Joab Saves David's Kingdom by Slaying Absolom in Defiance of David's Order
Monday, November 29, 2004
The Lesson of Joab
Joab was the consummate right-hand-man of David, King of Israel. Joab was not only obedient, submissive, and loyal to David, but he counseled, even manipulated, David to do the right thing. I’m reminded of His trick put to David through the woman from Tekoa in 2 Samuel 14. Joab shows David that he should allow Absolom back into the country even though Absolom had murdered Amnon, his own half-brother who had raped Absolom’s full sister. Later, Joab actually kills Absolom in defiance of David’s order because it is needful to keep the kingdom together.
The most self-deferential act that I see Joab making was at the city of Rabbah. First, David has Joab send Uriah to the front line leading the attack and retreat from him in an open act of murder. Shortly thereafter, Joab sends word to David that he has captured the water supply to the city and it is ready to fall. Joab tells David to bring men and attack the city so that David takes it rather than Joab. Joab, knowing the ineptness of David and his pathetic rule over Israel…and even his recent sin…is submitted to the man that the Lord chose to rule. He is even dedicated to enhancing and advancing David with all his might.
How much can we prideful, self-righteous, malcontents learn from the successes of Joab? His loyalty was beyond question; therefore, he was a great counselor, warrior, and advocate for a man after God’s own heart.
Joab was the consummate right-hand-man of David, King of Israel. Joab was not only obedient, submissive, and loyal to David, but he counseled, even manipulated, David to do the right thing. I’m reminded of His trick put to David through the woman from Tekoa in 2 Samuel 14. Joab shows David that he should allow Absolom back into the country even though Absolom had murdered Amnon, his own half-brother who had raped Absolom’s full sister. Later, Joab actually kills Absolom in defiance of David’s order because it is needful to keep the kingdom together.
The most self-deferential act that I see Joab making was at the city of Rabbah. First, David has Joab send Uriah to the front line leading the attack and retreat from him in an open act of murder. Shortly thereafter, Joab sends word to David that he has captured the water supply to the city and it is ready to fall. Joab tells David to bring men and attack the city so that David takes it rather than Joab. Joab, knowing the ineptness of David and his pathetic rule over Israel…and even his recent sin…is submitted to the man that the Lord chose to rule. He is even dedicated to enhancing and advancing David with all his might.
How much can we prideful, self-righteous, malcontents learn from the successes of Joab? His loyalty was beyond question; therefore, he was a great counselor, warrior, and advocate for a man after God’s own heart.
Saturday, November 27, 2004
Lessons From the Deer
I hadn’t hunted in probably 15 years before this year, but I decided to get out and make time for it. When I was a kid, I was a kid, and consequently, I got my first deer ever last night. It was an average doe (probably 2 years old). I learned a couple of things from hunting…
1. It is always easier to endure hardship if there is an end in sight. I despise hunting in the morning, and it took me a while to realize that the reason was that I decide arbitrarily when I’m going to come in from the hunt. Every moment standing in the freezing cold is my own volition and I could just leave if I wanted to. In the evening, I know that eventually I have to come in. As it gets darker and darker, I can see the end approaching,,and I can endure that next 10 or 15 minutes.
This same phenomenon is true in other areas. I can endure the pain and shock of a doctor’s needle if I know it’s about to end. I can endure a horrible job or difficult circumstance if I can see the end in sight. It’s when there is no end in sight that man becomes hopeless and despondent.
2. There is something about actually killing a deer. I’ve hunted many times and for many different things. I’ve gotten many different types of game animals, but the deer is the largest thing I’ve ever killed. There is something of a feeling a greater responsibility or a rite of passage. It has a calming, foot grounding effect. Once in a while every man passes a point where he steps to a new kind of manhood. Those who don’t experience this remain children all their lives. These events might be a fight, a promotion, a lose, a death, a birthday or some other dramatic event. Women may grow up gradually, but men grow up in chunks. We mature in fits and starts.
I hadn’t hunted in probably 15 years before this year, but I decided to get out and make time for it. When I was a kid, I was a kid, and consequently, I got my first deer ever last night. It was an average doe (probably 2 years old). I learned a couple of things from hunting…
1. It is always easier to endure hardship if there is an end in sight. I despise hunting in the morning, and it took me a while to realize that the reason was that I decide arbitrarily when I’m going to come in from the hunt. Every moment standing in the freezing cold is my own volition and I could just leave if I wanted to. In the evening, I know that eventually I have to come in. As it gets darker and darker, I can see the end approaching,,and I can endure that next 10 or 15 minutes.
This same phenomenon is true in other areas. I can endure the pain and shock of a doctor’s needle if I know it’s about to end. I can endure a horrible job or difficult circumstance if I can see the end in sight. It’s when there is no end in sight that man becomes hopeless and despondent.
2. There is something about actually killing a deer. I’ve hunted many times and for many different things. I’ve gotten many different types of game animals, but the deer is the largest thing I’ve ever killed. There is something of a feeling a greater responsibility or a rite of passage. It has a calming, foot grounding effect. Once in a while every man passes a point where he steps to a new kind of manhood. Those who don’t experience this remain children all their lives. These events might be a fight, a promotion, a lose, a death, a birthday or some other dramatic event. Women may grow up gradually, but men grow up in chunks. We mature in fits and starts.
