Life Under the Sword
Broken Crown, Unshakable Kingdom • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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1 Now a wicked man, a Benjaminite named Sheba son of Bichri, happened to be there. He blew the trumpet and shouted: We have no portion in David, no inheritance in Jesse’s son. Each man to his tent, Israel! 2 So all the men of Israel deserted David and followed Sheba son of Bichri, but the men of Judah from the Jordan all the way to Jerusalem remained loyal to their king.
A wicked man or a trouble maker named Sheba stirred up trouble - keep in mind that the curse on David’s house is that the sword will never leave it… in other words, as soon as you think peace is had more trouble starts.
The northern tribes did not want to remain with David after the unsuccessful bid to overthrow the king along with Absalom, a Judahite, they were in no mood to remain with Judah either.
Sheba who may have a been a high ranking military officer captured the sentiments of the northerners when he blew the trumpet of retreat and declared, “We have no portion in David, no inheritance in Jesse’s son”.
Here is where we begin to see a distinction - Israel and Judah… 2 kingdoms - once all were referred to as men of Israel not it is only the northern tribes.
The tribe of Judah remained loyal to David. They even escorted him home to ensure his safety.
3 When David came to his palace in Jerusalem, he took the ten concubines he had left to take care of the palace and placed them under guard. He provided for them, but he was not intimate with them. They were confined until the day of their death, living as widows. 4 The king said to Amasa, “Summon the men of Judah to me within three days and be here yourself.” 5 Amasa went to summon Judah, but he took longer than the time allotted him.
The first order of business for David was to care for the concubines he left behind to care for the palace.
These women had been raped by a rival king; they were deeply humiliated, abused and in need of special attention.
David place them under guard to protect them and he provided for their needs until they died.
He chose not to have relations with them - this is not because they were raped but Absalom’s sctions essentially made them his daughters in law now and Leviticus 18:15 “15 You are not to have sexual intercourse with your daughter-in-law. She is your son’s wife; you are not to have sex with her.”
Once again the ramifications of David’s sin with Bathsheba continue…
With household issues taken care of David turns his attention to two larger issues: reunifying the Judahites and putting down the revolt led by Sheba.
David used Amasa, Absalom’s former commanding general to lead the king’s forces.
Amasa however, took too long to take care of business. David knew the importance of a swift attack to quell the revolt - it was Absalom’s delay that cost him victory against David.
6 So David said to Abishai, “Sheba son of Bichri will do more harm to us than Absalom. Take your lord’s soldiers and pursue him, or he will find fortified cities and elude us.” 7 So Joab’s men, the Cherethites, the Pelethites, and all the warriors marched out under Abishai’s command; they left Jerusalem to pursue Sheba son of Bichri.
David could no longer wait for Amasa so he promoted Abishai - the fact that Joab is not used is likely because he was demoted due to his treatment of Absalom.
The force was not large in number but the hope was that their quick response would counter balance their lack of numbers.
8 They were at the great stone in Gibeon when Amasa joined them. Joab was wearing his uniform and over it was a belt around his waist with a sword in its sheath. As he approached, the sword fell out. 9 Joab asked Amasa, “Are you well, my brother?” Then with his right hand Joab grabbed Amasa by the beard to kiss him. 10 Amasa was not on guard against the sword in Joab’s hand, and Joab stabbed him in the stomach with it and spilled his intestines out on the ground. Joab did not stab him again, and Amasa died. Joab and his brother Abishai pursued Sheba son of Bichri.
Interesting scene here - Joab is not commander but is still a soldier now under the authority of his brother Abishai - When they encountered Amasa, Joab did not have warm feelings toward him.
He dropped his dagger, picked it up in his left hand (defensive hand, not used to attack), approached Amasa to greet him, grabbed his beard with his right hand (not heard of before here in Scripture but could be customary and by using the right hand would be a signaled a lack of hostile intent).
Amasa was completely caught of guard as Joab stabbed him, killing him.
Joab acts again in a manner which may be understandable - after all he just fought a bloody battle against troops commanded by Amasa and Joab probably considered him guilty of treason, also Amasa was promoted to the job Joab was fired from - understandable but not forgivable which we will see later in 1 Kings
11 One of Joab’s young men had stood over Amasa saying, “Whoever favors Joab and whoever is for David, follow Joab!” 12 Now Amasa had been writhing in his blood in the middle of the highway, and the man had seen that all the troops stopped. So he moved Amasa from the highway to the field and threw a garment over him because he realized that all those who encountered Amasa were stopping. 13 When he was removed from the highway, all the men passed by and followed Joab to pursue Sheba son of Bichri.
