2 Samuel 20

Shawn Bumpers

2 Samuel • Sermon • Submitted 6 years ago

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Introduction

Joab is not a good guy.

We find him in the midst of a great deal of political intrigue in the midst of David’s Court.

Back in chapter 3, Joab murdered Abner, the man that David had replaced him in office with Amasa.

David is no longer running from confrontation in the way that he did with Absalom.

Instead, like he did in his earlier days, he is dealing with matters in a more head on manner.

But there is a lesson that can be learned from his actions in this chapter with his pursuit of Sheba.

After the death of Absalom, Sheba incited Israel to rebel against David.

Sheba was the son of Bichri who was a near relative of Saul.

Now, you’ll remember from chapter 19 how after Absalom’s defeat, when David was returning to Jerusalem to reclaim his throne, there was a dispute between the 10 tribes and the tribe of Judah.

Sheba took advantage of this dissaray, and called for a revolt, proclaiming, “We have no part in David.”

He declared that the Northern part of the nation (Israel) should not follow David.

Whether or not he planned to establish himself as king or some other is not certain, but he was in rebellion.

Sheba then proceeded to move northward and David sought to put a quick end to this revolt.

So David ordered Abishai to take his mighty men and as many other troops as he could gather and pursue Sheba.

Amasa, whom David named to replace Joab (because of Joab’s disobedience when he killed Absalom) tarried too long in chasing down Sheba.

In we find that Joab and the army (in an effort to win himself a place in David’s court most likely. Amasa, who David named to replace Joab (because of Joab’s disobedience when he killed Absalom) tarried too long in chasing down Sheba, who argued that David should no longer be King.

So David ordered Abishai to take his mighty men and as many other troops as he could gather and pursue Sheba.

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During his rebellion, Absalom had sown quite a few seeds of discontent.

When he was meeting people at the palace gate he had pointed out every flaw in David’s reign.

He had strongly implied that there was no justice to be found in David’s kingdom.

And … This was not an unfounded accusation.

David’s reign saw far too little justice.

We know that David did a great job of defending the nation against it’s external enemies, such as the Philistines.

But when it came to confrontation with his own people he just didn’t deal with it.

David had committed adultery and murder, and escaped the penalties of the law.

Amnon had violated Tamar, and while we see that David was furious over it, nothing appeared to happen.

Absalom murdered Amnon later in vengeance, and once again David did nothing more than banish Absalom from his presence.

Absalom took the throne from David and rather than fight, David ran.

Joab murdered Absalom and David’s drastic action is to reassign Joab, basically a do-nothing approach.

And when David meets with Mephibosheth and discovers that Ziba had lied, he doesn’t even want to deal with the situation justly.

David’s misbehavior and "do-nothing" attitude led to a vacuum that made it questionable for some people whether he had a right to return to the throne.

Sheba was leading the Israelites to a vote of "no-confidence," and David knew it before he came to Jerusalem.

Did he try to resolve the issues?

We have no indication that he did so.

So Sheba may have felt justified in his rebellious actions.

He wasn’t right to do what he did, but he may have felt as if he was right.

Let’s pray and see where this chapter takes us.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, we thank You for everyone here this evening. Thank You that You know each of us by name and have caused us to walk with You. Lord, we open up Your word desiring to hear from You ... not man's word or wisdom, but Your Words and Wisdom. Please soften our hearts to receive from You.

v1-2

But there is a lesson that can be learned from his actions in this chapter with his pursuit of Sheba.

The NKJV uses “rebel” while the KJV uses “man of Belial,” the NASB uses “a worthless fellow,” and the NIV uses, “a troublemaker.”

The Hebrew word is Beliy-ya-al which is a contraction of 2 words literally meaning “without the yoke of heaven.”

It describes a wicked person with no regard for what God has proclaimed.

Sheba demonstrated himself to be this way by exploiting grievances against God’s anointed king to incite rebellion.

Although the Benjamites were not involved in the exchange of words in chapter 19 between the tribe of Judah and the 10 tribes, the instigator of the revolt was from Saul’s tribe of Benjamin.

