The Revolt of Sheba
Introduction
Jeremiah 17:9 NLT
9 “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things,
and desperately wicked.
Who really knows how bad it is?
2 Samuel 20:1-13 NLT
20:1 There happened to be a troublemaker there named Sheba son of Bicri, a man from the tribe of Benjamin. Sheba blew a ram’s horn and began to chant:
“Down with the dynasty of David!
We have no interest in the son of Jesse.
Come on, you men of Israel,
back to your homes!”
2 So all the men of Israel deserted David and followed Sheba son of Bicri. But the men of Judah stayed with their king and escorted him from the Jordan River to Jerusalem.
3 When David came to his palace in Jerusalem, he took the ten concubines he had left to look after the palace and placed them in seclusion. Their needs were provided for, but he no longer slept with them. So each of them lived like a widow until she died.
4 Then the king told Amasa, “Mobilize the army of Judah within three days, and report back at that time.” 5 So Amasa went out to notify Judah, but it took him longer than the time he had been given.
6 Then David said to Abishai, “Sheba son of Bicri is going to hurt us more than Absalom did. Quick, take my troops and chase after him before he gets into a fortified town where we can’t reach him.”
7 So Abishai and Joab, together with the king’s bodyguard and all the mighty warriors, set out from Jerusalem to go after Sheba. 8 As they arrived at the great stone in Gibeon, Amasa met them. Joab was wearing his military tunic with a dagger strapped to his belt. As he stepped forward to greet Amasa, he slipped the dagger from its sheath.
9 “How are you, my cousin?” Joab said and took him by the beard with his right hand as though to kiss him. 10 Amasa didn’t notice the dagger in his left hand, and Joab stabbed him in the stomach with it so that his insides gushed out onto the ground. Joab did not need to strike again, and Amasa soon died. Joab and his brother Abishai left him lying there and continued after Sheba.
11 One of Joab’s young men shouted to Amasa’s troops, “If you are for Joab and David, come and follow Joab.” 12 But Amasa lay in his blood in the middle of the road, and Joab’s man saw that everyone was stopping to stare at him. So he pulled him off the road into a field and threw a cloak over him. 13 With Amasa’s body out of the way, everyone went on with Joab to capture Sheba son of Bicri.
Examine the Scriptures
2 Samuel 20:1-13 NLT
The Revolt of Sheba
- The ten tribes of Israel were quarreling with the men of Judah over who had the right to escort David back to Jerusalem.
20:1 There happened to be a troublemaker there named Sheba son of Bicri, a man from the tribe of Benjamin.
This is not Shimei son of Gera although the events sound similar.
Shimei was the man cursing David and throwing rocks at him. (2 Samuel 16)
Review:
Shimei wants to make thigs right with David.
2 Samuel 19:19-20 NLT
19 “My lord the king, please forgive me,” he pleaded. “Forget the terrible thing your servant did when you left Jerusalem. May the king put it out of his mind. 20 I know how much I sinned. That is why I have come here today, the very first person in all Israel to greet my lord the king.”
Very little is known about this man Sheba.
We do know that he belonged to Saul’s tribe.
He may have felt resentment toward David for taking the throne of Saul.
We know from this passage that Sheba was a trouble maker who rejected David’s right to rule and lead a revolt against David.
Sheba is clearly anti David.
Sheba blew a ram’s horn and began to chant:
“Down with the dynasty of David!
We have no interest in the son of Jesse.
Come on, you men of Israel,
back to your homes!”
- The contention between the Israelite and Judean delegations at Gilgal became so heated that a Benjamite by the name of Sheba announced a revolutionary movement against David and led the Israelites to desert the king.
Years later:
Israel’s response to Rehoboam.
This similarity is interesting.
1 Kings 12:16 NLT
16 When all Israel realized that the king had refused to listen to them, they responded,
“Down with the dynasty of David!
We have no interest in the son of Jesse.
Back to your homes, O Israel!
Look out for your own house, O David!”
Sheba’s revolt foreshadowed the Northern tribes’ revolt by Jeroboam.
2 So all the men of Israel deserted David and followed Sheba son of Bicri.
The rivalry between Judah and Israel escalated.
- The men of Israel deserted David and followed Sheba.
It appears that the disloyalty of the North continued for as long as Sheba was alive.
- Division weakens God’s people. Unity is essential for God’s people to flourish.
A house divided falls
Matthew 12:25 NLT
25 Jesus knew their thoughts and replied, “Any kingdom divided by civil war is doomed. A town or family splintered by feuding will fall apart.
John 17:20-21 NLT
20 “I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. 21 I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.
But the men of Judah stayed with their king and escorted him from the Jordan River to Jerusalem.
- David returns to Jerusalem.
3 When David came to his palace in Jerusalem, he took the ten concubines he had left to look after the palace and placed them in seclusion. Their needs were provided for, but he no longer slept with them. So each of them lived like a widow until she died.
