2 Samuel 20:1-26

James Wallace

2 Samuel 20:1-26

Plot Analysis: 2 Samuel 20:1-26

I. General Plot Analysis

a. The Initial Situation

i. 2 Sam 20:1 Sheba, a Benjamite, has declared war on David and challenged his authority. It gives us information on what will drive this entire story

b. Crisis

i. 2 Sam 20:4-6 This stage tells us what is going to happen soon, that they are going to pursue Sheba

c. Transforming Action

i. 2 Sam 20:10 This stage shows Joabs murder of Amasa

d. Resolution

i. 2 Sam 20:22 We see Sheba killed in this stage and the major conflict resolved

e. Final Situation (Conclusion)

i. 2 Sam 20:23-26 This stage gives us a look at how Davids kingdom looks after Sheba

Outline

Because the enemies of God rebel against God's people, we must overcome those enemies according to God's solution.

1: External rebellion seeks to destroy God's people.

2. Internal rebellion seeks to defeat God's people

Sermon

You ever feel like you have 13 and a half things going on and you can’t catch your breath? I have a feeling that’s how the week of my engagement will feel. I am planning on doing it around the same time as finals and papers are due and so I have a strong suspicion that I will feel like I am a chicken running around with its head cut off. Stressed and trying to do 7 things at once. That’s how this passage that we are reading today feels. We will be looking at 2 Samuel 20. Now this comes right after Absalom’s rebellion, and so it kind of feels like David is on a sinking ship running around filling up holes and The entire passage is chaotic, so much is happening. So, turn with me to 2 Samuel 20

(Passage)

Now there happened to be there a worthless man, whose name was Sheba, the son of Bichri, a Benjaminite. And he blew the trumpet and said,

“We have no portion in David, and 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 ten concubines whom he had left to care for the house and put them in a house under guard and provided for them, but did not go in to them. 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.” 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.

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 Beth-maacah, and all the Bichrites assembled and followed him in. And all the men who were with Joab came and besieged him in Abel of Beth-maacah. 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.” Then 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 the forced labor; and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was the recorder; and Sheva was secretary; and Zadok and Abiathar were priests; and Ira the Jairite was also David's priest.

This is the word of the Lord. Pray with me.

Father you are so good. We welcome you here as we begin to look into your Word, we ask that you open our eyes and our ears. We thank you for your Word and we thank you for taking us from being your enemies to being your friends and children. Father help us and me as we explore this text, fill my mouth with things only glorifying you and fill our ears with your Word. In your Son’s name we pray, amen.

As a child I am sure that I skipped right over this passage. And actually, as an adult, I bet I have read this with just my eyes barely skimming across the words on the page, not absorbing it at all. Because at first glance, this is an odd passage. But lemme tell you what’s happening here in this odd passage before I hopefully make it less odd for y’all.

First 2 Samuel 20 starts with new rebellion, Sheba’s rebellion. Sheba is a Benjaminite, Saul’s tribe, who is now rebelling against David, the Lord’s anointed king. This entire rebellion story is really only one chapter though, and further, its completely muddled by Joab and his weird power grab where he kills Amasa. But that’s what this chapter is about, multiple rebellions and chaos happening within David’s kingdom. So that’s what we’re gonna look at today, the rebellions of these people and how they relate to our rebellion to our King.

So as we look at this passage on rebellion, let us remember that we too lived in rebellion against God but now we are God’s people. Joab and Sheba may seem different but at the end of the day, they are pretty similar and so in this sermon I’m going to tell you how we should respond to rebellion. Because the enemies of God rebel against God's people, we must overcome those enemies according to God's solution. (main points) Where External rebellion seeks to destroy God's people and Internal rebellion seeks to defeat God's people, God provides a better for His People.

(Point 1)

When external rebellion seeks to destroy God’s people, we must overcome that rebellion with God’s solution, not our own. Right now we are in the middle of a pandemic, and I know I know everyone is so so tired of it, tired of hearing about it and talking about it, but nevertheless it is a current event so I get to talk about it. Now, we’re proposed a million and one ways to stop this virus. Masks, social distancing, not wearing masks, not social distancing, washing your hands, not washing your hands. There are so many ways we want to tackle this and we’ve seen varied results of this around the globe. However, at the end of the day, its once we get a vaccine that this will all likely go away. No amount of our trying will inevitably make it go away, the only solution to the virus is the vaccine.

So now that we have seen David’s kingdom suffer, lets remember that he started this and this is the Lord punishing David. David is seeing rebellions now because he rebelled. Now, that doesn’t mean the Lord is going to allow or even approves of these rebellions, but we do know that He will repay the evil of these rebellions of people fighting against God’s anointed king. We have already seen Absalom taken care of, and then we see Sheba rebelling and he gets taken care of quickly. But what does this mean for God’s people?

Well at the time it was likely a reminder of David’s sin and a reminder that God’s people should not oppose God’s anointed king. But what about today? Well today, we get to look at this with hope. People will oppose, externally God’s people and God’s anointed King, Jesus. But we, like Israel, can trust that God will overturn the rebellion one day, that every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. And when they do all external rebellion will be defeated, but so will internal rebellion.

(Point 2)

When internal rebellion seeks to defeat God’s people, we must overcome that rebellion with God’s solution, not our own. You ever go shopping with a friend and its way more fun and sort of productive when you go with them? When I was in college I would go to this antique store every week with my friend Matt. We would walk around this place for hours, we would see old antique axes, and either talk each other out of buying them or into buying them depending on the day. Needless to say, we spent way too much money at the antique shop those years. Who all here has done that? You go with someone with the same style and you just ramp each other up until you’re going home with an antique Auburn Tigers sign that only cost $1,000? Yeah? That’s never almost happened to me…. (wink obviously)

Now Joab is just one person, he wasn’t with someone who was telling him to go kill Sheba. However, when he went to deal with the external rebellion wrongly, he then had an internal rebellion going on against God. Joab, one of David’s best friends and chief advisors, sins grievously against David and against God. So how do we deal with rebellion like this? Well all our own sin is rebellion against God and His anointed King, King Jesus, but we know that the Holy Spirit is within us to fight that rebellion now. So when internal rebellion seeks to defeat God’s people, we must overcome that rebellion by relying on Christ and the Holy Spirit in us!

(conclusion)

So as we leave today, let us remember that our rebellion internally, that all the rebellion outside against God’s people, persecution, that it will all be resolved. We can trust that the Lord is just and sovereign and every knee will bow to Him. We can also trust and turn to Him in our sin and know that His Holy Spirit will work in our hearts to solve our rebellion as well.