“The king said to ‘Amasa, ‘Summon the men of Y’hudah to come to me within three days; and you, be here too.’”-2 Samuel 20:4
Alrighty, let’s get our bearings.
We’re in the midst of what’s often called Sheva’s Revolt.
Who was this Sheva dude anyway?
He was a wicked homie from the tribe of Benjamin who Scripture calls an ISH BELIAL.
This was the lowest slur you could label someone.
A lot of Scriptures translate ISH BELIAL into “scoundrel.”
But that just doesn’t do it justice.
If I were to translate that phrase into proper English, it would result in the most vulgar of 4-letter expletives that would not be appropriate to write here.
Onward.
Sheva’s rebellion occurred shortly after the ten northern tribes had just engaged in a heated scuffle with the two-tribe southern alliance.
David had been re-coronated at Gilgal, and the northern tribes were bitter at the favoritism David showed the southern coalition.
The tension was so thick, it was as if a war could break out at any moment.
And indeed, that’s almost what happened.
After the brief mention of the ten concubines whom David had left behind, we’re reintroduced to Amasa.
He was the general originally in charge of Absalom’s doomed army.
Yet David had promised to make him general of his own army in place of Joab.
Obviously, Joab wouldn’t take kindly to this decision.
So that’s where we’re at right now.
In verse 4, we have David ordering Amasa to round up the men of Judah and bring them to Jerusalem.
Why?
To face off the northern tribes that Sheva had rallied against the king.
There was only one little problem with David’s request to Amasa.
He was only given 3 days to follow the King’s orders.
Think about it.
Amasa would have to travel to the many cities and villages throughout the huge territory of Judah and Simeon, come back with a fully equipped army, and do it within 72 hours.
This was a virtual impossibility.
What was David thinking when he gave out these orders?
I think the years were starting to wear on David, and he was starting to slip.
Interestingly, Amasa didn’t raise any objections when Joab surely would have.
Verse 5 tells us that Amasa didn’t make the deadline.
Well, no surprises there.
When Amasa didn’t show up with the men in three days, of course, David wasn’t gonna wait around.
He quickly turned to Avishai, who was Joab’s brother and another trusted commander.
He instructed him to chase down Sheva before he caused more trouble than Absalom had.
However, pressed for time, David decided against sending a big army this time around.
He ordered Avishai to take only “his servants.”
In Hebrew, they’re called the P’leti and K’reti.
They were basically David’s personal assassination squad.
They were much deadlier than the ordinary tribal militia Amasa was ordered to gather.
Joab also had his own group of dedicated soldiers that he had separately maintained.
Avishai decided to take them along as well, as he pursued Sheva.
Alrighty, so let’s switch over to the takeaway.
It all has to do with superiors putting unrealistic demands on their subordinates.
That’s what David did with Amasa when he ordered him to amass an army in such a short amount of time.
Amasa should have objected, but he didn’t.
The result?
He missed the deadline through no fault of his own.
And then his assignment was given to another man.
So, here’s the lesson.
Don’t be afraid to speak up when you’re handed an unreasonable task.
Amasa stayed silent.
And even though he wasn’t at fault, he missed the deadline and lost the assignment.
That happens in life.
Living here in Japan, I’ve heard horror stories of employees literally working themselves to death because they didn’t have the guts to stand up to abusive bosses.
Don’t let fear or politeness cost you your health, your time, or your future.
Speak up.
Set boundaries.
Do what you can, and don’t let anyone demand the impossible.
Remember, a godly leader will not burden you unnecessarily to the point of discouragement.
Ya feel me?
Done.
CONNECTING THIS TEACHING TO THE NEW TESTAMENT
“Come to me,
all you who are weary and burdened,
and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,
for I am gentle and humble in heart,
and you will find rest for your souls.
For my yoke is easy
and my burden is light.”
-Matthew 11:28-30
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