WWUTT 394 Sheba's Rebellion?

David is continuing to reap what he has sown because of his sin against God. He has lost his son, he has lost his kingdom, and though his kingdom will be restored back to him, there is now a rift in Israel that will continue for hundreds of years when we understand the text.

This is when we understand the text, studying God's word to reach all the riches of full assurance in Christ.

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Here's your teacher, Pastor Gabe Hughes. Thank you, Becky. We continue our Old Testament study today, the book of 2

Samuel chapters 19 and 20, if you will open up your Bible there. Absalom had rebelled against his father

David. He had won the hearts of many Israelites and was beginning to take David's kingdom from him.

So there was a conflict going on between David and the men who were loyal to him and the army that Absalom was raising up for himself.

Well, Absalom was riding along on his mule, got his hair caught in a tree. He had a lot of hair, if you'll remember that.

Joab, the leader of David's army, ran him through with a spear, even though David gave strict orders to deal kindly with Absalom.

Of course, Absalom was his own son. He didn't want him to be killed and he wanted to reconcile with Absalom. But since Absalom is now dead, we concluded chapter 18 last week with David's grief, knowing that he would never be reconciled with Absalom and the rift that had been caused in Israel between David and Absalom would remain.

It did not have the chance to be repaired before Absalom died a violent death.

And so that's where we pick up the story today with David's continued grief and the separation that continues in his kingdom.

So at the start of chapter 19, it was told Joab, now remember, Joab is the leader of David's army and also the man who ran

Absalom through with a spear. It was told to Joab, behold, the king is weeping and mourning for Absalom.

So the victory that day was turned into mourning for all the people, for the people heard that day, the king is grieving for his son.

Now, clearly there would have been mourning going on for those who were loyal to David because they were heartbroken with their king, but there were also those who were loyal to Absalom who would have been mourning the loss of the king that they were loyal to.

Verse three, and the people stole into the city that day as people steal in who are ashamed when they flee in battle.

The king covered his face and the king cried with a loud voice, oh, my son,

Absalom, oh, Absalom, my son, my son. Then Joab came into the house of the king and said, you have today covered with shame the faces of all your servants who have this day saved your life and the lives of your sons and your daughters and the lives of your wives and your concubines because you love those who hate you and hate those who love you.

For you have made it clear today that the commanders and servants are nothing to you. For today

I know that if Absalom were alive and all of us were dead today, then you would be pleased.

Now, therefore arise, go out and speak kindly to your servants for I swear by the

Lord, if you do not go, not a man will stay with you this night and this will be worse for you than all the evil that has come upon you from your youth until now.

Then the king arose and took his seat in the gate and the people were all told, behold, the king is sitting in the gate and all the people came before the king.

So it was there that many judgments were handled in the gate of the city. And so David is taking his seat there as though to say, hey,

I'm still in charge. The king is still on his throne, caring for and overseeing for his people.

Now, Joab's rebuke of David, and there were some good points that he made there, but it wasn't entirely noble because the more

David mourned over Absalom, the more fearful Joab was probably becoming, realizing, hey,

David could kill me because I killed his son. So he convicts

David's heart and says, because you have a love for your enemy who is dead and because you are mourning over him, instead of taking charge over your kingdom the way that you should, it looks as if you love your enemy more than you love those who love you.

And so all those who have sworn allegiance to you, they're gonna leave you unless you take your seat as king and lead your nation as they expect you to.

And so that's what David does. And people came before the king to receive judgments, which is what the king was there to do.

Now, continuing on, Israel had fled every man to his own home. And all the people were arguing throughout all the tribes of Israel saying, the king delivered us from the hand of our enemies and saved us from the hand of the

Philistines. And now he has fled out of the land of Absalom. But Absalom, whom we anointed over us is dead in battle.

Now, therefore, why do you say nothing about bringing the king back? And King David sent this message to Zadok and Abiathar the priests.

Say to the elders of Judah, why should you be the last to bring the king back to his house?

When the word of all Israel has come to the king, you are my brothers, you are my bone and my flesh.

Why then should you be the last to bring back the king? And say to Amasa, are you not my bone and my flesh?

God do so to me and more also, if you are not commander of my army from now on in place of Joab.

