JOAB: DAVID’S WEAK STRONGMAN Lesson 8 for the 20th of November, 2010

HIS PERSONAL/FAMILIAR LIFE 2 Samuel, 2 and 3 When Saul died, Abner roused to revolt Israel and nominated Ishbosheth –son of Saul– as king. Abner killed Joab’s brother –Asael– in self-defence when the armies of Ishbosheth and David battled. Later, Joab found out that Abner had made a peace treaty with David. Then, Joab asked Abner to come back to Hebron. When they met, Joab killed Abner in cold blood as revenge for the death of his brother.

YOUR PERSONAL/FAMILIAR LIFE Joab placed the interests of his family in front of the observance of God’s law (he killed to avenge his brother) When there is conflict between God’s will and your family or your own benefit, what goes first for you?

HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH HIS SUPERIORS 2 Samuel, 11 Joab received instructions from David to make Uriah the Hittite die in battle, so the honour of the king could be cleaned. Then, he unscrupulously sacrificed Uriah and some other men to obey that royal order.

YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR SUPERIORS “There was no excuse for that setback. It was a clear murder; the first person at fault was the king, and the second was Joab who carried out David’s order. The implicit obedience to one’s superiors is not a virtue if it goes against God’s will. If Joab had been a righteous man, he would have been willing to reproach David when he ordered to commit such a vile crime. He wouldn’t have sent Uriah and his men to a premature death. But David had a commander-in-chief who was unscrupulous and willing to take part in a detestable murder to please his king” (SDA Bible Commentary, on 2 Samuel, 11: 23) When there is conflict between God’s law and your superiors’ orders, do you stay strong despite the consequences?

HIS POLITICAL AMBITION 2 Samuel, 14-18 Absalom escaped to Geshuri after killing his brother. Joab tried to join Absalom and David together, as he saw that David loved Absalom. In that way, Joab could make sure to have both David’s and Absalom’s (as heir to the crown) favour. Absalom was more ambitious than Joab and prepared a coup d’état. Joab killed Absalom in that confrontation, even against David’s order. Obviously, Joab only worried about his own will and interests.

How can you learn to recognize these things in yourself? YOUR AMBITION How easy is it to let personal ambition, pride, and desire for self-supremacy motivate your actions? How can you learn to recognize these things in yourself? How can you, through God’s grace, defeat them before they lead to your ruin?

HIS EAGERNESS TO KEEP HIS JOB 2 Samuel, 20 After Absalom died, David decided to devolve the leadership of his army to his nephew Amasa. When Amasa didn’t manage to bring an army together in three days to pursue Seba, David placed Abishai at the front of the army. When Joab understood that his position as general in David’s army was in danger, he used the vilest tactics to keep it. When Amasa and Abishai met with their armies, Joab went to greet Amasa and pretended to lose his dagger. When he picked it up and got closer to his cousin, he didn’t suspect. Then, Joab stuck his dagger in him unexpectedly and killed him.

YOUR EAGERNESS TO KEEP YOUR JOB “And I saw that all labour and all achievement spring from man's envy of his neighbour. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.” Ecclesiastes, 4: 4 How is your behaviour with your workmates? Can they trust you? If your job was in danger, would you be ready to fight for it even using wrong methods?

Unfortunately, he didn’t hang on He who was represented in that altar. ASSURING HIS FUTURE 1 Kings, 1 and 2 David’s kingdom was finishing and Joab disliked Solomon, so he supported Adonijah to be the next king two times. He tried to assure his future like that, but that was his death sentence. He thought that he could save his life of wiles, murders and machinations only if he hung on the altar of burnt offering. Unfortunately, he didn’t hang on He who was represented in that altar.

ASSURING YOUR FUTURE God’s love is so boundless that He will forgive even the heaviest sinner if he repents and accepts that forgiveness. Are you willing to hang on Jesus, the true “altar of burnt offering”, to find divine forgiveness today?