Review:
2 Samuel 16:21-22 NLT
21 Ahithophel told him, (Absalom) “Go and sleep with your father’s concubines, for he has left them here to look after the palace. Then all Israel will know that you have insulted your father beyond hope of reconciliation, and they will throw their support to you.” 22 So they set up a tent on the palace roof where everyone could see it, and Absalom went in and had sex with his father’s concubines.
By doing this Absalom made it clear that he was claiming the throne.
- By taking back the ten concubines he had left behind, David was symbolically reclaiming the throne.
David reclaimed what had belonged to him as king.
David confined his concubines to a life of abstinence because of their sexual relations with Absalom.
- Consequences of sin linger. David’s household bears scars from Absalom’s rebellion.
4 Then the king told Amasa,
- Amasa had been commander of Absalom’s army (2 Samuel 17:25) (Treason)
2 Samuel 19:13 NLT
13 And David told them to tell Amasa, “Since you are my own flesh and blood, like Joab, may God strike me and even kill me if I do not appoint you as commander of my army in his place.”
- Amasa was appointed commander of King David’s army in place of Joab.
David sought to unify the kingdom and offered Amasa the position of commander over his army, replacing Joab, who had disobeyed David by killing Absalom. David thought that this would be seem favorably by the ten tribes.
“Mobilize the army of Judah within three days, and report back at that time.” 5 So Amasa went out to notify Judah, but it took him longer than the time he had been given.
- David instructed Amasa to reorganize the army of Judah within three days and put down Sheba’s revolt.
David wanted to immediately put down Sheba’s revolt, but Amasa was unable to accomplish in such a short period of time.
6 Then David said to Abishai,
- Abishai frequently served as second in command.
Abishai was David’s nephew (the son of Zeruiah, David’s sister) and a brother of Joab (also a nephew of David and a son of Zeruiah)
Review
A three tongued attack was a customary military strategy.
2 Samuel 18:2 NLT
2 He sent the troops out in three groups, placing one group under Joab, one under Joab’s brother Abishai son of Zeruiah, and one under Ittai, the man from Gath.
“Sheba son of Bicri is going to hurt us more than Absalom did. Quick, take my troops and chase after him before he gets into a fortified town where we can’t reach him.”
- When Amasa failed to follow David’s orders, David appointed Joab’s brother Abishai as commander of his forces and instructed him to chase after Sheba.
David’s troops:
David’s personal body guard.
The royal guard.
Mostly foreigners.
7 So Abishai and Joab,
Abishai and Joab often worked together.
together with the king’s bodyguard and all the mighty warriors, set out from Jerusalem to go after Sheba.
David’s personal body guard.
8 As they arrived at the great stone in Gibeon, Amasa met them.
- Abishai’s troops met up with Amasa’s troops.
Joab was wearing his military tunic with a dagger strapped to his belt. As he stepped forward to greet Amasa, he slipped the dagger from its sheath.
9 “How are you, my cousin?” Joab said and took him by the beard with his right hand as though to kiss him.
Joab and Amasa were first cousins.
Taking someone by the beard was a sign of greeting.
Pretending to greet Amasa warmly, Joab killed him with his dagger.
Review:
Previously Joab killed Abner.
Abner was the commander of Saul’s army.
Abner was Saul’s cousin.
Abner was instrumental in setting up Ish-bosheth as king over most of Israel.
2 Samuel 3:27 NLT
27 When Abner arrived back at Hebron, Joab took him aside at the gateway as if to speak with him privately. But then he stabbed Abner in the stomach and killed him in revenge for killing his brother Asahel.
Abner killed Asahel not out of cruelty or desire for honor, but in self-defense during battle (in a battle between Israel and Judah) , after Asahel refused to stop the pursuit.
Previously Joab killed Absalom.
Absalom was David’s son.
2 Samuel 18:14 NLT
14 “Enough of this nonsense,” Joab said. Then he took three daggers and plunged them into Absalom’s heart as he dangled, still alive, in the great tree.
10 Amasa didn’t notice the dagger in his left hand, and Joab stabbed him in the stomach with it so that his insides gushed out onto the ground. Joab did not need to strike again, and Amasa soon died.
- Joab murders Amasa.
Joab and his brother Abishai left him lying there and continued after Sheba.
11 One of Joab’s young men shouted to Amasa’s troops, “If you are for Joab and David, come and follow Joab.”
- Joab reassumes command of the army on his own initiative.
12 But Amasa lay in his blood in the middle of the road, and Joab’s man saw that everyone was stopping to stare at him. So he pulled him off the road into a field and threw a cloak over him.
- To keep Amasa’s dead body from distracting the troops, one of Joab’s men pulled him off the road into a field and threw a cloak over him.
13 With Amasa’s body out of the way, everyone went on with Joab to capture Sheba son of Bicri.
