Let’s continue with our saga of the growing political sticks of dynamite about to explode in David’s kingdom.
At the moment, there are three of them:
Avishalom, Yo’av, and King David.
Now here’s the thing with Avishalom.
He had the sympathy of the people of Israel.
He was viewed as a hero for avenging his sister’s rape by killing Amnon.
And not only that.
Check out verse 25:
“Now in all Israel there was no one more praised for his beauty than Avshalom — there was no defect on him from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head.”-2 Samuel 25
Kinda reminds you of King Saul, doesn’t it?
This homie was charismatic and good-looking.
So in terms of worldly standards, he had a lot going for him.
With Amnon gone, Avishalom was now the favorite to take the throne.
And Joab was also placing his bets on him.
That’s why he deliberately formed a bond with Avishalom.
Joab was also keenly aware that the longer Absalom remained estranged from David, the more in danger his position was.
Why?
Because someone else besides Absalom might ascend to the throne.
And if this someone else didn’t take a liking to Joab, he’d be screwed and he knew it.
So his next move was to, by any means possible, bring father and son together.
To achieve this end, he devised an interesting plan.
He hired a woman who lived in a city called TEKOA, situated about 15 kilometers south of Jerusalem.
The Hebrew refers to her as a CHAKAM ISHSHAH.
This literally means “wise woman.”
This wasn’t an official title.
She was not a divinely ordained prophetess or something like that.
She simply had a reputation for being clever and possessing plenty of street smarts.
If thrown a couple of curveballs, she wouldn’t be fazed.
Interestingly, we’re not given her name.
She’s just identified as “the clever woman.”
We’ll continue the next time we meet.
Alright, let’s get into the takeaway.
There’s a powerful life lesson here, and I don’t want you to miss it:
Joab took a gamble on Absalom, hoping he’d become king and keep him in power as his general.
Others decided to bet against him, and their fate turned out completely different.
Do you see where I’m going with this?
Who you side with determines your destiny.
In our lifetime…
Some people choose Allah.
Others go with Buddha.
Some follow one of the thousands of Hindu gods.
Atheists put their faith in science and evolution.
And others choose Yeshua of Nazareth.
That’s where I stand.
This isn’t about preaching.
It’s about this simple truth:
In this short life, you will have to decide who or what you’re trusting with your soul and your future.
So choose wisely.
CONNECTING THIS TEACHING TO THE NEW TESTAMENT
“There is salvation in no one else,
for there is no other name under
heaven given among men
by which we must be saved.”
—Acts 4:12
“Yeshua said to him,
‘I am the way,
and the truth,
and the life.
No one comes to the Father
except through me.'”
—John 14:6
“They said to him,
‘What must we do,
to be doing the works of God?’
Yeshua answered them, ‘
‘This is the work of God,
that you believe in him
whom he has sent.‘”
—John 6:28–29
Amen
Shabbat Shalom, Karl.