Sermon Tone Analysis

Context:

Back ground for Today's lesson:

2 Samuel 19:40

Typically this is the atmosphere ripe for the appearance of a troublemaker!

ENTER Sheba!

Scripture 2 Sam 20:1-2,4-21

Sheba Rebels Against David

Sheba Rebels Against David

Sheba Rebels Against David

1 Now a troublemaker (Belial in KJV) named Sheba son of Bikri, a Benjamite, happened to be there.

He sounded the trumpet and shouted,

“We have no share in David, no part in Jesse’s son!

Every man to his tent, Israel!”

(KJV} And there happened to be there a man of Belial, whose name was Sheba, the son of Bichri, a Benjamite:

Smith's Bible Dictionary - Belial

Belial.

The meaning of this word as found in the Scriptures is worthlessness , and hence reckless, lawlessness.

The expression son or man of Belial must be understood as meaning simply a worthless, lawless fellow.

The term as used in ( What harmony is there between Christ and Belial ?

Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?) is generally understood as an term of Satan, and as the personification of all that was bad.

(AMP) There happened to be there a base and contemptible fellow named Sheba son of Bichri, a Benjamite.

2 So all the men of Israel deserted David to follow Sheba son of Bikri.

But the men of Judah stayed by their king all the way from the Jordan to Jerusalem.

14 Sheba passed through all the tribes of Israel to Abel Beth Maakah and through the entire region of the Bikrites, who gathered together and followed him.

15 All the troops with Joab came and besieged Sheba in Abel Beth Maakah.

They built a siege ramp up to the city, and it stood against the outer fortifications.

While they were battering the wall to bring it down,

16 a wise woman called from the city, “Listen!

Listen!

Tell Joab to come here so I can speak to him.”

17 He went toward her, and she asked, “Are you Joab?”

“I am,” he answered.

She said, “Listen to what your servant has to say.”

“I’m listening,” he said.

18 She continued, “Long ago they used to say, ‘Get your answer at Abel,’ and that settled it.

19 We are the peaceful and faithful in Israel.

You are trying to destroy a city that is a mother in Israel.

Why do you want to swallow up the Lord’s inheritance?”

20 “Far be it from me!” Joab replied, “Far be it from me to swallow up or destroy!

21 That is not the case.

A man named Sheba son of Bikri, from the hill country of Ephraim, has lifted up his hand against the king, against David.

Hand over this one man, and I’ll withdraw from the city.”

The woman said to Joab, “His head will be thrown to you from the wall.”

Averted

,

Vs. 1

(KJV} And there happened to be there a man of Belial, whose name was Sheba, the son of Bichri, a Benjamite:

Smith's Bible Dictionary - Belial

Belial.

The meaning of this word as found in the Scriptures is worthlessness , and hence reckless, lawlessness.

The expression son or man of Belial must be understood as meaning simply a worthless, lawless fellow.

The term as used in ( What harmony is there between Christ and Belial ?

Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?) is generally understood as an term of Satan, and as the personification of all that was bad.

(AMP) There happened to be there a base and contemptible fellow named Sheba son of Bichri, a Benjamite.

A war of words ensued between the tribes—Israel resting their argument on their superior numbers; “they had ten parts in the king,” whereas Judah had no more than one.

Judah grounded their right to take the lead, on the ground of their nearer relationship to the king.

This was a claim dangerous to the house of David; and it shows the seeds were already sown for that tribal dissension which, before long, led to the dismemberment of the kingdom.

D. THE MALCONTENTS OF ISRAEL

The aftermath of David’s war with Absalom included a revolt by the northern tribes—the malcontents of Israel—from the rule of David.

This revolt almost became worse than the war with Absalom ().

Hardly had the revolt of Absalom been subdued before this new revolt was disrupting David’s rule.

The land of Israel had just begun to change their allegiance back to David from Absalom when they changed it again away from David.

For David, trouble followed trouble.

To study this revolt by the malcontents of Israel, we will note:

1. the cause of the revolt,

2. the contention in the revolt, and

3. the captain of the revolt

1.

The Causes of the Revolt

“And behold, all the men of Israel came to the king, and said unto the king, Why have our brethren the men of Judah stolen thee away, and have brought the king, and his household, and all David’s men with him, over Jordan?” ().

The initial cause of the revolt was a perceived slight.

This is a common cause and a condemning cause.

Common Cause – Perceived Slight

The ten tribes thought Judah got more honor in bringing back David than they did.

How often a perceived slight is the cause of trouble.

Someone does not get as much praise or honor or recognition or attention as they think they should, and so they stir up trouble as a result.

This problem abounds in political circles, in business, in schools, in family relationships, and in churches—some church troubles, as an example, have started over nothing more important than leaving out someone’s name in the Sunday bulletin.

Or a prayer request doesn’t get in the prayer list.

Very Condemning Cause -- (Hypocrisy).

The complaint by the malcontents was a very condemning complaint since it was so hypocritical.

Nothing is said or admitted by the complainers about the fact that they had just been part of a conspiracy against David – their complaint is that they feel they have been dishonored because Judah led the procession back to Jerusalem without them.

Their conspiracy was more than just a perceived slight on David’s honor, it attacked it violently.

But complainers have a short memory about their own failure to give due honor and recognition.

They are chiefly concerned about their own honor and recognition.

My experience is:

“You will find that people who get upset quickly over perceived slights by others; are the same people who are very poor at giving due honor and recognition to others.”

If these complainers had been chiefly interested in David’s honor in his return to Jerusalem——they probably would not have noticed any personal slight.

Point: It is important to cultivate the ability to give recognition and honor to others.

It would not have mattered to them who did what so long as David was honored.

They would have been more concerned about slights for David than for themselves.

All of this exhorts us to be more concerned about Christ’s honor than our honor.

Few are like Apostle Paul who said that even though some preached Christ “to add affliction to my bonds” (), he still would “rejoice, yea, and will rejoice” () that Christ was preached.

- But what does it matter?

The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached.

And because of this I rejoice.

Yes, and I will continue to rejoice,

Paul did not have time to get upset about slights, for he was too concerned about honoring Christ.

May we all be that way.

Point : Sometimes a Spirit of Rebellion is what leads to a Spirit of Dishonor!

The ten tribes had just made fools of themselves in following Absalom, who was no better than Sheba; and these tribes had paid dearly for their folly, for they had lost at least twenty thousand men in battle against David ().But despite their great loss, they now turn right around and repeat their mistake.

Why?

Because they were deficient in character.