faith

David’s return to Jerusalem in the previous chapter was not without its drama and power struggles. A rebellion of a very serious nature follows in chapter 20. Sheba leads a rebellion against King David in chapter 20. Perhaps Sheba, son of Bichri, was inspired by Absalom’s rebellion and the support he was able to garner against King David. The text suggests that Sheba was a scoundrel of sorts, and he inspired a general rebellion among the northern tribes. Sheba instructed the men that were with him to go back to their homes, to rebel against David from there. 

Amasa was the commander of Absalom’s armies, but had since been recommissioned to lead the armies of David after Absalom’s death. David gave Amasa three days to prepare his armies to follow Sheba and his men and defeat them. However, Amasa took longer than David had directed. Because of this, David asks Abishai, Joab’s older brother, to gather up armies and to quell Sheba’s revolt. Joab now enters the story and goes with the men assembled under Abishai with his own elite fighting force of men. 

As Abishai and Joab were leading their men in pursuit of Sheba’s rebellion, they come in contact with Amasa at a large stone in Gibeon. Joab, bold and rash as ever, approaches Amasa under the pretext of giving him a brotherly greeting but instead underhandedly stabs him in the belly with his sword. Amasa dies in the dirt and is moved to the side of the road and covered so that Abishai and Joab’s men are not worried by the sight of one of their countrymen ruthlessly killed in the road. They continue to pursue Sheba and the rebellion.

Sheba in the interim is gathering support for his rebellion all throughout Judah. But Abishai and Joab catch up with him in Abel and they begin to besiege the city using a siege mound. A siege mound was the gathering of dirt and debris against the side of a fortified city wall so that it could be overcome and entered. 

But just as they are battering the wall, presumably atop the mound to throw it down, a wise woman cries from within and is able to speak directly to Joab. Her and Joab’s exchange is as follows: “…I am among the peaceable and faithful in Israel. You seek to destroy a city and a mother in Israel. Why would you swallow up the inheritance of the Lord?” And Joab answered and said, “Far be it, far be it from me, that I should swallow up or destroy! That is not so. But a man from the mountains of Ephraim, Sheba the son of Bichri by name, has raised his hand against the king, against David. Deliver him only, and I will depart from the city.”

After this exchange, the woman says that she will throw Sheba’s head over the wall of the city. The woman was actually able to get help from others within the city to do just that. Sheba’s head is cut from his body and thrown over the wall. When Joab sees it, he blows a trumpet, and all of the men of the rebellion surrender, returning to their tents. Summarily, David’s army returns to Jerusalem. The chapter ends with the description of the ancient org chart of David’s leadership team, with Joab now as the commander. 

What can we learn from this bloody chapter? Here are four things:

1. Partial or slow obedience can jeopardize the mission.
   1. Amasa’s delay was not absolutely detrimental to the mission – you can thank Abishai and Joab for that. But his delay could have resulted in Sheba’s ability to consolidate power and perhaps return to Jerusalem to take it over again. When we delay what is needed, someone else more competent will often step in to save the situation. However, if there is no one to step in, calamity can result.
2. When evil is bold, violence is sometimes necessary.
   1. David, just having gotten back his kingdom at a great cost, is vulnerable to lose it again. King David is purposeful and decisive in his action to stop the rebellion. When Amasa is incapable of being immediately effective, enter Joab, the seemingly bloodthirsty yet loyal warrior under David. Yet even Joab, as forceful and strong as he was, could see the wisdom proffered by the wise lady at Abel. His agreement to stop the attack upon the deliverance of Sheba’s decapitated head was a wise one. 99 times out of 100, violence is not the answer. Indeed, it is a last resort. But sometimes, when evil is bent on destruction and overtaking, the righteous must take up arms to defend goodness, the innocent, and what is rightfully theirs. 
3. Wisdom can diffuse destruction – often from unlikely places.
   1. The wise unnamed woman in Able was able to save an entire kingdom from further mass bloodshed and the fortified city of Abel from complete destruction. Always be willing to hear advice, for you never know from where a solution might appear.
4. Division starts small but can grow quickly
   1. Whether you are the leader of a team, a family, or serve in the brotherhood as one, be wary of and on the lookout for division among the team. What starts as a whisper can grow into a murderous cancer capable of destroying everything if it is not addressed quickly and utterly.

