Today, we begin 2nd Samuel Chapter 20.
For the Complete Jewish Bible, click HERE.
For the King James Version, click HERE.
“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 share in David, neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: every man to his tents, O Israel.”-2 Samuel 20:1
Chapter 20 is usually called Sheva’s Revolt.
However, that word “revolt” isn’t very accurate.
Sheva may have wanted to start a civil war, but that never happened.
There was still tension among the Northern tribes who had sided with Absalom in rebelling against David.
Yet, following Absalom’s death, there just wasn’t enough motivation to follow Sheva into a war against the King…
Especially since the chances of victory were slim.
So this wasn’t a full-scale rebellion.
It was more like a loud protest that was about to turn violent.
This also shows that David’s kingdom was still shaky, and keeping the tribes together wasn’t gonna be easy.
Alrighty, let’s get into our text study.
So verse 1 kicks off by introducing us to a scoundrel who’s described as a “man of Belial.”
Just how insulting this slur was probably flies over the heads of most modern folks.
In the Biblical era, it was the most slanderous term you could call someone.
You were literally saying that person was the lowest of the low.
Another fact about Sheva that shouldn’t surprise us is that he was from the tribe of Benjamin.
Well, I think it’s pretty clear by now that David wasn’t too popular with the Benjamites.
They just couldn’t let go of their bitterness over King Saul, a Benjamite, losing the throne to David.
Onward.
So Sheva blew the shofar, signaling a call to war.
He then declared…
“We have no share in David!”
This was the opposite of what the North declared a few verses earlier when they said, “We have 10 shares in David.”
So Sheva is attempting to reverse that charge.
We shouldn’t be surprised that Judah stuck with David.
We’re also told “all the men of Israel” stormed out of the meeting, feeling deeply insulted by the words spoken by the men of Judah.
In the Oriental culture, the idea of “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me” does NOT apply.
One harsh expression could easily trigger an outbreak of violence among the tribes.
So, here’s the takeaway coming to me.
I find it fascinating that the tribe of Benjamin had been at odds with King David ever since he took the throne from Saul.
Yet generations later, one of the most passionate followers and promoters of Yeshua the Messiah, the Son of David from the tribe of Judah, would come from that very same tribe of Benjamin.
I find this contrast quite ironic, and also inspiring to see things come around full circle.
Indeed, it is as Paul said…
“And in this way,
all Israel will be saved.
As it is written:
‘The deliverer will come from Zion;
he will turn godlessness away from Jacob.'”
-Romans 11:26
See ya all next time.
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