2 Samuel 19 – When word gets out
how the king is taking the death of his son, the day of victory turns into a
day of mourning, and Joab is furious – rightfully so. His men are made to feel ashamed instead of proud of their
sacrifices. Joab confronts him:
“Today you have covered with shame the faces of all our officers who have saved
your life today, and the lives of your sons and your daughters, and the lives
of your wives and your concubines, for love of those who hate you and for
hatred of those who love you. You have made it clear today that
commanders and officers are nothing to you; for I perceive that if Absalom were
alive and all of us were dead today, then you would be pleased. So go out
at once and speak kindly to your servants; for I swear by the Lord, if you do
not do, not a man will stay with you this night; and this will be worse for you
than any disaster that has come upon you from your youth until now” (19:5-7).
In response, David does get up and take his place at the gate of the city to
receive the returning troops.
Meanwhile,
the people of Israel, who had joined Absalom in his rebellion discuss among
them the need to receive David back.
They remember the good he did in the past, defeating their enemies, the
Philistines. The men of Judah, however, too are now torn (I think). Put off by
the behavior of their king, they hesitate to rally around David. He sends word to their elders through
Abiathar and Zadok that he expects their support. He then also contacts Amasa (!) and asks his support,
promising him command of his armies
(19:13). He must be really mad at
Joab or distrustful of him. Amasa is very popular among the people of Judah, so
they give their support to David again. The result of this “diplomacy” is a
revival of support among the Judahites for David.
Shimei
(the Benjaminite) of Bahurim greets David with a thousand people from that
tribe, and begs him to forgive his bad behavior (cursing him—see 16:10) And
Ziba also comes to serve him. Abishai wants to put him to death, but David
dismisses him, saying, “What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah, that
you should today become an adversary to me?” (19:22) There is a permanent breach here between David
and the sons of Zeruiah, his half-sister—Joab and Abishai, the very men who led
his armies to victory. Either his
love for Absalom or his displeasure with their forthrightness over behavior
toward his troops has soured David on them seriously.
Mephibosheth
too comes to curry favor with David.
David presses him about why he failed to support him and he has the
nerve to blame his servant, Ziba. David falls for his excuse and again offers
to divide lands he confiscated (chapter 16) when he heard that Mephibosheth was
not supporting him. Wisely
Mephibosheth refuses to take back half the land from his maligned servant. I guess he’s just thankful he was able
to hoodwink David into forgiving him.
Barzillai,
an old Gileadite who had provided food for David in Mahanaim, is asked to
accompany David back to Jerusalem; but he prefers to go back to his own
town. He offers to send his son Chimham
instead. They go over to
Gilgal. There is a feud building
here between the people of Israel and the people of Judah. It has been stoked
by David himself because he sought Judah’s presence in his return—thinking he
was owed it as a Judahite himself or thinking he needed their support. But Israel is jealous because the Judahites outnumber the Israelites in
David’s retinue, even though they (the Israelites) represent ten tribes as
opposed to Judah’s two, and they were the first to request David’s return. “But
the words of the people of Judah were fiercer than the words of the people of
Israel” (19:43).
2 Samuel 20 – Sheba, a Benjaminite, foments trouble by claiming now that the
people of Israel “have no portion in David” (20:1). The Israelites fall behind
Sheba, but the Judahites return to Jerusalem with David. The concubines Absalom
had compromised, David now locks away “until the day of their death, living as
if in widowhood” (20:3).
David
asks Amasa to call the men of Judah together within three days. He is late though. So David sends
Abishai and Joab against Sheba.
Amasa, late, catches up with them at Gibeon. What must be the
ill-feelings among these commanders – Amasa, reconciled to David but previously
leader of the rebellion of Absalom; Joab and Abishai, loyal commanders of
David’s troops (except for the disobedient slaying of David’s beloved
rebel-son? It is not really surprising what happens then. When Amasa approaches
Joab, Joab takes him “by the beard with his right hand to kiss him. But Amasa did not notice the sword in
Joab’s hand; Joab struck him in the belly so that his entrails poured out on
the ground, and he died” (20:9-10).
Then
– amazingly –Joab takes off after Sheba. Why
is this man loyal to David??? The bloody body of Amasa, lying on the road
distracts the men, until one of Joab’s men removes it to a field and covers it.
They all pursue Sheba to Beth-maacah.
A woman in that town approaches Joab and tries to save her town. Joab tells her that if Sheba is turned
over, he will withdraw from the city.
So she promises to throw Sheba’s head over the wall (20: 21). It
happens, and Joab returns to Jerusalem in command of all the army of Israel.
David’s government is reconstituted.
Mark 14:54-72 - Jesus is taken to the
high priest and all the chief leaders are there. Peter follows “at a distance” into the courtyard of the high
priest. Inside, “many” give false
testimony against Jesus but they do not agree.
Jesus
is silent until the high priest asks him if he is the Messiah. Jesus
answers directly: “I am; and ‘you will see the Son of Man seated at the
right hand of the power,’ and ‘coming with the clouds of heaven’” (14:62). This drives the high priest
insane. Who needs witnesses he
says in the face of this blasphemy.
They abuse him and the guards beat him. Outside Peter denies him three times, hears the cock crow
and cries in self-disgust.
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