2 Samuel 20:4-7 – Don’t procrastinate

What David faced when he returned to the throne was a nation in tatters. He had to deal with the shame that Absalom had caused by humiliating the ten concubines whom he had left to look after the palace. The king took steps to ensure that they were sustained and given security while living in seclusion as widows. David now had to tackle the uprising led by Sheba. This worthless fellow, a Benjamite, led the northern tribes of Israel in open revolt, urging them to detach themselves from the reign of David. The people of Israel, goaded by him, then left and returned each to their own homes. It was a matter that called for urgent action.

To David, Sheba’s revolt was even more urgent than the trouble that Absalom had created. He knew that the matter had to be dealt with at the quickest time. It was a catastrophe in the making if the mutiny was not dealt with swiftly. So he mobilized Amasa and gave him three days to rally the people of Judah to deal with it. Amasa, however, delayed in recruiting the people. Since time was of the essence, David quickly tasked and commissioned Abishai to pursue the rebel. The matter was so urgent to David that he placed Joab’s men, as well as his mercenary bodyguards, the Cherethites, the Pelethites, and all his available mighty men under Abishai to pursue Sheba.  David did not want him to find a fortified city to take refuge.

David obviously knew the urgency if he hoped to squelch Sheba’s rebellion. He saw the danger that any delay in apprehending Sheba would cause the revolt to escalate. He did not want a situation where Sheba could locate a fortified city, seek shelter in it, and from there picked up momentum in his rebellion. So he urgently despatched Amasa to gather the people so that the rebellion could be halted. Verse  5 said that “Amasa went to call out the men of Judah, but he delayed longer than the set time which he had appointed him.” The connective “but” is very telling. It provides the contrast. David was urgent but Amasa was not. We are told that he “delayed longer than the set time.” In other words, Amasa was sluggish. He procrastinated. David quickly despatched Abishai and placed all resources at his disposal to suppress the rebellion. We all know how detrimental procrastination can be to an impending crisis. In life, opportunities and time are lost when not seized at the right moments with timeliness. In his book, David Copperfield, Charles Dickens gave this advice, he said, “My advice is, never do to-morrow what you can do today. Procrastination is the thief of time. Collar him!” Ephesians 5:16 tells us to redeem the opportunity for the days are evil. Don’t be done in by procrastination, seize every opportunity, and make it count!