“He approached her, and the woman asked, ‘Are you Yo’av?’ He answered, ‘I am.’ She said to him, ‘Listen to what your servant has to say.’ He answered, ‘I’m listening.’ Then she said, ‘In the old days they used to say, ‘They will ask advice at Avel’; and that would end the discussion.”-2 Samuel 20:17-18
The residents of Abel realized something real quick.
Once the relentless Joab and his men broke down the city’s walls and forced themselves inside their town…
They could all be killed alongside Sheva and his rebels.
To prevent such a massacre from happening, they sent a wise woman to speak to Joab.
This “wise woman” is called a CHAKOM ISHAH in Hebrew.
She did not have an official title like “Prophetess” or something.
She was probably a regular person who had a reputation for providing Godly advice in times of need.
She hurried to the top of the wall and called down to the troops below.
“Where’s your commander, Joab?” she demanded.
Joab quickly showed up.
The respectful manner in which he presented himself to the woman hints that he knew her and that she was not someone to be trifled with.
The woman said to Joab, “‘Listen to what your servant has to say.”
Joab answered, “I’m listening.”
The word for “listen” used here is SHAMA.
Sound familiar?
It’s from the word SHEMA, which means to listen and obey.
Joab wasn’t being asked to merely lend his ears to this woman.
He was being asked to seriously consider the woman’s proposal and take ACTION on it, if it was reasonable.
From verse 18, the woman lays down her case.
She tells Joab that the city of Abel-Beth-Ma’acah, the one he is currently attacking, has been considered the source of Godly wisdom since time immemorial.
Folks would often journey to this town to seek counsel to deal with difficult challenges.
The advice given was considered so perfect that it was never questioned or debated.
Apparently, Joab was well aware of this city’s reputation.
So when the woman told Joab, “You’d better listen to me, or you’ll regret it,” he didn’t argue with her.
This leads to our takeaway for today.
Joab was a ruthless and effective general.
I also have no doubt he was a narcissist.
He was filled with enough pride and ego to make Kim Jong Un of North Korea seem pale by comparison.
Yet, even this prideful Joab possessed enough humility to listen (shema) when this wise woman had some advice to give him.
The lesson here is…
Shouldn’t we adopt the same attitude when it comes to God’s Word?
The unbelieving world scorns the Bible and claims such an ancient book has no relevance to our modern times.
They are like the dumb and arrogant teenager who thinks he knows better than his parents.
Yet, if we want what’s best for us, it would be unwise to ignore our father’s or mother’s hard-earned wisdom gained from their many years of living.
It reminds me of that popular quote, “The older I get, the smarter my parents get.”
I tell you the same principle applies to you and God’s Word.
The only difference is that the Scriptures are infallible and thus can be trusted a million times more than any human being, no matter how wise they are.
Ya feel me?
Done.
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