A New Beginning (Level 3 | 117)

0:00Gilgal was the city of new beginnings for Israel. The city where Joshua and his army had come first after crossing the Jordan River to finally come into the land of Canaan. Gilgal's name even had a connotation of new beginnings. It's a name meaning, role. And Joshua named the place Gilgal because of what God had said to him that day around 500 years before. On the circumcision of all the meals in Israel God had said, today I have rolled away the approach of Egypt from you. It was as if God was saying, your old life is over, and now it's time for a new beginning. The Kingdom of Israel also had its roots in Gilgal. After King Saul had successfully defeated the Ammonite Siege of Jbech Gilead, all Israel came to Gilgal to confirm Saul as King over them and to sacrifice peace offerings before the Lord. If there was a place for David to go next, it was Gilgal.

1:03That would be the place where peace might have a chance, a place for a new beginning. Absalom was dead, his army was defeated, and it was now time for David to resume his leadership of the nation. Israel was not to be a nation of sheep without a shepherd. No they were to have David and his descendants rule over them forever. At Gilgal, David will attempt to renew his kingship over the people and reunify the 12 tribes of Israel. But this would be no easy task. Families had been ripped apart and allegiances to Absalom or to David had frayed relationships. Suspissions and jealousies abounded. David would have to work hard to tactfully create one nation out of many tribes. The beginning of the peace was the easiest part. The northern tribes in Israel saw that their temporary king Absalom was dead, and they remembered all the success that had accompanied David's kingship. They quickly came back to their former king, glad to have him in leadership once again.

2:09More difficult, however, was working on David's own tribe of Judah. They had some reticents and welcoming David back to the kingship, and it's no wonder, considering that the rebellion had come from within David's own family. Judah was socially fractured in odd ways from David's family drama. But to win Judah over, David does something unexpected. He makes the former leader of Absalom's army, the new leader of his army. His number one commander was no longer Joe Ab, who had killed Absalom. Now it was Amasa. So David effectively unified his kingship with the military head from Absalom, creating unity where lasting division could have mounted. This must have shocked the nation to see a recent enemy become a new right-hand man. But David was strategically trying to stitch together easily torn fabric. Concessions and realignment were necessary to keep the nation together.

3:09Now with this appointment of Amasa, Judah saw their kings attempt at peace and honored it. He had gained their allegiance once again. After this, David begins a campaign of pardoning his enemies and rewarding his friends. He pardons Amin from the tribe of Benjamin, who had publicly cursed him on the road out of Jerusalem. He pardons Amin who slandered the son of his best friend, Jonathan. He offers reward to foreigners who had aided him. Overall David expressed mercy and magnanimity in the face of potential conflict. In David sends messengers to tell the people that he's headed to Gilgau. Many people from Israel come to meet him on the east side of the Jordan River to escort him across the river to go to the city. David's peaceful overtures have appeared to win the hearts of the people back. We read in 2 Samuel, chapter 19, starting in verse 40 that, all the people of Judah and also half the people of Israel brought the king on his way to Gilgau.

4:12David's tribe shows up in full force and before even waiting for the rest of the tribes to completely show up, they escort David and his men to Gilgau. Funny enough, David's campaign that began to create peace between the tribes created such intense loyalty to David that tribes began fighting about something else. Ten of the northern tribes of Israel begin quarreling with the tribe of Judah arguing basically about who got a claim to David as one of their own. First we read this, then all the men of Israel came to the king and said to the king, why have our brothers the men of Judah stolen you away and brought the king and his household over the Jordan and all David's men with him? All the men of Judah answered the men of Israel because the king is our close relative. Why then are you angry over this matter? Have we eaten at all at the king's expense or has he given us any gift? In the men of Israel answered the men of Judah, we have ten shares in the king and in David we also have more than you. Why then do you despise us?

5:14Were we not the first to speak of bringing back our king? But the words of the men of Judah were fiercer than the words of the men of Israel. A temporary peace was achieved by David, but among the tribes differences continued to fester. David was the glue that was holding them together and for the moment that glue held everything at peace. And everything did hold until someone from the tribe of Benjamin angered at Judah's claims on David, breaks the delicate peace. Next we read this, There happened to be there a worthless man whose name was Shiba, a Benjaminite, and he blew the trumpet and said, We have no portion in David and we have no inheritance in this son of Jesse. Every man to his tents, oh Israel. So all the men of Israel withdrew from David and followed Shiba, but the men of Judah followed their king steadfastly from the Jordan to Jerusalem. All it took was one angry man from the tribe of Benjamin and the peace that had been

6:17quickly achieved was just as quickly shattered. Shiba effectively says, David will not be our king. If Judah wants to claim him, Judah can have him, but the rest of Israel were done with David. Shiba's ruling peace was proving elusive for the returning king. Now days later after David had taken up residence in his house again at Jerusalem, he apparently makes a strategic decision necessary for peace. Shiba's little rebellion needed to be stifled before the rest of Israel didn't just rebel with him, but united around him. Time would prove to be David's enemy if he didn't take care of this problem quickly, and he doesn't want to make the same mistake Absalom did. He doesn't want to give Shiba time enough to regroup. Then the king said to Amasa, his new commander, call them in of Judah together to me within three days and be here yourself. So Amasa went to summon Judah, but he delayed beyond the set time that had been appointed him.

