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Two things I'm learning on these posts, with a little spiritual value: One, that Joab is beginning to be the "anti-wisdom", and two, every time I think I can shorten the story, God says no.
We are in 2 Samuel 20, and we start our story with a little lead in. Last week, we saw Joab talk David, against his inclinations, to let David's son Absalom back into Jerusalem. As we move on, Absalom pays back this grace by raising a rebellion- strike #1 against Joab and his family. The revolt is put down harshly, but in the course of it, Joab's younger brother is killed by Absalom's general, Amasa. Amasa tried not to kill him, but the boy kept coming despite three warnings, and ended up pinioned on the blunt edge of Amasa's spear. Family mess-up #2. The third one is when the war was over, David made peace by accepting Amasa into his army. This didn't fly with Joab, and on the way to doing something else, he treacherously killed Amasa.
So having figured out that even if he disobeyed David's command- as he did both last week AND by killing Absalom when David ordered him taken alive (MIstake #4) - nothing of note would happen to him, he didn't even bother to let David in on the latest murder. But now, God's earthly justice kicks in. Two weeks ago, Barak hesitated and lost the glory in the battle against Sisera to a woman. Last week, Joab GAVE the glory of the story to a woman. And in what happens next, Joab again hands the glory that might have been his over to a woman.
After the revolt, a "worthless man" of Benjamin named Sheba raised the next flag of revolt. He called on the tribes of Israel -except for David's tribe of Judah- to abandon David and pick their own king. Problem was, when Joab and his remaining brother gathered the forces of Judah, Sheba hot footed it to what he believed was a friendly town to him, called Abel of Beth-Maacah.
So Joab laid siege to the town, and then this happened:
2Sa 20:16 Then a wise woman called from the city, “Listen! Listen! Tell Joab, ‘Come here, that I may speak to you.’”
2Sa 20:17 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.”
2Sa 20:18 Then she said, “They used to say in former times, ‘Let them but ask counsel at Abel,’ and so they settled a matter.
2Sa 20:19 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?”
Now, Joab wasn't a bad man- in his own mind. And, he'd cooled down his wrath after getting "revenge" on Amasa, so he was willing to listen.
2Sa 20:20 Joab answered, “Far be it from me, far be it, that I should swallow up or destroy!
2Sa 20:21 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.”
Somewhere along the line, the "all Israel" that had followed Sheba had dwindled to just himself. And this wise woman went back to the city...
2Sa 20:22 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.
So some idiots had stayed with Sheba... but they weren't brave enough to argue with the people of the town, let alone face Joab's army. And Joab got to go home and tell David the problem was solved...though, once again, it wasn't by anything HE did. So what do we get from this?
In Proverbs, we will find that there are three kinds of people who shun the Wisdom of God. First there are the simple, those who just don't know any better. They just follow the loudest voice they hear, with little desire to actually think things through. That would be the idiots who followed Sheba just to see him do the Headless Horseman bit. Second is the fool- "who says in his heart, 'There is no God' ." This would be Sheba. David was clearly God's man; Sheba went against him anyway. Given time, he might have learned the error of his ways- but not all fools are granted that time.
Finally, you have the Scoffer- he knows there's a God, but he doesn't care. He is his own god, doing things his own way. That is Joab. He makes a pretense at being loyal to David, but really is only loyal to himself. And just like the simple, the fools and the scoffers of this day, God gives them every chance to repent. But just as one day the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ, will come back to destroy the destroyers, it was left to Solomon- whose very name means peace- to get rid of Joab once and for all. Mainly because Joab came up with dumb mistake #5- supporting Adonijah for king instead of Solomon, And the really ironic thing was HOW he died...
1Ki 2:28 When the news came to Joab—for Joab had supported Adonijah although he had not supported Absalom—Joab fled to the tent of the LORD and caught hold of the horns of the altar.
1Ki 2:29 And when it was told King Solomon, “Joab has fled to the tent of the LORD, and behold, he is beside the altar,” Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, saying, “Go, strike him down.”
1Ki 2:30 So Benaiah came to the tent of the LORD and said to him, “The king commands, ‘Come out.’” But he said, “No, I will die here.” Then Benaiah brought the king word again, saying, “Thus said Joab, and thus he answered me.”
1Ki 2:31 The king replied to him, “Do as he has said, strike him down and bury him, and thus take away from me and from my father's house the guilt for the blood that Joab shed without cause.
Died hoping for safety from a God he never recognized. And God accepted Joab's decision that HE didn't care- God didn't care for him, either.