As we saw a few chapters back, though it had been many years since Saul had died and David had gained the throne, there were many Benjamites that nursed a grudge.

Now remember that the argument from chapter 19 was that because David was of Judah, the other tribes had a lesser share in him.

In addition, David was the son of Jessie, not a member of Saul’s household and so what claim did David have on their allegiance?

And so Sheba proclaimed the order … “Every man back to his tents, O Israel.”

So, suddenly Sheba is giving orders … he either hoped to become a king himself, or some say that he hoped for there to be no king at all … that each man should rule, “in his own tent.”

Whatever the case, according to verse 2, the people responded to his urging and deserted David to follow Sheba.

However, the tribe of Judah remained faithful to David and accompanied him back to Jerusalem.

v3

When Absalom deposed David, he demonstrated his claim to the throne with a reprehensible act.

He violated the 10 concubines that had remained behind after David had fled from Jerusalem.

This was meant to send a message out to all Israel that Absalom was now in control of all that his father once had.

Because this was not a voluntary thing done by those concubines, and it was not an act of adultery, there was no Torah prohibition against this.

So then we might wonder why David now refused to live with them.

It might have been that David recognized how he had violated God’s instructions in by accumulating wives.

Perhaps he wanted to embark on this next phase of his rule “on the right foot” so to speak.

The scriptures do not elaborate on this point and where scripture is silent we must not presume.

So, whatever the case, this was the decision he made … and another sad consequence of his previous sin was that these ladies would now have to live as widows.

David maintained his obligation to them, but they would never have children by him.

David maintained his obligation to them, but they would never have children by him. Hammurabi’s code requires that widows receive “food, oil and clothing” as their due, and addresses similar rights of concubines.

Hammurabi’s code requires that widows receive “food, oil and clothing” as their due, and addresses similar rights of concubines.

Exodus 21:10 NKJV

If he takes another wife, he shall not diminish her food, her clothing, and her marriage rights.

v4-6

This was Amasa’s first assignment as commander of the army, having taken the place of Joab.

David gave him a very short period of time in which to assemble an army from the families of Judah.

Runners would probably have been sent … but there are historical texts which were discovered in the remains of the ancient Amorite city of Mari in northern Syria which show another way this may have been done.

The Mari Texts, which are certainly older than the destruction of the city by Hammurabi in 1760BC describe the use of inscribed lists that were taken to villages to enlist soldiers.

If this was the method that Amasa used, it certainly would have taken longer than the 3 days he was given.

And … Amasa did not show up within the 3 days he was given.

So, David gave command to Abishai.

Amasa had been commander of Absalom’s army, so perhaps David was afraid he had turned traitor and joined up with Sheba.

While that wasn’t the case, it was the case that because of this delay, Sheba was given time to make headway in the north.

Amasa had been commander of Absalom’s army, so perhaps David was afraid he had turned traitor and joined up with Sheba.

We can see from his language here that David was very alarmed by these events.

Amasa had been commander of Absalom’s army, so perhaps David was afraid he had turned traitor and joined up with Sheba.

His failure to appear within the set time with the army ready for operations filled David with alarm, lest he also had turned traitor, and Sheba was given time to make headway in the north by capturing fortified cities.

Perhaps David considered Sheba to be very dangerous because he was capitalizing on the people’s resentment of Judah and their belief that David did not treat all tribes equally.

v7

Taking Joab’s officers and David’s “mighty men” with him, Abishai quickly assembled the army of Judah and headed north to stop Sheba.

Taking Joab’s officers and David’s “mighty men” with him, Abishai quickly assembled the army of Judah and headed north to stop Sheba. Imagine their surprise when they met Amasa and his army at the great rock in Gibeon, about six miles northwest of Jerusalem. Amasa was on his way to report to David and get his orders.

Although Joab himself was not given any formal position, his men went to fight under the command of Abishai.

And we see in verse 9 that Joab himself was present … perhaps awaiting his opportunity to make a move to reclaim his position … or more.

