Here the problem raised its head again in the form of Sheba, a Benjamite. Being a Benjamite he is of the ten tribes of Israel. Sheba is described as a worthless man and a rebel (v1) and significantly blows a trumpet. And he cried out, even with a trumpet fanfare, that they had no part with David and no share of David’s inheritance, and so commanded every man to go to his tent. So all except the men of Judah, from the Jordan to Jerusalem, who remained loyal to David, deserted David and followed Sheba (v1,2). It was good to see that the men of Judah remained loyal to David.
F.B Meyer stated, “The old Saul-faction was always breaking out in rebellion, and Nathan’s prediction that the sword would never cease from David’s house was literally fulfilled. We must always watch against the return of our old sins.”
In effect, Shebadenied the king’s sovereigntyby claiming that David had no right to reign over him or the ten tribes of Israel. He refers to David as ‘the son of Jesse’ rather than the LORD’s anointed; and said he was going his own way and he persuaded others, the ten tribes of Israel in fact, to join him. Thus, the ten tribes of Israel deserted David. Their complaining that they had ten shares did not compare to their loyalty to David or if it did, it didn’t last very long. G. Campbell Morgan thought the phrase “We have no share in David, nor do we have an inheritance in the son of Jesse” was an effective slogan promoted by Sheba. “The story should teach us that popular and plausible catchwords ought to be received and acted upon with great caution.” “We might say that the tribe of Judah treated the other ten tribes unfairly, but “Injustice is never corrected by a yet deeper wrong.”
How interesting and up to date the Bible is – all demonstrations of rebellion and unrest today have slogans which they often chant incessantly, and as we see in our present day, it is relatively easy to get a following, and I could prove quite easily that many of them don’t know what they are demonstrating about, they just go along with the crowd.
Nothing is known previously about this man Sheba. He just seems to appear on the scene, although he must have been a person of considerable influence to raise this rebellion by the northern ten tribes. He was of Saul’s tribe and clearly sought to overthrow David. The seeds of evil and unrest had been sown at the end of the previous chapter, so Sheba apparently took it on himself to lead this rebellion, so much so that every man of Israel followed him.
David returned to his house in Jerusalem and to the ten concubines he had left to keep house when he fled from Absalom. He put them in seclusion and provided for them and had no sexual contact with them until they died living in widowhood (v3).
Absalom had raped these ten concubines as part of his rebellion against David (2 Samuel 16:20-23). David put them under guard and protection as unfortunate victims of Absalom’s sin. Sin always has consequences and often leaves scars, very often on innocent people. These women suffered because of sin, Absalom’s as well as David’s.
The king summoned Amasa to arrange for the men of Judah to appear with him before him in three days. Amasa did this but delayed in coming. It is clear that Amasa was incompetent, but David chose him to get back at Joab for killing his son Absalom. David knew that time was of the essence to catch and deal with Sheba, who he considered more dangerous than Absalom, so he summoned his personal servants, commanded by Abishai, to go after them (v6,7).
Joab, who was a man who acted on impulse, couldn’t be doing with Amasa taking so long. Even though Joab had been deposed (2 Samuel 19:13) he was still a popular leader, and he got his men together. He went, taking the Cherethites and the Pelethites and all the mighty men to pursue Sheba and when he and Amasa met at a large stone, obviously some significant point or landmark in Gibeon, Joab was dressed in full battle armour with a sword in a sheath on his belt. The sword fell out and Joab deceived Amasa by asking if he was in good health, apparently being friendly and calling him ‘brother’, and holding Amasa’s beard and going to kiss him. Amasa was taken by surprise and didn’t notice that the sword was in Joab’s other hand and Joab struck him once in the stomach and left him to die (v8-10).
Joab couldn’t be doing with David mourning the loss of Absalom, and David had been angry with him for killing his son. Now, he felt that Amasa was dilly dallying, he had taken longer than the three days given to rally the army, so,
he had gone and pursued them. So, Joab and Abishai pursued Sheba. Amasa lay wallowing in his blood by the wayside and a man, seeing that all who passed by stopped to look. It was becoming a distraction, so he carried him from the highway and into a field and threw a garment over him. This man had challenged the people to follow Joab and pursue Sheba. Joab was a ruthless warrior and tricked Amasa by appearing to show friendship. He went to Amasa and said, “Are you well my brother,” as we would say, “Is everything OK?” He went to embrace him and kiss him but stabbed him in the stomach. Even though he had a sort of devotion to David, he was ruthless and showed no mercy as was evident also by his treatment of Abner (ch 3), Absalom and now Amasa (v11-14).
How often do we put on a face to someone and then metaphorically stab them in the back? Hypocrisy should never be found in us as Christians. Joab might say that he a had a right motive, he was chasing the enemy, but the end never justifies the means in this respect. They were all fighting for the same side really, but jealousy was present, and Joab had no intention of allowing Amasa to get any glory or take over his position. There is no position for jealousy.
Sheba gathered all the tribes of Israel to Abel and Beth Maachah. They and the Bichrites (or Berites) followed Sheba. The men who were with Joab besieged Sheba in Abel, put a mound around the city and battered the wall. (v14,15)
The people obviously thought they were on the verge of defeat. To make siege of a city was disastrous for the city. Nothing could go in or out, food, supplies etc. It was serious for the city of Abel and Sheba was taking refuge there. A woman, described as wise, called out from the city to Joab,“Hear, hear! Please say to Joab, ‘Come nearby, that I may speak with you.’” When he had come near to her, the woman said, “Are you Joab?” He answered, “I am.” Then she said to him, “Hear the words of your maidservant. And he answered, “I am listening.” So, she spoke, saying, “They used to talk in former times, saying, ‘They shall surely seek guidance at Abel,’ and so they would end disputes. I am among the peaceable and faithful in Israel. You seek to destroy a city and a mother in Israel. Why would you swallow up the inheritance of the LORD?” And Joab answered and said, “Far be it, far be it from me, that I should swallow up or destroy! That is not so. But a man from the mountains of Ephraim, Sheba the son of Bichri by name, has raised his hand against the king, against David. Deliver him only, and I will depart from the city.” So the woman said to Joab, “Watch, his head will be thrown to you over the wall.” Then the woman in her wisdom went to all the people. And they cut off the head of Sheba the son of Bichri and threw it out to Joab. Then he blew a trumpet, and they withdrew from the city, every man to his tent. So Joab returned to the king at Jerusalem. (v16-22)
Joab told her he was listening (v17). She reminded him of the good times at Abel as being a place of peace (v18). He told her he was only looking for Sheba. She obviously had great influence and power because she rallied the people and killed Sheba, beheaded him and threw his head over the wall. Joab retreated with his men and returned to Jerusalem.
One has said, ‘This wise woman, by her intervention, saved many lives, and reminds us of the value of presence of mind in a great crisis. She gave Joab to understand, first, that he ought to have given the inhabitants of Abel the opportunity of saying whether or not they intended to fight for Sheba, (Deuteronomy 20:10), etc.; and, secondly, that he ought to have taken into account the peaceableness and fidelity of the citizens of that city. A great deal of misunderstanding and bloodshed would be prevented if contending parties would only confer with each other. There is a crying and universal need for boards of compulsory arbitration.’
The chapter ends with a list of David’s officials – And Joab was over all the army of Israel; Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites; Adoram or Adoniram was in charge of revenue or slave labour: Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder; Sheva was scribe or secretary; Zadok and Abiathar were the priests; and Ira the Jairite was a chief minister or priest to David (v23-26).
