The Ugliness that is "Us"

Theme: So we’ve been following the reign of king David who was a good man, who’s heart was after God’s heart…but even the best of us, arn’t Today as we look at , we’re gonna see some really ugly things

Illastration: Have you ever disagreement or fight with someone, and it lasted for a while…but then you finally you make up, but you now you find yourself having to tip toe around that person because the wounds are still there and they are still sensitive?

Have you ever disagreement or fight with someone, and it lasted for a while…but then you finally you make up, but you now you find yourself having to tip toe around that person because the wounds are still there and they are still sensitive?

This was the situation between the tribes of Israel and King David…there was insecurity there…and one little thing that David did set them off down the wrong path

Chapter 19 tells that A fight broke out between the tribe of Judah and the 10 tribes of Israel because they thought David was giving them preferential treatment

Now a man named Sheba who was a relative of Saul led another revolt against King David and he took the 10 tribes of the north with him

Now a man named Sheba who was a relative of Saul just so happen to be in the midst of that led another revolt against King David and he took the 10 tribes of the north with him

Now a man named Sheba who was a relative of Saul led another revolt against King David and he took the 10 tribes of the north with him

let’s read about that...

2 Samuel 20:1–2 ESV

1 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!” 2 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.

2 Samuel 20:1–2 ESV

1 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!” 2 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.

Turmoil always has a way of stirring up turmoil

Now we spoke a little about Sheba last week but this is what I want you to see a few other things

When reconciliation happens…handle it with care

This reconciliation was a fragile thing…and when there are wounds and hurts....you really have to be mindful of even the little things you do so to now stir up the war again

This reconciliation that just took place between David and Israel was a fragile thing…and when there are wounds and hurts....all it took was a Sheba to set the whole things ablaze again...

So this Sheba from the house of Saul, uses this moment to launch a coo you might say...

Matthew henry said this…

“When a reconciliation is newly made, it ought to be handled with great tenderness and caution, lest the peace break again before it be settled. A broken bone, when it is set, must have time to knot”

When a reconciliation is newly made, it ought to be handled with great tenderness and caution, lest the peace break again before it be settled. A broken bone, when it is set, must have time to knot

App: Thats so true with Satan, He will look for anyway to not let that reconciliation set…he will send his Sheba’s

People are fickle

People left David, People left Jesus,…People will leave you

The people who were just fighting over David…are now abandoning David to follow someone else

But I will say this…in a cultral that is fickle like the tribes of Israel, people who choose to be loyal to be like the tribes of Judah really stand out

The Lord was still in control

Now where gonna come back to this....but lets read on a bit and see what other types of us…n

lets read about that...

He’s a “worthless” man v.1 - now this doesn’t mean that he was a “useless” man, in fact we’ll see that there was something about him that David saw as a great threat and how about the fact that that all the men of Israel heard him and followed him…that says some things about the kind of man he was…but because he was in rebellion to the king, in the eyes of God’s word…He’s worthless

How do you think David was felling right now? - V.2 Every men from the tribes of Israel deserted him...

He’s probably thinking Did I do this?

A good friend would say “No…and yes”

2 Samuel 20:1–2 ESV

1 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!” 2 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.

These guys did what they did…but whats happening is what God said would happen when he said your reign would become a rocky one

But then in the next breath you would have to say...”It is your fault,

So this Sheba from the house of Saul, uses this moment to launch a coo you might say...

God’s word was coming to past…like it always will

He’s a “worthless” man v.1 - now this doesn’t mean that he was a “useless” man, in fact we’ll see that there was something about him that David saw as a great threat and how about the fact that that all the men of Israel heard him and followed him…that says some things about the kind of man he was…but because he was in rebellion to the king, in the eyes of God’s word…He’s worthless

Now where gonna see something really unfortunate yet

App: You can be a person of great, influence and leadership…you lack humility towards king Jesus…your not gonna be used much in regards to his kingdom

2 sam 20

2 Samuel 20:3 ESV

3 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.

2 Samuel 20:3–4 ESV

3 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. 4 Then the king said to Amasa, “Call the men of Judah together to me within three days, and be here yourself.”