Imagine their surprise when they met Amasa and his army at the great rock in Gibeon, about six miles northwest of Jerusalem.

Amasa was on his way to report to David and get his orders.

Now, in the kingdom there were a few categories of soldiers … there were professional soldiers, there were mercenaries or hired foreign soldiers, and there were citizen soldiers or militia.

In time of war all able-bodied men were expected to report, and became a citizen army.

At the same time David had a smaller professional corp of “Kerethites and Pelethites” and “mighty warriors.”

The Kerethites and Pelethites were groups of mercenaries who served David as bodyguards rather than as members of the standing army.

There are 2 terms here … Kerethites and Pelethites.

These were groups of mercenaries who served David as bodyguards rather than as members of the standing army.

The Kerethites are identified as immigrants from Crete and are closely associated with the Philistines … in that they were believed to come from the same area of the Aegean.

The Pelethites are known only from passages such as this, where they are associated with the Kerethites.

So, it was the professional soldiers and mercenaries that were with Abishai, along with Joab’s men.

And Amasa had gone to gather a citizen’s army.

Imagine their surprise when the two armies met about six miles northwest of Jerusalem.

Amasa was on his way to report to David and get his orders … but we’ll see more about this in verse 8.

Amasa was on his way to report to David and get his orders.

v8-10

We are not sure what the Large Stone that is at Gibeon is … other than a landmark of some kind.

It may have been an altar or a high place or it may simply have been an unusual rock formation in that area.

It is interesting in that Amasa is described as coming before his army … but it’s Joab that seems to be leading the army coming up from Jerusalem.

Abishai should have been in this place, but it may be that Joab was already exerting himself over Abishai.

It had been these two brothers working together who had previously and treacherously killed Abner.

This time it seems to be Joab acting alone … though perhaps Abishai is enabling his brother.

Whatever the case, Amasa and Joab came forward seemingly to greet one another … but Joab had another plan.

Joab, knowing that Amasa was a seasoned warrior, had come up with a ruse.

As he moved forward, he allowed his sword to fall.

Had he drawn his sword, Amasa would have seen what was happening.

But Joab’s seemingly clumsy act of dropping his sword disarmed any suspicion Amasa, Joab’s first cousin, may have had.

Now, Amasa was Joab’s first cousin,

And by the time Amasa may have realized it, it was too late.

Joab had him by the beard and was thrusting his sword into him.

Now, we certainly shouldn’t forget that Amasa had joined forces with Absalom against David in the previous chapters.

So, he wasn’t exactly an innocent party in this.

Nevertheless, David had pardoned Amasa and it was not Joab’s place to do this.

v9-13

The army was shocked at what had just happened and disgusted by the gore that was before them and when when the order to move forward came, they just stood there.

Perhaps they were stopped in order to weigh up what had happened and how to proceed.

But Joab’s man on duty made sure that all the people got the message: Joab was in control of the army, though without any charter from the king.

And because if the people had been allowed to talk about it, outrage would have grown, Joab’s man reminded them that time was of the essence.

Everyone had to unite and follow Joab’s leadership or the future of David’s reign would be in question.

Then, out of desperation, he moved the body off the road and covered it.

And once the corpse was removed, the armies went on after Joab in pursuit of Sheba.

So, David had given the command to Abishai and Amasa.

But Amasa was now eliminated and it would seem that Abishai was content to let Joab have his old position back.

David had given the command to Abishai; but Joab had taken back his old position and wouldn’t let it go (v. 23). Once again, David had to give in to Joab’s power tactics.

Once again, David would have to give in to Joab’s power tactics.

Now, regarding the body of Amasa, it is likely that someone stuck around to bury the body, because it was considered a serious thing in Israel for a body not to have proper burial.

We trust that somebody buried the body, for it was considered a serious thing in Israel for a body not to have proper burial.

v14-15

v14

It doesn’t describe who the “he” is here.

This may be a reference back to Amasa’s previous journey through Israel gathering support.

But that’s unlikely.

The “he” here is probably Sheba.

He passed throughout Israel to incite the people against David.

In fact, this should properly be translated as a phrase in parentheses, as the Lexham English Bible does.

