2 Samuel Chapter 20 – Fickle Hearts

Have you ever determined to do something, but then changed your mind soon after?

The true state of our fire is often revealed under pressure and change.

After Joab kills Absalom, David’s treacherous son who “stole the hearts of the men of Israel” (2 Sam 15:6), it leaves the people of Israel with a political void.

Perhaps the uncertainty and emptiness feel destabilising. The people of Israel attempt to fill this void quickly with King David. Not only do they accuse their Judah brethren of stealing David as king, but also they insist, “We have ten shares in the king; therefore we also have more right to David than you.” (2 Sam 19:43). Bickering ensues.

That ten tribes have ten shares in the king sounds logical, until we recall how “The hearts of the men of Israel are with Absalom.” (2 Sam 15:13) These were the very words that struck fear in David’s heart and catalysed his hasty escape from Jerusalem.

So what changed?

To the optimistic, Israel’s sudden desire to have David as their king in 2 Samuel 19 may seem like renewed ardour and hope, the sign of faith that burns brighter for the Lord. After all, David was God’s anointed.

But a test comes that reveals the nature of this fire. In truth, nothing much had changed in Israel’s hearts.

Immediately after this quarrel over David, Sheba emerges as an acute voice of contention. He is what the Bible pronounces as a “worthless man” (2 Sam 20:1 ESV), and indeed, not many are admonished so harshly. But Sheba offers the people of Israel political leadership and direction, what they had lost with Absalom’s death.

Sheba’s cry is simple, but sharp: “We have no share in David, nor do we have inheritance in the son of Jesse; every man to his tents, O Israel!” (2 Sam 20:1)

This sudden change in status quo for Israel presents itself with the introduction of a new, attractive option: the rebel Sheba. Without regard for what they had just bickered with Judah over, “every man of Israel deserted David, and followed Sheba” (2 Sam 20:2).

The Lord seeks sincerity in those who follow Him (Jn 4:24; 1 Tim 1:5). Just as the Israelites here were tested in their support for the God-anointed king, David, we too undergo experiences that assess how genuinely we have committed to what we claim to believe.

Of course, God knows our hearts. But perhaps we do not know ours.

No matter how aglow we claim our fire to be, one who is not rooted in Jesus will easily find his fire flicker and fade when circumstances change. This could be through a sudden cash windfall, new peers, or a new environment.

But hope isn’t lost. By giving our hearts to no one and nothing but Jesus, He will protect us from the winds of change and keep our faiths ablaze.

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