2 SAMUEL LESSON 21
We will begin this lesson in II Samuel 20:1 "And there happened
to be there a man of Belial, whose name [was] Sheba, the son of
Bichri, a Benjamite: and he blew a trumpet, and said, We have no part
in David, neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: every man
to his tents, O Israel."
This is a continuation of chapter 19. We see that, not everyone
is happy about David's return to Jerusalem. This should have been a
peaceful time for all of them with David king of all twelve tribes,
but it was not. The Israelites and Judah were quarreling. Sheba is a
radical, who blows the trumpet which indicates war, generally, and
tells the people to go to their tents. He uses the trumpet to stop
this meeting. This is another rebellion trying to break forth. Just
when David thought he had won the peace, it seems like more more war
is about to break out. Sheba is really a trouble-maker.
II Samuel 20:2 "So every man of Israel went up from after David,
[and] followed Sheba the son of Bichri: but the men of Judah clave
unto their king, from Jordan even to Jerusalem."
Judah stays with David, but the ten tribes of Israel are
listening to this radical Sheba. He seems to be a man with some
authority.
II Samuel 20:3 "And David came to his house at Jerusalem; and
the king took the ten women [his] concubines, whom he had left to keep
the house, and put them in ward, and fed them, but went not in unto
them. So they were shut up unto the day of their death, living in
widowhood."
David had left these 10 Concubines to care for the house, when he
went into exile. Absalom had come into the house, and went in to the
concubines. This would make them unclean for David. They were kept
like widows, until the death of David, and then they were free. They
were widows, because of what happened to them, even before David was
dead.
II Samuel 20:4 "Then said the king to Amasa, Assemble me the men
of Judah within three days, and be thou here present."
We remember that, David had taken the command away from Joab,
because of what he had done to Absalom. In other matters, Joab had
been a good commander. He was a strong leader. This is Amasa's first
command. Joab, possibly, could have gathered these people in three
days, but there were a lot of them, who would not follow Amasa.
II Samuel 20:5 "So Amasa went to assemble [the men of] Judah: but
he tarried longer than the set time which he had appointed him."
II Samuel 20:6 "And David said to Abishai, Now shall Sheba the son of
Bichri do us more harm than [did] Absalom: take thou thy lord's
servants, and pursue after him, lest he get him fenced cities, and
escape us."
Sheba was a great danger to David. David's fear was that another
uprising was being formed. The men, that were to go with Abishai, are
the ones who had been in the army of Joab.
II Samuel 20:7 "And there went out after him Joab's men, and the
Cherethites, and the Pelethites, and all the mighty men: and they went
out of Jerusalem, to pursue after Sheba the son of Bichri."
Under the command of Abishai, Joab's men went after Sheba, before
he could get an uprising started. Included in these men were the men,
who were with Joab, when Absalom was killed. These men were loyal to
Joab, and it was he that they truly followed.
II Samuel 20:8 "When they [were] at the great stone which [is] in
Gibeon, Amasa went before them. And Joab's garment that he had put on
was girded unto him, and upon it a girdle [with] a sword fastened upon
his loins in the sheath thereof; and as he went forth it fell out."
This was the garment that Joab usually wore into battle. It was,
probably, too big for Amasa in several ways. He was not the powerful
leader that Joab had proven to be. He had the sword of authority,
which had, also, been Joab's. It appears it was loose in its sheath,
and fell out.
II Samuel 20:9 "And Joab said to Amasa, [Art] thou in health, my
brother? And Joab took Amasa by the beard with the right hand to kiss
him." II Samuel 20:10 "But Amasa took no heed to the sword that [was]
in Joab's hand: so he smote him therewith in the fifth [rib], and shed
out his bowels to the ground, and struck him not again; and he died.
So Joab and Abishai his brother pursued after Sheba the son of
Bichri."
It seemed, that Joab was with them, even though the command had
been taken away from him. He did not like seeing Amasa in his robe of
authority, nor with his sword and sheath. As he moved close to Amasa
appearing to give him greeting, he took him by the beard in the one
hand, and drove a sword through his heart with the other hand. Now,
Joab takes his place as commander of this army, and pursues after
Sheba with Abishai.
II Samuel 20:11 "And one of Joab's men stood by him, and said, He
that favoureth Joab, and he that [is] for David, [let him go] after
Joab."
The brutal stabbing of Amasa was a stun to the men, who had
followed him. Joab is, now, in command, and some are afraid to follow
him. The man stands up, and asks everyone on the side of David to come
with Joab. Some of the men, probably, fear a like fate from Joab that
he gave to Amasa.
II Samuel 20:12 "And Amasa wallowed in blood in the midst of the
highway. And when the man saw that all the people stood still, he
removed Amasa out of the highway into the field, and cast a cloth upon
him, when he saw that every one that came by him stood still."
It appears that, Amasa did not die immediately, but wallowed in
the gushing blood from his body. He was in the middle of the road, and
the men would have had to stop, and walk over him to pass by to Joab.
The men would not do that, and stood still. The man of Joab removed
Amasa from the road into the field near the road, and covered his body
with a cloth so those passing by could not see his body gushing forth
blood.
II Samuel 20:13 "When he was removed out of the highway, all the
people went on after Joab, to pursue after Sheba the son of Bichri."
As soon as his body was removed from the road, the men followed
Joab after Sheba.
II Samuel 20:14 "And he went through all the tribes of Israel
unto Abel, and to Beth-maachah, and all the Berites: and they were
gathered together, and went also after him."
The "he", in the verse above, is speaking of Sheba on the run
from Joab and his men. It appears that, he went from tribe to tribe,
trying to get an army together to fight against David. No one would
side in with Sheba. Abel-beth-maachah is a fortress in the land of
Naphtali. It seemed, there was no place for him to hide, so he stopped
at this fort.
