I apologize for not making a Bible study post yesterday. My inner ear disorder was acting up pretty badly and I'm not able to look at computer screens or really do any reading when that's happening. I missed us getting to study together yesterday.
Today is our final segment on the return of David to Jerusalem after he had to flee the city when Absalom and his men were approaching it to take over the city and the palace. For the safety of the city's citizens, as well as for his own safety and that of his family and officers and officials, David went across the Jordan River. But now that Absalom is dead and his supporters defeated in battle, David has been asked by a majority of his countrymen to return to Jerusalem to resume his reign.
We've been studying those who came down to greet him at the river and escort him across. A large number of men from his own tribe of Judah came down, along with Shimei the Benjamite who was accompanied by a thousand men, also Ziba the former servant of King Saul with his fifteen sons and twenty servants, plus Mephibosheth the grandson of King Saul. Next is a man we met in Chapter 17 called Barzillai. Barzillai is one of the men who brought supplies to Mahanaim for David and his people. "Barzillai the Gileadite also came down from Rogelim to cross the Jordan with the king and to send him on his way from there. Now Barzillai was very old, eighty years of age. He had provided for the king during his stay in Mahanaim, for he was a very wealthy man." (2 Samuel 19:31-32) This man has been blessed by the Lord and in return he has been a blessing to the Lord's anointed king and to those with the king.
David wants to reward Barzillai for his goodness toward him. Not only did he provide supplies but he's come in person twice to see David, and as we'll see from his own statement shortly, he has several age-related issues that make it hard for him to be able to do much at all. Yet he made the effort to personally deliver supplies to David at Mahanaim and in today's text he makes the effort to come down to the Jordan River to cross it with David and "send him on his way from there", which likely means he's brought more supplies. David is touched by how much this man cares about him and the people with him. "The king said to Barzillai, 'Cross over with me and stay with me in Jerusalem, and I will provide for you.'" (2 Samuel 19:33)
Barzillai appreciates the offer to live at the palace but declines it. He feels he is too feeble to be of any use to the king and if the king is going to let him live in the royal household he wants to be of valuable service to him. "But Barzillai answered the king, 'How many more years will I live, that I should go up to Jerusalem with the king? I am now eighty years old. Can I tell the difference between what is enjoyable and what is not? Can your servant taste what he eats and drinks? Can I still hear the voices of male and female singers? Why should your servant be an added burden to my lord the king? Your servant will cross over the Jordan with the king for a short distance, but why should the king reward me in this way? Let your servant return, that I may die in my own town near the tomb of my father and mother. But here is your servant Kimham. Let him cross over with my lord the king. Do for him whatever you wish.' The king said, 'Kimham shall cross over with me, and I will do for him whatever you wish. And anything you desire from me I will do for you.'" (2 Samuel 19:34-38)
The general consensus among most Bible scholars is that Kimham is Barzillai's son. That is my assumption as well. When Barzillai refers to Kimham as David's "servant" he means it in the same sense as he refers to himself as a servant; we could substitute the word "subject" there, for the they are the loyal subjects of the king. Kimham is not a literal servant, for we could hardly expect Barzillai to ask David to take a servant into his household and treat him like royalty. I believe the best interpretation is that Kimham is Barzillai's son who came down to the Jordan River with him and that Kimham will now go to Jerusalem with David to live in the royal household and serve him in some official capacity.
"So all the people crossed the Jordan, and then the king crossed over." (2 Samuel 19:39a) You'll recall that when David left Jerusalem he was the last to make his exit, making sure everyone else got safely on their way ahead of him. He does the same thing when crossing the Jordan.
"The king kissed Barzillai and bid him farewell, and Barzillai returned to his home. When the king crossed over to Gilgal, Kimham crossed with him. All the troops of Judah and half the troops of Israel had taken the king over." (2 Samuel 19:39b-40) David will scarcely be across the river before the men of the ten northern tribes initiate a dispute with the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. I believe David's crossing of the Jordan, and the crossing of those with him, was done in a celebratory mood. But then almost immediately an argument breaks out because the ten northern tribes feel that preferential treatment was given to the men of the two southern tribes. As so often happens after a great victory, that old thief Satan slithers up and tries to steal the joy from the moment. He enjoys kicking people when they're down but he sometimes has more success with sneaking up on people when they're celebrating a victory. That's because a person celebrating a victory may let their guard down, whereas a person in the thick of trouble may be more intently focused on the Lord. In tomorrow's text we'll find a rebellion taking place. David won't have even a moment to relax in the palace and enjoy a sigh of relief. The prophet Nathan predicted that the remainder of David's life and reign would be this way. But because David always places his hope in the Lord and always finds his strength in the Lord, he is able to keep moving forward no matter what comes his way.
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