2Samuel 19-21
Sunday Evening Bible Study
May 5, 2002
Introduction
David has faced a revolt by his own son Absalom. Absalom had sweet-talked his way into the hearts of the nation and rose up to declare himself king. David and a few of his loyal followers fled Jerusalem. They regrouped in Mahanaim, on the other side of the Jordan River. When the battle was about to begin, David very carefully told each of his commanders that he didn’t want anyone hurting Absalom.
Absalom’s army, though it was far larger than David’s army, was routed by David’s more experienced men. When Absalom himself got caught by his hair in the branches of a tree, it was David’s nephew Joab that killed him.
2Samuel 19
:1-9 David mourns Absalom
:1 And it was told Joab, Behold, the king weepeth and mourneth for Absalom.
weepeth – bakah – to weep, bewail, cry, shed tears
mourneth – ‘abal – to mourn, lament
:2 And the victory that day was turned into mourning …the king was grieved for his son.
mourning – ‘ebel – mourning; for the dead; for rites of mourning (metaph); period of mourning
grieved – ‘atsab – to hurt, pain, grieve, displease, vex, wrest
:3 And the people gat them by stealth that day into the city
the city – David has been in the city of Mahanaim, on the eastern side of the Jordan River. see map
by stealth – ganab – to steal, steal away, carry away; (Hithpael) to go by stealth, steal away
:6 In that thou lovest thine enemies, and hatest thy friends.
Lesson
Love your friends too
I think that some of us might think that Joab shouldn’t be so hard on David. After all, Jesus said,
(Mat 5:43-44 KJV) Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou
shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. {44} But I say unto you, Love
your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and
pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
But Joab’s point isn’t so much that David loved his enemies, but that he wasn’t being loving to his friends.
I think we need to be careful in balancing all this, that we don’t act in a neglectful way to our friends just because we’re out there “loving our enemies”. I think we need to be careful that we don’t neglect our families because we’re involved in ministry.
:8 Then the king arose, and sat in the gate.
the gate – this was like the government headquarters.
Even though we mentioned last week that David’s grief over Absalom gives us a hint at what a father’s love ought to be for a son, there’s another issue going on here. David isn’t just a father, he is king over his people. His people have just fought a battle against his mortal enemy, and they’ve won.
Joab has a point here. David needs to be encouraging his troops in their victory, not mourning over his son.
Lesson
Burden of leadership
Those in leadership can’t always do what others can do.
A priest was not allowed to just go out and touch any old dead person because it would defile him.
(Lev 21:1-4 KJV) And the LORD said unto Moses, Speak unto the
priests the sons of Aaron, and say unto them, There shall none be defiled for
the dead among his people: {2} But for his kin, that is near unto him, that is,
for his mother, and for his father, and for his son, and for his daughter, and
for his brother, {3} And for his sister a virgin, that is nigh unto him, which
hath had no husband; for her may he be defiled. {4} But he shall not defile
himself, being a chief man among his people, to profane himself.
If it was a close relative he was allowed, but otherwise, he was not.
The high priest was not allowed to even take a break from his duties if his parents died.
(Lev 21:10-12 KJV) And he that is the high priest among his
brethren, upon whose head the anointing oil was poured, and that is consecrated
to put on the garments, shall not uncover his head, nor rend his clothes; {11}
Neither shall he go in to any dead body, nor defile himself for his father, or
for his mother; {12} Neither shall he go out of the sanctuary, nor profane the
sanctuary of his God; for the crown of the anointing oil of his God is upon
him: I am the LORD.
The point is not to say that a person in leadership shouldn’t care anything about their family.
The point is that when you’re in leadership, you have a responsibility to those you are leading. And sometimes your own feelings and comfort have to take a back seat to the needs of those you’re leading.
:9-10 Bring David back?
:10 Now therefore why speak ye not a word of bringing the king back?
The nation is in turmoil. They had risen up against David as a nation, but now the one they had chosen to lead them was dead and it looks like the best person to be king was the one they had rejected.
:11-15 Judah brings David back
:11 Speak unto the elders of Judah, saying, Why are ye the last to bring the king back
David has his friends Zadok and Abiathar deliver a message to the leaders of the tribe of Judah, David’s own tribe. When Saul had been killed, it was the tribe of Judah that had asked David to be king. He had ruled for 7 years over Judah before the rest of the nation had made him king.
But the tribe of Judah was also Absalom’s tribe. Absalom had started his revolt in Hebron, the capitol of Judah.
:13 And say ye to Amasa, … be not captain of the host …in the room of Joab.
