Not only was David’s own son Absalom a traitor, but he was joined by Sheba and Shimei, men who wanted to further their own agendas. Add to these deceptive characters, Ziba, a servant of Mephibosheth, whose goal was to have the kingdom of King Saul. These men owed their livelihood to King David, and yet they thumbed their noses at him and his protection.
What is a traitor? Why, throughout history, were those guilty of it punishable by death in any country in the world? Treason is a crime which undermines the offender’s government. It is disloyalty by virtue of subversive behavior. It is a deliberate betrayal. It is treachery against the authorities set up by God.
Treason has usually been punishable by death even in modern times, although recently some traitors have been allowed to leave the country which they betrayed and never come back. The US Constitution (1791) states, “No person shall be convicted of Treason unless on the Testimony of two Witnesses to the same overt Act, or on Confession in open court.” (Notice the allusion to Deut. 17:6; Deut. 19:15; Matt. 18:16; 2 Cor. 13:1; 1 Tim. 5:19; Heb. 10:28.)
Other common words for treason are: breach of promise, breach of trust, breach of faith, disloyalty, apostasy, faithlessness, sedition, revolution and betrayal. These are all words with which we are familiar. Have we not seen such actions in every walk of life?
When an unfaithful spouse betrays the other in the marriage vows and commits adultery against the mate, what should the punishment be? Under the Old Testament law, the adulterous mate would have been put to death at the mouth of two witnesses. In this century, should we not take more seriously the crime of betrayal in any covenant? May God help us to see the seriousness of being treacherous in breaking our marriage contracts.
“Yet ye say, Wherefore? Because the LORD hath been witness between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt treacherously: yet is she thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant. And did not he make one? Yet had he the residue of the spirit. And wherefore one? That he might seek a godly seed. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth. For the LORD, the God of Israel, saith that he hateth putting away: for one covereth violence with his garment, saith the LORD of hosts: therefore take heed to your spirit, that ye deal not treacherously” (Mal. 2:14-16).