Joab is greatly used in bringing about unity and quiet in Israel, but uses the arm of flesh. Poor David is still lost in his emotions, but listens to Joab’s sound advice when required.
2 Samuel 19: Joab Rebukes David
1 It was told Joab, "Behold, the king is weeping and mourning for Absalom."
2 So the victory that day was turned into mourning for all the people, for the people heard that day, "The king is grieving for his son."
3 And the people stole into the city that day as people steal in who are ashamed when they flee in battle.
4 The king covered his face, and the king cried with a loud voice, "O my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son!"
5 Then Joab came into the house to the king and said, "You have today covered with shame the faces of all your servants, who have this day saved your life and the lives of your sons and your daughters and the lives of your wives and your concubines,
6 because you love those who hate you and hate those who love you. For you have made it clear today that commanders and servants are nothing to you, for today I know that if Absalom were alive and all of us were dead today, then you would be pleased.
7 Now therefore arise, go out and speak kindly to your servants, for I swear by the LORD, if you do not go, not a man will stay with you this night, and this will be worse for you than all the evil that has come upon you from your youth until now."
8 Then the king arose and took his seat in the gate. And the people were all told, "Behold, the king is sitting in the gate." And all the people came before the king.
David Returns to Jerusalem Now Israel had fled every man to his own home.
9 And all the people were arguing throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, "The king delivered us from the hand of our enemies and saved us from the hand of the Philistines, and now he has fled out of the land from Absalom.
10 But Absalom, whom we anointed over us, is dead in battle. Now therefore why do you say nothing about bringing the king back?"
11 And King David sent this message to Zadok and Abiathar the priests: "Say to the elders of Judah, 'Why should you be the last to bring the king back to his house, when the word of all Israel has come to the king?
12 You are my brothers; you are my bone and my flesh. Why then should you be the last to bring back the king?'
13 And say to Amasa, 'Are you not my bone and my flesh? God do so to me and more also, if you are not commander of my army from now on in place of Joab.'"
14 And he swayed the heart of all the men of Judah as one man, so that they sent word to the king, "Return, both you and all your servants."
15 So the king came back to the Jordan, and Judah came to Gilgal to meet the king and to bring the king over the Jordan.
David Pardons His Enemies
16 And Shimei the son of Gera, the Benjaminite, from Bahurim, hurried to come down with the men of Judah to meet King David.
17 And with him were a thousand men from Benjamin. And Ziba the servant of the house of Saul, with his fifteen sons and his twenty servants, rushed down to the Jordan before the king,
18 and they crossed the ford to bring over the king's household and to do his pleasure. And Shimei the son of Gera fell down before the king, as he was about to cross the Jordan,
19 and said to the king, "Let not my lord hold me guilty or remember how your servant did wrong on the day my lord the king left Jerusalem. Do not let the king take it to heart.
20 For your servant knows that I have sinned. Therefore, behold, I have come this day, the first of all the house of Joseph to come down to meet my lord the king."
21 Abishai the son of Zeruiah answered, "Shall not Shimei be put to death for this, because he cursed the LORD's anointed?"
22 But David said, "What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah, that you should this day be as an adversary to me? Shall anyone be put to death in Israel this day? For do I not know that I am this day king over Israel?"
23 And the king said to Shimei, "You shall not die." And the king gave him his oath.
24 And Mephibosheth the son of Saul came down to meet the king. He had neither taken care of his feet nor trimmed his beard nor washed his clothes, from the day the king departed until the day he came back in safety.
25 And when he came to Jerusalem to meet the king, the king said to him, "Why did you not go with me, Mephibosheth?"
26 He answered, "My lord, O king, my servant deceived me, for your servant said to him, 'I will saddle a donkey for myself, that I may ride on it and go with the king.' For your servant is lame.
27 He has slandered your servant to my lord the king. But my lord the king is like the angel of God; do therefore what seems good to you.
28 For all my father's house were but men doomed to death before my lord the king, but you set your servant among those who eat at your table. What further right have I, then, to cry to the king?"
29 And the king said to him, "Why speak any more of your affairs? I have decided: you and Ziba shall divide the land."
30 And Mephibosheth said to the king, "Oh, let him take it all, since my lord the king has come safely home."
31 Now Barzillai the Gileadite had come down from Rogelim, and he went on with the king to the Jordan, to escort him over the Jordan.