And he swayed the heart of all the men of Judah as one man. So they sent word to the king, return both you and all your servants.

So the king came back to the Jordan and Judah came to Gilgal to meet the king and to bring the king over the

Jordan. Now, it seems kind of funny that David would favor Amasa, the defeated general of Absalom's armies over Joab who successfully defeated

David's enemy Absalom. But if Joab was making the argument that the defeat of Absalom was necessary in order to save David's life, then

David is making the argument that making Amasa his general is necessary in order to unite the two nations again.

So Joab was being strategic in his own way. David is being strategic in his own way. It could also be because Joab disobeyed a direct order to spare

Absalom that David is choosing to put Amasa in that position that Joab previously had.

Verse 16, and Shimei, the son of Gerah the Benjamite from Baharim hurried to come down with the men of Judah to meet

King David. And with him were a thousand men from Benjamin and Zeba the servant of the house of Saul with his 15 sons and 20 servants rushed down to the

Jordan before the king. Now, if you'll remember, this goes back a few chapters, but Zeba came to David and said that Mephibosheth had aligned himself with Absalom and Zeba was swearing loyalty to David.

Well, that turns out to be dishonest, at least according to Mephibosheth, which we're gonna read about here in just a moment.

Zeba was lying to David. So let's keep going here. And they crossed the

Ford to bring over the king's household and to do his pleasure. And Shimei the son of Gerah fell down before the king and he was about to cross the

Jordan and said to the king, let not my Lord hold me guilty or remember how your servant did wrong on the day my

Lord the king left Jerusalem. Do not let the king take it to heart for your servant knows that I have sinned.

Therefore behold, I have come this day, the first of all the house of Joseph to come down to meet my

Lord the king. Abishai the son of Zeruiah answered, shall not Shimei be put to death for this because he cursed the

Lord's anointed? But David said, what have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah that you should this day be as an adversary to me?

Shall anyone be put to death in Israel this day? For do I not know that I am the king? I am this day the king over Israel.

And the king said to Shimei, you shall not die. And the king gave him his oath. And Mephibosheth the son of Saul came down to meet the king.

He had neither taken care of his feet nor trimmed his beard nor washed his clothes from the day the king departed until the day that he came back in safety.

And when he came to Jerusalem to meet the king, the king said to him, why did you not go with me

Mephibosheth? And Mephibosheth answered, my Lord the king, my servant deceived me for your servant said to him,

I will saddle a donkey for myself that I may ride on it and go to the king. For your servant is lame.

He has slandered your servant to my Lord the king. But my Lord the king is like the angel of God.

Do therefore what seems good to you. For all my father's house were but men doomed to death before my

Lord the king, but you set your servant among those who eat at your table. What further right have

I then to cry to the king? And the king said to him, why speak any more of your affairs?

I have decided you and Ziba shall divide the land. And Mephibosheth said to the king, oh, let him take it all since my

Lord the king has come safely home. Now the narrator of this story never actually says whether Ziba was telling the truth or Mephibosheth tells the truth.

But I think that we can see in the nobility of Mephibosheth that he was the one who was truly loyal to David and Ziba was just trying to save his own skin.

So he's gonna go with the one that he thinks is going to win rather than staying with Absalom, he ends up going with David.

And so David shows mercy to both Mephibosheth and to Ziba, but you can see by Mephibosheth's response that he is the one that delights in David.

Ziba gets what Ziba wanted. The land that Ziba was after. Mephibosheth is just happy to see that David has come home safely.

That's all it was that he wanted. Mephibosheth was the son of Jonathan, the grandson of Saul, even though it mentions here that he's the son of Saul, there was no

Hebrew word for grandfather. So Mephibosheth was the rightful heir to the throne of Saul being the only living heir, the only heir that was still alive.

David gave everything that belonged to Saul to Mephibosheth and let Mephibosheth eat at David's table, showed kindness to this man who was lame.

And the very fact that he was lame meant that he was unqualified to eat at the king's table. You had to be pure to eat with the king.

But David showed this kindness to Mephibosheth and it's the same way that Christ has shown such kindness to us.

