David overcame a coup by his son, Absalom, but he wasn’t finished consolidating his power in the nation. We will later read about a civil war that divided the nation into two, Israel and Judah. What we read here is perhaps the seeds of that division.
Now a scoundrel named Sheba son of Bichri, a Benjaminite, happened to be there. He sounded the trumpet and cried out,
“We have no portion in David,
no share in the son of Jesse!
Everyone to your tents, O Israel!”
So all the people of Israel withdrew from David and followed Sheba son of Bichri, but the people of Judah followed their king steadfastly from the Jordan to Jerusalem (2 Samuel 20:1-2).
David knew the damage a rebellion could do to the unity of the country.
David said to Abishai, “Now Sheba son of Bichri will do us more harm than Absalom; take your lord’s servants and pursue him, or he will find fortified cities for himself and escape from us” (2 Samuel 20:6).
While the main task was putting down the rebellion with Sheba, David’s general had to quell one within his own ranks. Verses 7-13 record what Joab did to keep his troops loyal to David.
A Wise Woman of Abel
All of Sheba’s followers congregated within the walls of the city, Abel of Beth-maacah. Joab brought his forces against the city.
They besieged the city and built a siege ramp against the city. Only two verses of scripture are devoted to the siege, but building the ramp usually took a few weeks to months. They had to overcome the archers, who shot at them from the wall.
Just as Joab’s forces were battering the wall to break it down, a wise woman came to Joab with a proposal. Here is the account of their conversation.
Then a wise woman called from the city, “Listen! Listen! Tell Joab, ‘Come here, I want to speak to you.’”
He came near her, and the woman said, “Are you Joab?” He answered, “I am.” Then she said to him, “Listen to the words of your servant.” He answered, “I am listening.”
Then she said, “They used to say in the old days, ‘Let them inquire at Abel,’ and so they would settle a matter.
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?”
Joab answered, “Far be it from me, far be it, that I should swallow up or destroy! That is not the case!
But a man of the hill country of Ephraim called Sheba son of Bichri has lifted up his hand against King David; give him up alone, and I will withdraw from the city.”
The woman said to Joab, “His head shall be thrown over the wall to you” (2 Samuel 20:16-21).
The woman returned to the city and told the leaders the agreement that she made with Joab. They, in turn, killed Sheba and threw his head over the wall, thus saving their city from further destruction.
Reflections
I used to have the book, All the Women of the Bible, in my library. Most ancient cultures couldn’t produce such a book, because women had no role beyond what took place at home.
Even though the women of the Bible lived in the same culture, the Bible is transparent enough to record the impact women made in society. We will soon read about the role that Bathsheba played in securing the role of king for her son, Solomon.
In this instance, an unnamed wise woman saved her city. She was bold enough to enter a hostile situation and talk with the general. She was wise enough to find a solution that worked for everyone, except for Sheba.
I had the privilege of working with two remarkable women who were missionaries in Africa.
One was a petite woman who braved the world of Islamic truckers at a port. She used stories from the Bible to introduce these men to Jesus. This was a wise, creative, and effective way to share the love of God in Christ with those men.
Another woman spent years in what is now one of the most dangerous countries in the world. Her honesty and genuine love for the people earned her the respect of the entire community. The two most prominent Islamic figures in the country recognized her and appreciated her character and work.
Some people became followers of Jesus, because of her ministry. Everyone, whether they followed Jesus or not, saw a picture of God’s love through Jesus in daily life.
Join me in praising God for the wise woman of Abel and the many faithful female followers of Jesus.
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross, Bruce Kirby, and I discussed this passage on YouTube today.
Real Voices 