32 Barzillai was a very aged man, eighty years old. He had provided the king with food while he stayed at Mahanaim, for he was a very wealthy man.
33 And the king said to Barzillai, "Come over with me, and I will provide for you with me in Jerusalem."
34 But Barzillai said to the king, "How many years have I still to live, that I should go up with the king to Jerusalem?
35 I am this day eighty years old. Can I discern what is pleasant and what is not? Can your servant taste what he eats or what he drinks? Can I still listen to the voice of singing men and singing women? Why then should your servant be an added burden to my lord the king?
36 Your servant will go a little way over the Jordan with the king. Why should the king repay me with such a reward?
37 Please let your servant return, that I may die in my own city near the grave of my father and my mother. But here is your servant Chimham. Let him go over with my lord the king, and do for him whatever seems good to you."
38 And the king answered, "Chimham shall go over with me, and I will do for him whatever seems good to you, and all that you desire of me I will do for you."
39 Then all the people went over the Jordan, and the king went over. And the king kissed Barzillai and blessed him, and he returned to his own home.
40 The king went on to Gilgal, and Chimham went on with him. All the people of Judah, and also half the people of Israel, brought the king on his way.
41 Then all the men of Israel came to the king and said to the king, "Why have our brothers the men of Judah stolen you away and brought the king and his household over the Jordan, and all David's men with him?"
42 All the men of Judah answered the men of Israel, "Because the king is our close relative. Why then are you angry over this matter? Have we eaten at all at the king's expense? Or has he given us any gift?"
43 And the men of Israel answered the men of Judah, "We have ten shares in the king, and in David also we have more than you. Why then did you despise us? Were we not the first to speak of bringing back our king?" But the words of the men of Judah were fiercer than the words of the men of Israel.
2 Samuel 20: The Rebellion of Sheba
1 Now there happened to be there a worthless man, whose name was Sheba, the son of Bichri, a Benjaminite. And he blew the trumpet and said, "We have no portion in David, and we have no inheritance in the son of Jesse; every man to his tents, O Israel!"
2 So all the men of Israel withdrew from David and followed Sheba the son of Bichri. But the men of Judah followed their king steadfastly from the Jordan to Jerusalem.
3 And David came to his house at Jerusalem. And the king took the ten concubines whom he had left to care for the house and put them in a house under guard and provided for them, but did not go in to them. So they were shut up until the day of their death, living as if in widowhood.
4 Then the king said to Amasa, "Call the men of Judah together to me within three days, and be here yourself."
5 So Amasa went to summon Judah, but he delayed beyond the set time that had been appointed him.
6 And David said to Abishai, "Now Sheba the son of Bichri will do us more harm than Absalom. Take your lord's servants and pursue him, lest he get himself to fortified cities and escape from us."
7 And there went out after him Joab's men and the Cherethites and the Pelethites, and all the mighty men. They went out from Jerusalem to pursue Sheba the son of Bichri.
8 When they were at the great stone that is in Gibeon, Amasa came to meet them. Now Joab was wearing a soldier's garment, and over it was a belt with a sword in its sheath fastened on his thigh, and as he went forward it fell out.
9 And Joab said to Amasa, "Is it well with you, my brother?" And Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him.
10 But Amasa did not observe the sword that was in Joab's hand. So Joab struck him with it in the stomach and spilled his entrails to the ground without striking a second blow, and he died. Then Joab and Abishai his brother pursued Sheba the son of Bichri.
11 And one of Joab's young men took his stand by Amasa and said, "Whoever favours Joab, and whoever is for David, let him follow Joab."
12 And Amasa lay wallowing in his blood in the highway. And anyone who came by, seeing him, stopped. And when the man saw that all the people stopped, he carried Amasa out of the highway into the field and threw a garment over him.
13 When he was taken out of the highway, all the people went on after Joab to pursue Sheba the son of Bichri.
14 And Sheba passed through all the tribes of Israel to Abel of Beth-maacah, and all the Bichrites assembled and followed him in.
15 And all the men who were with Joab came and besieged him in Abel of Beth-maacah. They cast up a mound against the city, and it stood against the rampart, and they were battering the wall to throw it down.