Amasa was a relative of David’s. Amasa had been chosen by Absalom to lead the armies of Israel. Amasa was a leader of the tribe of Judah. David offers Amasa the position of head of the armies under his kingship.
This may simply be a political type of move where David is trying to draw the people from the revolt back to him. I also wonder if he is influenced at all by the fact that Joab had been the one that killed his son Absalom.
:14 And he bowed the heart of all the men of Judah, even as the heart of one man;
bowed – natah – to stretch out, extend, spread out, pitch, turn, pervert, incline, bend, bow; (Hiphil) to stretch out; to spread out; to turn, incline, influence, bend down, hold out, extend, thrust aside, thrust away
(2 Sam 19:14 NLT) Then Amasa convinced all the leaders of Judah, and they responded unanimously.
It might be referring to David convincing the people.
:15 Judah came to Gilgal, to go to meet the king, to conduct the king over Jordan.
Gilgal – Gilgal – “a wheel, rolling”; there are several “Gilgals” in Israel, it would seem that the one nearest the Jordan River was the one referred to. see map
:16-23 David and Shimei –part II
:16 And Shimei …hasted and came down …to meet king David.
Shimei – this was the guy that had cursed and had thrown stones at David as David was fleeing Jerusalem from Absalom (2Sam. 16:5-14). David’s nephew Abishai had wanted permission to cut Shimei’s head off, but David held him back and let Shimei curse.
Bahurim – see map
Shimei shows up with the men of Judah to meet David at the Jordan River.
:17 And there were a thousand men of Benjamin with him
Shimei has gathered a crowd of people to support him. I think he knows he’s in big, big trouble. I think this show of support is going to influence David.
Keep in mind that Josephus had told us that when David’s army fought Absalom, David’s army was only four thousand strong.
:17 Ziba the servant of the house of Saul, and his fifteen sons and his twenty servants with him; and they went over Jordan before the king.
Ziba was the servant who had been in charge of the property of Saul, managing things in order to support Saul’s grandson, Mephibosheth. When David had fled from Jerusalem, Ziba had shown up with donkeys and food to help David. He also told David a little story about Mephibosheth, claiming that Mephibosheth was thinking that he was going to be made king in David’s absence. David had responded to Ziba’s story by giving all of Saul’s property to Ziba.
It looks as if Ziba is here to welcome David back. But there’s a little problem. It seems that Ziba had told David a lie about Mephibosheth. And now that David is back, David is going to find out that Ziba was lying.
:19 neither do thou remember that which thy servant did perversely
perversely – ‘avah – to bend, twist, distort (Hiphil) to do perversely
Shimei hopes that David doesn’t remember what Shimei had said earlier.
:20 I am come the first this day of all the house of Joseph
all the house of Joseph – When the kingdom splits under Rehoboam, the southern kingdom is called “Judah” and the northern kingdom is called “Israel” or “Ephraim”. Ephraim was one of the sons of Joseph. I think that Shimei is saying that he is the first one from the rest of the tribes (other than Judah) who has come to meet David and welcome him back. Shimei himself is from the tribe of Benjamin (2Sam. 19:16).
:22 for do not I know that I am this day king over Israel?
David feels that this ought to be a day of happiness, not a day for revenge.
It seems that when David fled from Absalom, there might have been a sense in which he was afraid that God might be taking the kingdom away from him.
(2 Sam 15:25-26 KJV) And the king said unto Zadok, Carry back the
ark of God into the city: if I shall find favour in the eyes of the LORD, he
will bring me again, and show me both it, and his habitation: {26} But if he
thus say, I have no delight in thee; behold, here am I, let him do to me as
seemeth good unto him.
It seems that David questioned whether or not God wanted him to be king.
But now, as he is being brought back to Jerusalem, he recognizes once again that he is supposed to be king.
Lesson
Know your calling
Know what you’re supposed to be doing. And then do it.
:23 Therefore the king said unto Shimei, Thou shalt not die.
I think David does this for two reasons:
First, as he stated, this ought to be a day for rejoicing, not a day for payback.
Second, Shimei has a thousand guys with him. These are a thousand guys that could be won to David’s side rather than be offended if David has Shimei put to death.
Just before David died, he would give Solomon a list of instructions. The very last thing he is recorded as saying before his death is an instruction regarding Shimei.
(1 Ki 2:8-9 KJV) And, behold, thou hast with thee Shimei the
son of Gera, a Benjamite of Bahurim, which cursed me with a grievous curse in
the day when I went to Mahanaim: but he came down to meet me at Jordan, and I
sware to him by the LORD, saying, I will not put thee to death with the sword.
