A letter to Joab

David’s actions now become completely derailed. It seems he no longer has the fear of the Lord or a hunger and thirst for righteousness within him. (1) David has Uriah himself carry a letter to Joab and sends him back to the battlefield. (2) The letter contained the command to assign Uriah to a position where he would be killed by the enemy. (3) Joab carries out David’s command and arranges for Uriah to be killed in battle. However, in order to achieve this objective, Joab uses a method different from the one David had instructed (this will be explained in detail next time).

The relationship between David and Joab

From this incident onward, a subtle change begins to occur in the relationship between David and Joab. (1) Joab was David’s nephew. Along with his brothers Abishai and Asahel, he was counted among the mighty men of Israel, but he also had a cruel nature. (2) He had once killed Abner, the commander of Ish-bosheth who came to visit David, in Hebron. At that time, David rebuked Joab but did not punish him (chapter 3). (3) David had regarded himself as being on a higher moral ground than Joab and had commanded him accordingly. However, through the incident of Uriah’s assassination, Joab now had the upper hand, knowing David’s weakness. Joab likely thought, “In the end, David is also a man who does not choose his means to achieve his ends.” (4) From this point on, Joab begins to act recklessly. When David’s son Absalom rebels, it is Joab who disobeys the king’s command and kills Absalom. In the end, David dies without ever being able to deal with Joab, and Joab’s execution is entrusted to Solomon. It is painful to have one’s weakness held over them. Satan attacks us at our weakest points. The name “Satan” means “the accuser.” As long as we carry a sense of guilt, it is impossible to live as children of God. It is the blood of the Lord Jesus that has the power to set us free from the burden of sin. Now, let us draw near to the Lord Jesus through deep repentance.