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Episode 542: In this episode, Chris and guest host Kyle dive into the intriguing and often brutal narrative found in 2 Samuel 20, where we explore the aftermath of King David's reign and the challenges he faces from within his own kingdom. We delve into the revolt of Sheba, a significant event that highlights the ongoing strife within David's kingdom. Chris provides context about David's recent tragedies, including the rebellion led by his son Absalom, and how this new threat from Sheba could potentially cause even more damage. The tension builds as we discuss the actions of Joab, David's military commander, who is portrayed as a complex character with a penchant for violence.
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You're listening to The Bible Guys, a podcast where a couple of friends talk about the Bible in fun in practical ways. Well, hey, everybody, welcome to the Bible Guys. My name is Chris, and I'm Kyle, and Kyle is standing in for Jeff and today we are the Bible Guys. That's right from the Sidekick Today. Yes, even the sign says the Bible Guys with Kyle and Chris. By the way, I like, I like how I'm always second. It's okay, it's Jeff and Chris. You know, it's that old Remember that old thing was like I am second. It's like God, first seconds, a very humble guy. I guess I'm third. Then yes, I am third. I am third. You're a humble guy. So so yeah, so now so now you're you're you're before me. So congratulations. That was quick. Yeah. I don't know what I did to deserve that, right, I probably nothing. Well, no, you got promoted. Yes, well, hey, anyway, today we're gonna start out with a Dad Joe competition, which is one of my favorite segments. Uh it actually it depends on the. Jokes yet, right, I actually have not looked at them, so I've. Not looked at that either, So I'll go first. You ready, Ye, all right? Here we go each morning on my way to work, I slip on the frozen newspaper on our front porch. I've fallen on some hard times. That's really yeah, I think so, maybe two. But because I mean the concept of a frozen newspaper on the front porch is sort of weird. It's it's pretty weird. All right. Here's mine. Yesterday, I wore something from five years ago and it fit so proud of myself. It was a pair of socks. But still, let's be positive here. That's pretty's pretty good. Yeah, that's pretty good. I about this one. My first computer, No, sorry, the first computer dates back to Adam and Eve. It was an Apple with a limited memory, just one bite byte then everything crashed. That's really bad. It's in the Bible, guys. At least it's referencing adim e Oh. I got it. I'll tell you that's a one out of ten for me. It just takes a while to get there. You're like, all right, where are we going with this? Yeah? Well you have to read just one bite yeah, okay, all right. How do you keep a person in suspence. How I'll tell you tomorrow. Oh jeez, oh jeez. Okay, is it that hard to find good? Dad? All right, here we go. Number three? What did dad say to mom when he brought her the wrong kind of flower? I don't know. Geez, whoops a daisy? That is a dad joke right there. Okay, here we go. My daughter wanted to know what it was like to be a parent, so I woke her up at twam to tell her my sock came off. I gotta be honest, I'm know. I think that one's over my head. He's saying that kids are annoying and they wake them up at two in the morning and bother them. Oh like a little little kid. Okay. I was envisioning like my daughter, and I was like, why would she? Okay, yeah, that's what he's trying to do. That was terrible. My bad on that one. Everybody, let's start for ruining a mediocre joke. And you have Joe and you have younger kids than me, and I even got that. Okay, well sorry, all right, here we go. We have two more each. Right. I spent my entire life savings on pasta. It was worth every penny. Penny basta. Yeah, that's good, that's good. Yeah, that's all right, it's all right. Sorry, Hey, you should mention that when you go to Deaf Francesca's next time. There you go. That's right, that's your spot, right this next one, here we go Tesla's. Do not have a new car smell? They have elon musk. Oh that's actually pretty that's pretty good. Yeah, yeah, I like it. I give that a five out of ten. Yeah, yeah, agree, All right, here we go. My wife met me one thousand dollar. I couldn't turn spaghetti into a car. You should have seen her face when I drove pasta okay, pasta man. A lot of spaghette, a lot of a lot of what are they giving you so many Italian jokes? I am Italian? So all right here, lest I think you're gonna like this as a cat guy, like this next one? Okay, I accidentally took my cat's meds this morning. Don't ask me, ow, don't ask me how. That's terrible. Yes, so we need we need better dad