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2 Samuel Chapter 20
The Rebellion of Sheba
- 2Samuel 20:1 And
there happened to be there a man of Belial, whose name was
Sheba, the son of Bichri, a Benjamite: and he blew a trumpet,
and said, We have no part in David, neither have we inheritance
in the son of Jesse: every man to his tents, O Israel.
- 2 So every man of
Israel went up from after David, and followed Sheba the son of
Bichri: but the men of Judah clave unto their king, from Jordan
even to Jerusalem.
A person of Belial meant they were
worthless, evil, of the devil, trouble maker and out for himself
rather than the good of others. He was of the tribe of Benjamin the
same as Saul was. He may have been a relative of Saul but he wanted
no part of David's kingdom so he rebelled and drew people after
himself. This caused another division like the one led by Absalom.
Looks like some people were unstable and rebelled with him. The
tribe of Judah though stayed true to David.
-
2Samuel 20:3 And David came
to his house at Jerusalem; and the king took the ten women his
concubines, whom he had left to keep the house, and put them in
ward, and fed them, but went not in unto them. So they were shut
up unto the day of their death, living in widowhood.
They were not in any type of captivity
neither were they being punished. He was probably keeping them from
what happened to them when Absalom defiled them to spite David. They
lived as widows in comfort and protection but as the custom of that
day was, they were not free to marry.
Samuel the prophet warned all Israel
how it would be if they stopped having judges and preferred to be
under a king. Kings would do just that. Take who they wanted as
wives and the women had no say in the matter. God never ordained
this type of thing and the law of Moses warned kings not to multiply
wives to themselves.
When studying the life of Solomon, his
multiple wives turned his heart away from God and into idolatry.
This caused the kingdom of Israel and Judah to divide again after
the death of Solomon.
- 2Samuel 20:4 Then
said the king to Amasa, Assemble me the men of Judah within
three days, and be thou here present.
- 5 So Amasa went to
assemble the men of Judah: but he tarried longer than the set
time which he had appointed him.
Amasa was appointed leader of the army
instead of Joab but it seems as if he was slow and hesitant. David
had to send someone else. Armies must be ready and alert to be able
to overcome enemies.
- 2Samuel 20:6 And
David said to Abishai, Now shall Sheba the son of Bichri do us
more harm than did Absalom: take thou thy lord's servants, and
pursue after him, lest he get him fenced cities, and escape us.
- 7 And there went out
after him Joab's men, and the Cherethites, and the Pelethites,
and all the mighty men: and they went out of Jerusalem, to
pursue after Sheba the son of Bichri.
- 8 When they were at
the great stone which is in Gibeon, Amasa went before them. And
Joab's garment that he had put on was girded unto him, and upon
it a girdle with a sword fastened upon his loins in the sheath
thereof; and as he went forth it fell out.
- 9 And Joab said to
Amasa, Art thou in health, my brother? And Joab took Amasa by
the beard with the right hand to kiss him.
- 10 But Amasa took no
heed to the sword that was in Joab's hand: so he smote him
therewith in the fifth rib, and shed out his bowels to the
ground, and struck him not again; and he died. So Joab and
Abishai his brother pursued after Sheba the son of Bichri.
- 11 And one of Joab's
men stood by him, and said, He that favoureth Joab, and he that
is for David, let him go after Joab.
- 12 And Amasa
wallowed in blood in the midst of the highway. And when the man
saw that all the people stood still, he removed Amasa out of the
highway into the field, and cast a cloth upon him, when he saw
that every one that came by him stood still.
This was the second man Joab killed
when he thought David was showing favor to another other than him.
The first was Abner and the second of this man Amasa. Abner also
changed sides. He formally was the leader of Saul's army. Amasa was
one who followed Absalom. Why David wanted to trust those that
followed leaders that were previously his enemies, is questionable
but it cost them their lives because Joab either didn't trust them
or was jealous that David chose them over him.
- 2Samuel 20:13 When
he was removed out of the highway, all the people went on after
Joab, to pursue after Sheba the son of Bichri.
- 14 And he went
through all the tribes of Israel unto Abel, and to Bethmaachah,
and all the Berites: and they were gathered together, and went
also after him.
- 15 And they came and
besieged him in Abel of Bethmaachah, and they cast up a bank
against the city, and it stood in the trench: and all the people
that were with Joab battered the wall, to throw it down.
- 16 Then cried a wise
woman out of the city, Hear, hear; say, I pray you, unto Joab,
Come near hither, that I may speak with thee.
- 17 And when he was
come near unto her, the woman said, Art thou Joab? And he
answered, I am he. Then she said unto him, Hear the words of
thine handmaid. And he answered, I do hear.
- 18 Then she spake,
saying, They were wont to speak in old time, saying, They shall
surely ask counsel at Abel: and so they ended the matter.
- 19 I am one of them
that are peaceable and faithful in Israel: thou seekest to
destroy a city and a mother in Israel: why wilt thou swallow up
the inheritance of the LORD?
- 20 And Joab answered
and said, Far be it, far be it from me, that I should swallow up
or destroy.
- 21 The matter is not
so: but a man of mount Ephraim, Sheba the son of Bichri by name,
hath lifted up his hand against the king, even against David:
deliver him only, and I will depart from the city. And the woman
said unto Joab, Behold, his head shall be thrown to thee over
the wall.
- 22 Then the woman
went unto all the people in her wisdom. And they cut off the
head of Sheba the son of Bichri, and cast it out to Joab. And he
blew a trumpet, and they retired from the city, every man to his
tent. And Joab returned to Jerusalem unto the king.
It seems as if this woman conspired to
save the city by betraying Sheba. She had Sheba beheaded to keep
Joab from defeating the whole city.
- 2Samuel 20:23 Now
Joab was over all the host of Israel: and Benaiah the son of
Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and over the Pelethites:
- 24 And Adoram was
over the tribute: and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was
recorder:
- 25 And Sheva was scribe: and Zadok and Abiathar
were the priests:
- 26 And Ira also the
Jairite was a chief ruler about David.
It is sad to see so much bloodshed.
Rebellion has it's price. David was willing to forgive Abner and
Amasa and allow them to serve in his armies. Joab was not so
forgiving. He did what he thought was right no matter what King
David ordered. He was tough and could win the battles but his ways
were not ways of mercy. He thought nothing of preserving the lives
of who he thought were enemies.
How precious is life and one thing I
noticed that after the coming of Jesus the first time, things began
to change. A time of mercy and grace was ushered in to those that
would receive Him. We live in that day. This will end after the
final rebellion of those that will choose evil over good. Those that
reject the way God has provided to be forgiven of sin and inherit
eternal life will be the ones to end up in a place of no return.
Those that reject Jesus so much so that they persecute and kill His
people, will suffer judgment. Right now is the day of grace, we need
to seek God and allow our lives to be changed by His power. Through
faith in Jesus old things pass away and all things become new within
the believer. The Holy Spirit is given to all who believe. One day
Jesus will return. That day may be coming close as we see the world
rebelling against the word of God. DC
2 Samuel Chapter 21
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