Daily Devotional for Wednesday, January 24

Sheba’s Uprising

“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,” 2 Samuel 20:6.

David’s reign was marked by uniting the Northern (Israel) and Southern (Judah) Kingdoms back into one with the capital city of Jerusalem. On his way back home, David was met with tension over which tribes were more important and which tribes got to escort the king. Sheba, a man of little consequence, began stirring up strife and encouraging others to refuse to follow David. How easily loyalty is swayed!

To prevent another uprising and keep the kingdom united, David wanted to take immediate action. Little did he know, the more dangerous rift was happening within his own followers and family. David, after replacing Joab because of what he did to Absalom, sent his new captain Amasa, who had been Absalom’s captain during the rebellion, to gather the men of Judah in three days’ time to fight against Sheba. When Amasa had not returned, he sent Abishai, Joab’s brother, with the mighty men to pursue and eliminate Sheba. On their journey, they happened to come across Amasa in Gibeon, and Joab, still bitter about Amasa’s treasonous actions with Absalom, sliced his abdomen open and left him to die in the street. All the men of Judah whom Amasa had gathered then followed after Joab in pursuit of Sheba. This image of Amasa lying in the middle of the highway symbolized the ever-present conflict in David’s life and reign. For a moment, everyone was just standing and staring, not knowing what to do. The path was literally covered in death, just like the struggles David was constantly facing.

How can David maintain stability within the kingdom when the loyalty within his own household and ranks was ever shifting?

THOUGHT FOR TODAY
Let us fix our eyes on Christ, the author and finisher of our faith. May we be ever loyal and stray not.

Ashley Ridings