David knew the significance of getting the folks’s assist earlier than he returned as king. However in his effort to reunite the nation, he didn’t take into consideration whether or not the folks would assist a brand new navy commander. With out the assist of the folks, it’s tough to achieve success.
When you have ever felt your assist dwindling, it could be God’s approach of telling you it’s time to maneuver on.
Israel Turns In opposition to Judah – 2 Samuel 19:41-20:3
David gained the battle towards Absalom, and he may have returned to Jerusalem because the victor. However he didn’t wish to return to Jerusalem with out many of the nation’s assist for him as king. So, he labored to deliver everybody collectively, and at last, it seemed like he had gained each the battle and the backing of the nation. However the victory didn’t final lengthy. The remainder of Israel grew to become jealous of Judah and complained that they had been taking credit score for David’s return, regardless that everybody agreed that he ought to return because the king. They didn’t suppose Judah ought to obtain particular remedy or have explicit curiosity simply because they had been David’s tribe. If something, the northern ten tribes of Israel ought to have had a better stake in David since they represented nearly all of the households.
Judah appeared to suppose they had been blowing all the things out of proportion. David’s tribe traveled to the Jordan River to help David as a result of they believed it was their duty, not as a result of they thought they had been superior. Judah couldn’t perceive why the opposite tribes had been upset since they didn’t eat any of their meals or obtain any particular reward from the king. Since their help didn’t come on the expense of the opposite tribes, they usually had no in poor health intent, they ignored Israel’s complaints.
However this didn’t sit properly with Sheba. Many Benjamites held a grudge towards David already due to Saul, and Sheba could have been considered one of them. However when it seemed like David may be favoring his personal tribe over the others, Sheba referred to as the remainder of Israel to face towards David. If their ten shares didn’t rely for greater than Judah’s one, then why ought to they put their assist behind David in any respect?
So, the northern ten tribes rallied behind Sheba, and the tribe of Judah adopted David again to Jerusalem. When David arrived, he took the ten concubines who had been caring for his property and put them in a home of their very own. He continued to guard and care for them, however he by no means slept with them once more as a result of it will have been improper for him to sleep with girls that his son had additionally slept with.
Amasa and Joab – 2 Samuel 20:4-13
Then, David advised Amasa to assemble troopers from amongst Judah and meet again with him in three days. As a result of Joab didn’t defend Absalom, and David was attempting to deliver unity to the nation, he had put in Absalom’s commander as his new navy chief instead of Joab. However Amasa didn’t return when David advised him to, and David wished to cope with Sheba earlier than issues received out of hand. He was afraid he would attain a walled metropolis and escape if given sufficient time. However David nonetheless wasn’t prepared to reinstate Joab, so he summoned his brother Abishai for the job as an alternative. David was extra involved about this rebellion than the one led by Absalom as a result of it was rooted in resentment and anger and never only one man’s thirst for energy.
So, Abishai gathered David’s military, which was previously commanded by Joab, they usually went to search out Sheba. This included the mercenaries from Crete and Philistia and all David’s mighty males. Then, once they had been on the nice stone in Gibeon, Amasa got here out to satisfy them. This was six miles north of Jerusalem. So, had Amasa been within the southern land of Judah gathering a military as David advised him to do or had he been within the north doing one thing else? There isn’t a indication that he was warning the opposite ten tribes, nevertheless it additionally doesn’t make a lot sense that he would have been capable of catch as much as Abishai’s males if he was touring from the south with a military.
Joab had apparently been marching with David’s military in pursuit of Sheba as a result of he was carrying armor and carrying a sword when Amasa approached them. As they walked in direction of one another, Joab stumbled, and his sword fell from its sheath. Then, simply as he did with Abner, Joab pretended to be greeting Amasa. However as an alternative, he stealthily picked up his sword, grabbed Amasa by the beard as if to kiss him, then thrust the sword into his stomach. Amasa fell to the bottom together with his intestines hanging out and bled to dying there on the highway.
Then, Joab and Abishai continued on their approach in the hunt for Sheba, and considered one of his males inspired the remainder to observe them. Clearly, he nonetheless thought-about Joab his chief, regardless that David had chosen another person. Joab was a lot much less peaceable than David, so he didn’t at all times perform the king’s agenda completely. However this man appeared to suppose that Joab was on David’s aspect as a result of he advised the boys in the event that they supported Joab and David, they need to fall in line behind him in seek for Sheba. So, the boys started to observe. However once they handed by Amasa laying there in a puddle of his personal blood, they every started to pause. Lastly, the person drug Amasa’s physique out of the highway, into the sector, and coated it up with a fabric. Then the folks adopted Joab and Abishai unimpaired.