2 Samuel 20:14 LEB

(He had passed through all the tribes of Israel to Abel and Beth Maacah; now all of the Berites had been treated badly, so they also followed after him.)

So then, Sheba had gathered together an army of his own, which included the Bechrim.

Sheba was the son of Bechri and so the Bechrim are his own family clan.

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Sheba and those who followed him ended up in the very north of Israel’s territory.

There the army of Joab finally caught up to him and Sheba went in Abel of Beth Maachah.

This was a fortified city that seemed to provide safety from David’s armies.

At one time these were 2 cities, Abel and Beth Maachah.

But as clearly states by this time it was one city … the two had grown together into one.

Now, there are 3 ways to conquer a walled city.

It could be besieged until the people run out of food and water and are forced to surrender.

A ramp could be built next to a wall to give a way over … that’s how the Romans attacked the fortress of Masada.

That ramp can still be seen today.

Archaeological investigations have found evidence of other seige ramps and depictions of their use in texts and reliefs.

Or the attempt could be made to demolish a wall.

We tend to think of battering rams as tools of the middle ages but they had been in use for nearly a thousand years before the time of this text.

Joab chose to build a ramp.

Most cities back then had 2 walls … one outer wall and one inner wall.

The ramp got them over the outer wall.

But then they started to demolish the inner wall.

v16-17

This attack was certainly terrifying to those living in the city.

But an intervention occurred.

A wise woman called out from the city for Joab.

Now, the text doesn’t say but it sure seems as if Joab must have known who she was to halt the attack for a conversation with her.

Perhaps she was a leader in the city … we just don’t know.

v18-19

So it used to be that the people of Abel were thought of as being particularly wise.

And so this woman asks Joab why they would destroy a city such as this … and what she is getting at is that Joab could be smarter about what he is doing.

Why didn’t he ask the inhabitants to heed his request to turn over Sheba rather than just attack?

After all, the Torah says that they should first ask for peace.

In , it says:

Deuteronomy 20:10–11 NKJV

“When you go near a city to fight against it, then proclaim an offer of peace to it. And it shall be that if they accept your offer of peace, and open to you, then all the people who are found in it shall be placed under tribute to you, and serve you.

Deuteronomy 10:10–11 NKJV

“As at the first time, I stayed in the mountain forty days and forty nights; the Lord also heard me at that time, and the Lord chose not to destroy you. Then the Lord said to me, ‘Arise, begin your journey before the people, that they may go in and possess the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.’

Deuteronomy 10:10–11 NKJV

And in verse 19 she says that she and her people are among the peaceable and faithful in Israel.

Deuteronomy 20:10 NKJV

“When you go near a city to fight against it, then proclaim an offer of peace to it.

Then she describes the city as not only the home of people but as a mother in Israel.

The Hebrew “em” or Mother could be used to describe a larger city that supports smaller cities that surround it.

But it also refers to a city that’s highly regarded.

This is very much a rebuke of Joab and his policy of violence, but of course Joab is going to say, “Far be it from me” … even though he would have destroyed the city had this lady not intervened.

v20-22

So, Joab was taken back by what this lady said and he denied that he had any intention to destroy the city and the people.

He said that he sought only the one man who has risen up against the king … Sheba.

Joab descrives Sheba as being from the mountains of Ephraim.

But we know that Sheba was from the tribe of Benjamin.

The solution is that the range of Mount Ephraim extended into the territory of Benjamin.

Notice that Joab had demanded that Sheba be delivered to him alive.

But the people of the city put him to death.

We learn something else about this woman here … that is that she had some authority in the city.

She spoke for the whole community saying that Sheba will be executed and his head thrown … over the wall as proof.

Notice that Joab had demanded that Sheba be delivered to him alive.

But the people of the city put him to death.

It may have been that they were afraid that out of revenge Sheba would implicate them in his rebellion.

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So, the war comes to an end with very few casualties.

This wise woman was able to intervene and save her city.

