One of my
favorite scripture passages is Micah 6:8, which states:
He has shown you, O man, what is
good;
And what does the LORD require of
you
But to do justly,
To love mercy,
And to walk humbly with your
God? (NKJV)
It’s a terse, rhetorical question in
response to other rhetorical questions the prophet Micah has presented to the
nation Israel, exposing their outward religious appearance and condemning their
inward sinfulness. (Just like Micah could do to us now if he roamed the earth.)
It is a reminder to believers to tread carefully, to focus on good rather than
evil (and vengeance); to be just, to love mercy, and walk humbly beside God.
This advice surely goes a long way toward securing peace between God, and us
and between us our fellow man.
Yet it does not negate a time and
place for justice to be disbursed, when it is warranted, which we will see
today in 1 Kings. Later, we will also see how the love a person has for the
father can result in peace between these two people being passed down to the
son.
So, let’s get started!
In 1 Kings, verses 5 and 6 we hear
the aged and dying King David continuing his advice and instruction to his son Solomon,
who is succeeding him to the throne. David tells him, “Moreover you know also
what Joab the son of Zeruiah did to me, and what he did to the two commanders
of the armies of Israel, to Abner the son of Ner and Amasa the son of Jether,
whom he killed. And he shed the blood of war in [Shalom-peacetime], and put the
blood of war on his belt that was around his waist, and on his sandals that
were on his feet. Therefore do according to your wisdom, and do not let his
gray hair go down the grave in Shalom.”
Sounds like a disgusting event and
pretty strong words from David. But are they justified?
To fully understand what’s going on
here, let’s first get a little background. If you remember from my September 12
post, which you can access at: http://brokenheartsredeemed.blogspot.com/2016/09/do-you-want-peace-be-shrewd-and-stay.html, you might remember the issue between
Joab and Abner, where Joab lures Abner outside the city of refuge gates on a
pretense of wanting to make peace with him and then slays him. Joab killed
Abner to avenge the killing (in self defense) of Joab’s relative. While David
grieved over and never avenged Joab’s premeditated
murder of Abner, he was unable to bring Joab to justice, which some
commentators think is due to Joab’s popularity with David’s army.
Amasa, who Joab also murdered, was
David’s nephew, whom David had forgiven for siding with his conniving cousin
Absalom (David’s son) in Absalom’s attempted and failed coup. Later, in Joab’s
absence, David makes Amasa Commander-in-Chief of his armies. In a show of pretense
of Shalom and saluting Amasa, (and probably a fit of jealousy and envy), Joab
stabs and kills Amasa. There is nothing self-defensive about these acts. It is
yet again another premeditated
murder.
These murders are horrible. Both
were premeditated. Both were carried out under the guises of peace. Both
threatened to undermine the peace David had struggled and fought to win. Both
broke David’s heart. And his heart may also have been grieved by the
possibility that many believed David had ordered Joab to carry out these two
murders, in retribution for these two men having once stood against David.
Bible commentaries give graphic
pictures of what happened and what Joab looked like—and reveled in—following
the murders. In the process of stabbing Amasa, the blood spurted onto Joab,
onto his feet and sandals, across his clothing and weaponry. He probably re-sheathed
his bloodied sword or knife without first cleaning it. Then he marched in front
of the army, proudly displaying what he’d done, what a great man of war and
leader he was. This is not a man who didn’t have time to clean up after battle
before moving on with the troops. This is a man proud of his stains. The vision
is sickening. And David instructs Solomon to do what his God-given wisdom tells
him to do, and not allow Joab to live out his old age in a peaceful manner. In
essence, David is telling Solomon to make Joab’s life miserable until the end,
which will most likely come through an executed death sentence.
And that’s exactly what we find in
verses 26-33. Joab has defected and fled to the tabernacle to grab and hang
onto the altar. Perhaps he thinks he’ll find some protection there. But it is
not to be. Why? Because Joab is a rebel and a murderer. Solomon hears about it
and sends a guy named Benaiah to the tabernacle to tell Joab to come out from
the tabernacle. Joab refuses, telling Benny that, no, he’s going to die right
where he’s planted himself. Benny has to go back and tell King Solomon what
Joab said, and Solomon essentially says, “Fine, let him have it his way, as
long as the guilt from the innocent blood Joab shed can be removed from the house
of David and placed firmly on the head of Joab, and upon his descendent. Forever.” Solomon also tells Benny to take
care of Joab’s burial. So he runs back over to the tabernacle, slays Joab, and buries
him in his own house in the wilderness. And Benny is appointed commander over
Solomon’s army.
