To Encourage You

1 Kings 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. 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.’”

In 1 Kings 2 we have the account of the new king of Israel, King Solomon, establishing his kingdom. He does this by rooting out all those who had been disloyal to his father David during the time of his rule.  One of those men was Joab.  Joab was an enigma. He was the commander of David’s army and had served him valiantly for many years.  However, throughout the years of his service to David, he had times when he went his own way in clear violation of the command of the king. David had warned Solomon about him with the following words: “Moreover, you also know what Joab the son of Zeruiah did to me, how he dealt with the two commanders of the armies of Israel, Abner the son of Ner, and Amasa the son of Jether, whom he killed, avenging in time of peace for blood that had been shed in war, and putting the blood of war on the belt around his waist and on the sandals on his feet” (1 Kings 2:31-33).  Not only that, but Joab had slaughtered David’s son Absalom in direct violation of David’s command.  His final act of disloyalty was to follow Adonijah in his attempt to usurp the throne. Then as David took action to place Solomon on the throne instead, Joab suddenly “got religion” as it were, and ran into the tabernacle as a place of refuge clinging to the horns of the altar.  But that refuge proved insufficient for him, and Solomon put Joab to death.

So what does this say to you and me?  Are there any parallels?  Well, like Joab, we are all subject to a king, the King of kings, the King of the Jews, and the King of the universe.  But many of those who are subject to this king are similar to Joab in their service to Him.  They may be people who serve in a church. Perhaps they are members of the leadership, on the board, a Sunday School teacher, or serve in some other role. They have a reputation for being loyal because they, like Joab, have served such a long time. However, like Joab, you better not cross them or they will take matters into their own hands.  Rather than live a life of forgiveness that the King has commanded, rather than follow His example of humility and love, they never forget a wrong done to them, and forgiveness never enters their minds. And like Joab, who ran to the altar as a matter of religious expediency with an idea that this would protect him from the king, they treat religious service almost like one who would place a hex sign on a barn or attend church now and then. It’s all a matter of ceremony that they believe will make it all right in the end. They view religion as a matter of protection that they hope will weight the scales of justice to their favor in the end, despite their disobedience and rebellion against the King.  

Jesus warned about this in the following words: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’  And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness’” (Matthew 7:21-23).  

So, what kind of servant are you?  Are you one who is happy to serve in the church as long as all is right in your world, but when things aren’t to your favor, do you, like Joab, take matters into your own hands and go your own way? Or are you like one of the truly faithful ones in David’s kingdom, one like the man Barzillai. It was of this man that David told Solomon, “Deal loyally with the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be among those who eat at your table, for with such loyalty they met me when I fled from Absalom your brother” (1 Kings 2:7).  

May God give us the wisdom to follow the example of Barzillai rather than Joab.  For the King knows the difference and will settle all such accounts in the end.