The King of kings and Lord of lords has invited us to eat at his table. And we are unclean, we are unworthy to eat at the table with Christ, but he has made us worthy by his death on the cross for our sins.

And now we've been purified, clothed with white garments and we'll eat at the table with the king at the end, the wedding feast of the lamb that we read about at the end of the book of Revelations.

Why I love that story with Mephibosheth because it's a great picture of the kindness and mercy that God has also shown to us through his son,

Jesus Christ. So we continue on here. Now, Barzillai the Gileadite had come down from Rogalim and he went on with the king to the

Jordan to escort him over the Jordan. Barzillai was a very aged man, 80 years old.

He had provided the king with food while he stayed at Mahanaim for he was a wealthy man. And the king said to Barzillai, come over with me and I will provide for you with me in Jerusalem.

But Barzillai said to the king, how many years have I still to live that I should go up with the king to Jerusalem?

I am this day 80 years old. Can I discern what is pleasant and what is not? Can your servant taste what he eats or what he drinks?

Can I still listen to the voice of singing men and singing women? Why then should your servant be an added burden to my

Lord the king? Your servant will go a little way over the Jordan with the king. Why should the king repay me with such a reward?

Please let your servant return that I may die in my own city near the grave of my father and my mother.

But here is your servant Chimham. Let him go with my Lord the king and do for him whatever seems good to you.

And the king answered, Chimham shall go over with me and I will do for him whatever seems good to you.

And all that you desire of me, I will do for you. Then all the people went over the

Jordan and the king went over and the king kissed Barzillai and blessed him and he returned to his own home.

The king went on to Gilgal and Chimham went on with him. And all the people of Judah and also half the people of Israel brought the king on his way.

Then all the men of Israel came to the king and said to the king, why have our brothers the men of Judah stolen you away and brought the king and his household over the

Jordan and all David's men with him? All the men of Judah answered the men of Israel because the king is our close relative.

Why then are you angry over this matter? Have we eaten at all at the king's expense or has he given us any gift?

And the men of Israel answered the men of Judah, we have 10 shares in the king and in David also we have more than you.

Why then did you despise us? Were we not the first to speak of bringing back our king?

But the words of the men of Judah were fiercer than the words of the men of Israel. Remember that David was a descendant of the tribe of Judah.

And this rift that exists right here is going to continue on even through Solomon's reign.

Now it's gonna be kind of dormant during the time that Solomon is king because Solomon experienced 30 years of peace.

But after he sins against God and his sons ascend to the throne or they fight over the throne, then you're gonna have the split between the

Northern kingdom and the Southern kingdom. And you will have Israel and Judah. So this conflict that's going on here is kind of foreshadowing a greater rift that's going to occur a little bit later on.

Now we're gonna read about the rebellion of Sheba in chapter 20 and this is happening during the squabble that we just read in verses 41 through 43 at the end of chapter 19.

Now there happened to be there a worthless man whose name was Sheba. He was the son of Bichri, a

Benjamite. And he blew the trumpet and said, we have no portion in David. We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse.

Every man to his tents, O Israel. So all the men of Israel withdrew from David and followed

Sheba the son of Bichri. But the men of Judah followed their king steadfastly from the

Jordan to Jerusalem. And David came to his house at Jerusalem and the king took the 10 concubines whom he had left to care for the house and put them in a house under guard and provided for them.

But he did not go in to them. Remember, Absalom slept with those concubines.

So they were shut up until the day of their death, living as if in widowhood.

Then the king said to Amasa, call the men of Judah together to me within three days and be here yourself.

So Amasa went to summon Judah, but he delayed beyond the set time that had been appointed him.

And David said to Abishai, now Sheba the son of Bichri will do us more harm than Absalom.

Take your Lord's servants and pursue him lest he get himself to fortified cities and escape from us.

So David repaired his relationship with Judah that offended Israel. And now he's got a whole other problem with Sheba rising up to pursue

David. And there went out after him, Joab's men and the Cherethites and the Pelethites and all the mighty men.

They went out from Jerusalem to pursue Sheba the son of Bichri. When they were at the great stone that is in Gibeon, Amasa came to meet them.

Now Joab was wearing a soldier's garment and over it was a belt with a sword in its sheath fastened on his thigh.

