Joab, Amasa, Sheba II Samuel 20

II Samuel 20:1 "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 part in David neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: every man to his tents, O Israel."

The tribe of Benjamin appears to me to be the instigator for a lot of trouble. Saul was of that tribe and the son of Kish. He was the first anointed king but was rejected for disobedience. So, maybe it is just the tribes reluctance to accept another king of a different tribe. It seems, though, that Israel (10 tribes) have chosen on several occasions to split off. They did it with Absalom and now with Sheba.

v6 "And David said to Abishai, Now shall Sheba the son of Bichri do us more harm than did Absalom; take thou thy lord's servants and pursue after him, lest he get him fenced cities and escape us."

David had first told Amasa to assemble the men of Judah but he was late. He then spoke to Abishai about it. Joab ended up leading the pursuit of Sheba. Joab met Amasa on the way and pretended to kiss him. Joab's sword had fallen out but he had it in his hand. Amasa did not know that and was unaware when Joab stabbed him in the fifth rib.

v10 "But Amasa took no heed to the sword that was in Joab's hand: so he smote him therewith in the fifth rib, and shed out his bowels to the ground, and struck him not again; and he died. So Joab and Abishai his brother pursued after Sheba the son of Bichri."

These brothers were sticking together and apparently found no place for a stranger, even if he was chosen by David to lead the army. They went on after Sheba but the people stopped for Amasa was bleeding in the road. Someone finally moved him to the side and covered him, then they followed on.

v15 "And they came and besieged him in Abel of Bethmaachah, and they cast up a bank against the city and it stood in the trench and all the people that were with Joab battered the wall, to throw it down."

A woman came to the wall to talk to Joab. Joab would stop only if Sheba was turned over to them. The woman got the men together and cut off Sheba's head and threw it over the wall. The battle and another rebellion was over.

Joab is over all the host of Israel. Then the last verses tell of those who kept up with things and recorded them.

Psalm 51:10 "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me."

Keywords: Old Old Story, Bible Study, Old Testament, Samuel, David, Joab, Amasa, Abishai, Sheba, Milton Southerland. Sheba rebells against David.