Yesterday, I opened a loop by asking…
Why was Joab motivated to take steps to reconcile Absalom with David?
So let’s dig a bit deeper into the mind of this devious character…
And in the process, come to a deeper understanding of what drives men of power who lust after even more power.
I tell ya, that’s what I love about the Scripture, man.
It gives us such deep insight into human psychology.
So the first thing we gotta understand is that Yo’av was the top dog of Israel’s army.
In modern terms, he was the equivalent of Israel Katz, the current Minister of Defense of Israel.
Do you have any idea how much political power that is?
Lemme break it down for you nice and easy.
Katz is the second-highest authority over Israel’s devastating military operations…
Subordinate ONLY to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Ya feeling me here?
This was the incredible position of influence that Jo’ab wielded.
However, as powerful as Jo’ab’s role was, his position was also quite vulnerable.
Why?
Because the king could replace his butt at any time.
Of course, at this level, a drastic move like that wouldn’t happen willy-nilly.
Anyway, here’s how things worked.
When a new king took the throne, he chose the homies he trusted most to be his royal court.
And one of the most drooled over roles was the general of the military.
Recall that when David became king of Judah (and later, all of Israel), he had to deal with Abner (Saul’s former general).
When David entered into close negotiations with Abner to unite the northern and southern tribes, boy Joab didn’t like that one bit.
He felt threatened and was terrified he might be replaced.
So what did Joab do?
He killed Abner.
That was the kind of ruthless person Joab was.
He wasn’t above murder to protect his position at all costs.
So knowing this about Joab’s character…
I think it’s pretty safe to assume that he was still going about his manipulative ways when he took steps to bring Absalom back to David.
It had nothing to do with sympathy for David.
It was all about protecting his position as second in command over Israel, next to the King.
The takeaway here is if you wanna understand what drives a certain person…
Then take a good look at what drove that person in the past.
That will reveal all.
See ya next time!
Leave a Reply