jokes. So so listen, I'm gonna put out a call to the powers that be desiree and let's say, let's let's kick it up a notch. Yeah, or if you have some dad jokes that you think, what's what's the email? Yeah? What is? What isn't like info a bible guys dot com? Yeah, send the email. We'd love to hear your favorite dad jokes. And it actually might be a nice segment where we can actually get your best dad jokes and share those. Yes, and if they leave their name too, and we can call them out and rank their dad jokes. Yeah, let's make that a thing. Yes, that's good. Let's be all motivated. By the time that podcast ends, people are gonna forget it. Yes, yes, just reminded at the end he's dad jokes. Yep. All right, all right, buddy, Well we are moving on yep. Second Samuel, Second Samuel chapter every twenty verses one through twenty six, And just as a reminder to our readers, this is David who just you know, had a very bad tragy in his own family. There was a revolt against him, and his son basically tried to revolte against him. And then he's basically eliminated everybody who is you know, rised up against him. He's now totally in control, and now he's trying to show kindness and mercy to those who are left, right, those who haven't died. Yeah, but there's there's terrible, terrible It actually is a curse on his household, right, The curse on his household is that there would be death. They were going to live and die by the sword. So there's all kind of strife. His captain Joe Ab, who was the captain of the Guard under Saul when David was a commander of the Guard. Joe Ab was actually one of his comrades who he fought side by side. And Joe Ab is going to be a part of this story today and and and so anyway, Joe Ab actually killed Absolom and and so anyway, yeah, so that's going to continue this, This whole strife of death is going to continue to play out here. Yeah. And it's in verse twenty or sorry, chapter twenty, verses one through twenty six, and the title here is the Revolt of Sheba, which it just feels like a lot of this this this book is dealing with revolts. By the way, he killed Abner. He didn't kill Abstrong, he killed Abner. Sorry, there you go. Second Samuel versus one here to chapter twenty there happened to be a troublemaker there named Sheiba, son of Vickery, a man from the tribe of Benjamin. Sheiba blew a rams horn and began to chant down with the dynasty of David. We have no interest in the son of Jesse. Come on, you men of Israel, back to your homes, which I love that that's quite a chance. So all the men of Israel deserted David and followed Shiba, son of Vickery, But the men of Judas stayed with their king and escorted him from the Jordan River to Jerusalem. When David came to his palace in Jerusalem, he took the ten concubines he had left after the palace and placed them in seclusion. Their needs were provided for, but he no longer slept with them, so each of them lived like a widow until she died. Then the king told Amasa mobilized the army of Judah within three days and report back at that time. So Amasa went out to notify Judah, but it took him longer than the time he had been given. Then David said to Abashi, Shiba son of Bickery, is going to hurt us more than Absalom did. So, David, he's pretty nervous about this, and rightfully so. Right, quick, take my troops and chase after him before he gets into a fortified town where we can't reach him. So, Abashi and Joeb, together with the King's bodyguard and all the Mighty warriors, set out from Jerusalem to go after Sheiba. As they arrived at the Great Stone and Gibbeon, Amasa met them. Joeb was wearing his military tunic with a dagger strapped to his belt. As he stepped forward to greet Amasa, he slipped the dagger from its sheath. How are you, my cousin, Joeb said, and took him by the beer with his right hand, as though to kiss him. Amasa didn't notice a dagger in his left hand, and Job stabbed him in the stomach with it, so that his insides gushed out onto the ground. Feels like I'm watching like what's the gladiator or something? Right? Terrible? Yes, yes, joeab did not need to strike again, and Amasa soon died. Joeb and his brother Abashai left him lying there and continued after Sheiba. One of Job's young men shouted to Amasa's troops. If you're for Joabed and David, come and follow Joab. But a massa laying laying his blood in the middle of the road, and Joab's man saw that everyone was stopping to stare at him. We pulled them off the road into a field and threw a cloak over him. With a masa's body out of the way, everyone went on with Joeb to capture Sheiba, son of Vickery. Meanwhile, Shiba traveled through all the tribes of Israel and eventually came to the town of abel Beth Makah. All the members of his own clan, the Bik Rights, assembled for battle and followed him into the town. When