2 samuel 19-20

Read 2 Samuel 19-20 at Bible Gateway.

Remember the fourfold restitution that David pronounced upon the rich man who stole the poor man’s lamb? The death of Absalom is the fourth restitution. The first was the son borne by Bathsheba, the second was the rape of Tamar, the third was the death of Amnon by Absalom’s hand, and the fourth was the death of Absalom by Joab’s hand.

Now Shimei the son of Gera fell down before the king when he had crossed the Jordan. Then he said to the king, “Do not let my lord impute iniquity to me, or remember what wrong your servant did on the day that my lord the king left Jerusalem, that the king should take it to heart. For I, your servant, know that I have sinned. Therefore here I am, the first to come today of all the house of Joseph to go down to meet my lord the king.” 2 Sam 19:18-20

2 Sam 19 is interesting, because a distinction is made between the house of Judah and the house of Joseph. Judah and Joseph – have we seen these two highlighted before in Scripture, LOL? When King David came back over the Jordan, to be reinstated in Jerusalem, the first to meet him was Shimei, who had cursed him when he left Jerusalem. He fell down before the king, confessed his sin, and asked for mercy with these words: Do not impute iniquity to me.

How interesting that this man who came to meet King David, who is a type of King Yeshua, was the first of the house of Joseph asking for mercy (for he was a Benjamite, but Benjamin was the brother of Joseph). I believe it was prophetic that he allied himself with the house of Joseph in this way. And then there was a little jealousy between the house of Judah and the house of Joseph over the king:

Now the king went on to Gilgal, and Chimham went on with him. And all the people of Judah escorted the king, and also half the people of Israel. Just then all the men of Israel came to the king, and said to the king, “Why have our brethren, the men of Judah, stolen you away and brought the king, his household, and all David’s men with him across the Jordan?” So all the men of Judah answered the men of Israel, “Because the king is a close relative of ours. Why then are you angry over this matter? Have we ever eaten at the king’s  expense? Or has he given us any gift?” And the men of Israel answered the men of Judah, and said, “We have ten shares in the king; therefore we also have more right to David than you. Why then do you despise us—were we not the first to advise bringing back our king?” Yet the words of the men of Judah were fiercer than the words of the men of Israel. 2 Sam 19:40-43

What do the men of Israel mean, when they say they have ten shares in the king? Israel is represented by ten tribes, when Judah is taken out of the equation (as he is in this passage – remember that Levi has no inheritance in Israel, for the LORD God is his inheritance): Reuben, Simeon, Gad, Ephraim, Manasseh, Zebulun, Issachar, Asher, Dan, Naphtali. What about Benjamin? Well, Shimei, who cursed David, was a Benjamite, who allied himself with the house of Joseph, thus Israel. And in 2 Sam 20, another Benjamite raised up a rebellion against David, which pitted Israel against Judah, so at this time it seems as if Benjamin saw himself as part of the house of Israel and part of the ten shares. In that case, Ephraim and Manasseh are combined and called Joseph, so that there are ten tribes on one side and Judah on the other side.

We must remember that King David is a type of Messiah Yeshua. This splitting up of all Israel into ten on one side, called Israel (Joseph or Ephraim as the head) and Judah on the other side, is prophetic. Even the quarrel among them over the king, and who has a right to the king, Israel (Joseph) or Judah, is prophetic, if you consider that the king represents Messiah Yeshua by type.

Jacob said of Ephraim when he blessed him and prophesied over him, that he would become a fullness of Gentiles (Gen 48:19).  But if we consider Jacob’s prophecy, and equate Ephraim, Joseph, or Israel with Gentiles (for the ten tribes were dispersed among the Gentiles), and Judah with Jews (for today’s Jews did come from Judah), then the history prophesies, that the Gentiles were the first to fall down before King Yeshua and confess their sin, and ask that He not impute their iniquity to them, and King Yeshua’s response to them was and will be: You shall not die.

When Judah also receives Messiah Yeshua as king, there will be a little jealousy between Judah (Jews) and Joseph (Gentiles) over Him; however, Messiah Yeshua will put it to rest, and all Israel (i.e., all God’s covenant people, Gentiles and Jews alike) will be one under Yeshua’s kingship.