16 Then a wise woman called from the city, "Listen! Listen! Tell Joab, 'Come here, that I may speak to you.'"
17 And he came near her, and the woman said, "Are you Joab?" He answered, "I am." Then she said to him, "Listen to the words of your servant." And he answered, "I am listening."
18 Then she said, "They used to say in former times, 'Let them but ask counsel at Abel,' and so they settled a matter.
19 I am one of those who are peaceable and faithful in Israel. You seek to destroy a city that is a mother in Israel. Why will you swallow up the heritage of the LORD?"
20 Joab answered, "Far be it from me, far be it, that I should swallow up or destroy!
21 That is not true. But a man of the hill country of Ephraim, called Sheba the son of Bichri, has lifted up his hand against King David. Give up him alone, and I will withdraw from the city." And the woman said to Joab, "Behold, his head shall be thrown to you over the wall."
22 Then the woman went to all the people in her wisdom. And they cut off the head of Sheba the son of Bichri and threw it out to Joab. So he blew the trumpet, and they dispersed from the city, every man to his home. And Joab returned to Jerusalem to the king.
23 Now Joab was in command of all the army of Israel; and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was in command of the Cherethites and the Pelethites;
24 and Adoram was in charge of the forced labour; and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was the recorder;
25 and Sheva was secretary; and Zadok and Abiathar were priests;
26 and Ira the Jairite was also David's priest.
Things to think about…
1. Joab intrigues me as a man. He is an interesting character to study. Sometimes his wisdom, insight and discernment are a wonder to behold. Yet he can be a brutal and cruel man at other times. He is the man who wisely dealt with Absalom by going against the king’s command, yet David is grieving the loss of his son more than in rejoicing that his throne, the people and his family are restored. Joab shows David his folly. Joab slaps David out of his emotional spiral and basically tells him to ‘man up’. Joab tells David “go out and speak kindly to your servants, for I swear by the LORD, if you do not go, not a man will stay with you this night, and this will be worse for you than all the evil that has come upon you from your youth until now”, 2Sam 19:7. This was a true statement. Joab had had enough of David’s emotional insolence. David listens to his advice and the people return. Sometimes our hurt and emotional grief can cloud our judgement. Praise God for faithful guides that show us the error of our ways.
2. David was hurting over Joab’s unfaithfulness to him when he killed his son Absalom. David unwisely writes to Amasa and says he will be appointed as commander over the army instead of Joab, 2Sam 19:13 – bad move. Joab is not only the most experienced commander David has, but has been instrumental in all Israel’s victories including the defeat of Amasa and his command over Absalom’s army. Joab is also a shrewd military leader. David has effectively signed Amasa’s death warrant. Joab will not tolerate rebellion and dissention to the king and his authority, nor will he tolerate someone taking his position as commander. Joab kills Amasa by deceit, 2 Sam 20:10. David again makes a decision with his emotions rather than thinking through the likely consequences of those decisions. May the Lord give us all wisdom before we open our mouths and say something that we will later regret.
3. David tells his faithful priests Zadok and Abiathar (Abathiar would later turn against David as Ahithophel did) to send the word out to all Judah that they should bring back the king. David forgives the people, even though many of them turned towards Absalom. There is wisdom in any leader who can unite a team that has been divided. It is not always possible, but always desired.
4. It is interesting how David deals with one who openly cursed him – Shimei, whom he forgives. But we also see Mephibosheth who was duped by his servant Ziba – is restored to David. Barzillai the aged faithful servant of David who gave so much of his own wealth to see that the king was provided for while in the wilderness is blessed by David, 2 Sam19:39. David had such a big heart for the people. He was quick to forgive and restore. In this way he truly is a type of Christ.
5. Judah and the other ten tribes of Israel are obviously strained at this point. Judah welcomes back David and shut Israel out to a great degree. The text says ‘But the words of the men of Judah were fiercer than the words of the men of Israel.’ 2 Sam19:43. What a shame it is when we feel we have to shout or raise our voice and push an agenda through. David had to feel the weight of all of this as his moral wickedness as the leader of the family and nation had been the impetus of all this grief. May we each own our sin and acknowledge the harm that it causes others that we have an influence on.
