2 Samuel 19

Then Joab came into the house to the king, and said, "Today you have disgraced all your servants who today have saved your life, the lives of your sons and daughters, the lives of your wives and the lives of your concubines, in that you love your enemies and hate your friends. For you have declared today that you regard neither princes nor servants; for today I perceive that if Absalom had lived and all of us had died today, then it would have pleased you well.
(2Sa 19:5-6)

Joab was the General in charge of David’s army. He held a powerful position. He was the guy who went out with David all those years before. He brought home victories. I can imagine it now, the stories of David and Joab, The Terrific Tandem. There was a problem now. David was growing older and getting to be a little softer. He no longer was venturing off into battle. Joab respects his king, however, Joab also has his own agenda. We remember in the last chapter how Joab simply disregarded what David said and killed Absalom.

You see, Joab was sick of it. He saw Absalom as a traitor, just like all the other enemies of God before. Absalom had come against the Lord’s anointed. Remember, that was the thing David was always preaching and even had men killed because they failed to recognize this. Now, Joab saw someone doing the same thing to his king. When he found Absalom hanging around, he quickly took full advantage of the opportunity to get rid of an enemy of Israel.

David is sobbing for his son and Joab has a thing or two to say to David. He approaches David and essentially tells him, “If you do not stop sobbing about that traitor who was your son, and start giving due thanks to those men who protect your life, we are turning against you.” David therefore sulks outside.

Joab was always trying to protect David. He did not always go about it the right way, however, he was there to correct David when David needed correction and he seemed to be the one man who could correct David. I think about that period in Saul’s career when he started to turn away from the Lord. Where were the people to correct him? Consider when Solomon started turning from the Lord. What men were around to correct him? We are all going to stumble, but as Christians, it is important we place men and women around us who are willing to give us the hard word. They might not always go about it the right way, but they get the message across, which should always be, “Return to Jesus.”