Now this is tragic…David comes back to Jerusalem, and his first duty is to handle this situations with some concubines that he left to run his house...Whats a concubine? it’s essentally a legitimate legal mistress, something that was common amoungst kings who wanted to have a large selection of women to lay with…but only had so much inheritance…But a concubine’s child didn’t have the same rights of a son or a daughter to a wife...It was sinful for David to take on Concubines

David had left these young ladies to watch over his palace when he fled in chapter 15

Whats a concubine? it’s essentally a legitimate legal mistress, something that was common amoungst kings - Kings wanted to have a large selection of women to lay with…but only had so much inheritance…But a concubine’s child didn’t have the same rights of a son or a daughter to a wife

In Chapter 16 Absalom rapes these women on the palace rooftop as a sign of his revolt.

It was sinful for David to take on Concubines…but did it

Whats a concubine? it’s essentally a sex partner, something that was common amoungst kings…but should have never been for Israel’s Kings…they should have upheld God’s ideal for marriage (One Man and One women) and the truth of the matter is that David had no business taking on concubines…but he did...

Kings wanted to have a large selection of women to lay with…but only had so much inheritance…But a concubine’s child didn’t have the same rights of a son or a daughter to a wife

It’s important to understand that these were the concubines that Absalom

Now David comes back to Jerusalem and realizes that because they had been raped by Absalom they couldn’t continue on with him so he puts them up in a house until the day of their death

David sinned by taking them

Absalom sinned

App: This is so broken and theirs so much wickedness here, but if anything this should be a sobering reminder of the destructiveness of sin and selfishness

We live in a world where sin is glorified and justified but here’s the truth

“

Sin has a bitter cost to it...

It effects you

But it effects those around you...

Think of the the spouses, the children, the victims, businesses the churches, of sin...

But when faced with the temptation, we can’t see the consequences

There’s so much more to say about this…but lets move on...

2 Samuel 20:4 ESV

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

2 Samuel 20:4–5 ESV

4 Then the king said to Amasa, “Call the men of Judah together to me within three days, and be here yourself.” 5 So Amasa went to summon Judah, but he delayed beyond the set time that had been appointed him.

2 sam 20:

So remember who Amasa was…He was the captain of Absalom’s army, Absalom fell. Amasa was a dead man walking…but David graciously offered the same job in his Army…and that was one of the Big moves that won the hearts of the tribe of Judah…

But notice this about Amasa....he wasn’t awesome at his Job

2 Samuel 20:5–7 ESV

5 So Amasa went to summon Judah, but he delayed beyond the set time that had been appointed him. 6 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.” 7 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.

2 sam 20:

So It could be said that Amasa though he was faithful to David’s cause. he just wasn’t that good at his Job, He was on the losing side of the battle, now he’s having a hard time fulfilling the orders that David gave even though David seems to have an urgency about Sheba

Now there’s also one more thing worth noting about Sheba…He took another man’s Job…Joab the ruthless, complicated nephew of David…let’s see how he deals with him...

2 Samuel 20:8–10 ESV

8 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. 9 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. 10 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.

So this seems like something out of a Movie...but here we have the once Captain of the David’s army according to v.8 has been demoted to a solders he see’s Amasa show up to their campaign and he’s filled with nothing but negative emotions…he’s gonna kill him…

First he comes in a peaceful way - He approaches Amasa in a peaceful way v.9 “Is it well with you, my brother?” in the Hebrew this word is shalom…so in other words “Peace bro”

He even grabs him with his right and gives him a customary kiss on the cheek as a sign of respect

And as he brings him in with the left hand…He’s pulled the sword out with his Left and he runs him through - why wasn’t Amasa expecting it? because the right hand was primary the Sword hand

And Amasa was alread

And as he brings him in with the left hand…He’s pulled the sword out with his Left and he runs him through

Betrayed-by a kiss…killed with the left hand

What does this teach us about Amasa? - Though he seemed well intentioned, he died because he was oblivious to who his real enemy was, and how his enemy works

We can not be oblivious, because we have an enemy, he has tactics, he’s incredibly deceptive…so we have to walk with our eyes open

First, he had just finished fighting a bloody war against troops commanded by Amasa, and Joab probably considered Amasa guilty of treason against the crown;

Second, Amasa had just been chosen to take over the prestigious job from which Joab was fired (cf. 19:14)

It may have been understandable, but it was not forgivable. David would later allude to Amasa’s blood that “stained the belt around [Joab’s] waist and the sandals on his feet” () as testimony of the crime and the need for Joab’s violent death.

