“The king crossed over to Gilgal, and Khimham crossed with him. All the people of Y’hudah brought the king across, as did half the people of Israel.”-2 Samuel 19:41
As David ferried across the Jordan to Gilgal, we’re told “all” the people of Judah, and “half” the population of Israel crossed with him.
Alrighty, so we need some clarification here.
There ain’t no way that half the people of Israel crossed with him, no matter how big a luxury liner David was riding on.
First, the “people” listed here refers to the leadership and people of high standing in society (the aristocrats).
Second, the entity called “Israel” only refers to the ten tribes, and only a handful of folks showed up from this group.
Why is that?
Pretty simple, actually.
It was the North who had been more fired up about Absalom’s rebellion compared to their southern counterparts.
They were never as loyal to David as Judah was.
So when David returned, he didn’t invite the northern leaders to join the big welcome parade.
The bottom line is that ever since the Israelites left Egypt, Israel has split itself up into groups based on tribal affiliation.
And once they settled in the land of Canaan, they became even more divided.
Judah and Simeon settled in the south, while the remaining tribes took up residence north of Jerusalem.
Benjamin sat smack dab in the middle.
They were kind of like a swing state and switched sides depending on who had the upper hand.
However, during Absalom’s rebellion, Benjamin sided with the north.
Why?
They were still bitter that Israel’s throne had transferred from Saul’s tribe (Benjamin) to David’s tribe (Judah).
So here’s your takeaway for today.
The Israelites let old grudges and tribal rivalries get in the way.
Because of that, their loyalty to God’s chosen king fell apart.
They were more focused on who was from the north or south…
Or whose tribe used to hold power…
Instead of seeking unity in the Lord.
That kind of division only led to weakness and confusion.
It’s the same for us today.
When we let bitterness, pride, or “which side we’re on” take over…
We miss the bigger picture.
Division always tears us down…
But unity around God’s purpose builds us up.
If we stick together and keep our eyes on Him…
That’s where real strength comes from.
Ya feel me?
Done.
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