2 Samuel 18-20
The Return of the King

God will protect the city in which He dwells.

The presence of God is even better protection than a citadel.

Believers should praise God for the protection they've experienced.

Wealth gained from deception or deceit disappears, while that gained by the means God designed benefits on multiple levels. We were made to work, and are benefited by learning to draw on God's grace to work wholeheartedly, and we become stronger in the process. Hard earned money is not lost in frivolous schemes, as are most lottery winnings and inheritances. Thus, wealth grows.

Most people can't be happy and joyful if they don't have what they think they need to be happy. See Psalm 106:13-15 for the dangers of such desires. God is more than enough for our happiness if we have a Biblical relationship with Him. Seeing something other than God for happiness is being a disloyal traitor to Him. Trusting that He will fulfill our desires at the perfect time, is cause for joy rather than sickness.”Ps 84:11 For the LORD God is a sun and a shield. Yahweh will give grace and glory. He withholds no good thing from those who walk uprightly.”

Particularly when seeking what we think is necessary for our happiness, we can be tempted to ignore what God's word says about our desires. That's the quick route to destruction. Fearing God and His commands (and keeping them) is the slightly longer route to reward and living happily ever after. The wise choice.

 It's clear that Yahweh gives the victory in delivering David, yet David doesn't praise Him, neither in this chapter nor the next.

Joab ignores David's command to spare Absalom the rebel. David's inaction and irresponsibility, as well as Absalom's usurping of the throne resulted in the death of at least 20,000 Israelites. The burial of Absalom is fitting that of a rebellious son (Dt 21:20-21). Apparently Absalom's sons had died and would not be able to carry on his name, so he built his own monument, with no trust in God for a legacy. Joab's defiance of David's command in the interests of preserving the kingship and punishing evildoers presents an interesting dilemma. Should Joab obey a bad command from a defective human ruler who isn't seeking God's will? He followed David's directive in violation of the law in Uriah's murder, but not this time. Joab is humanly responsible for David's success. He goes against David's will in following the law in killing the usurper Absalom, the rebel commander Abner, and possibly disloyal Amasa (next chapter). There's no record of Joab seeking God's will in his actions, and one could charge him with self-interest. One could argue that his responsibility was to obey David, and trust God for the results. However, up until this point, he has always done what is wise from a military and political standpoint.

This section details bringing the news to the King, who responds to the good news of Yahweh's deliverance and preservation of his throne with lament for Absalom. David again is irresponsible, wishing he was dead instead of Absalom. He should have rejoiced and recognized that God had delivered him so he could continue his job of shepherding and ruling God's people (not that he was doing that great a job of it).

God is curiously absent from David's thinking in this chapter, appearing once on David's lips in an ill-considered oath regarding Joab. Whether motivated by fatherly affection, guilt for the consequences of his affair with Bathsheba (sword not depart from your house), political motives, or a concern for God alone to be his deliverer (we're being gracious here), David makes another self-centered, unwise emotional response to a problem he has caused, lamenting the death of a rebel rather than celebrating God's deliverance of him. This is not the man with a passion for God's reputation and His people who slew Goliath. David fails to demonstrate self-control, governing his life by his feelings rather than noble objectives.

Loyal Joab once again rescues David, this time from himself, by reproving David for his dissing of the troops who just rescued him. As Joab notes, David appears more loyal to his enemies than his friends.

David indirectly appeals for Israel to accept him back as king, granting forgiveness and favors to Judah, especially in his dealings with Amasa, Shimei, Mephibosheth, and Barzillai, as the returning king.

Amasa was the leader of Absalom's army (17:25), but a nephew of David, and cousin to Joab. David appoints him to Joab's place, possibly to secure the support of the men of Judah, and possibly because of David's disapproval of Joab's role in the death of Absalom, and rebuke (10:5-7). David's dissing of Joab is astounding.

Shimei repents and is forgiven by David, but David later instructs Solomon to kill him, indicating the move was largely political.

Mephibosheth had been grieving since David was away, and explains that Ziba had deceived both of them. Not wanting to make more enemies, David restores half the property he had given to Ziba, instead of punishing the deception.

Barzillai gets blessed for his loyalty to the king in exile, and passes on the blessing to his son.

Just what David needs, an anarchist, Sheba. The fact that Israel follows him says something about their confidence in David's leadership. The Benjaminites tended to be a feisty lot. They eventually were the only tribe to remain loyal with Judah in comprising the Southern Kingdom.

The reason for the delay/failure of Asama to follow David's time-sensitive order to gather troops isn't given, but the delay is viewed by David as damaging, and by Joab as disloyal. David sends Abishai as leader of Joab's men to deal with Sheba's threat. Joab is the star of the chapter, putting down the rebellion with a minimum of bloodshed.

Joab's method of dealing with disloyalty is to permanently eliminate the problem. He kills/murders Amasa. David instructs Solomon (1Kg 2:5) to payback Joab for this killing, as well as that of Abner. In both cases Joab's and Israel's interests are served.

Joab pursues Sheba and wisely listens to a wise woman's counsel at Abel. The town turns over the traitor, and is spared. Joab is usually portrayed as a bloodthirsty warrior, but it's obvious that he is interested in preserving the kingship, not to “swallow up and destroy.” Though Joab is unappreciated and dissed by David, he still does his job well, living for a higher objective than the praise of men. He winds up being the major actor in the chapter, preserving the kingship of David.

The list of “officials” is similar to that in 2Sam 8. Joab is back over the military. A supervisor of the tribute/forced labor is added, and David's sons who were previously listed as ministers (priests) are absent and Ira shows up in their stead. We don't hear more about him.