Today, I am reading and commenting on  2 Samuel 14-15.

We know from other passages that David would have liked to reduce Joab’s influence (and that of Joab’s brother) over his policies.  Yet, when I read this passage, and a couple of others which describe Joab’s actions, Joab appears to have acted in David’s interest (or, at least, what Joab perceived to be David’s interest) in every occasion but one (and in that one, Joab appears to have acted in what he believed to be the kingdom’s interest).  In this case, Joab recognized that David was saddened by Absalom being exiled.  So, Joab took action to convince David to end Absalom’s exile.  Every time I have read this passage I have wondered at David’s hostility towards Joab and his brothers.  Then today, as I was trying to put this together I realized the answer.   While Joab did what he thought was best for David and his kingdom, and sometimes got David to do what Joab knew he wanted to do, he did not seek God’s guidance in deciding what those things were.  Take this incident as an example, Joab convinced David to bring Absalom back from exile because he knew that David desired to do so.  And Joab got David to not only bring Absalom back from exile, but to recognize him as his son, and heir, once more.  These two things led to Absalom plotting to take the throne by force.  Perhaps it was this sort of encouragement by Joab which led David to sin with Bathsheba in the first place.  It was certainly Joab’s willingness to carry out David’s commands, even when they were wrong, which led to David killing Uriah.

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.