{9} Now therefore hold him not guiltless: for thou art a wise man, and knowest
what thou oughtest to do unto him; but his hoar head bring thou down to the
grave with blood.
It has been suggested that David didn’t fully forgive Shimei, and this is why he brings up Shimei with Solomon.
I think it’s better to understand that this wasn’t the right moment to deal with Shimei. He waits until a better time to deal with it.
:24-30 Mephibosheth and Ziba – part II
:24 And Mephibosheth the son of Saul came down to meet the king
The entire time that David had been away from Jerusalem, Mephibosheth had apparently been in some kind of mourning. Sounds like he’s depressed. He hasn’t taken care of himself for months. He looks like a homeless person.
Ziba had claimed that Mephibosheth was planning on becoming king in David’s absence. Yet I don’t think that someone wanting to be king would act like this.
:26 And he answered, My lord, O king, my servant deceived me
Mephibosheth has been lame in both feet since the age of five, when his nurse had dropped him and both his legs were broken. He had planned on having Ziba saddle him a donkey so he could go with David, but Ziba just left him in Jerusalem.
:29 And the king said unto him, Why speakest thou any more of thy matters? I have said, Thou and Ziba divide the land.
David chooses to divide Saul’s lands between Ziba and Mephibosheth. Why doesn’t David give everything back to Mephibosheth? Perhaps David isn’t sure just who to believe.
There are other things that make this decision a complicated one.
Ziba had shown David kindness by providing donkeys and food when David fled Jerusalem.
Ziba has been among the first to welcome David back.
Don’t forget the 1,000 men of Benjamin standing with Ziba and Shimei. This is the tribe of Ziba and Mephibosheth. Who knows what side they’re on?
Lesson
Making decisions is tough
I’ve read lots of commentaries that discuss whether David did this thing right or that thing wrong. Frankly, if we don’t have a clear word that David does something right or wrong, perhaps we just don’t know all that went into David’s decision.
:31-40 Thanks to Barzillai
:31 And Barzillai the Gileadite came down from Rogelim
Barzillai – Barzillay – “my iron”. This was one of the guys who had helped support David while he was fleeing from Absalom.
Rogelim – a city on the eastern side of the Jordan. see map
:33 I will feed thee with me in Jerusalem.
He is asking Barzillai to join his court in Jerusalem. He’s asking Barzillai to be part of his “inner circle”. He wants to repay Barzillai’s kindness.
:35 I am this day fourscore years old …
(2 Sam 19:35 NLT) I am eighty years old today, and I can no
longer enjoy anything. Food and wine are no longer tasty, and I cannot hear the
musicians as they play. I would only be a burden to my lord the king.
:35 can thy servant taste what I eat or what I drink?
Barzillai is too old to get excited about living in the palace with David.
:36 Thy servant will go a little way over Jordan with the king
(2 Sam 19:36 NLT) Just to
go across the river with you is all the honor I need!
:37 behold thy servant Chimham
Chimham – Kimham – “their longing”. We think this is the son of Barzillai. It has been suggested that David must have given Chimham a piece of property near Bethlehem which eventually became an inn. This inn was still around in Jeremiah’s day, it was on the road from Israel to Egypt. It was the last place to stop before crossing the desert to Egypt.
Jer 41:17 And they departed, and dwelt in the
habitation of Chimham, which is by Bethlehem, to go to enter into Egypt,
Some have suggested that Joseph and Mary may have even stopped there as they fled from King Herod with the baby Jesus.
On his deathbed, David would also leave instructions to Solomon regarding Barzillai:
(1 Ki 2:7 KJV) But show kindness unto the sons of Barzillai
the Gileadite, and let them be of those that eat at thy table: for so they came
to me when I fled because of Absalom thy brother.
Lesson
Don’t forget to say “thanks”
David wants to honor his friend. He follows through.
:40 Chimham went on with him …and also half the people of Israel.
David finishes this leg of his journey in Gilgal.
The entire nation isn’t yet behind David. The tribe of Judah is with him, but only half of the nation is with David.
:41-43 Israel welcomes David back
:43 we have also more right in David than ye:
An argument breaks out among the people of who should have claim to David. The rest of Israel seems jealous that the tribe of Judah got to David first.
It seems that everyone likes a winner. Yet just a short time ago, they were all out to kill David and follow Absalom.
Lesson
Don’t pay read your press clippings
It’s easy to fall in love with having people like you. But watch out, people can change real quick.
