Sermon Tone Analysis

I. David vs. the People - Unintended Consequences

Setting: David’s first task after settling down in his new headquarters in Mahanaim was to organize an army, which he did with his characteristic efficiency.

He also mounts an offensive campaign.

This is wise, as he wants the advantage of striking first.

David really doesn’t think too much of Joab and Abishai, the sons of his sister Zeruiah.

Twice he rebuked them for being cold and all-too-quick to violence.

However, they have become so politically powerful that David is not able to get rid of them. 2 Samuel 16:10; 2 Samuel 3:39.

However, though he must keep his Nephews in power, he shares power with his new favorite general, Ittai the Gittite.

Ittai was entirely loyal, unlike the sons of Zeruiah, and would obey orders.

Thus, he never caused David problems and we hear little about him.

The key question - are the people right?

On the face of it, they make a lot of practical sense.

Their reasoning is that David himself is currently the only target.

Absalom wants to rule over Israel, so he doesn’t actually want to kill them.

He wants to get rid of David so he can rule in his place.

This is the exact advice that Ahithophel had given 2 Samuel 17:1-3.

further, one time when David battled the Philistines, he had worn out, possibly due to the reality that he was not as young as he used to be.

Abishai had to come to his rescue, because David was too weak and no longer an asset in battle like he used to be 2 Samuel 21:15-17.

However, that isn’t the whole story.

David had gotten in trouble with Bathsheba because he didn’t go to battle as was his job, back in Chapter 11.

And David himself recognizes that it is really God who protects him 2 Samuel 15:25-26.

The whole reason he is in this battle in the first place is because of God’s chastening hand of judgment.

If God doesn’t want him dead, he’ll be fine.

If he does, then nothing will save him anyway.

So the people have a legitimate point, but is it unbelieving?

I’m not so sure.

It’s not faithlessness to suggest that a man is too old to be of use on the battlefield, even if that man is the king.

Yet perhaps this one battle ought to have been an exception.

The text doesn’t say, and I’m not sure that’s the point of this little story.

the consequence of this action is that David is one step removed from the actions in battle.

Without being physically present, he doesn’t have the same connection to events.

Furthermore, he is less able to direct the battle as he sees fit.

Had he been present, he might have been able to overrule his generals and save Absalom’s life.

He is clearly worried about this eventuality, as he sternly commands his generals to go easy on Absalom.

He has very good reason to worry, but gives in to the pressure from his men.

We see that David’s grasp on power is greatly diminished from where it was before his sin with Bathsheba.

The earlier David would never have been challenged, the present David is still in charge, but is much weaker.

There’s no doubt that the people did not intend Absalom’s death, nor did they intend to weaken David’s authority.

They were only trying to protect him, when they correctly judged that he was target number one.

But they were a key to both of these things anyway.

II.

Joab vs. Unnamed Soldier - Insubordination

Setting: God fights for David.

At the time, there was apparently a forest there.

Today, the Jordanian Government has established two national parks with forests directly north of Mahanaim, and most scholars believe that this is where the “forest of Ephraim” is located.

Which is a little odd, as the Tribe of Ephraim was located on the other side of the Jordan.

What likely happened is that Ephraim once extended farther to the east.

When Joshua divided the land, the Ephraimites complained that they didn’t have enough land (Josh 17:14-18), so Joshua told them to go to the forest country and get more.

Ephraim therefore settled here, which is located in Mannasseh’s territory.

However Mannaseh was smaller than Ephraim and had larger land, so likely didn’t mind giving up the territory.

After the Ephraimites were defeated by Jephtha (Josh 12:1-7), they no longer had this territory.

But as often happens, the name “forest of Ephraim” still stuck.

However, the woods end up fighting for David even more than his men.

Israelites from west of the Jordan, not being used to navigating in a wood, get themselves lost and die more from that than from the battle, and it is a tree that arrests Absalom and holds him for judgment.

If you lose a fight with a tree, you know God isn’t helping you win.

This answers David’s statement from earlier.

God really does delight in David, and really does want to bring him back to Jerusalem.

Poor David’s extreme pain in this chapter doesn’t change the reality that God still loves David.

The man who reported Absalom’s capture by tree is respectful of the King’s command, and correctly notes that if he had disobeyed the King’s command, he would have forfeited his own life, and Joab certainly wouldn’t have stood up for a nameless grunt.

He obeys the king’s authority.

Joab, in contrast, is so convinced that David’s command is wrong for Israel, he has Absalom killed immediately and angrily snaps to the soldier that he “has no time for this.”

This is after Joab tried to bring David and Absalom together back.

In 2 Samuel 14:20, the reason is to change the relationship between David and Absalom.

Something has quite clearly changed, alright.

Joab used to think that Absalom was the heir apparent and should be reinstated to ensure national stability, but now thinks that the young man is so dangerous that he needs to be executed pronto.

No one imagines that Absalom deserves to live.

In the Law a rebellious son could be stoned by the village.

Deut 21:18-21 If there has ever been a rebellious son who deserved that punishment, Absalom was that guy.

He tried to kill his own father just to seize the throne, and slept with his father’s concubines just to get back as his father.

He started a war to seize that power that caused the deaths of 20,000 men.

If anyone deserved death, it was him.

The soldier’s reason had nothing to do with what Absalom deserved, and everything to do with following orders

Joab doesn’t describe his reasoning, but he has consistently acted for Israel as he thought was best.

He believes, correctly, that Absalom is a war criminal and deserves to die, and that he is dangerous.

When David later rehearses Joab’s crimes, he mentions two murders, but doesn’t mention this event 1 Kings 2:5.

That’s because David’s keen sense of justice cannot be upset by his deep emotions here.

In David’s grief later, he never suggests that Joab went too far or that Absalom’s death wasn’t fair.

Joab is a cold and violent man, but this isn’t murder, it’s justice.

David’s moral compass is so strong, that there is literally no possible emotion that can throw him off.

However, while Joab had good reason to do what he did, and may have been quite right, it wasn’t his place to make that decision.

God had appointed David, and to be God’s man means being the person to choose between justice and mercy in just such situations as this.

David’s order clearly doesn’t contravene anything in the law.

The Law allows rebellious sons to be killed.

But it always leaves room for mercy.

Whether mercy or justice is the very sort of complex decision that takes wisdom to make, but David’s right is to make it and he has spoken.

So Joab’s sin here isn’t murder.

It’s rebellion against God’s duly appointed authority, David.

Joab’s choice robs us of knowing the consequences of David’s command, and did not allow God to work through David.

It also has the unintended consequence of very nearly losing the very thing he was trying to protect.

David’s reaction is understandably severe and very nearly causes the entire army to dissipate and the whole project to be lost.

Only God’s clear support of David prevents Joab’s actions from doing the exact opposite of what he wanted and destroying Israel even further.

Going against authority, even when you are right and they are wrong can have consequences you cannot foresee.

The most direct application is not to obeying government (though it does apply), but to obeying the more local and direct authorities in your life.

If you are a child, your parents; if a wife, your husband; at your work, it’s your boss; at church, it is the leaders of the church.

If any of these order you to do wrong, you must obey God rather then men and take the consequences calmly.

But if not, you deny God the opportunity to work through their mistakes and you might bring about a situation you did not see coming.

III.

Ahimaaz vs. the Unnamed Cushite - Speaking the truth in love

Setting: Ahimaaz along with Jonathan was responsible to get messages to David about what was happening at the Capital.

He had experience as a messenger and was trusted.