Discontent Leads To Rebellion
II Samuel 20:1-13
“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.
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.” (II Samuel 20:1-2)
Israel felt that they were taken for granted and their opinion was not valued when Judah moved to make David King again without consulting them. With the people already upset, Satan inspired Sheba to play on their feelings, insisting that the rest of Israel had no real connection with David, and that Judah would be the only real beneficiary of having him as king. It caused a major split in the country, with Judah standing for David, and the rest of Israel turning after Sheba.
“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.” (II Samuel 20:3)
Absalom had deliberately had sex with these ten of David’s common law wives in a public display of disrespect for his father to emphasize the rift between them. David realized it wasn’t their fault, so he continued to support them as his wives, but no longer maintained the sexual relations with them, on the basis of Deuteronomy 24:3-4. “And if the latter husband hate her, and write her a bill of divorcement, and giveth it in her hand, and sendeth her out of his house; or if the latter husband die, which took her to be his wife; Her former husband, which sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife, after that she is defiled; for that is abomination before the LORD: and thou shalt not cause the land to sin, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.” Though the women had been forced, the relationship would always be a fact between them, interfering with the relationship. Forgiving a mate for an affair does not necessarily mean accepting them back.
“Then said the king to Amasa, Assemble me the men of Judah within three days, and be thou here present. So Amasa went to assemble the men of Judah: but he tarried longer than the set time which he had appointed him.
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. 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.” (II Samuel 20:4-7)
Recognizing that failure to act could well result in a permanent split of the country, David ordered Amasa to assemble Judah’s army within three days. When amasa was late returning, David sent Abishai out to lead Joab’s men and David’s personal guards in an effort to prevent Sheba from gathering too much strength As he warned Abishai, Sheba’s actions were a bigger threat to the nation of Israel than Absalom’s, because they threatened to split the country.
“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.
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. 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.” (II Samuel 20:8-10a)
When they came to Gibeon, Amasa caught up and took over leading the army, as David’s commanding general. Joab had allowed his younger brother to lead, but he refused to allow someone else to have the position he thought of as his own. Hurrying as they were, Joab’s sword fell out of the sheath, so he was carrying it in his hand.
When he saw his cousin Amasa, he greeted him as a dear relative. Amasa thought nothing of the short sword in Joab’s hand and went forward to hug and kiss him as was customary. Joab took the opportunity to stab him under the fifth rib, puncturing the heart and probably a lung, and opening up his abdomen so his intestines fell out, killing him.
“So Joab and Abishai his brother pursued after Sheba the son of Bichri. 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.
“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. When he was removed out of the highway, all the people went on after Joab, to pursue after Sheba the son of Bichri.” (II Samuel 20:10b-13)
Leaving Amasa’s body still flopping around, Joab took command and he and Abishai continued their efforts to capture Sheba, leaving one of Joab’s men to direct the others to keep following. Seeing Amassa’s boddy flopping around, everyone stopped to look, so the man dragged the body into the field and covered it up so it wouldn’t distract them.
Amasa was the fourth person Joab had murdered, and he no longer even bothered to try to hide his guilt, convinced David would be unable to move against him. While he could legally excuse his killing of Abner, and claim killing Absalom was justified to end the war, even though he was breaking David’s command, there was no way of justifying Amasa’s murder. He just refused to relinquish command of the army when David replaced him. To prevent a major scandal and rebellion, David will be forced to overlook his crimes, but he would advise Solomon to take the first opportunity he could to get rid of him, and not just allow him to die of old age.
When he was removed out of the highway, all the people went on after Joab, to pursue
II Samuel 20:1-13
“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.
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.” (II Samuel 20:1-2)
Israel felt that they were taken for granted and their opinion was not valued when Judah moved to make David King again without consulting them. With the people already upset, Satan inspired Sheba to play on their feelings, insisting that the rest of Israel had no real connection with David, and that Judah would be the only real beneficiary of having him as king. It caused a major split in the country, with Judah standing for David, and the rest of Israel turning after Sheba.
“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.” (II Samuel 20:3)
Absalom had deliberately had sex with these ten of David’s common law wives in a public display of disrespect for his father to emphasize the rift between them. David realized it wasn’t their fault, so he continued to support them as his wives, but no longer maintained the sexual relations with them, on the basis of Deuteronomy 24:3-4. “And if the latter husband hate her, and write her a bill of divorcement, and giveth it in her hand, and sendeth her out of his house; or if the latter husband die, which took her to be his wife; Her former husband, which sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife, after that she is defiled; for that is abomination before the LORD: and thou shalt not cause the land to sin, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.” Though the women had been forced, the relationship would always be a fact between them, interfering with the relationship. Forgiving a mate for an affair does not necessarily mean accepting them back.
“Then said the king to Amasa, Assemble me the men of Judah within three days, and be thou here present. So Amasa went to assemble the men of Judah: but he tarried longer than the set time which he had appointed him.
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. 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.” (II Samuel 20:4-7)
Recognizing that failure to act could well result in a permanent split of the country, David ordered Amasa to assemble Judah’s army within three days. When amasa was late returning, David sent Abishai out to lead Joab’s men and David’s personal guards in an effort to prevent Sheba from gathering too much strength As he warned Abishai, Sheba’s actions were a bigger threat to the nation of Israel than Absalom’s, because they threatened to split the country.
“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.
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. 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.” (II Samuel 20:8-10a)
When they came to Gibeon, Amasa caught up and took over leading the army, as David’s commanding general. Joab had allowed his younger brother to lead, but he refused to allow someone else to have the position he thought of as his own. Hurrying as they were, Joab’s sword fell out of the sheath, so he was carrying it in his hand.
When he saw his cousin Amasa, he greeted him as a dear relative. Amasa thought nothing of the short sword in Joab’s hand and went forward to hug and kiss him as was customary. Joab took the opportunity to stab him under the fifth rib, puncturing the heart and probably a lung, and opening up his abdomen so his intestines fell out, killing him.
“So Joab and Abishai his brother pursued after Sheba the son of Bichri. 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.
“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. When he was removed out of the highway, all the people went on after Joab, to pursue after Sheba the son of Bichri.” (II Samuel 20:10b-13)
Leaving Amasa’s body still flopping around, Joab took command and he and Abishai continued their efforts to capture Sheba, leaving one of Joab’s men to direct the others to keep following. Seeing Amassa’s boddy flopping around, everyone stopped to look, so the man dragged the body into the field and covered it up so it wouldn’t distract them.
Amasa was the fourth person Joab had murdered, and he no longer even bothered to try to hide his guilt, convinced David would be unable to move against him. While he could legally excuse his killing of Abner, and claim killing Absalom was justified to end the war, even though he was breaking David’s command, there was no way of justifying Amasa’s murder. He just refused to relinquish command of the army when David replaced him. To prevent a major scandal and rebellion, David will be forced to overlook his crimes, but he would advise Solomon to take the first opportunity he could to get rid of him, and not just allow him to die of old age.
When he was removed out of the highway, all the people went on after Joab, to pursue
No comments:
Post a Comment