As David mourns the loss of Absalom, Israel mourns with him. David is still in the mountains as he mourns, and has not yet returned to Jerusalem. Joab, however, true to character, rebukes David in verses 5-7: “Today you have disgraced all your servants who today have saved your life, the lives of your sons and daughters, the lives of your wives and the lives of your concubines, in that you love your enemies and hate your friends. For you have declared today that you regard neither princes nor servants; for today I perceive that if Absalom had lived and all of us had died today, then it would have pleased you well. Now therefore, arise, go out and speak comfort to your servants. For I swear by the Lord, if you do not go out, not one will stay with you this night. And that will be worse for you than all the evil that has befallen you from your youth until now.”

Joab’s threat was likely meant to spur David on to more kingly action than it was meant to be sincere. Joab’s perspective was that of a warrior; he had fought and sacrificed on David’s behalf and it was shameful that David would mourn his traitorous son rather than celebrate the victory won by his armies. 

Support for him throughout the kingdom was not unanimous. David was meant to return, but many still felt that he may not deserve to because they had anointed Absalom king. But David saw this and persuaded them “as one man” to support him, which they did. David and all his house were welcomed back.

As David returns to power, there are some issues that he must settle. You will recall in II Samuel 16:5-8 how Shimei cursed David as he fled Jerusalem. David bore that public display with grace and mercy. Shimei knows that he is vulnerable now that David is back in power so he throws himself on David’s mercy. He admits his sin against David and he asks David to forget what he did. Abishai, who had called Shimei a “dead dog” when he first cursed David, calls for Shimei’s death “because he cursed the Lord’s anointed.” But David retains his kingly authority over both Abishai and Shimei when he displays mercy and says to Shimei, “You shall not die.”

Another reunion takes place as Mephibosheth comes to David. Mephibosheth, the lame son of Jonathan, grandson of Saul, had been given a seat at David’s table as well as many other blessings. This was largely due to David’s loyalty to Jonathan. Mephibosheth mourned the parting of David by not caring for himself; he had not cared for his feet, trimmed his mustache, or washed his clothes since David had left Jerusalem. His appearance must have been striking. David asks why Mephibosheth did not accompany David when he left Jerusalem. To this, Mephibosheth says that Ziba had deceived him. For Ziba’s part, he had slandered Mephibosheth in II Samuel 16, and had taken steps to try and keep him in Jerusalem. Many Biblical scholars believe Mephibosheth’s word over Ziba’s because Ziba had motive to keep the estate. Also, Mephibosheth visually appeared to have mourned the loss of David as king. David’s judgment is to have Mephibosheth and Ziba equally divide the land. Mephibosheth, out of humility to the king, submits that Ziba take it all.

The third individual that David must deal with is Barzillai. He was a foreigner, a Gileadite, that had provided David with many good supplies while David was in exile. He had come with David to cross the Jordan, but would not go into Jerusalem to be honored, as David offered him. Instead, he cited his age, physical infirmities, and his desire not to be a burden to the king as reasons to pass on the offer. Instead he gives one of his servants to David named Chimham, whom David gladly receives and blesses. Barzillai, being eighty years old, then returns back to his home.

In the last verses of this chapter, we get a preview of the divided kingdom that will be the new status quo after the death of Solomon in the future. Judah and Israel are squabbling over a matter that has little consequence. It is interesting to witness this fight and reflect on how minor disagreements that reveal fundamental differences between groups can culminate in large-scale divisions. 

Here are three valuable lessons that we can take from this chapter:

• Wisdom in loyalty: sometimes it will not always be clear who should receive your loyalty, particularly when it shifts. Many things need to be considered, such as reasons for switching loyalty and if they are worthwhile. 

• Mercy: What would you have done with Shimei if he had publicly humiliated you and you were in a position of power over him? Think about your other personal relationships where you may have harmed others. Do you deserve punishment? Now think about your relationship with God. How many of us have committed sins against God and not received the penalty? Although it is difficult and sometimes feels opposite to what we should do, forgiveness and mercy are what is best. Why do you think that is? 

• Opportunism pays…at first. Do not be like Ziba. Look how he started out, as a servant of David’s house. His relationship with Mephibosheth begins innocently enough when he tells David about Mephibosheth’s existence. But in the activity of Absalom’s takeover and David’s return, we see Ziba taking advantage of Mephibosheth’s disability, and he ends up receiving Mephibosheth’s land (originally Saul’s). At the end of chapter 29, Ziba has the land, but at what cost? Also, whay do you think Mephibosheth gave all the land to Ziba?