And as he went forward, it fell out. And Joab said to Amasa, is it well with you, my brother?

And Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him, but Amasa did not observe the sword that was in Joab's hand.

So Joab struck him with it in the stomach and spilled his entrails to the ground without striking a second blow.

And he died. Remember Amasa was the person that David put in charge over Joab, passed over Joab and gave it to Amasa.

Now Joab and Amasa were cousins. So for him to say to him, is it well with you, my brother meant more than the fact that they were from the same nation they really were related to one another.

Now here where it says that the sword fell out of Joab's sheath,

I know that's worded kind of funny but that probably meant that Joab had drawn his sword secretly so that Amasa didn't see it.

He didn't know that Joab had a sword in his hand and so was not expecting that he was gonna be skewered like that by his cousin.

Then Joab and Abishai his brother pursued Sheba the son of Bichri. And one of Joab's young men took his stand by Amasa and said, whoever favors

Joab and whoever is for David let him follow Joab. And Amasa lay wallowing in his blood in the highway and anyone who came by seeing him stopped.

And when the man saw that all the people stopped he carried Amasa out of the highway into the field and threw a garment over him.

When he was taken out of the highway all the people went on after Joab to pursue

Sheba the son of Bichri. And Sheba passed through all the tribes of Israel to Abel of Bethmeachah and all the

Bichrites assembled and followed him in. And all the men who were with Joab came and besieged him in Abel of Bethmeachah.

They cast up a mound against the city and it stood against the rampart and they were battering the wall to throw it down.

Then a wise woman called from the city, listen, listen, tell Joab come here that I may speak to you.

And he came near her and the woman said, are you Joab? He answered, I am. Then she said to him, listen to the words of your servant.

And he answered, I am listening. Then she said, they used to say in former times let them but ask counsel at Abel and so they settled a matter.

I am one of those who are peaceable and faithful in Israel. You seek to destroy a city that is a mother in Israel.

Why will you swallow up the heritage of the Lord? Joab answered, far be it from me, far be it that I should swallow up or destroy.

That is not true. But a man of the hill country of Ephraim called Sheba, the son of Bichri has lifted up his hand against King David.

Give up him alone and I will withdraw from the city. And the woman said to Joab, behold, his head shall be thrown to you over the wall.

And the woman went to all the people in her wisdom and they cut off the head of Sheba, the son of Bichri and threw it out to Joab.

So he blew the trumpet and they dispersed from the city, every man to his home. And Joab returned to Jerusalem to the king.

Now Joab was in command of all the army of Israel and Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada was in command of the

Cherethites and the Pelethites and Adoram was in charge of forced labor. And Jehoshaphat, the son of Ahilud was the recorder and Sheba was secretary and Zadok and Abiathar were priests and Ira, the

Jerite was also David's priest. And for the most part, that actually concludes the narrative that we've been reading in 2

Samuel. The last four chapters are an epilogue and they don't necessarily happen in chronological order, but what they lead up to, there's a couple of Psalms that are in there and ultimately it leads up to the purchase of land that Solomon will build

God's temple on. And that's what's gonna be the focus of this last section of 2

Samuel, which we'll be looking at next week. And so in what we've read today, you see the seriousness of sin and the division that it causes because David sinned against God by having an affair with Bathsheba and then tried to cover it up by having her husband

Uriah the Hittite murdered. This resulted in his children warring with each other.

And then that stretched out into his whole kingdom, a civil war erupted in Israel.

And though David made peace with Judah, then Israel rebelled against him. And that rift is gonna continue even on beyond Solomon and into Solomon's sons.

And then for hundreds of years, all because of David's sin. Nobody can sin as an island.

It affects everyone and everything. And worst of all, not only does sin separate us from one another, it separates us from God.

And the only person who could repair that relationship between us and God is

Jesus Christ. Whoever believes in Jesus is forgiven their sins and is justified before God.

But we are instructed in scripture to no longer walk in the old ways, to no longer be in sin, but to submit our members to God as instruments for righteousness.

If we have been justified in Christ and have received his righteousness, let us therefore live righteously in his name.

And we ask these things in the name of Christ. Amen. Gabriel Hughes is the pastor of First Southern Baptist Church in Junction City, Kansas.