Two Camps – Part 2
May 23, 2004
Dear Friends,
Last week we spoke a little about the naming of Mahanaim or “two camps.” As any Bible student knows, the names of people and places are significant in Scripture. They help tell part of the story. As we would suspect, Mahanaim continued to live up to its name.
In Second Samuel 2, we are given the account of two battles — one staged and the other epic — between two camps. Leading up to the battles, we find that King Saul dies. His son, Ishbosheth, wants to reign in his stead even though David has already been anointed by Samuel. We read that “Abner the son of Ner, captain of Saul’s host, took Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and brought him over to Mahanaim and made him king…over all Israel.” (8,9) The tribe of Judah remains loyal to David and so we find the first division of Israel and Judah (a foreshadowing of that would occur under the reign of Rehoboam). The two opposing generals, Abner and Joab, face each other pool of Gibeon and decide on a macabre game. “They sat down, the one on the one side of the pool, and the other on the other side of the pool. And Abner said to Joab, Let the young men now arise, and play before us. And Joab said, Let them arise. Then there arose and went over by number twelve of Benjamin, which pertained to Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David. And they caught every one his fellow by the head, and thrust his sword in his fellow’s side; so they fell down together.” They follow this with a bloody battle. It ends when Abner calls to Joab and says “Shall the sword devour for ever? knowest thou not that it will be bitterness in the latter end? how long shall it be then, ere thou bid the people return from following their brethren?” (v. 26) To this Joab responds “As God liveth, unless thou hadst spoken, surely then in the morning the people had gone up every one from following his brother.” Once again the people find themselves in Mahanaim or “two camps.” “So Joab blew a trumpet, and all the people stood still, and pursued after Israel no more, neither fought they any more. And Abner and his men walked all that night through the plain, and passed over Jordan, and went through all Bithron, and they came to Mahanaim.”
Several years later, we find Mahanaim finding a significant role in Israel’s history and yet again with the theme of two camps. When King David is forced to flee from the rebellion of Absalom, the Scripture records that “David came to Mahanaim. And Absalom passed over Jordan, he and all the men of Israel with him.” Israel was once again in two camps — the camp of King David and the usurper Absalom.
Finally, we have a reference to Mahanaim in the Song of Solomon. It is worthy of note that the bride is referred to in these terms in when it says “Return, return, O Shulamite; return, return, that we may look upon thee. What will ye see in the Shulamite? As it were the company of two armies.” (6:13) Literally, it is “as it were the dance of the two camps (or Mahanaim). With the Shulamite woman representing the bride of Christ, it is disconcerting to see observers commenting about how she looks like two camps rather than one.
This brings us to the spiritual application of Mahanaim. In all of the above cases, these incidences represent brethren warring with each other when they should be united. Whether it is Israel and Judah or the bride of Christ, brethren should not be in two camps. Brethren should be together like Jacob and the angels in the camp of God not warring with each other. There is no doubt that Ishbosheths and Absaloms will come. These types of men should unite believers rather than tear them into two camps. May God bless us all in the endeavor to unite when we are apart and stay united when we are together.
Have a great week!
