2Sa 19:5-7 | KingComments | STEP | Joab seems to be the leader of the people here and not David. The people come to him with the news that David is overwhelmed with grief over the loss of his son Absalom. David is that down and broken, that the people dare not show any trace of joy. The attitude and behavior of David affect the whole people. Instead of celebrating victory, they behave like losers. This is how great the influence of a beloved leader who is overwhelmed by immense personal grief can be. David loses himself in his sorrow and therefore loses sight of the interest of the people. David is a father with a special love for a son who was a rebel. This love goes so far, that his grief because of the loss of Absalom is at the expense of the feelings of others. While David continuously expresses his deep feelings of mourning, Joab comes to him. He powerfully deals with David, although he himself is the cause of David’s grief. He, who should be the last one to speak this truth, speaks what is right. He is the only one who could say this to the king. Sometimes situations can be so complicated. Joab seems to be a man without feeling. Without any compassion, almost cool businesslike, he breaks into the feelings of David. It must now be over and out with his grief. David’s attitude and grief over the death of his son has the message in it that everything his men have done for him means nothing. His men saved his life and that of all his relatives. Instead of being thankful for that and thanking his men, he pretends that his men had done him harm. David turns things around, Joab says. He loves Absalom, who hated his father, and he hates his men, who worked for him out of love. Joab concludes that David would have liked it if his entire army had been killed, as long as Absalom was alive. Joab summons (!) David to arise and speak to the men. He warns him that he doesn’t have to count on someone staying with him if he doesn’t. David then changes his attitude. He listens to Joab and does what he says. When David has taken his place in the gate, it is made known to the people. Then all the people come to him. From David’s attitude toward Absalom and the admonition by Joab we can learn a lot about our relationship with our children. It is understandable that a child who causes us a lot of grief demands a lot of our attention. These concerns can be the result of illness, but can also be caused by a sinful path that a child goes. Nevertheless, we must try to maintain or balance the attention given to our children. It does happen that a child who causes a lot of grief receives so much attention that the others miss the attention that they too need. The sigh has sometimes been breathed: ‘I wanted me to dare to do something crazy, so there would be attention for me too.’ Also in the local church, some young people may not get the attention they need. This can create problem situations that could have been avoided if we, as elderly people, had made every young person feel the interest that we have for each of them individually. Then we behave as the Lord wills, Who also has an interest in each of the children of God personally. After the dramatic events of Absalom’s the coup d’état and the rebel’s death, the people who had gone after Absalom fled to their homes.

‏ 2 Samuel 19:5-7

Joab Reprimands David

Joab seems to be the leader of the people here and not David. The people come to him with the news that David is overwhelmed with grief over the loss of his son Absalom. David is that down and broken, that the people dare not show any trace of joy. The attitude and behavior of David affect the whole people. Instead of celebrating victory, they behave like losers. This is how great the influence of a beloved leader who is overwhelmed by immense personal grief can be. David loses himself in his sorrow and therefore loses sight of the interest of the people.

David is a father with a special love for a son who was a rebel. This love goes so far, that his grief because of the loss of Absalom is at the expense of the feelings of others. While David continuously expresses his deep feelings of mourning, Joab comes to him. He powerfully deals with David, although he himself is the cause of David’s grief. He, who should be the last one to speak this truth, speaks what is right. He is the only one who could say this to the king. Sometimes situations can be so complicated.

Joab seems to be a man without feeling. Without any compassion, almost cool businesslike, he breaks into the feelings of David. It must now be over and out with his grief. David’s attitude and grief over the death of his son has the message in it that everything his men have done for him means nothing. His men saved his life and that of all his relatives.

Instead of being thankful for that and thanking his men, he pretends that his men had done him harm. David turns things around, Joab says. He loves Absalom, who hated his father, and he hates his men, who worked for him out of love. Joab concludes that David would have liked it if his entire army had been killed, as long as Absalom was alive.

Joab summons (!) David to arise and speak to the men. He warns him that he doesn’t have to count on someone staying with him if he doesn’t. David then changes his attitude. He listens to Joab and does what he says. When David has taken his place in the gate, it is made known to the people. Then all the people come to him.

From David’s attitude toward Absalom and the admonition by Joab we can learn a lot about our relationship with our children. It is understandable that a child who causes us a lot of grief demands a lot of our attention. These concerns can be the result of illness, but can also be caused by a sinful path that a child goes. Nevertheless, we must try to maintain or balance the attention given to our children. It does happen that a child who causes a lot of grief receives so much attention that the others miss the attention that they too need. The sigh has sometimes been breathed: ‘I wanted me to dare to do something crazy, so there would be attention for me too.’

Also in the local church, some young people may not get the attention they need. This can create problem situations that could have been avoided if we, as elderly people, had made every young person feel the interest that we have for each of them individually. Then we behave as the Lord wills, Who also has an interest in each of the children of God personally.

After the dramatic events of Absalom’s the coup d’état and the rebel’s death, the people who had gone after Absalom fled to their homes.