Wow. What a gruesome story. A sad
ending for a once great warrior and leader. But what does it say for us?
First, Joab did not walk humbly. He
walked with arrogance, pride, and anger. A heart geared toward vengeance. While
his justice and mercy scales may have sported justice, they were definitely
light, if not empty, of mercy. He would have done well to have paid attention
to his king’s merciful heart; his forgiving heart. His heart after God. Joab’s
actions rocked the stability of the nation’s Shalom David had labored so hard
for. His actions caused others to think poorly of David, to think he initiated
retribution on two people he had truly forgiven. It must have weighed heavily
on his heart all of those years. Yet, while it may have taken years to bring
Joab to justice, it finally came in the end.
Now let’s jump forward in First
Kings to chapter 5, where we find Solomon busy about the business of temple
building. He’s getting building materials from Hiram, the king of Tyre. In
verse 12 we read: “so the LORD gave Solomon wisdom, as He promised him; and
there was Shalom between Hiram and Solomon, and the two of them made a treaty
together.”
A treaty of peace. But just how did
that happen? It seemed to occur without much fanfare or struggle. In order to
know why, we can look back at verse 1 in the same chapter. “Now Hiram king of
Tyre sent his servants to Solomon, because he heard that they had anointed him
king in place of his father, for Hiram had always loved David.”
For
Hiram had always loved David. So Solomon enjoys peace with a neighboring
king due to the relationship his father had developed and enjoyed with that king. Solomon reaped the
benefits of what David labored for. Big benefits. How wonderful it is when a
parent sets the stage for his child to enjoy peace.
Questions to Ponder
1. In the first
story, about Joab, David, and Solomon, you have a cold-blooded murderer, a man
who desires that justice be served but who can’t render it himself, and a son
who renders it for him so that the family, and kingdom, can enjoy peace. Did it
have to be done? I suspect that it had not been, Joab would have always been a
problem for Solomon; and the army’s loyalty may have been divided. Would it not
been enough to just confine Joab for the rest of his life? Probably not,
because alive he may have been able to exert influences that threatened
Solomon’s rule. People in prison have inside and outside connections that can
cause issues for their enemies.
And, Joab was
clearly guilty of being vengeful and bloodthirsty. He couldn’t have found
safety in a city of refuge because his crimes were premeditated. Instead, he
thinks he can take refuge in the tabernacle, near God. But that didn’t save
him, either.
I think I need
to interject a definition of terms in here, though, since I can hear people
saying, “But the commandment says, ‘Though shall not kill.’” Actually, the
Hebrew word is correctly defined “murder” not “kill”. It means you should not carry
out a premeditated murder. Killing in self-defense or by accident was why
cities of refuge were built and maintained.
No matter where
you stand on capital punishment, it is worth thinking about: Is it necessary
for the perpetrator to receive the death sentence so the surviving family can
have the peace they deserve? Maybe “peace” is what these families mean when
they say they want “closure.” Whose side do you need to stand on in such a
case? And does it really depend upon the circumstances? Have we tilted the scales so far the other direction that we are now guilty of providing more peace to the perpetrator than to the victim or aggrieved?
2. In our second
story, Solomon enjoys Shalom with another king due to the loving relationship
his father had with that king. And the same is true today. It’s a fact of life
that the kids whose parents have established deep personal and loving
relationships with their own friends, who may rise to prominence and influence
in their older years, have a step-up on life and are more successful. It’s the
relationships that their parents have fostered that allow these kids to enjoy
opportunities above and beyond what other children experience. They enjoy more
academic, business, personal, and financial success. They enjoy more Shalom in
life. I’ve seen that happen in my own life, my children’s lives, and others.
And the same can
be said of any family that develops close relationships. When a friend loves
the parent (who is also their friend), they usually also give benefit to, and
love, the friend’s child. But it takes time and an investment in others over
years for that kind of benefit to be realized.
So the question
here is: Are you developing relationships now that can be passed down to your
children? Are you sewing peace that can be held in trust for your children and
grandchildren? What kind of story are you writing for them?
____________________________________
Until next Monday, may your week be
full of blessings that you receive and give, your heart be full of joy and
thankfulness, and your days be filled with laughter. Build a little heaven in
your life right now, and watch your heavenly garden grow!
Blessings,
Andrea
When the eyes of
the soul looking out meet the eyes of God looking in, heaven has begun right
here on earth. ~ A. W. Tozer
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