September 26,
2007
Rise
up, LORD, and let thine enemies be scattered; and let them that hate thee flee
before thee. (Numbers 10: 35 KJV
2 Samuel Chapter 20 Author:
Unknown KJV
Sheba
Rebels Against David
(2
Samuel 20:1 KJV) "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."
Trouble
rears its ugly head again. Sheba
thinks David should not be king, saying in essence we have no interest in
David. There is always somebody who
thinks he can do better than the present government. Certainly Sheba felt that no one should
have anything from a son of Jesse meaning that Jesse was a poor farmer and
nothing good comes from such low life as a poor farmer. So all that followed Sheba deserted
David and went back to their home (tent) save the men of
Judah.
(2
Samuel 20:2-3 KJV) "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.
{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."
The ten
concubines were innocent victims of the sins of David and Absalom. David’s sin caused the whole uprising
within his family and especially Absalom in the first place. Absalom’s sin had been to commit
adultery with the concubines.
Because Absalom defiled David’s concubines, David would have nothing more
to do with them for they were defiled.
They could not marry another for that was poor security. So David confined them but supported
them.
(2
Samuel 20:4-5 KJV) "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
not the leader like Joab. Joab
could have summoned an army in much less time, and David allowed all the time he
could because it was necessary for David to put down the resurrection of Sheba
as soon as possible, or Sheba would have grown to powerful and followers would
hide him while David was in the area looking for
him.
(2
Samuel 20:6-7 KJV) "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."
Abishai
Joab’s brother was in charge of the palace guard and David ordered him to round
up an army. Joab served as assisted
Abishai.
(2
Samuel 20:8 KJV) "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."
Joab is
preparing to murder Amasa for not serving the king, as he
should.
(2
Samuel 20:9-10 KJV) "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."
Amasa did
not immediately die; sometimes it takes on several hours to die with their
intestines hanging out.
(2
Samuel 20:11-13 KJV) "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. {13}
When he was removed out of the highway, all the people went on after Joab,
to pursue after Sheba the son of Bichri."
Basically
Joab is once again in command of the Army because Joab killed the technical head
of the Army when he stabbed Amasa.
The men were probably confused who to follow, Amasa or Joab, plus the
shock of Amasa’s bloody body lying in the middle of the road did not help. It was necessary to drag Amasa out of
the way and cover him to hide his mortally wounded body from other soldiers
passing by.
(2
Samuel 20:14-17 KJV) "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."
When a city
is under siege the citizens suffer the most. Everything is blocked coming in and
nothing goes out. Who ever was
visiting in the city at the time of the siege got stuck.
(2
Samuel 20:18-19 KJV) "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?"
The woman
inquires of why Joab has blocked the city.
(2
Samuel 20:20-21 KJV) "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."
Joab tells
the woman give me Sheba, and the siege will stop. The woman made an agreement with Joab to
save the city.
(2
Samuel 20:22 KJV) "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."
Sheba was a
traitor to David and all of Israel.
He threatened disunity when Israel needed to be unified under David who
was under the will of the Lord.
We
can make a spiritual analogy out of Sheba, his rebellion, and his refuge in the
city of Abel. "Every man's breast is a city enclosed. Every sin is a traitor
that lurketh within those walls. God calleth for Sheba's head, neither hath he
any quarrel to us for our person, but for our sin. If we love the head of our
traitor above the life of our soul, we shall justly perish in the vengeance."
(Trapp)
(2
Samuel 20:23-25 KJV) "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:"
So David
sets up his second administration and in this administration David has as his
private priest or minister Ira.
David a man after God’s heart felt it necessary to have a private
minister to help him through his devotion to God. Likewise we should come to others and
ask for their prayers and counsel before God.
24 The LORD bless
thee, and keep thee:
25 The LORD make his
face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:
26 The LORD lift up
his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.
27 And they shall
put my name upon the children of Israel, and I will bless
them.
Numbers
6 KJV
Have a blessed day
Lee
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