2 Samuel 20

CHAPTERS 2022THEME: Revolt, vengeance, and famine within the kingdom: war with the Philistines outside the kingdomChapter 20 is the record of another revolt against David. After all the troubles that have come to David, you would think the Lord would let up on him; but, as He promised, the sword will not depart from the house of David. Through all of this we do not hear a whimper from David. He recognizes it as the just punishment of his sin. Seemingly as a result of the petty jealousy of the men of Israelbecause they had not been consulted in returning David to the throneanother revolt errupts, led by Sheba of the tribe of Benjamin.

2 Samuel 20:1

SHEBA LEADS A REVOLTSheba is called “a man of Belial,” which means he is a rabble-rouser.

2 Samuel 20:2

It is amazing how faithless and undependable the children of Israel were. Some people might say, “Well, that was a crude day before man was developed and civilized.” I would like to ask those people a question. Do you think things are any better today? It is interesting that the president of this country, or any public official, can make some little statement that should not have been said and, when a poll is taken, they find out that his popularity has so diminished that he cannot be elected to office again. This can happen to any officeholder regardless of his party affiliation. That proves just how fickle the mob can be; it shows how fickle all of us are.

God knows our hearts. Jer_17:9 says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” Whose heart is this verse speaking about? The heart of a brutal dictator? No. It is speaking about your heart and mine. Wicked things are in the human heart.

The apostle Paul could say in Rom_7:18, “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.” The ten tribes of Israel followed Sheba in his rebellion.

2 Samuel 20:3

These are the women, you remember, that Absalom had taken.

2 Samuel 20:4

Amasa, you may recall, was the captain of the rebel forces under Absalom. According to 2Sa_17:25 and 1Ch_2:17, Amasa is the son of Abigail, a sister of David. This would make him a cousin of Absalom. After the defeat of the rebels under Amasa and the death of Absalom, David made Amasa captain of his army in the place of Joab.

2 Samuel 20:5

In other words, this man Amasa is not moving. So Joab leads the army in pursuit of the rebel, Sheba. Also Joab brutally slays Amasa, apparently believing he also is a traitor to David. The chapter concludes with Joab continuing after the rebel, Sheba. When Sheba sought refuge in the city of Abel, and the army was prepared to attack the city to get him, a wise woman intervened. Sheba is slain by the people of Abel. This, of course, ends the rebellion. However, it does not end the troubles of David, as we shall see. Through all of these trials David is not crying aloud, nor is he whimpering. He knows that the Lord is dealing with him in the woodshed. Don’t think that David got by with his sin, friend. He was severely punished. However, David loved God. Underneath the faith that failed was a faith that never failed. That’s David, God’s man, a man after God’s own heart.