So one question that needs to be asked is if Joab was indeed guilty of murder when he slew Amasa and Avner, why didn’t David have Joab put to death right away?
I mean, per the Mosaic law, that homie should have been toast.
But David let him continue in his merry little wicked ways.
Ya feel me here?
Well, here’s the ugly political reality.
David felt like he couldn’t do without Joab, as hog wild as the homie was.
On top of that, David didn’t feel like he had enough political or military power to bring Joab to justice at that point in time.
So he transferred the execution of justice over to his son Solomon.
Interestingly, when we read David’s instructions to Solomon, David never used the word “revenge.”
He simply told Solomon…
“Act according to your wisdom;
Don’t let his gray head go down
to the grave in peace.”
To put that in Hebraic terms, David told Solomon…
“Don’t let his gray head go down
to SHE’OL in SHALOM.”
I’m sure you homies know what the words SHE’OL and SHALOM mean by now.
SHE’OL, usually translated into “grave,” means much more than a mere burial place.
It was a portal into the underworld of the dead.
It was a place of torment or comfort, depending on how one lived their life on earth before passing.
Once the Greeks gotta hold of the concept of SHE’OL, they changed it into this idea of eternal fire and punishment.
But that was never the Hebrew mindset.
The Hebrew perspective eventually evolved into the idea that there were two underground chambers in SHE’OL.
One chamber was called the Place of Torments, where the wicked went.
And the other was Abraham’s Bosom, where the righteous went.
So when we examine David’s words from the proper Hebrew perspective, he was telling Solomon that since Joab was a wicked man, not only should he not enjoy a normal long life span, but even after death, he should not be allowed to enter into Abraham’s Bosom, where he’d be able to enjoy peace until the Messiah set the captives there free.
These were blessings only reserved for righteous men.
David is essentially telling Solomon that he’s gotta monitor Joab’s movements carefully.
He’s gotta rein in his power by removing authority from him, and then, when the opportunity presents itself, legally execute Joab per Torah.
Alrighty, let’s stop here and switch over to the takeaway.
It basically boils down to this.
Your life here on earth is short.
But it has eternal consequences.
So make it count.
Joab thought that because of his incredible position of power, he could break God’s law without consequence.
He thought wrong and paid the price dearly.
Don’t be fooled if your actions don’t have immediate consequences.
Because over time, you will either reap blessings or punishment based on how obedient or not you were to God’s Word.
Done.
CONNECTING THIS TEACHING TO THE NEW TESTAMENT
“Be not deceived;
God is not mocked:
for whatsoever a man soweth,
that shall he also reap.
For he that soweth to his flesh
shall of the flesh reap corruption;
but he that soweth to the Spirit
shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
And let us not be weary in well doing:
for in due season we shall reap,
if we faint not.”
-Galatians 6:7-9
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