Tuesday, November 23, 2004
Burned Good
This week I made a serious mistake which caused me to step back and evaluate the road I have been traveling. I received an email request from someone, and I forwarded the request to my boss with exceedingly frank comments regarding my opinion of the matter. A little later, I was checking my email and discovered that rather than forwarding the request to my boss I had replied to the requester’s original message. I was devastated.
There is always a need to be extra cordial in public, but sometimes this can lead to a duality in our lives. I looked back and saw a number of recent incidents where I was acting very cordial and non-confrontation to a person’s face, but behind the scenes I was anything from upset, disappointed to even brutally dismissive. I had spent time prejudging and even spreading my prejudices rather than simply going to the person in compassion and love and getting to the heart of the matter.
In my experience and observation, this seed of devilry never remains hidden for too long. Our true colors eventually come out. It is much better to govern our thoughts and tongues at all times…then we never have to worry about who we’re with or who we sent that email to.
I got burned…but there was a rose in it
This week I made a serious mistake which caused me to step back and evaluate the road I have been traveling. I received an email request from someone, and I forwarded the request to my boss with exceedingly frank comments regarding my opinion of the matter. A little later, I was checking my email and discovered that rather than forwarding the request to my boss I had replied to the requester’s original message. I was devastated.
There is always a need to be extra cordial in public, but sometimes this can lead to a duality in our lives. I looked back and saw a number of recent incidents where I was acting very cordial and non-confrontation to a person’s face, but behind the scenes I was anything from upset, disappointed to even brutally dismissive. I had spent time prejudging and even spreading my prejudices rather than simply going to the person in compassion and love and getting to the heart of the matter.
In my experience and observation, this seed of devilry never remains hidden for too long. Our true colors eventually come out. It is much better to govern our thoughts and tongues at all times…then we never have to worry about who we’re with or who we sent that email to.
I got burned…but there was a rose in it
Tuesday, November 16, 2004
DEATHBED CONVERSIONS
Then Jesus said to His disciples, If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life shall lose it, and whoever desires to lose his life for My sake shall find it. For what is a man profited if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man shall come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He shall reward each one according to his works.
(Mat 16:24-27)
While it is impossible for you or I to know the true hearts of others, in fact, the Bible is clear that it is impossible to know even our own hearts, the issue of the deathbed conversion is problematic.
Obviously, the thief on the cross next to Jesus showed that people can truly turn to Christ in their dying hour, truly repent, truly believe, and truly be saved. However, the Bible as a whole is not a book of deathbed conversions. It is a book about laying down our lives for the gospel of Christ. It is about giving Christ complete lordship (control) over our lives.
The difficulty with the vast majority of deathbed conversions is that they are really a last minute attempt to save or salvage a person’s life. That motivation is particularly considered a brutal misuse of the gospel by Christ himself.
Christ is certainly not to be trifled with, and He will certainly not accept one who has presumed upon a deathbed conversion. If a person has intentionally reserved his whole life to himself and then tries to give the dying wreck to Christ right at the very end…if he has knowingly and intentionally done this…then I presume there is no hope of salvation.
What about the person who has heard the gospel multiple times throughout his life and has rejected it in favor of self determination and self rule each time. How can this person truly give up the rule of their life for the last few minutes to Christ and expect to be saved?
The thief on the cross had evidently never heard the gospel before that moment. Perhaps that is the key to this whole issue.
We may not know everything, but one thing is for certain:
“It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”
Then Jesus said to His disciples, If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life shall lose it, and whoever desires to lose his life for My sake shall find it. For what is a man profited if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man shall come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He shall reward each one according to his works.
(Mat 16:24-27)
While it is impossible for you or I to know the true hearts of others, in fact, the Bible is clear that it is impossible to know even our own hearts, the issue of the deathbed conversion is problematic.
Obviously, the thief on the cross next to Jesus showed that people can truly turn to Christ in their dying hour, truly repent, truly believe, and truly be saved. However, the Bible as a whole is not a book of deathbed conversions. It is a book about laying down our lives for the gospel of Christ. It is about giving Christ complete lordship (control) over our lives.
The difficulty with the vast majority of deathbed conversions is that they are really a last minute attempt to save or salvage a person’s life. That motivation is particularly considered a brutal misuse of the gospel by Christ himself.
Christ is certainly not to be trifled with, and He will certainly not accept one who has presumed upon a deathbed conversion. If a person has intentionally reserved his whole life to himself and then tries to give the dying wreck to Christ right at the very end…if he has knowingly and intentionally done this…then I presume there is no hope of salvation.
What about the person who has heard the gospel multiple times throughout his life and has rejected it in favor of self determination and self rule each time. How can this person truly give up the rule of their life for the last few minutes to Christ and expect to be saved?
The thief on the cross had evidently never heard the gospel before that moment. Perhaps that is the key to this whole issue.
We may not know everything, but one thing is for certain:
“It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”
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