April 21, 2025 -David & Joab
- brooks16055
- Apr 21
- 3 min read
2 SAMUEL 3:6-4:3
2 SAMUEL 4:5-4:12
2 Samuel 3:28 When David heard about it, he declared, “I vow by the Lord that I and my kingdom are forever innocent of this crime against Abner son of Ner. 29 Joab and his family are the guilty ones. May the family of Joab be cursed in every generation with a man who has open sores or leprosy or who walks on crutches or dies by the sword or begs for food!”
I wonder why David didn't kill Joab and Abishai for killing an innocent man. I understand that he killed their brother but that was at a time of war between many brothers. The murder they committed was an act of revenge and would go against everything David has ever said and done.
2 Samuel 3:39 And even though I am the anointed king, these two sons of Zeruiah—Joab and Abishai—are too strong for me to control. So may the Lord repay these evil men for their evil deeds.”
Here he says that Joab and Abishai are too strong for him to control and he puts them in God's hands. David who killed Goliath couldn't control them? I found an article about David and Joab linked below that was very interesting. It points out that Joab and Abishai are David's nephews. Sons of his sister. And Joab won his position as commander. He was not appointed. It points out how foolish David was to put someone in this position based on their military ability alone. Joab was not a man of God and did not have the character required to serve well. They go on to life application of how important it is when we find ourselves in a position of leadership we should not look at skill and ability alone when selecting those who work with and for us.
Competent people are great to have around – they are certainly far superior to incompetent people. People with skill, people who work hard, men and women who know how to get the job done – they are incredibly valuable to businesses or any organizations, but if that competence is not complemented by character, honesty, compassion, and a general decency, they will probably end up doing more harm than good.
Ultimately, the character required is that of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who was the perfect combination of fearlessness and compassion, of strength and tenderness, and of competency and character has died on the cross and risen again that He might live in us. It is His presence in our lives that equips us in whatever position we find ourselves – whether as a Marine, a counselor at a mental health facility, the pastor of a church, or a teacher at a primary school. What we can do matters a lot, but what we are matters a great deal more. People who love Jesus and walk with Him (along with possessing the needed capabilities for their positions) can be an incredible asset to any ministry, company, or organization.
As a leader in my church these are valuable words to remember. It is the standard by which we should be hiring our employees and the standard we should be using to seek out other leaders in the church.
I would also add it’s a standard that we should apply to ourselves. If we do not know ourselves, we cannot apply the full measure of prayer to our endeavors. We won’t know where we have been given the ability to walk according to the example of Jesus and where we need to ask for His help.
The most dangerous world we live in is perhaps inside our own minds. For each of us, it’s where every action and word comes from.
Discerning others character starts with judging our own, knowing ourselves, applying experiences to our thoughts, offering understanding and mercy and sometimes needing more information or that it makes no sense so the call is to trust Him who…