2 Samuel 18 – Joab’s treachery

Effectiveness is not always the same as faithfulness. The man who discovers Absalom realizes that Joab is disobeying David by having Absalom killed. Joab shows that he realizes it too when he tries to prevent Ahimaaz from delivering the news to David, probably remembering David’s retribution of the man who claimed to have killed King Saul. Ahimaaz has been very involved with this whole affair (ch 15 & ch 17) and may be giving a truthful answer to David about his ignorance of Absalom. Nonetheless, God had already given David’s men the victory, and so Absalom’s death was all the more bitter. Scheming and plotting are not the way of righteousness, and Joab will ultimately answer for this pattern of subversion in his life.