2 Samuel 20-21: Joab Kills for a Job, A Woman Kills for Peace and Gibeon kills to Avenge

In 2 Samuel 20, we pick up in the middle of the new rebellion led by Sheba, the Benjaminite. David has a new commander, Amasa, who is the former commander of Absalom and tried to kill David. When David appointed Amasa as his commander, back in Chapter 19, we were never given any insight into how Joab felt about being replaced. Was Joab totally fired or just demoted and ordered to report to Amasa? How did Joab react, did he walk off in his usual temper and quit? And was David confident in this decision or had he decided rashly?Yes, Joab had disobeyed David and killed Abner and Absalom. Abner, out of jealousy. Definitely wrong. But should David have trusted Abner? Regarding Absalom, perhaps Joab had good reasons for killing him. First, according to the law, Absalom should have been killed for rebellion. Second, he had betrayed Joab, who was the one who talked David into acknowledging him. So Joab had a personal vengeance. And third, Joab knew that had Absalom lived, David would have gone soft on him and Absalom probably would have planned another rebellion.Back to David’s decision to replace Joab. Despite the wrong that Joab had done by killing these two men, he had done a lot well. As leader of the army, he had an outstanding record. And his loyalty to David and Israel was admirable. We don’t know how Joab felt about this demotion, and we can’t say whether it was fair of David without more detail. Whatever the case, Joab is not the kind of leader who sits quietly in the background. His commitment to David and Israel is too strong. And in this episode, Joab will find a way to take center stage.Thank you for being a part of the club.Show NotesBlogThe Path to Good or EvilThe Tribal Allotments of IsraelJerusalem in the Time of David and SolomonDavid's Wars of ConquestThe Old Testament BooksThe New Testament BooksBible TimelineContact Bible Book Club!Scripture quotations taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used with permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.comSocial: Instagram or FacebookWebsite: Bible Book ClubReview Us: Apple Podcast or SpotifyJoin the Fun: DONATE or Buy merchThis episode is part of our ongoing Bible Book Club series, starting with Genesis and journeying all the way through the Bible. Thanks for listening!