The soldiers supported Joab and one even encouraged others to follow Joab but technically his appeal was treasonous since David had relieved Joab of his command.
The sight of Amasa dying in his own blood was a distraction so they moved his body out of the road freeing up the troops to focus on pursuing Sheba.
14 Sheba passed through all the tribes of Israel to Abel of Beth-maacah. All the Berites came together and followed him. 15 Joab’s troops came and besieged Sheba in Abel of Beth-maacah. They built a siege ramp against the outer wall of the city. While all the troops with Joab were battering the wall to make it collapse, 16 a wise woman called out from the city, “Listen! Listen! Please tell Joab to come here and let me speak with him.” 17 When he had come near her, the woman asked, “Are you Joab?” “I am,” he replied. “Listen to the words of your servant,” she said to him. He answered, “I’m listening.”
The quick attack worked, Sheba was unable to rally troops which had him fleeing northward in to the walled city of Abel.
They built a ramp and began to bash the wall in an effort to breach the wall.
A wise woman in the city called for a parlay with Joab - please note, Abishai is the commander but he is not referred to as the one in charge, it seems all action is taking place through Joab.
18 She said, “In the past they used to say, ‘Seek counsel in Abel,’ and that’s how they settled disputes. 19 I am one of the peaceful and faithful in Israel, but you’re trying to destroy a city that is like a mother in Israel. Why would you devour the Lord’s inheritance?” 20 Joab protested: “Never! I would never devour or demolish! 21 That is not the case. There is a man named Sheba son of Bichri, from the hill country of Ephraim, who has rebelled against King David. Deliver this one man, and I will withdraw from the city.” The woman replied to Joab, “Watch! His head will be thrown over the wall to you.” 22 The woman went to all the people with her wise counsel, and they cut off the head of Sheba son of Bichri and threw it to Joab. So he blew the trumpet, and they dispersed from the city, each to his own tent. Joab returned to the king in Jerusalem.
The woman reminds Joab that Abel was once a city where people could make inquiries, by inference, inquires into God’s will and get their answers.
She accused Joab of trying to detroy the city but Joab said his only mission is Sheba - give him Sheba and the city would be spared.
Well, she spoke to the people and they decapitated Sheba and threw it over the wall to Joab - so he sounded retreat and they left and went back to Jerusalem.
23 Joab commanded the whole army of Israel; Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and Pelethites; 24 Adoram was over forced labor; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was court historian; 25 Sheva was court secretary; Zadok and Abiathar were priests; 26 and in addition, Ira the Jairite was David’s priest.
For a second time the author informs us of key administrative officials in David’s administration - notably, Joab has been reinstated as commander.
The final 4 chapters contain a carefully arranged set of six accounts and lists that are chronologically detached from the previous narratives. They all relate to David’s life in some way but are collected from different periods in his career - they are almost an appendix of epilogue.
The core of David’s legacy to the world was his intense, intimate relationship with the Lord, especially as it came to expression in the medium of poetry. Built into his life was the desire to carry out the Lord’s will at every turn, a desire that was matched by his experience of the Lord’s help in every crisis.
1 During David’s reign there was a famine for three successive years, so David inquired of the Lord. The Lord answered, “It is due to Saul and to his bloody family, because he killed the Gibeonites.” 2 The Gibeonites were not Israelites but rather a remnant of the Amorites. The Israelites had taken an oath concerning them, but Saul had tried to kill them in his zeal for the Israelites and Judah. So David summoned the Gibeonites and spoke to them. 3 He asked the Gibeonites, “What should I do for you? How can I make atonement so that you will bring a blessing on the Lord’s inheritance?”
There is no indication when this famine took place but it was probably after Mephibosheth had come under David’s protection in Jerusalem and before Absalom’s rebellion.
Having years of bad crops were not necessarily a sign of divine displeasure but 3 consecutive years would have been a clue that they were under judgment from God.
The issue was Saul’s but as Israel’s representative the cure remained even though Saul did not. The problem, the heinous slaughter of the Gibeonites.
4 The Gibeonites said to him, “We are not asking for silver and gold from Saul or his family, and we cannot put anyone to death in Israel.” “Whatever you say, I will do for you,” he said. 5 They replied to the king, “As for the man who annihilated us and plotted to destroy us so we would not exist within the whole territory of Israel, 6 let seven of his male descendants be handed over to us so we may hang them in the presence of the Lord at Gibeah of Saul, the Lord’s chosen.” The king answered, “I will hand them over.” 7 David spared Mephibosheth, the son of Saul’s son Jonathan, because of the oath of the Lord that was between David and Jonathan, Saul’s son. 8 But the king took Armoni and Mephibosheth, who were the two sons whom Rizpah daughter of Aiah had borne to Saul, and the five sons whom Merab daughter of Saul had borne to Adriel son of Barzillai the Meholathite 9 and handed them over to the Gibeonites. They hanged them on the hill in the presence of the Lord; the seven of them died together. They were executed in the first days of the harvest at the beginning of the barley harvest.