Every major league baseball pitcher knows that the fans will cheer as long as you throw strikes. But as soon as you start walking people, the “boos” will come.
Illustration
Winston Churchill knew that public favor was no proof of real success. Once, after he gave a speech for which 10,000 people came out, a friend asked, “Winston, aren’t you impressed that 10,000 people came to hear you speak?”
Churchill replied, “Not really. 100,000 would come to see me hang.”
Illustration
In 1996, at 68, Walter F. Mondale retired to his home state to teach and practice law. After his mauling in the lopsided ‘84 presidential election, Mondale dropped off the national scene for several years. James Johnson, Mondale’s old campaign manager and chief aide, remembers Mondale calling him one day in 1986 from Chicago’s O’Hare Airport to say that he’d “hit bottom.” He said a woman had stopped him in the airport and told him she’d wanted to meet him all her life. She asked him to wait while she got her two children so they could meet him, too. Mondale waited, making sure his hair was combed and his tie was straight. When the woman returned with her kids, she said, “Children, let me present to you senator (George) Mc Govern.”
“They can’t even remember which of the defeated candidates I am!” Mondale joked to Johnson on the phone.
-- Fort Wayne Gazette, 11-17-96, p. 4A.
:43 the words of the men of Judah were fiercer than the words of the men of Israel.
The dispute between Judah and the rest of Israel opens the door for the next rebellion.
2Samuel 20
:1-2 Sheba rebels
:1 a man of Belial, whose name was Sheba
Belial – b@liya‘al – worthlessness; worthless, good for nothing, unprofitable, base fellow; a “son of Satan”.
Sheba – sheba‘– “seven”
This man is also from Benjamin, the tribe of Saul.
Josephus records that Sheba was at this contentious meeting of the nation as they argued about David. He stands up in the middle of the meeting and leads a group in rebellion.
:1 he blew a trumpet
blew a trumpet – Numbers 10 – trumpets were used to gather people, to assemble troops.
:1 every man to his tents, O Israel.
This was what happened at the end of a battle. Everyone went home. Sheba is telling everyone who is going to go to Jerusalem to reinstate David as king to go home.
:2 So every man of Israel went up from after David
It seems that all of this takes place while David is making his way back to Jerusalem.
Not everyone is in love with the idea of David being king.
:3 The concubines
:3 the king took the ten women his concubines
When David had left Jerusalem fleeing from Absalom, he had left these ten gals back in Jerusalem to keep the palace neat and clean.
But when Absalom came to Jerusalem, Ahithophel advised Absalom to have sex with these women. This would be a symbol to the nation that Absalom was taking his father’s place, and it would also make David hate Absalom.
These women will now be secluded for the rest of their lives. David won’t be intimate with them.
ward – mishmereth – guard, charge, function, obligation, service, watch; guard, watch, house of detention or confinement
:4-13 Amasa drags his feet
:5 he tarried longer than the set time which he had appointed him.
Amasa is now in charge of the army. But he doesn’t seem to want to respond to David’s orders too quickly.
:6 And David said to Abishai
David feels that Amasa’s delay shows that he can’t trust him. He asks Abishai to take care of Bichri.
David isn’t treating the situation with Sheba like he did with Absalom. With Absalom, David seemed to wonder if his time of being king wasn’t over. But now David is secure in his calling as king, and he knows that he needs to deal with this rebellion.
:7 And there went out after him Joab's men, and the Cherethites, and the Pelethites, and all the mighty men
These are the same six hundred men that stayed loyal to David when Absalom had revolted (2Sam. 15:18). These are the elite troops, David’s personal body guards.
:8 the great stone which is in Gibeon …
Gibeon - see map
(NLT) Joab was wearing his
uniform with a dagger strapped to his belt. As he stepped forward to greet
Amasa, he secretly slipped the dagger from its sheath.
:8 as he went forth it fell out.
Joab has his sword “accidentally” fall on the ground where he picks it up, with Amasa unsuspecting.
:10 he smote him therewith in the fifth rib
Joab is quite good at this. He’s an old warrior who knows how to kill people.
He’s killed Abner in revenge for killing his brother Abishai.
He’s killed Absalom against David’s wishes.
If I were to meet Joab today, I would keep my distance.
What is Joab’s motive?
It could be loyalty for his king.
As much trouble as Joab was at times, up to this time he has stayed loyal to his uncle David. It could be that he perceives that Amasa is going to cause David trouble.
It could be to get his job back.