II Samuel 20:15 "And they came and besieged him in Abel of Beth-
maachah, and they cast up a bank against the city, and it stood in the
trench: and all the people that [were] with Joab battered the wall, to
throw it down."
Joab comes and surrounds the city. This bank is, probably, a bank
of dirt to fight safely behind. A battering ram was, many times, used
to tear a gate down to get inside of the fort. This is what Joab and
his men are doing here.
II Samuel 20:16 "Then cried a wise woman out of the city, Hear,
hear; say, I pray you, unto Joab, Come near hither, that I may speak
with thee."
Probably, this woman was on top of the wall, crying out to Joab.
She is called wise, because of the decision she has made to do
something, before the whole city is destroyed. She does not speak to
just anyone, who has no authority, but speaks to the acting commander
of the troops.
II Samuel 20:17 "And when he was come near unto her, the woman
said, [Art] thou Joab? And he answered, I [am he]. Then she said unto
him, Hear the words of thine handmaid. And he answered, I do hear."
Joab is a very wise leader, and hears what this woman has to say.
If she has a solution to this problem without great loss of life on
both sides, he wants to hear it.
II Samuel 20:18 "Then she spake, saying, They were wont to speak
in old time, saying, They shall surely ask [counsel] at Abel: and so
they ended [the matter]." II Samuel 20:19 "I [am one of them that are]
peaceable [and] faithful in Israel: thou seekest to destroy a city and
a mother in Israel: why wilt thou swallow up the inheritance of the
LORD?"
She is saying, that the law of Moses was to seek peace with a
land, before you went to war with them. She is saying, that her city,
and herself, are willing to negotiate peace. They do not want to be in
a war with their very own people. Joab has assumed that they were
friends of Sheba, just because he ran into their city. They had not
even been informed of what is going on. She is speaking not only for
herself, but for her city. She wants Joab to give them a chance to
prove their loyalty.
II Samuel 20:20 "And Joab answered and said, Far be it, far be it
from me, that I should swallow up or destroy."
I like the answer Joab gives her here. He is not out to destroy
Abel, he just wants to stop Sheba. It is not Joab's intentions to
destroy innocent people.
II Samuel 20:21 "The matter [is] not so: but a man of mount
Ephraim, Sheba the son of Bichri by name, hath lifted up his hand
against the king, [even] against David: deliver him only, and I will
depart from the city. And the woman said unto Joab, Behold, his head
shall be thrown to thee over the wall."
The city will punish Sheba themselves, for bringing this problem
down on them. To prove they are not in the camp of Sheba, they will
be-head Sheba, and throw his head over the wall.
II Samuel 20:22 "Then the woman went unto all the people in her
wisdom. And they cut off the head of Sheba the son of Bichri, and cast
[it] out to Joab. And he blew a trumpet, and they retired from the
city, every man to his tent. And Joab returned to Jerusalem unto the
king."
This woman's wisdom had saved her city. They cut off Sheba's
head, and threw it out to Joab. This stopped the siege of Abel. Joab
blows the trumpet for the men to reassemble and stop the siege. They
had been victorious under the leadership of Joab. Joab has re-
established himself as commander of David's army. He, now, goes back
to Jerusalem victorious.
II Samuel 20:23 "Now Joab [was] over all the host of Israel: and
Benaiah the son of Jehoiada [was] over the Cherethites and over the
Pelethites:"
This is a summary of the positions that remained in David's
reign. David left Joab as commander of all his forces, after this
incident. Benaiah was son of Jehoida, the chief priest. He was over
the body-guards of the Cherethites and Pelethites.
II Samuel 20:24 "And Adoram [was] over the tribute: and
Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud [was] recorder:"
All that is known of Adoram is what is here. There were many who
paid tribute in those days, so this is a trusted position. There is
very little known of Jehoshaphat either. The position of recorder was
one of much importance, however.
II Samuel 20:25 "And Sheva [was] scribe: and Zadok and Abiathar
[were] the priests:"
Sheva is the same as Seraiah. The scribe was the keeper of the
public documents. We are already familiar with Zadok, who was high
priest, and Abiathar, as priest.
II Samuel 20:26 "And Ira also the Jairite was a chief ruler about
David."
Ira was a priest minister, who worked closely with David.
The saddest thing about this lesson is the attitude of David
about every bad thing that happens. He connects everything with the
sin that he committed to get Bath-sheba for him to wife.
2 Samuel 21 Questions
1. Who blew the trumpet, and gathered men against David?
2. This should have been a ___________ time for David.
3. Who were quarreling?
4. Who clave to king David?
5. What happened to the ten concubines, that had been left behind to
watch the house, when Absalom was chasing David?
6. They lived like __________ unto the day of their death.
7. Who did David send to assemble the men of Judah?
8. How many days did he have to do it in?
9. Why had David taken the command away from Joab?
10. Who did David send after Sheba?
11. Why were they to pursue Sheba?
12. Whose men did he take to pursue him?
13. What was Amasa wearing, that belonged to Joab?
14. What did Joab do to regain command?
15. Why would the men not come to Joab?
16. Where did they put the bleeding Amasa?
17. When did the men follow Joab?
18. Who is the "he" in verse 14?
19. What is Abel-beth-maachah?
20. What did the men with Joab do to this place?
21. How was this attack stopped?
22. Who cried out to speak to Joab?
23. Did Joab listen?
24. What did they do from the city, to stop the attack of Joab?
25. How did Joab signal the men to stop the fighting?
26. When Joab returned to Jerusalem, he became ___________ of the
armies, again.
27. Who was over the tribute?
28. Sheva, the scribe, was actually over what?
29. Who was high priest?
30. What did Ira do?
31. What is so sad in all of this?
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