As the Lord lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king shall be, whether for death or for life, there also will your servant be."Ittai was not trying to be a hero. Even though he had been promoted quickly, Ittai was still fairly new in the kings army. He was simply being faithful and loyal to the true king, David.
That is all we know about Ittai: he was faithful. It appears that the battle that was fought between David and Absalom took Ittai's life along with more than 40,000 others, including Absalom's.
May it be that each of us, as followers of THE King, be as faithful as Ittai. If there is only one thing to be said of us upon our death, may it be that we were faithful.
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