Amasa has taken Joab’s job. Abner might have also taken Joab’s job.
:13 When he was removed out of the highway, all the people went on after Joab
Seeing the dead body of their new commander, the army came to a halt. When the body is moved out of the way, the march continues.
:14-15 Abel beseiged
:14 And he went …unto Abel …Bethmaachah …the Berites
Sheba heads north, gathering people and making his headquarters in Abel, a city in the far north of Israel. see map
:15 all the people that were with Joab battered the wall
Joab’s army is about to wipe out this town.
:16-22 Wise woman shares
:18 They shall surely ask counsel at Abel
Abel is a place known for people who are wise.
:19 thou seekest to destroy a city and a mother in Israel
a mother in Israel – she’s referring to the city as being a “mother” in Israel.
You were supposed to offer peace to a city before destroying it.
(Deu 20:10-11 KJV) When thou comest nigh unto a city to fight
against it, then proclaim peace unto it. {11} And it shall be, if it make thee
answer of peace, and open unto thee, then it shall be, that all the people that
is found therein shall be tributaries unto thee, and they shall serve thee.
:22 Then the woman went unto all the people in her wisdom. And they cut off the head of Sheba
Apparently the people saw the wisdom in removing Sheba’s head.
:23-26 David’s new government
:23 Now Joab was over all the host of Israel: and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and over the Pelethites:
Joab gets his old job back.
Benaiah will eventually become the head of the army under Solomon.
:24 And Adoram was over the tribute: and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder:
The “tribute” was the forced labor. The “recorder” was the royal historian.
:26 And Ira also the Jairite was a chief ruler about David.
(2 Sam 20:26 NLT) Ira the Jairite was David's personal priest.
2Samuel 21
:1-9 Famine and the Gibeonites
:1 Then there was a famine in the days of David three years, year after year
This begins a section of miscellaneous accounts of things that happened in David’s reign. It is possible that this does not necessarily follow the previous section chronologically.
:1 David inquired of the LORD
David had a sense that things weren’t as they should be. He sensed that this famine had a cause, and so he sought God’s help.
God had promised Israel:
(Lev 26:3-5 KJV) If ye walk in my statutes, and keep my
commandments, and do them; {4} Then I will give you rain in due season, and the
land shall yield her increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their
fruit. {5} And your threshing shall reach unto the vintage, and the vintage
shall reach unto the sowing time: and ye shall eat your bread to the full, and
dwell in your land safely.
It seems that the famine was caused by a drought, and David wants to know if there is a reason.
:1 the LORD answered, It is for Saul, and for his bloody house, because he slew the Gibeonites.
Keep in mind that knowing the reason for the problem comes from asking God a question. It is God who tells them that the famine came because of a problem with the Gibeonites.
:2 the Gibeonites …Saul sought to slay them in his zeal
zeal – qana’ – to envy, be jealous, be envious, be zealous
Gibeonites – These are the inhabitants of the city of Gibeon. These were some of the original Canaanites who lived in the land when Joshua brought Israel in to conquer the land. When these people found out about the Israelites (Josh. 9), they decided the best way to fight the Israelites was to join them. They sent messengers disguised as travelers from a distant country and made a peace treaty with Joshua and the nation. When Joshua and the people found out later that they had been tricked, they didn’t try to get out of their promise, but they kept their promise to the Gibeonites. They knew they needed to keep their promise to God.
Apparently, Saul had at one time gone on a campaign to kill the Gibeonites. We don’t have a record of this campaign, except for this mention.
Lesson
Misplaced zeal
Zeal and passion can be a good thing, when it’s in the right place.
When Jesus cleansed the temple, the disciples realized that a Scripture was being fulfilled:
Ps
69:9 For the zeal of thine house hath
eaten me up; and the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon
me.
When Jesus establishes His kingdom on earth, it will be done with “zeal”
Isa
9:7 Of the increase of [his] government
and peace [there shall be] no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his
kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from
henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.
Isaiah promised that God would always protect His people. There would always be a “remnant”. They would be protected by His “zeal”.
Isa
37:32 For out of Jerusalem shall go
forth a remnant, and they that escape out of mount Zion: the zeal of the LORD
of hosts shall do this.
But sometimes our “passion” can be misplaced.
Paul at one time had “zeal” for God, but he misused it to persecute the church.
Php
3:6 Concerning zeal, persecuting the
church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.
Paul wrote that the Jews had a “zeal” for God, but it was incorrect.
Ro 10:2 For I bear them record that they have a zeal
of God, but not according to knowledge.
