Q4. Joab's Character

[WinstonY]

Q4. (2 Samuel 16-20) What does this passage teach us about David’s character and faith? What does it reveal about Joab’s character? What kind of faith do you see in Joab? What does this passage teach us about the importance of friends? Is Joab really David’s friend?

 

We can see that David is bold, resourceful and forgiving. We can see that David is willing to try to build relations between himself, the people off Judah and the people of the ten tribes. On the other hand joab is a characteristic military commander and will do what he sees is necessary to two in honor for himself and his Commander. We see that he kills not only Amasa but also the King's son Absalom even against the king's specific orders. We must remember however, that these writings has been recorded to honor King David.

 friends and supporters are very important. Sometimes they even do for us the things that we ourselves should do but do not want to do. That's what friends are for.

 

yes, Joab is David's friend and is loyal to him. We must not judge joab by our standards of today but try to use the standards off of Military leader 1000 Years BC.

[crissy464]

David was faithful in small things, and later he was given larger duties to perform

Joab is loyal to David but he looks out for himself first.

Joab believed in himself

Joab is a friend only when it helps him
 

 

[Irmela]

Q4. (2 Samuel 16-20)

What does this passage teach us about David's character and faith?

What does it reveal about Joab's character?

What kind of faith do you see in Joab?

What does this passage teach us about the importance of friends?

Is Joab really David's friend?

David seems to truly love his son in spite of Absalom's murderous tendency, rebellion and traitorous character.  He seems to believe that he will come right , and will eventually prove faithful and stand with him and not work against him.  I can only think that that is why David hopes to spare his life.  Alternately it is real blindness. and he is putting the rest of his family's lives at risk.  

We see so often that David is forgiving and trusting  people who really have not proved to be good to him or faithful to him: 

• Saul    David was faithful and true to him through the good and the bad times.  He did not kill him, even though he could have on more than one occasion
• Abner    who had seen to it that Ishbosheth was made king and then when things turned out differently than he anticipated,  went over to David's side .  He certainly portrayed a strange sense of loyalty  
• Amnon   the son who had raped Tamar.  David seems to be angry about that but takes it no further.  
• Absalom    plotted the murder of Amnon.  Lied to David.  Plotted and led a rebellion.  Usurped David's position as king.  Yet still David did not want him eradicated.
• Shimei     cursed David. He went as far as throwing stones at David and his followers as they passed by.   David did not even stop him doing it.  Upon his return as king , yet again,  David forgave him and let him be.
• Amasa   the one who had led Absalom's troupes.   David even makes him chief of his commanders.   

Joab proves to think further than his nose.  (level-headed )He has taken things into his own hands at times and has dealt differently than David had commanded.  He certainly did not trust Abner and had no qualms of avenging his brother's death, by killing him.  Now many years later he does the same with Amasa.  He does not trust him and kills him.  It just so happened that David had appointed both Abner and Amasa  in the position that Joab had served him in, so faithfully in all his campaigns.  When pursuing Absalom and hearing of his plight, he thinks nothing of going against David's commands and killing him.   He knew that Absalom was bad news and would just be a danger to David again and again.   They would not be safe while he was alive. 

I personally think Joab has proved to be extremely loyal to David as his king and in trying to keep  David's name clean.  He could have exposed David's sin long before Nathan was called to do so.  In a way he would have saved him the torment of knowing that he had been partial to plotting the death of a loyal soldier , Uriah.

We do not really get told much about the nitty-gritty of Joab as a man and about his thinking and workings etc for us to really know him, in the same way as we learn about David.  I just do feel he was very loyal to David and tried to keep the kingdom safe.  He was quick in his actions.  It took Amasa much longer to gather troops together than it would have taken Joab.  He did seem to be much 'harder' than David was and certainly not one that easily trusted a previous foe.  One can see that he had faith in his own assumptions and acted on them, some times against the kings orders.  Not only did he support David in war, but he also supported David when he longed for his exiled son to come home.  Joab was the one that organized his return and reunion.  I do feel that David did have a friend in Joab, albeit a 'hard' friend.  

We learn in this passage that friends are very essential in life.   Without those loyal friends it would have been very hard for David and his followers to have fled to safety from Absalom's mad campaign.  They provided shelter, nourishment and also support.   The 'spy' system would never have worked without loyal friends.