Thus the war comes to a satisfactory end with a minimum of casualties, thanks to the intervention of a ‘wise woman’, who drew out of the military leader the answer she wanted, and saved her city.

You may remember that in an earlier incident, in , another ‘wise woman’ had worked with Joab to move David to receive Absalom back.

Both these episodes shed light on the diplomatic role played by women during this period.

Joab sounded the shofar to signal the end of the siege and they all returned home.

Joab returned home to Jerusalem as the self-appointed commander of the whole army.

Amasa was dead and Abishai has stepped back into the shadows.

We won’t hear much from Abishai anymore.

Joab expected to get away with all of this given the success of the campaign in ending the rebellion against the king.

And it does seem that David felt he had no choice but to keep Joab over the army after his success against Sheba.

But on his death-bed he made his feelings about Joab clear to Solomon.

At this point, the reactions of David are omitted, but on his death-bed they were made clear to Solomon, who was warned, ‘do not let his grey head go down to Sheol in peace’ ().

In , he warned his son, ‘do not let his grey head go down to the grave in peace.’

Do not read below:

1 Kings 2 NKJV

Now the days of David drew near that he should die, and he charged Solomon his son, saying: “I go the way of all the earth; be strong, therefore, and prove yourself a man. And keep the charge of the Lord your God: to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His judgments, and His testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn; that the Lord may fulfill His word which He spoke concerning me, saying, ‘If your sons take heed to their way, to walk before Me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul,’ He said, ‘you shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.’ “Moreover you know also what Joab the son of Zeruiah did to me, and what he did to the two commanders of the armies of Israel, to Abner the son of Ner and Amasa the son of Jether, whom he killed. And he shed the blood of war in peacetime, and put the blood of war on his belt that was around his waist, and on his sandals that were on his feet. Therefore do according to your wisdom, and do not let his gray hair go down to the grave in peace. “But show kindness to the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be among those who eat at your table, for so they came to me when I fled from Absalom your brother. “And see, you have with you Shimei the son of Gera, a Benjamite from Bahurim, who cursed me with a malicious curse in the day when I went to Mahanaim. But he came down to meet me at the Jordan, and I swore to him by the Lord, saying, ‘I will not put you to death with the sword.’ Now therefore, do not hold him guiltless, for you are a wise man and know what you ought to do to him; but bring his gray hair down to the grave with blood.” So David rested with his fathers, and was buried in the City of David. The period that David reigned over Israel was forty years; seven years he reigned in Hebron, and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty-three years. Then Solomon sat on the throne of his father David; and his kingdom was firmly established. Now Adonijah the son of Haggith came to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon. So she said, “Do you come peaceably?” And he said, “Peaceably.” Moreover he said, “I have something to say to you.” And she said, “Say it.” Then he said, “You know that the kingdom was mine, and all Israel had set their expectations on me, that I should reign. However, the kingdom has been turned over, and has become my brother’s; for it was his from the Lord. Now I ask one petition of you; do not deny me.” And she said to him, “Say it.” Then he said, “Please speak to King Solomon, for he will not refuse you, that he may give me Abishag the Shunammite as wife.” So Bathsheba said, “Very well, I will speak for you to the king.” Bathsheba therefore went to King Solomon, to speak to him for Adonijah. And the king rose up to meet her and bowed down to her, and sat down on his throne and had a throne set for the king’s mother; so she sat at his right hand. Then she said, “I desire one small petition of you; do not refuse me.” And the king said to her, “Ask it, my mother, for I will not refuse you.” So she said, “Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah your brother as wife.” And King Solomon answered and said to his mother, “Now why do you ask Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? Ask for him the kingdom also—for he is my older brother—for him, and for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab the son of Zeruiah.” Then King Solomon swore by the Lord, saying, “May God do so to me, and more also, if Adonijah has not spoken this word against his own life! Now therefore, as the Lord lives, who has confirmed me and set me on the throne of David my father, and who has established a house for me, as He promised, Adonijah shall be put to death today!” So King Solomon sent by the hand of Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; and