At first the Gibeonites did not want to make a request but the King persisted.
They took a cue from the Torah which requires blood for blood - Saul slaughtered way more Gibeonites but they made the request for 7 of Saul’s male descendants to be killed. 7 would have been symbolic.
David had to balance keeping faith with an oath of loyalty and protection to the house of Saul and satisfy the legitimate demands of the Gibeonites - he chose sons of Saul’s concubine who would have been ineligible for consideration as heirs, the other 5 were from Merab - some may have Michal but this is an issue - Saul’s eldest daughter was Meab and according to scripture Michal had no children and was Saul’s youngest daughter.
We see the men were hanged (this could indicate actual hangin or a form of crucifixion) - again a sign of judgment from God
10 Rizpah, Aiah’s daughter, took sackcloth and spread it out for herself on the rock from the beginning of the harvest until the rain poured down from heaven on the bodies. She kept the birds of the sky from them by day and the wild animals by night. 11 When it was reported to David what Saul’s concubine Rizpah daughter of Aiah had done, 12 he went and got the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan from the citizens of Jabesh-gilead. They had stolen them from the public square of Beth-shan where the Philistines had hung the bodies the day the Philistines killed Saul at Gilboa. 13 David had the bones brought from there. They gathered up the bones of Saul’s family who had been hanged 14 and buried the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan at Zela in the land of Benjamin in the tomb of Saul’s father Kish. They did everything the king commanded. After this, God was receptive to prayer for the land.
Don’t mess with a mother - Rizpah was powerless to stop the execution but she refused to let her sons lose their dignity - she protected them from nature (birds and wild animals).
God also demonstrates the curse has been lifted as rains began to fall.
David honored Rizpah’s vigil by having the bones of Saul and Jonathan brought back and buried in their proper place creating a lasting memorial.
Things were looking up - God is receptive to the people’s prayers again - If we are so wayward can/does God cease listening to our prayer? I would say that if He does there is one type of prayer He would still listen for and answer… prayers of repentance.
15 The Philistines again waged war against Israel. David went down with his soldiers, and they fought the Philistines, but David became exhausted. 16 Then Ishbi-benob, one of the descendants of the giant, whose bronze spear weighed about eight pounds and who wore new armor, intended to kill David. 17 But Abishai son of Zeruiah came to his aid, struck the Philistine, and killed him. Then David’s men swore to him, “You must never again go out with us to battle. You must not extinguish the lamp of Israel.” 18 After this, there was another battle with the Philistines at Gob. At that time Sibbecai the Hushathite killed Saph, who was one of the descendants of the giant. 19 Once again there was a battle with the Philistines at Gob, and Elhanan son of Jaare-oregim the Bethlehemite killed Goliath of Gath. The shaft of his spear was like a weaver’s beam. 20 At Gath there was still another battle. A huge man was there with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot—twenty-four in all. He, too, was descended from the giant. 21 When he taunted Israel, Jonathan, son of David’s brother Shimei, killed him. 22 These four were descended from the giant in Gath and were killed by David and his soldiers.
David was first a soldier and that is hard to give up so he was on the field of battle with his men - of course the enemy was excited about the opportunity to kill the king.
David grew tired and a relative of Goliath stepped in to try and kill David but Abishai killed Ishbi-benob first.
It was strongly suggested that as king David was more important alive that in battle so he did not go out to fight anymore.
Let’s address verse 19 - it says Elhanan killed Goliath of Gath… umm didn’t David kill Goliath? How do we deal with this? - Some possibilities: one is that someone made an error in copying (you know how I feel about that, I don’t like errors especially this large), second is that this is the accurate tale and David was attached later in a time for hero worship (this falls under the same error issues I have), third it merely seems like a contradiction - possible explanations: “Elhanan” was an alternative name for David, “Goliath” was a title, not a personal name, and finally there were 2 fighters from Gath named Goliath - my inclination is 1st - there were 2 fighters of the same name and origin and 2nd Goliath was a title (though this seems less likely)
I believe the author clears is up - four descendants of the giant in Gath (aka Goliath) 1. Ishbi-benob, 2. Saph, 3. Goliath of Gath, 4. Unnamed but identified by his 6 fingers and 6 toes on his each of his hand and feet respectively.
