David of antiquity was a man said to be after God’s own heart.
Yet, he didn’t always make wise decisions. He was a man of his culture; a product of his upbringing and the power gifted upon him by the God of all creation.
David was human, just like you and me.
Joab was one of the greatest generals of all time, a master at warfare, and widely supported by the men under his command. However, he’d irritated David, and David vowed to cast him aside.
The man he chose was a kinsman, one with inferior military skill, whose loyalty was untested.
2 Samuel 19:13 tells us:
“And say to Amasa, ‘Are you not my bone and my flesh? God do so to me and more also, if you are not commander of my army from now on in place of Joab.’ ”
Amasa, the general of an opposing army, was David’s nephew, but he’d committed treason against David by battling against his uncle. He should have been punished. Now, David, to satisfy his need for revenge against Joab, was prepared to offer him one of the most powerful positions in the land, the command of David’s army.
Do we do the same, sometimes? We battle against what the world throws against us, and when God gives us the victory, we once more look on the world with longing, raising money, position, or fame to be our lord and master.
When David, a man after God’s own heart, does it, we read his tale and scoff at his foolishness. Yet, we work on Sunday, trade our morals for a promotion in the company, or sacrifice those we love in exchange for recognition in the world.
How are we different? David traded a man who was behind him all the way for one who offered him temporary satisfaction.
God is with us for our good, even when he irritates us. Let’s not get revenge on God by putting an inferior substitute in his place. We’re only shooting ourselves in the foot, if we do.
God is our general, and he’ll lead us to victory. All we need to do is trust in his name, and never falter as we walk in his footsteps.
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Code: FGO.F.05.15.vp.esv