The Death of Sheba - The Book of 2 Samuel

In this Bible Story, we see the end of Sheba’s rebellion. Sheba spread lies all throughout Israel about David’s character. Eventually, the people begin to see his evil for what it is. This story is inspired by 2 Samuel 19:13, 20 & 1 Chronicles 2:16-17. Go to BibleinaYear.com and learn the Bible in a Year.

Today's Bible verse is 2 Samuel 20:21 from the King James Version.

Episode 109: Sheba, causing chaos throughout the country, made his way to Abel and began to fortify the city. Joab and Abishai sat outside the city thinking of how they could take Sheba without harming any of the people of the city. While their army was bettering the gate of the city, a woman came out looking for Joab. The woman wanted peace for her city, and Joab, wanting the same said he would happily leave if they give him the rebel Sheba. So the woman returned to the city, threw the head of Sheba out of a window, and Joab, Abishai, and their men left.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Let us pray the matter is not so. But a
man of Mount Ephrium Sheba, son of Bitchery, by name
Hath lifted up his hand against the king, even against David.
Deliver him only, and I will depart from the city.
And the woman said, and a joab behold, his head

(00:22):
shall be thrown to thee over the wall. Second Samuel
twenty twenty one. Dear God, when the enemy comes in
like an agent of chaos, I thank you God that
you will raise up support systems to help me accomplish
and fulfill the mission You've placed on my life. I

(00:43):
will use your word like a battering ramp to break
down the walls of chaos surrounding my future. I thank
you that even in the midst of my fight for
truth and freedom, you will bring people into my life
that will fight alongside me and will help deliver me
from the hands of my enemies, like you did for

(01:03):
David and Absalom. I declare that because I am in
step with you, God, time is for me and not
against me. I declare that it is only a matter
of time before the head of division and tension is
severed from the body of strife in my life. The
victory is mine and only in your power God is

(01:27):
true peace restored. Thank you that today is the day
that I receive rest and freedom in Jesus name. Amen,
Thank you for praying with me today. Continue listening for
an incredible Bible story brought to you by Bible in

(01:48):
a Year dot com.

Speaker 2 (01:58):
The Death of Sheep. In our last story, Sheba began
a revolt against David, and many people gathered to defy
David in the streets of Israel. David, knowing that Sheba's
rebellion could topple Israel, sent his strongest men in pursuit
of him. In this story, Joe Aben Abashi prepare their

(02:20):
attack against Sheba. However, their preparation turns out to be
in vain as the people of Israel come to their
senses inspired by the Book of Second Samuel.

Speaker 3 (02:33):
Hello, this is Jack Graham with today's episode of the
Bible in a Year podcast. In our last episode, we
saw that David returned to Jerusalem seeking peace, not war,
with those who had opposed him. He forgave those who
repented for having followed Absalom, even when his advisors pushed
for harsh judgment. The people began to see that David

(02:54):
wanted what was best for them and could be trusted
the lead with integrity and kindness. But as we also learned,
not all were quick to follow, and Sheba in Benjamin
started to mount an insurrection that was a true threat
to the nation. David knew that this call for decisive action,
so he sent his men to deal with Sheba and

(03:16):
his army. Today we'll hear how the conflict comes to
a head and how Sheba's efforts prove fruitless as the
people opened their eyes and see Sheba for the liar
that he is. So let's listen now to today's reading.

Speaker 2 (03:31):
Sheba's rebellion spread like a plague through the tribes of Israel.
Sheba would blow trumpets and stir up the people into
a frenzy of fear and doubt. Sheba was an agent
of chaos, a true antagonist whose only agenda was to
watch David's kingdom crumble. He paced the countryside, swing whispers

(03:52):
of dissension and seeds of corruption. Eventually he made his
way to the city of Abel. All the members of
his clan and all the rebels he could assemble, prepared
for the inevitable battle that awaited them. Sba prepared the
walls for impact and braced the city gates so an
army could not penetrate it. The people of Abel watched

(04:15):
as Sheba and his men sharpened their swords and fortified
the barricades. The people grew concerned, so Sheba once again
told lies, saying, David and Joab desire to destroy your city.
They want to burn it to the ground. We are
here to protect you. So the people allowed Sheba to
make their city his own personal fortress in hopes he

(04:38):
would protect him. A few miles away, Joe Abin Abershire
was strategizing. They camped near a small town on the
outskirts of Abel with their army. Joe Ab and Abershire
planned all night. They knew that they outnumbered Sheba. However,
he and his men had fortified themselves among innocent people.
They needed to be tactful and cautious. In the morning,

(05:01):
they had their men build a battering ram to demolish
the city gates. The only way they could find Shiba
without setting fire to the city was through the gate.
It was their only chance, and they had to topple
the gate flawlessly. The men marched forward towards Abel. Shiba
watched them through cracks in the walls. It chuckled to himself,

(05:22):
for he knew that if they made it through the gate,
his men would have the advantage. It was a thin entrance,
and they would be easy kills. It took dozens of
men to carry the battering ram. They charged the gate
and delivered the first blow thud. The gate did not budge.
They drew back again and charged thud. The gate rattled

(05:45):
slightly but did not crack. Joe Ab had them step
back even further, and the men ran with the battering
ram as fast as they could.

Speaker 3 (05:53):
Thud.