He approaches Amasa in a peaceful way v.9 “Is it well with you, my bro?” in the Hebrew this word is shalom…so in other words “Peace bro”

He

He even grabs him with his right arm

I like how Paul says it…because I think he gives a nice balance

Ephesians 5:15–21 NLT

15 So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. 16 Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. 17 Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. 18 Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, 19 singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. 20 And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 21 And further, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

eph 5:15-

Here’s the translation

Keep your eyes open and don’t be clueless

Don’t

Know God’s will (word)

Be filled with the spirit

Amasa was killed because he was oblivious…let’s not be like that

What happens to joab? lets see...

2 Samuel 20:11–14 ESV

11 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.” 12 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. 13 When he was taken out of the highway, all the people went on after Joab to pursue Sheba the son of Bichri. 14 And Sheba passed through all the tribes of Israel to Abel of Beth-maacah, and all the Bichrites assembled and followed him in.

2 Samuel 20:11–13 ESV

11 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.” 12 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. 13 When he was taken out of the highway, all the people went on after Joab to pursue Sheba the son of Bichri.

2 sam 20:

A Couple of things here

Joab’s actions were approved by the army - They just witnessed him betray their captain and that somehow made them love him more...

App: This reminds us that the people that we champion and the things they value, will be a direct reflection of who you are and what you value

So from one perspective, Joab just took an innocent man’s in a brutal and merciless way, and it seems like he just gets away with it

Actually it just seems like he gets away with Murder - in fact he gets celebrated, moves on...and by the end of this, he’ll have his old job back

So Amasa die at the hand of Joab…and surly Joab get’s whats coming to him right?....actually it just seems like he gets away with it…in fact he gets celebrated, moves on...and by the end of this, he’ll have his old job back

How? Well it’s complicated but I believe it all stems back to the fact that Had something over David that no one else knew about…His letter about Uriah

But understand this though Joab thought he could get away with murder…The king would never forget...

While David was on his death bed and giving his final instruction Solomon…he tells him “Joab’s gonna need to die” and look at the reasons he gives...

1 Kings 2:5 ESV

5 “Moreover, you also know what Joab the son of Zeruiah did to me, how he dealt with the two commanders of the armies of Israel, Abner the son of Ner, and Amasa the son of Jether, whom he killed, avenging in time of peace for blood that had been shed in war, and putting the blood of war on the belt around his waist and on the sandals on his feet.

Joab probably thought he was home free because, the king didn’t punish him right away, or that time would pardon him from his sins…but that just not how it works…He still had to pay for his crimes

1. App: Thats good for us to remember:

If you’ve been wronged…and that person who wronged you seems like they got away with it…You have to remember that they can’t outrun God’s judgment…he will deal with them accordingly and in his timing

If he’s the judge you don’t have to be

2 App: here’s the flip side of that…You need to understand that time, or good deeds will never pardon you of your sins…you need pardon from the king…and without that you are in the same place as Joab

Just because you forgot your need to be pardoned…God didn’t

But the gospel tells us that the king made a way for you to receive pardon by sending his son to take on your sins…so that could be set free.

The Ugliness that is "Us"

The Rebellion of Sheba

Sheba’s rebellion (part 1)

Sheba’s rebellion (part 1)

The Sinfulness of David and Absalom

The Betrayal of Joab

The Ugliness that is "Us"

The Rebellion of Sheba

Sheba’s rebellion (part 1)

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Sheba’s rebellion (part 1)

The Sinfulness of David and Absalom

The Betrayal of Joab