DOING WHATEVER IT TAKES

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In Christ, Mark

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When David returned to his palace in Jerusalem, he took the ten concubines he had left to take care of the palace and put them in a house under guard. He provided for them but did not lie with them. They were kept in confinement till the day of their death, living as widows.

Then the king said to Amasa, "Summon the men of Judah to come to me within three days and be here yourself." But when Amasa went to summon Judah, he took longer than the time the king had set for him.

David said to Abishai, "Now Sheba, son of Bicri, will do us more harm than Absalom did. Take your master's men and pursue him or he will find fortified cities and escape from us."

So Joab's men and the Kerethites and Pelethites and all the mighty warriors went out under the command of Abishai. They marched out from Jerusalem to pursue Sheba, son of Bicri.

While they were at the great rock in Gibeon, Amasa came to meet them. Joab was wearing his military tunic and strapped over it at his waist was a belt with a dagger in its sheath. As he stepped forward, it dropped out of its sheath.

Joab said to Amasa, "How are you, my brother?"

Then Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him. Amasa was not on his guard against the dagger in Joab's hand and Joab plunged it into his belly, and his intestines spilled out on the ground. Without being stabbed again, Amasa died. Then Joab and his brother Abishai pursued Sheba, son of Bicri.

One of Joab's men stood beside Amasa and said, "Whoever favors Joab and whoever is for David, let him follow Joab!"

Amasa lay wallowing in his blood in the middle of the road and the man saw that all the troops came to a halt there. When he realized that everyone who came up to Amasa stopped, he dragged him from the road into a field and threw a garment over him. After Amasa had been removed from the road, all the men went on with Joab to pursue Sheba, son of Bicri.

2 Samuel 20:3-13

This ends our reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Have you ever known of anyone who was so desperate for something that they were willing to do whatever it took to get it, even if it meant killing someone?

I hate to have to say this but it does happen…and not just once a day but many times over throughout this world we live in...a world watched over by the God who created it.

Unfortunately those who are so blinded by their own selfish ambitions that they disregard anyone or anything that gets in their way fail to see that the Lord sees all that they do…and doesn’t forget when repentance fails to take place. In today’s passage, we find Joab, David’s deposed army commander, once again take center stage with murderous intentions.

You may remember that it was Joab who disregarded David’s plea to be gentle with his son Absalom, instead choosing to kill him with three javelins after his hair got caught in the branches of a large oak tree (2 Samuel 18:9-15). This would lead to David losing confidence in Joab’s leadership and appointing Amasa, Absalom’s former army commander, to take his place (2 Samuel 17:25, 19:13).

Well, as chapter 20 opens, we see where David seeks to send his army after Sheba, who you’ll recall sparked divisiveness by calling on the ten tribes of Israel to leave David and follow him instead (2 Samuel 20:1-2). The scriptures tell us that David called on Amasa to:

"Summon the men of Judah to come to me within three days, and be here yourself."

And so Amasa did as David requested and “went to summon Judah”. For some unknown reason, Amasa took “longer than the time the king had set for him” to return and so the king turned to Abishai, saying:

"Now Sheba, son of Bicri, will do us more harm than Absalom did. Take your master's men and pursue him or he will find fortified cities and escape from us."

We sense the urgency David felt as he could no longer wait for Amasa to come at the risk of losing his opportunity to capture Sheba, but note that he decided not to turn to Joab but instead turned his (Joab's) men and the Kerethites and Pelethites and all the mighty warriors” over to the “command of Abishai” who marched the forces “out from Jerusalem to pursue Sheba”.

Now, this had to have rankled Joab as he saw an army that was once under his command placed under yet another man’s leadership, even if it was his brother, but we see where this didn’t cause him to remain in Jerusalem and not go into battle. Instead, he was in the midst of the forces when they arrived at a “great rock in Gibeon” where Amasa finally “came to meet them”.

The scriptures tell us that “Joab was wearing his military tunic” with a “belt with a dagger in its sheath” which was strapped on his waist. And as Joab stepped forward to greet Amasa, his dagger “dropped out of its sheath”, something that seemed innocent enough but there was definitely evil intent behind it for as Joab greeted Amasa, taking him “by the beard” with “his right hand” as if to kiss him, he took the dagger and “plunged it into” Amasa’s belly. We read where this killed Amasa and caused his intestines to spill out on the ground.

As I read this, I couldn't help but think it was a precursor to what was yet to come as we know Judas Iscariot would betray Jesus with a kiss.  

Back to the scriptures, where we see that Joab and Abishai left Amasa there and proceeded to continue their pursuit of Sheba.

So would Joab get what he wanted? Did he achieve his goal of regaining command by murdering his competition?

Well, we read where he did indeed succeed for as Joab and Abishai moved forward, “one of Joab's men stood beside Amasa” and said, "Whoever favors Joab, and whoever is for David, let him follow Joab!" And with that, Joab regained control of the army, completely unbeknownst to David. Ironically, Sheba wasn’t the only one involved in a rebellion.

Meanwhile, the body of Amasa still was in the “middle of the road” and “wallowing in his blood”. This was causing a distraction for the advancing forces who stopped as they reached him to see what had happened. So one of Joab’s men dragged Amasa “from the road into a field and threw a garment over him”. With this done, “all the men went on with Joab to pursue Sheba”.

In Joab, we see the sinful approach to doing whatever it takes for it can lead someone to do anything to get what they want, even take another’s life. Thank goodness that as Christians, the Bible gives us a much different and holy approach to the “whatever it takes” principle through examining the life of Jesus, the One who gives us our identity as believers.

For in Jesus, we see a perfectly righteous man who was willing to do whatever it takes, not for His own gain, but for the gain of everyone else. He came to teach and to heal and to guide…but most of all to save and to bring love…a love that knew no boundaries…a love that would lead Him to willingly die for the sins of all mankind on Calvary’s cross to purchase the pardon of anyone who would simply believe in Him.

Indeed, Jesus showed us that He was willing to do whatever it took to save a dying world in need…a world of sinners destined for Hell, and He fully expects us to follow His lead and do the same. This is why He gave us the clearest instructions possible before He ascended into Heaven to sit at the Father’s right hand saying:

"All authority in Heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:18-20

Before Jesus departed this world to assume His place of power and authority over creation from Heaven, He appointed His disciples, past and present, to carry on His work until He returns again. Through His Great Commission found in Matthew’s Gospel, He gave us words of action that fully reflect His selfless, self-sacrificial attitude. For note how He called us to get outside of ourselves in order to serve others…seeking to help others come to believe in Him as well, therefore making them disciples. Then, we’re commanded to baptize these believers so they can publicly show how they have aligned themselves with Jesus, dying to self in order to become new creations in Him (2 Corinthians 5:17). We’re also to continuously teach those new Christians to obey all that He commanded.

As we do this work, He gave us the great comfort to know that we never do it alone for He promised to be with us until “the very end of the age”.

Brothers and sisters, Jesus called us to go forth and to serve others selflessly, just as He did…and as we do, He ever walks along with us…leading us…protecting us…and encouraging us to willingly do whatever it takes to help others find their salvation in Him, even if it means we might lose our life in the process.

Today, and every day, let us give thanks to God for sending the indescribable gift of His Son Jesus (2 Corinthians 9:15), the One we get to follow and serve until that day when He comes back to take us with Him to Heaven forever.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.