How does Joab's action in 2 Samuel 3:26 reflect on his character? Setting the Scene 2 Samuel 3:26 – “Joab left David and sent messengers after Abner, and they brought him back from the well of Sirah; but David did not know it.” What Joab Did • Exited David’s presence appearing compliant, then acted on his own agenda. • Secretly dispatched messengers to lure Abner back, exploiting Abner’s trust in David’s recent covenant (3:20–23). • Concealed the entire plan from David. Snapshot of Joab’s Character Displayed • Personal vengeance over obedience – Joab’s brother Asahel had been killed by Abner (2 Samuel 2:23); Joab chose retaliation rather than entrusting justice to God or David (cf. Deuteronomy 32:35). • Deception – outward loyalty to the king, inward scheming; similar duplicity resurfaces in 2 Samuel 18:14–16 (killing Absalom) and 20:8–10 (killing Amasa). • Presumption – treated the king’s authority as optional, elevating his own judgment (contrast with Romans 13:1). • Cold calculation – used the formal truce to make Abner feel safe, then struck; foreshadows the treachery condemned in Psalm 55:20–21. • Blood-guilt – deliberately shed innocent blood in peacetime (3 27), later denounced by David in his dying charge to Solomon (1 Kings 2:5–6). Lessons About Joab’s Heart • Unforgiven offense breeds ongoing sin; refusing to release bitterness led Joab into murder (Ephesians 4:31–32). • Partial loyalty is disloyalty; serving God’s anointed king in some matters while undermining him in others reveals a divided heart (Matthew 6:24). • Self-made justice ignores divine justice; Joab’s life contrasts sharply with David’s refusal to avenge himself on Saul (1 Samuel 24:12). Broader Biblical Witness on Joab • Qualified warrior, compromised worshiper – mighty in battle (2 Samuel 10:9–14) yet unsubmitted in spirit. • A pattern, not a lapse – later murders Amasa (2 Samuel 20:10) and joins Adonijah’s rebellion (1 Kings 1:7). • Dies as he lived – executed for “the blood he shed without cause” (1 Kings 2:31-34). Takeaway for Today Joab’s covert recall of Abner spotlights a gifted leader whose unchecked vengeance, deceit, and self-rule eclipsed every military triumph. Scripture’s literal record warns that ability without accountability invites ruin, while God still vindicates righteousness in His time (Psalm 37:5-6). |
    |