7:18And David said to Abishai, Now Shiba will do us more harm than Absalom, take your Lord's servants and pursue him, lest he get himself to fortified cities and escape from us. And there went out after him, Joe Absman and the Carathides and the Pelathites and all the mighty men. They went out from Jerusalem to pursue Shiba. When they were at the great stone that is in Gibbian, Amasa came to meet them. David commands Amasa to quickly amass an army from Judah, and when Amasa doesn't return on time, David commands Abishai, Joe Abs' brother, to take his place and march the gathering force to the place of Shiba. Joe Abs, though demoted in the army of David, accompanies his brother on the march. However, soon the two brothers meet Amasa, who is apparently returning though late from summoning forces for the battle. You can imagine the tension. Joe Abs, the angry and vengeful brother, sees his replacement approaching. Amasa sees Joe Abs and knows that David selected him as Joe Abs' replacement.

8:21Emotions surely began to mount. Now Joe Abs was wearing his soldiers garment, and over it was a belt, with a sword and its sheath fastened on his thigh, and as he went forward it fell out. And Joe Abs said to Amasa, is it well with you my brother? And Joe Abs took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him. But Amasa did not observe the sword that was in Joe Abs' hand. So Joe Abs struck him with it in the stomach and spilled his in-trails on the ground without striking a second blow. He died. Then Joe Abs and Abishai his brother pursued Shiba. And one of Joe Abs young men took his stand by Amasa and said, whoever favors Joe Abs and whoever is for David, let him follow Joe Abs. And Amasa lay wallowing in his blood in the highway. What an ugly and threatening scene this was. Joe Abs, ever vengeful, offers a feigned gesture at peace with Amasa, before grabbing his beard

9:22and striking him through the stomach with a sword. Then Joe Abs leaves him there, bleeding out while the army passes by. A ruthless act done in cold blood. Imagine being a soldier passing by Amasa's body. It would almost be a signal to you saying, don't get on Joe Abs' bad side, or this is what will happen to you. This fear of Joe Abs causes all the soldiers to fall in line. Joe Abs has now thrust himself back into the lead of the nation's forces. Then the army continues to take on Shiba. And all the men who are with Joe Abs came in besieged Shiba in the city of Abel of Beth Maka. They cast up a mound against the city and it stood against the rampart, and they were battering the wall to throw it down. Then a wise woman called from the city, listen, listen, tell Joe Abs come here that I may speak to you. He came near her and the woman said, are you Joe Abs? He answered, I am.

10:23Then she said to him, listen to the words of your servant. And he answered, I am listening. Then she said, I am one of those who are peaceable and faithful in Israel. You seek to destroy a city that is a mother in Israel. Why will you swallow up the heritage of the Lord? Joe Abs answered, far be it from me, far be it from me that I should swallow up or destroy. That is not true. But a man of the hill country of Ephraim called Shiba has lifted up his hand against King David, give him up alone and I will withdraw from the city. And the woman said to Joe Abs, behold, his head shall be thrown to you over the wall. Then the woman went to all the people in her wisdom and they cut off the head of Shiba and threw it out to Joe Abs. So Joe Abs blew the trumpet and they dispersed from the city, every man to his home. And Joe Abs returned to Jerusalem to the king. The rebellion of Shiba ends not with a bang but with a whimper.

11:24The people of the city of Abel deliver his head to Joe Abs and with that swift action, the rebellion is stifled. The people of Israel's army return to their homes and the final nail is put in the coffin of resistance. After Shiba's rebellion, David's power over Israel is secure. Once it turns out, was achieved by a wise woman in the city of Abel. A woman who was able to avoid lots of bloodshed by just delivering the rebel into the hands of Joe Abs. While it was rather brutal, it was also rather effective for avoiding the leveling of her entire village by the bloodthirsty Joe Abs. Peace was David's great desire and it had finally been achieved. There so much bloodshed both in his nation and in his family. Israel could finally move forward as a united people. The new beginning wasn't everything that David had hoped at Gilgoth but eventually it was achieved. David was strengthened and rather than continuing internal battles, the nation could again focus

12:28on God's priorities. Just as Moses had said, the nation was to love God, follow the law and take the land. Amande for a keen after God's own heart. David is back and ready to rule. Join us next time as we see David's successes in battle, followed by his final great sin. For Bible readings, reflection questions and quizzes don't miss the Bible brief and available on iOS and Android so you can go deeper into the story. The Bible Brief is a project of the Bible Literacy Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to helping you learn the Bible. Give to support the Bible Brief by visiting BibleBreath.org or tap the give link in the show notes. Thank you for supporting the Bible Literacy Foundation.