6. What an indictment; Sheba the son of Bichri is described in the scriptures as ‘a worthless man’, 2 Sam 20:1. He was a Benjamite, the same as King Saul before him. Coming from Benjamin, which is near Judah, he should have been close to the king, yet he rebelled against the king. Amasa the supposedly new commander of Israel delays in gathering Judah together. This was a career limited and a life limiting move, 2Sam 20:5. This allows Joab an opportunity to deal with the king’s unwise appointment, 2Sam 20:9, 10, albeit by deceit. Amasa may well have delayed because his heart was not entirely for allowing David to remain on the throne. While Joab is ruthless and cruel, he is loyal to the house of David.
7. Joab’s young soldier is a wise man, 2Sam 20:11,12. People were being distracted by the sight of Amasa and his blood rather than pursuing Sheba. This happens when there has been an accident on the highway and when emergency services have arrived even the traffic on the other side of the highway slows down to have a look. Not safe or productive.
8. Sheba runs to the town of Abel where a wise woman quotes the historical culture of that town as being a town of counsel and wisdom, 2 Sam 20:18. She uses this town’s heritage to appeal to Joab to save her ‘a mother in Israel’ and the city known for its wisdom. Joab listens and she in her wisdom speaks to the townsfolk and the head of Bichri the ‘worthless man’ is thrown over the wall to Joab. Joab and the army retreat. Ecclesiastes 9:14-18 is a good commentary for this story; the only difference is that the wise character is a woman and not a man. Praise God for wise people who work behind the scenes to bring about peace, unity and the Lord’s favour in the church.
9. The trumpet is blown and finally there is peace in Israel, 2Sam 20:22. One day, the heavenly trumpet will sound and there will be peace forevermore and our King’s throne of peace will endure forever, Mt 24:31,1Cor15:52, 1Thess 4:16.
10. Order is restored to Israel, 2 Sam 20:23-26. Joab is once again the commander of the army as he should have been. Others are over the labour force and the recording of events and orderly worship. Such is the case in any healthy church. Gifted leaders must be appointed to roles where they have their skill set. Things don’t run well when those who have a gift are not appointed to the roles associated with their gifting.
Vision Point for cell groups
CBC’s Vision :- To be a growing biblical church community, significantly influencing our city and beyond, through intentional outreach, fulfilling our mission.
The reading for Sunday came from 2 Samuel 12:1-15.
1. Often we don’t see things others see. Jay used the example of the “74” in the colour-blind example. He couldn’t see the number distinctly until it was pointed out. We see Nathan convince David of his sin with Bathsheba. What process does he use to convince him? Have you ever employed this style and logic to convince people of something you believe to be true?
2. The immediate effects of David sin as declared by Nathan the prophet start straight away. The child dies. The child was innocent. Yet God took him. Innocent people, especially children feel the effects of the sins of their parents. How do we remedy this? Discuss.
3. The encouraging news is that Nathan had told David in vs 13 “"The LORD also has put away your sin; you shall not die.” This amazing grace is giving to all those who have accepted Christ as their Saviour from sin. There is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus. Do you live in this freedom?
4. We all need spiritual mentors like Nathan in our lives. Do you have one? More than this, do you have someone that encourages you – like a Barnabas, as well as someone you are teaching like Paul did for Timothy?
Prayer Points
1. Clarity of life and freedoms through to the end of the year.
2. Pray for testimonies that people will be doing every second week. Please consider when you would like to do yours when the pastor asks you to share yours 😉
3. Pray for other building projects – café roof, the repair of the house roof and solar.
4. Growth, conversions, joy in the Word and Spirit to remain and increase.
Praise Points.
1. Solar on the roof, working very well and saving the church money
2. Ability to meet this Sunday, albeit with masks.
3. New visitors to the church on Sunday.
4. The unity and grace on display at CBC.
Announcements
1. Creation ministries International – Dr Don Batton will be presenting at the church. 6pm this Sunday night, 22nd August. The café will be open from 5:30pm.
2. Masks to be worn this Sunday. Freedom in the café.
3. PlayPatch for toddlers at church, Fridays 9:30-11am. Please get the word out. See Maddison for details.
4. Recharge Youth – 6:30-8:30pm. Parents to contact Melinda for details.
5. Church bank details bsb:- 704 913 and Acc number:- 4000 4388 1