Job's forces arrived, they attacked abel Beth Mecca. They built a siege ramp against the town's fortifications and began battering down the wall. But a wise woman in the town called out to Joeb. Listen to me, Joeb, come over here so I can talk to you. As he approached, the woman asked, are you Joeb, which is funny because she originally called his name. I am, he replied, So she said, listen carefully to your servant. I'm listening. He said, Then she continued, there used to be a saying, if you want to settle an argument, ask advice at the town of abel, I am one who is peace loving and faithful in Israel. But you are destroying an important town in Israel. Why do you want to devour what belongs to the lord? And Joeb replied, believe me, I don't want to devour or destroy your town. That's not my purpose. All I want is a man named Sheba's son, a Vickery from the hill country of a Frame, who has revolted against King David. Have you hand over this man to me? I will leave the town in peace, all right. The woman replied, we will throw his head over the wall to you, savage. Then the woman went to all the people with their wives advice, and they cut off Sheba's head and threw it out to Joeb. So he blew the rams horn and called his troops back from the attack. They all returned to their homes, and Joeb returned to the king at Jerusalem. Now Joab was the commander of the Army of Israel. Benanaiah, son of Jehodah, was captain of the King's bodyguard. At an Erom was in charge of the labor force. Jehosaphat, son of al Hulud, was the royal historian. Shiba was the court secretary. They're just name and names. Now, try to mess me up. They're just messing with me now. Zadak and Nabathar with a priest, and Ira, a descendant of Jeh was David's personal priest. I love that ending. I'm like you said, they're just trying to That's so fun. That's good. So what a savage, little a savage. This is a movie right here. This is a great movie. Yeah, yeah, it's it's a you know, one of those movies where you know, have you ever seen a movie where there's way more violence than you really. Want them to be? There's hacks You ever see Hacksaw Ridge hacks. I did, Yes, Yes, yes, it was great, great movie. Great movie. Yes. But I but I only remember the great parts. I don't necessarily remember violence, right, I remember like the awesome you know what's his name Andrew Garfield who played the character, like, I just loved that part of it. And uh. And so anyway, I talked to my wife and seeing this and uh, and I said, hey watch us. She says, no, I can't watch. I said, no, no, it's not violent. I said, it's not even that bad story. It's a great story. You're gonna love it. It's about faith and this guy who loves God and everything else. And so anyway, we start watching it. Well then all of a sudd the battle scenes come yeah, and she is like sobbing, she's weeping, and she has to turn off and she goes to bed and we were like all cuddly before and she's like, she's like, no shot, buddy. She's like, you just ruined the night. Date night is over. Date Night is over. And I'm like, what did I do? Yeah? And I didn't realize how violent it was. That just it's funny because Memorial Day we can me and Kristen watch Saving Private Ryan, just because it was like, you know, and that first scene the D Day, I mean, it's like twenty minutes of just you're watching, and it's just it's it's hard to watch. It's hard to watch same thing. But you know, that's pretty much description. We just yes, we're just read. Yes, a lot of blood and also you have him kind of hiding his knife his dagger, invites somebody in stabs him. It feels like a mob movie right there. Yeah. And then and then she says, don't worry, We'll make sure we uh, we will throw his head over the wall to you. And so they go find Sheba kill him right there on site. But I want to read the note you mentioned it in yesterday's podcast for anybody who didn't didn't see this because we talked about the tribe of Benjamin in this last section here, but our note here in the Life Application Bible here says although Israel was a united kingdom, it was still made up of twelve separate tribes. These tribes often had difficulty agreeing on the goals of the nation as a whole. So tribal jealousies had originally kept Israel from completely conquering the Promised Land, and now tribal jealousies were threatening the stability of David's reign by giving Sheba an opportunity to rebel. And I did find it interesting the way David actually was nervous that he had another absolom rebellion on his hands. So he was, I mean, he was on the defensive, that's for sure, right. And then also let me read this other note too. This is a good one. It says, once again, Joe AB's murderous act went unpunished, just as it did when he kill Labner, which I which I already referenced