2 Samuel 20:1-6: a reflection

1There happened to be there a wicked fellow, whose name was Sheba the son of Bichri, a Benjamite; and he blew the trumpet, and said, “We have no portion in David, neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse. Every man to his tents, Israel!” 2So all the men of Israel went up from following David, and followed Sheba the son of Bichri; but the men of Judah joined with their king, from the Jordan even to Jerusalem. 3David came to his house at Jerusalem; and the king took the ten women his concubines, whom he had left to keep the house, and put them in custody and provided them with sustenance, but didn’t go in to them. So they were shut up to the day of their death, living in widowhood. 4Then the king said to Amasa, “Call me the men of Judah together within three days, and be here present.” 5So Amasa went to call the men of Judah together, but he stayed longer than the set time which had been appointed to him. 6David said to Abishai, “Now Sheba the son of Bichri will do us more harm than Absalom did. Take your lord’s servants and pursue after him, lest he get himself fortified cities, and escape out of our sight.”

No sooner has one rebellion against David subsided than another arises, stirred up by a troublemaker named Sheba, who sows division with a rallying cry. We have no portion in David, he shouts, neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse; every man to his tents, Israel! With a few divisive words, he draws the men of Israel away from their king, playing on grievance and discontent to split the people. He is called a wicked fellow, and his work is the work of division, tearing apart what should be united by appealing to resentment. The account shows how easily division can be sown by one who stirs up grievance, and how readily people can be drawn into it. Those who sow division do real harm, and being drawn into their appeals to resentment tears apart what should be held together.

Notice the harm Sheba does, and how he does it: he sows division by appealing to grievance. With a few divisive words, playing on discontent and resentment, he draws the people away from their king and splits them. He does not build; he tears apart, stirring up grievance to divide what should be united. And the people are drawn in readily, following the divisive cry. This is the work of those who sow division: to appeal to grievance and resentment, to tear apart the unity of a people, and it does real harm. Those who stir up division are not harmless; their work splits and wounds. And we can be drawn into their appeals if we are not wary, following a divisive cry that plays on our discontent. To sow division is a wicked work, and to be drawn into it is to share in the harm. Guarding against the divider, and against our own susceptibility to divisive appeals, matters.

That is worth taking to heart, for those who sow division do real harm, and we must be wary of being drawn into it. There are those who, like Sheba, sow division, appealing to grievance and resentment to tear apart what should be united; and we can be drawn into their divisive appeals if we are not wary, following a cry that plays on our discontent. But sowing division is a harmful work, and being drawn into it shares in the harm. There is wisdom in being wary of those who stir up division, and in guarding our own hearts against divisive appeals to resentment. Do not be drawn into the divisive appeals of those who sow division and stir up grievance; be wary of them, and guard the unity they would tear apart. Be wary of those who sow division by appealing to grievance and resentment, and guard against being drawn into it, as Sheba divided Israel from their king with a divisive cry; for those who stir up division do real harm, tearing apart what should be united, and we can share in that harm if we are drawn into their appeals, so that there is wisdom in guarding both against the divider and against our own susceptibility to being divided.

Lord, no sooner has one rebellion against David subsided than another arises, stirred up by a troublemaker named Sheba, who sows division with a rallying cry. We have no portion in David, he shouts, neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse; every man to his tents, Israel! With a few divisive words, he draws the men of Israel away from their king, playing on grievance and discontent to split the people. He is called a wicked fellow, and his work is the work of division, tearing apart what should be united. The account shows how easily division can be sown, and how readily people can be drawn into it. Show me the harm Sheba does, and how he does it: he sows division by appealing to grievance. With a few divisive words, playing on discontent and resentment, he draws the people away from their king and splits them. He does not build; he tears apart. And the people are drawn in readily, following the divisive cry. This is the work of those who sow division: to appeal to grievance and resentment, and it does real harm. And I can be drawn into their appeals if I am not wary, following a divisive cry that plays on my discontent. Take that to my heart, for those who sow division do real harm, and I must be wary of being drawn into it. There are those who, like Sheba, sow division, appealing to grievance to tear apart what should be united; and I can be drawn into their divisive appeals if I am not wary. But sowing division is a harmful work, and being drawn into it shares in the harm. Keep me from being drawn into the divisive appeals of those who sow division and stir up grievance; help me be wary of them, Lord, and guard the unity they would tear apart.