The last scene of 2 Samuel 19 described the dispute between the people of Israel
and the people of Judah at Gilgal. And we were told that the latter group of
people were more aggressive and harsher. The disagreement between the two
groups and the harsh words hurled from both sides literally sparked off a
rebellion. Now in the opening verse of 2 Samuel 20, we are introduced to a
Benjamite described as a worthless fellow, Sheba by name. He appeared to be a
person of influence among the contentious party. So he arose and blew a trumpet
and declared that the northern tribes would no longer recognize David as their
king. Then the men of Israel instantly obeyed his leading and withdrew to
follow him, and no longer associated themselves with David. The tribe of
Judah, however, remained faithful and steadfast to their king from Jordan to
Jerusalem.
The
return of David should have been a day of celebration and rejoicing but it became
a day of division instead. He should have returned to a glorious welcome but
unfortunately was marred and greeted by a people in contention.
Sadly, the king had to return home with just some escorts and the rest of
his subjects in open strife and disharmony. Sheba's words were not only unkind,
but they were also disrespectful and a show of disregard for the king. Here
David was referred to as only the son of Jesse. The northern tribes of Israel
then broke rank with the tribe of Judah. With Sheba’s rebellious words, every
man then went home.
The first thing David did when he returned home was to deal with the ten concubines
whom he had left behind. They were humiliated by Absalom in a show of force to
usurp his father’s throne. Since they were forced by Absalom to sleep with him,
they were deemed to be his wives and possession. Now that he was dead, those
ten poor violated concubines were destined to live as widows. So, David had
them treated as such but provided for their security and sustenance. They
remained secluded from society until the day they died.
What
happened between the tribe of Judah and the rest of Israel underscored the
importance of unity. As believers, we may differ in opinions and may see things
from different angles and disagree in matters. But we must learn to respect
each other and learn to disagree agreeably. We must focus on the common
objectives we share and accept the differences we have. Everyone is entitled to
his or her own view. So long as that person’s position is not a flagrant
departure from the sound principle of God’s Word, we must not insist that
everyone must accept our point of view. For unity's sake, we must share what is
common and to accept each other when we have differences. We must not let our
convictions divide but rather to let our love for God and His Word unite us. The
Lord Jesus commands us to be united in brotherly love.
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