“The People Stood Still” - 2 Samuel 20:12-13

There was a traffic jam “in the midst of the highway” when “all the people stood still” to look at Amasa wallowing in his own blood. This illustrates perfectly well what takes place in today’s society on highways and freeways where there is a fatal accident. Traffic comes to a standstill as the drivers and passengers begin to “rubberneck” out of morbid curiosity hoping to get a glimpse of some poor stranger wallowing in their own demise. Fact is, humans have a morbid curiosity or interest surrounding death. Death causes people to stand still.

There is a time time to slow down and take in the moment while trying to process the scene in front of you; but it isn’t the time to freeze and stand still. For the deceased life has come to a stop, but for the living, life (should) still go on.

As is seen in this passage, a man comes along (i.e. EMT/Medical Examiner) and “removed” the body “out of the highway into the field” and covered him up (i.e. white sheet), so that the people could no longer see “the man.” This removal of the body gets the people (traffic) moving again.

It doesn’t have to be death, it can be anything that is a distraction or an “attraction,” that causes you to stand still, no longer engaging in the “fight.” It won’t be until that “thing” is “covered” and “removed” out of sight and out of mind that you will begin moving again.

God’s desire for us is to continue to “pursue” in our course, our race, and our fight. There will be both physical and spiritual defeats along the way, but don’t stop. There will be friends who are deceived and smitten unawares, as Amasa was, but it isn’t the time to stand still and ponder but rather keep moving and pursue. The longer you stay “idle” the more likely it is that you will become the one needing to be covered and removed from the highway of life into the field of death.

Consider: Hebrews 12:1-3