Speaker 2 (05:55):
Small cracks could be seen through the beams holding up
the gate. Just a few more and they would be in.
Joab told his men to draw back again when he
was interrupted by a scream, Are you joe Ab? He
heard calling from nearby. Joab looked to his left and
saw a woman running towards him. She was a beautiful woman,

(06:16):
touched slightly with age and experience. A few gray streaks
fell down her long hair. Joab told his men to
stop and met her a few yards away. The woman
had an intense gaze as she met Joab. Her voice
was bold, and she spoke with the authority of her people, saying,
there used to be a saying here. If arguments need

(06:36):
to be settled, ask for the wisdom of the city
of Abel. We love peace here in the city and
will not have you destroy it. Joab looked at her, confused.
She spoke to him as if they were trying to
burn the city down. The woman continued, saying, this is
an important city to the lord. Why would the king
want to devour it. Joab raised his hands to his

(06:59):
chest and said, believe me, I do not want to
destroy Abel. We are not here for that. In your
city is a man named Sheba. He is a rebel
and has started a revolt against King David. He is
dangerous to anyone who.

Speaker 3 (07:13):
Is near him.

Speaker 2 (07:14):
We are simply here for him. The woman looked into
Joab's eyes in order to judge his sincerity. The two
spoke for a while longer. Joab explained all of Sheba's
lies and the chaos he had caused in the country.
After a few minutes, Joab felt comfortable enough to say,
if you bring him to us, there will be no

(07:34):
need to destroy anything. We do not want anybody to
be harmed. The woman looked back to the city. Thinking
for a long moment, she turned to Joab and said,
we will do it with that. The woman snuck back
into the city and spoke to all her people. They
argued for a few hours, but ultimately agreed that Sheba

(07:55):
was deceiving them. Sheba was still chuckling through the cracks
of the wall, thinking it was only a matter of
time before they bowed at his feet, begging for mercy.
As he was crouching, a shadow blocked the sunlight behind him.
Shiba looked up to a few of the people standing
over him with their swords. Before he could say a word,
the woman swooped her sword through his neck and his

(08:17):
head fell to the floor. Joab and abersh I were
standing still with their men. They hoped that people would
follow through, but were still prepared to take the city
by force if it was needed. Joab looked towards the sun,
trying to determine the time of day. Then, in an
instant he saw Sheba's head flying towards him. Joab stepped

(08:38):
back as Sheba's head landed at his feet. The men
cheered and put down the battering ram. Joab looked to
the top of the gate to see the woman looking
down at him. They exchanged smiles, and Joab took his
army and returned to Jerusalem.

Speaker 3 (08:57):
As we begin today, Sheba is continuing to spread eyes
and confusion throughout the kingdom. Like Absalom before him, his
primary tactic was one of disinformation and sowing distrust. Satan
is the father of lies and the author of chaos
in confusion, and like Absalom, this man Sheba was acting

(09:17):
as an agent of the enemy, the devil, reflecting Satan's nature,
not God's. Sheba and his supporters made their way to
a city named Abel and began fortifying its walls in
preparation for battle. He knew he would need the support
of the people of Abel, and what better way to
win them over than to convince them that David intended

(09:38):
to destroy their city. So that's what he told the
residents of Abel, saying that David and his commander joe
Ab would stop at nothing to destroy them, even burning
the city to the ground. Sheba told them not to worry,
though he was there to help crafty lies meant to
undermine the king and lead the people astray. As David's

(10:00):
men drew up plans for attack, not far away. Their
intentions were clearly not for destruction and devastation. They could
have easily destroyed the whole city, but it was only
Sheiba they needed, and if they could only tear down
the gate, the collateral damage would be minimal. So they
approached Abel and began ramming the gate with a battering

(10:21):
ram as Shiba hid inside, certain that the people would
rally to help him fight off Joeab's men. But the
people of Abel were truly peaceful, and as Joab's men
struck the gate over and over again, a wise woman
approached them and ask why they would want to destroy
a city like Abel, whose people were faithful to Israel.
Joeab responds in Second Samuel twenty versus twenty and twenty one,

(10:46):
Joeab answered, far be it from me, Far be it
that I should swallow up or destroy. That is not true.
But a man of the hill country of Euphraim, called Sheba,
the son of Bishri, has lifted up his hand against
King David. It give up him alone, and I will
withdraw from the city. The woman could tell Joeb was

(11:07):
being truthful, and she returned to the city and convinced
the people that it was Sheba who had evil intentions,
so they struck him down, cutting off his head and
threw it over the wall to Joeeb. In the end,
lies will never defeat God's truth, and Sheiba's campaign to
overthrow David ended without a war. As the people's eyes

(11:29):
were open to see the deception of this one man.
Joeb and his men returned to Jerusalem, and now David
could continue the task of putting things right again. We'll
hear about this the next time. Dear God, we thank
you for this message, even though it is hard to
hear and contains violence, and yet we know that evil

(11:51):
will not prevail against you, that you overcome evil with
good and darkness with light. We thank you that in
Jesus Christ, we have victory over all the works of
the enemy. May we always be truthful in our words
and live with integrity, so that when people refer to us,

(12:11):
they know that we are speaking truth in Jesus's name. Amen.
Thank you so very much for listening to today's Bible
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(12:33):
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