Focus Chapters:
- 2 Samuel 19:31-43
- 2 Samuel 20
- Psalms 7
- 2 Samuel 21
- 1 Chronicles 20:4-8
Standout Verse(s):
THE ACTION
2 Samuel 19:41-43 NLT
But all the men of Israel complained to the king, “The men of Judah stole the king and didn’t give us the honor of helping take you, your household, and all your men across the Jordan.”
The men of Judah replied, “The king is one of our own kinsmen. Why should this make you angry? We haven’t eaten any of the king’s food or received any special favors!”
“But there are ten tribes in Israel,” the others replied. “So we have ten times as much right to the king as you do. What right do you have to treat us with such contempt? Weren’t we the first to speak of bringing him back to be our king again?” The argument continued back and forth, and the men of Judah spoke even more harshly than the men of Israel.
THE REACTION
2 Samuel 20:1-2 NLT
There happened to be a troublemaker there named Sheba son of Bicri, a man from the tribe of Benjamin. Sheba blew a ram’s horn and began to chant:
“Down with the dynasty of David!
We have no interest in the son of Jesse.
Come on, you men of Israel,
back to your homes!”So all the men of Israel deserted David and followed Sheba son of Bicri. But the men of Judah stayed with their king and escorted him from the Jordan River to Jerusalem.
Observation (s):
- The men of Israel were upset about not getting the full opportunity to aide David and his men across Jordan.
But all the men of Israel complained to the king, “The men of Judah stole the king and didn’t give us the honor of helping take you, your household, and all your men across the Jordan.”
- Despite their early fervour, the men of Israel deserted David and his men and joined Sheba when his chant reached them.
There happened to be a troublemaker there named Sheba son of Bicri, a man from the tribe of Benjamin. Sheba blew a ram’s horn and began to chant:
“Down with the dynasty of David!
We have no interest in the son of Jesse.
Come on, you men of Israel,
back to your homes!”So all the men of Israel deserted David and followed Sheba son of Bicri.
- Despite Sheba’s call, the men of Judah remained with David and escorted him until he ended his journey.
But the men of Judah stayed with their king and escorted him from the Jordan River to Jerusalem.
Application:
Know the difference between your friends and followers. Don’t get it confused. Like David, we have few friends and many followers. Followers are persons who supports and admires a particular person or set of ideas. Like the men of Israel, your followers will even fight to be near and around you. However, when trouble comes or a person with better ideas come along, they can quickly shift sides and desert you, like the men of Israel when presented with the doctrines of Sheba.
Surround yourself with friends, like the men of Judah, who were there with you at the start of the journey and during your troubles and will stay with you to ensure you get across your Jordan River, to the end in Jerusalem.