back in Second Samuel chapter three. And it says eventually, however, it justice does catch up with him in First King chapter number two, which we will probably eventually get there and probably even read that. I may see that sin and treachery often go unpunished, but God's justice is not limited to this life's rewards. Even if Joe Ab had died of old age, he would still have to face the day of judgment. And uh and so, just as a little foreshadowing, uh, David's son, King Solomon is the one who eventually orders the death of Joe Abb and uh and and and so, yeah, it does basically come back to him because Joe Abb is just pretty much out of control, yeah right. And being connected to that family, it just seems like, yeah, my goodness. Yeah so so yeah, So I think that one of the main things, I mean, you know, if you were to preach a sermon from here, Kyle, Uh, I think that one of the sermons could be you know, probably to you is I mean, this is a pretty brutal story. I guess, I guess I could say the overall picture when things like this happen u you know, when we get down into the weeds of this whole, you know, this this rebellions and these kingdoms. What I have a tendency to do is I have a tendency to want to zoom out to thirty thousand feet and look at the promises of God. And even though that we're in the weeds. Of the battles, you know, you just have to you know, you know, sort of zoom back out. Well, think about it, Think about how. Many battles that David probably was involved in, like this, in rebellions and just like this where he has to just sort of, you know, rest on the promises of God. Should he expresses fear and he says, hey, let's take care of this or else it may cause us as much damage as absolue caused us. Right, So he does show concern. And fear, But at the same time he has to remember that, you know, God's promises were given. You know, he is promised to be the king, you know, and you know, even even when he has desire to build the temple, is what does God say God says, know that responsibility be passed on to your son, because you know your hands are. Filled with blood. That was David's lot in life. David's lot in life was you know, God had a mission to carry out against all those who were pagans, all those who blasphemed against God. David's life was spent carrying out the mission of God by eliminating a lot of God's enemies. But again, these are promises. So David has to, you know, show his worldly wisdom, his strategy, his earthly experience. You know, he exercises all of that, you know, so he doesn't just say, okay, God is that this rebellion. He has to implement his own gifts. But at the same time, you got to zoom out thirty thousand feet and say, okay, God's got this. Because God's hand has always been on me for every battle, for every rebellion. I know the future. I know that God promises us a dynasty, a legacy. You know, David's kingdom is all above all other earthly kings at this point, right, and so you know the Messiah is going to come from his kingdom. And so that's what I have a tendency to do. I have a tendency to sort of think about that in my own life and think about, Okay, even when things get discouraging, and even when things feel like they're down in the weeds, you know, has God forgotten his promises? Has God forgotten to take care of me? Has God forgotten to you know, have his blessing upon me in my life? You've got to sort of zoom out and say, hey, I'm going to get through this with my own intelligence, my own abilities, and all the experience that God has given to me in my life. We're supposed to implement those things. We're supposed to pray about it and do what we can, but we have to sit back and trust that God's going to always do what he can that's really good. We'll just have his hands upon my life. Yeah, the thing that you ask, what you know a message you might give here. It's interesting because in this chapter or in this in this section here we see something that stood out to me, which is, whenever you look at scripture, I feel when you think about the women that are highlighted in scripture, right, there's so many great women who are highlighted, especially in a culture that really didn't that culture didn't have as much value towards women. Jesus did, obviously and God does. But the people in that day and age was just they didn't speak in public, speak up in public. And it was a whole thing when you think about it, you think about women in the scripture and you see people who are there. They talk about their faithfulness, they talk about, you know, their beauty, they talk about their patience. You have you know, marry mother of Jesus, and just her her trust in God. So you see all these things. But warrior, yep, yep. And that's the thing, is like Deborah being a warrior. There's not many others like