Justice?

Wednesday 20^th November

Read 2 Samuel 18:9-15

“Now Absalom happened to meet David’s men. He was riding his mule, and as the mule went under the thick branches of a large oak, Absalom’s hair got caught in the tree. He was left hanging in mid-air, while the mule he was riding kept on going. ¹⁰ When one of the men saw what had happened, he told Joab, ‘I have just seen Absalom hanging in an oak tree.’ ¹¹ Joab said to the man who had told him this, ‘What! You saw him? Why didn’t you strike him to the ground right there? Then I would have had to give you ten shekels of silver and a warrior’s belt.’

¹² But the man replied, ‘Even if a thousand shekels were weighed out into my hands, I would not lay a hand on the king’s son. In our hearing the king commanded you and Abishai and Ittai, “Protect the young man Absalom for my sake.” ¹³ And if I had put my life in jeopardy – and nothing is hidden from the king – you would have kept your distance from me.’ ¹⁴ Joab said, ‘I am not going to wait like this for you.’ So he took three javelins in his hand and plunged them into Absalom’s heart while Absalom was still alive in the oak tree. ¹⁵ And ten of Joab’s armour-bearers surrounded Absalom, struck him and killed him.” (NIVUK)

The forest not only took most of the fighting men of Israel (v8) it also captured Absalom (v9). The fate of Israel was quite literally hanging in the balance. It is striking how much detail we are provided around this scene. Chaos everywhere, but this debate between Joab and one of his men, is captured in detail. This exchange outlines, in excruciating detail, the moral dilemma the king’s instructions place his troops in.

The unnamed solider, remembering David’s words, could not be paid enough money to take matters into his own hands. There are echoes of David’s own words when he refuses to put a spear through Saul when Saul was delivered into his hands a second time (cf 1 Samuel 26). He knows that Joab would have left him high and dry had he acted as Joab demanded. Joab’s impatience is confirmation. Joab, as his brother Abishai was restrained from doing to Saul, plunges spears through Absalom – killing the ‘king’.

Joab is a faithful servant of David’s kingdom. He acts in the kingdom’s interests, as he perceives them. Ahithophel would agree with Joab’s decision entirely were he still alive. Joab delivered justice and peace to Israel at the point of a spear. The question we are asked by this story is whether he was right to do so. Where do wisdom, justice and love meet?