he struck him down, and he died. And to Abiathar the priest the king said, “Go to Anathoth, to your own fields, for you are deserving of death; but I will not put you to death at this time, because you carried the ark of the Lord God before my father David, and because you were afflicted every time my father was afflicted.” So Solomon removed Abiathar from being priest to the Lord, that he might fulfill the word of the Lord which He spoke concerning the house of Eli at Shiloh. Then news came to Joab, for Joab had defected to Adonijah, though he had not defected to Absalom. So Joab fled to the tabernacle of the Lord, and took hold of the horns of the altar. And King Solomon was told, “Joab has fled to the tabernacle of the Lord; there he is, by the altar.” Then Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, saying, “Go, strike him down.” So Benaiah went to the tabernacle of the Lord, and said to him, “Thus says the king, ‘Come out!’ ” And he said, “No, but I will die here.” And Benaiah brought back word to the king, saying, “Thus said Joab, and thus he answered me.” Then the king said to him, “Do as he has said, and strike him down and bury him, that you may take away from me and from the house of my father the innocent blood which Joab shed. So the Lord will return his blood on his head, because he struck down two men more righteous and better than he, and killed them with the sword—Abner the son of Ner, the commander of the army of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, the commander of the army of Judah—though my father David did not know it. Their blood shall therefore return upon the head of Joab and upon the head of his descendants forever. But upon David and his descendants, upon his house and his throne, there shall be peace forever from the Lord.” So Benaiah the son of Jehoiada went up and struck and killed him; and he was buried in his own house in the wilderness. The king put Benaiah the son of Jehoiada in his place over the army, and the king put Zadok the priest in the place of Abiathar. Then the king sent and called for Shimei, and said to him, “Build yourself a house in Jerusalem and dwell there, and do not go out from there anywhere. For it shall be, on the day you go out and cross the Brook Kidron, know for certain you shall surely die; your blood shall be on your own head.” And Shimei said to the king, “The saying is good. As my lord the king has said, so your servant will do.” So Shimei dwelt in Jerusalem many days. Now it happened at the end of three years, that two slaves of Shimei ran away to Achish the son of Maachah, king of Gath. And they told Shimei, saying, “Look, your slaves are in Gath!” So Shimei arose, saddled his donkey, and went to Achish at Gath to seek his slaves. And Shimei went and brought his slaves from Gath. And Solomon was told that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath and had come back. Then the king sent and called for Shimei, and said to him, “Did I not make you swear by the Lord, and warn you, saying, ‘Know for certain that on the day you go out and travel anywhere, you shall surely die’? And you said to me, ‘The word I have heard is good.’ Why then have you not kept the oath of the Lord and the commandment that I gave you?” The king said moreover to Shimei, “You know, as your heart acknowledges, all the wickedness that you did to my father David; therefore the Lord will return your wickedness on your own head. But King Solomon shall be blessed, and the throne of David shall be established before the Lord forever.” So the king commanded Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; and he went out and struck him down, and he died. Thus the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon.

1 Kings 2:6 NKJV

Therefore do according to your wisdom, and do not let his gray hair go down to the grave in peace.

But until then, David was stuck with a general who persisted in killing men whom the king had put in authority, and who had taken over the command of the army.

v23-25

Some Jewish commentaries suggest that David would have wanted to appoint Benaiah, as Solomon later did.

But because Joab returned victorious and was so popular with the people, David could not afford to alienate him.

Given Joab’s ease toward treachery, it would have been very possible that he rise up against David if David did not keep him close.

Back in chapter 3 David had lamented that he lacked the strength to deal with Joab as he deserved.

Lamenting the murder of Abner, David said:

2 Samuel 3:38–39 NKJV

Then the king said to his servants, “Do you not know that a prince and a great man has fallen this day in Israel? And I am weak today, though anointed king; and these men, the sons of Zeruiah, are too harsh for me. The Lord shall repay the evildoer according to his wickedness.”

-29

Let’s pray.

Prayer: Lord Father we thank You for this time we’ve had together studying Your Word and we ask that You would make it fertile in our lives to do what You desire. Thank You for loving us so much and may Your desires be the desires of our hearts.

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