where there's like these tough moments right where it's like an actual physically bad person, right, And this is a moment here you have this woman who who kind of goes and approaches Joe Ab and she knows who he is, but she's like, are you Joeb? Listen? And then she said listen carefully to your servant. And then she goes on and she speaks up. And the note in this says, and then in the Bible says, Joeb's men were attacking the city and it looked as if it would be destroyed. The women in that society were usually quiet in public. This woman spoke out. She stopped Joebs attacked, not with weapons, but with wise words and a plan of action. And then it says, often the courage to speak a few sensible words can prevent great disaster. So she stops him from destroying the city and just and causing more harm than good, and then has a plan of attack. But the way she goes about it, though, is she's like, she's like, hey, I'm gonna we'll throw his head over the wall to you. So she went on the people that cut off she was heading throw it out to Joeb. So she had a great plan, she had a great strategy, and she did it, and Joeb listened. And it was really cool to see a woman step in, because so much of this is driven by men. To see a woman step in is really cool. Yeah, and there's a and you know, Joe Ab had actually used a cunning woman to actually persuade David. Do you remember a couple of chapters ago, So Joe ab knows the value of a woman who has wisdom. Yeah, So that's really cool. That's one of the reasons why I'm sure Joe Abbs stopped and listened to her, because Joe has already proven that he knows the value of a of a of a wise woman. I thought of remember j L jail or jail depending on how you bounce it. Who who jammed the spike through the guy's head, you know? And uh, I think it was like the Book of Judges. Uh, anyway it was it was Sis Sarah a cane at commander where she actually fed in milk and put us back through his head. So yeah, there's there's a few warriors. Yeah. Uh, I was thinking of uh Ezra right and uh. And also uh not Ezra. Who am I thinking of esther? But she was definitely more on the start off with beauty, right, and was able to use her influence to. But very cunning, very very cunning, right, So not a warrior in the sense where she's driving a spike through somebody's head or cutting off somebody's head and throwing it over a wall. Yeah, but still right there in the heat of battle with the king, right. And uh, well, I think the lesson in that is just to speak up, right, speak up, and in those moments where maybe you feel like your voice won't be heard when you feel like you know your voice is unworthy and invaluable, that there's moments in time where maybe God like maybe just your voice, maybe this, this the Holy Spirit in you is going to bring something great that you know, speaking into a work situation, speaking into family situations, I think it's really important to not just withhold or just assume nobody wants to hear your voice. And I think in the story, you see that, Yeah. I wonder, I wonder if this cunning woman, I wonder if she was the one that actually took off his head. There's no way, no, no. It basically talks about how it sounds like she's the strategist though right right, a plan of action. She's like, Okay, here's the deal, Joe, we'll get his head from it. We're going to do is throw the head over the wall. And that guy didn't have a chance, right. No, we're going to save our whole entire city or one guy. We just get rid of that guy. Ye Oh that's terrible, it's good. Uh Well, what else? What else, Kyle? What other words of wisdom before we sign off? Anything else stand out to you where we can take away from this gruesome, gruesome story. Oh man, a tough one. Well how about this, how about sort of the footnote that we read about Joe Abb, which is, you know, the Bible says in Galatians, your sins will find you out. Right, so be not deceived. God is not mocked whatsoever a man sows he's going to reap. And so here's Joe Abb. We see him. Sort of getting out of control, doing what he wants, you know, grabbing people by the beard, pertending to kiss them and then pulling out a dagger and killing them. I know, you know, I know he's a warrior. I know this is battle, but he seems to not have to answer for anything that he does. He tends to go his own way. There's the King's way, right, David's way, and then it seems like Joeb's kind of off doing his own things. I agree with this, Yeah, I agree. So we'll see that play out I'm sure against him. So let's be reminded that, hey, we may get away with things maybe on the surface, but eventually everybody has somebody to answer to, right, So God's God's gonna make us answer for all things. So all right, so that is our time right now. And so Hopefully we'll see you next time on the Bible guys. H