Topical Encyclopedia
Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was a prominent military commander in the service of King David. His life and actions are recorded in the books of 1 and 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, and 1 Chronicles. Joab's character and deeds provide several instances of reproof, both implicit and explicit, as he navigated the complexities of loyalty, justice, and power.
1. Joab's Role and Character:Joab was the commander of David's army and played a crucial role in many of David's military victories. He was a skilled warrior and a shrewd strategist, but his methods often raised moral and ethical questions. Joab's actions frequently required reproof, either directly from David or through the narrative's implicit moral judgments.
2. Reproof through David's Rebuke:One of the most direct instances of reproof occurs after Joab kills Abner, the commander of Saul's army. Despite Abner's peaceful intentions and his agreement to support David as king, Joab deceitfully murders him to avenge his brother Asahel's death. David publicly rebukes Joab for this act, distancing himself from the murder and lamenting, "May the guilt fall on the head of Joab and on all his father’s house" (
2 Samuel 3:29). This reproof highlights Joab's failure to adhere to the principles of justice and mercy.
3. Reproof through Narrative Judgment:Joab's killing of Absalom, David's son, during the rebellion is another instance where his actions invite reproof. Despite David's explicit command to "deal gently with the young man Absalom" (
2 Samuel 18:5), Joab kills him, prioritizing military expediency over the king's wishes. The narrative implicitly reproves Joab by showing David's profound grief and the subsequent tension between the king and his commander.
4. Reproof in the Context of Loyalty and Ambition:Joab's loyalty to David is complex and often self-serving. His support for Adonijah's claim to the throne, against David's wishes for Solomon to succeed him, ultimately leads to his downfall. Solomon orders Joab's execution, citing his past murders and disloyalty as justification (
1 Kings 2:5-6). This serves as a final reproof, underscoring the consequences of Joab's unchecked ambition and disregard for divine and royal authority.
5. Reproof through Divine Justice:Throughout Joab's life, the biblical narrative suggests that divine justice ultimately reproves those who act with violence and treachery. Joab's actions, while often politically astute, are consistently portrayed as falling short of the covenantal ideals of justice and righteousness. His life serves as a cautionary tale about the limits of human power and the necessity of aligning one's actions with God's will.
Joab's account is a complex tapestry of loyalty, ambition, and moral failure. His life invites reflection on the nature of reproof, both human and divine, and the importance of adhering to God's standards of justice and righteousness.
Torrey's Topical Textbook
1 Chronicles 21:3And Joab answered, The LORD make his people an hundred times so many more as they be: but, my lord the king, are they not all my lord's servants? why then does my lord require this thing? why will he be a cause of trespass to Israel?
Torrey's Topical Textbook
Library
In Death and after Death
... The latter was stated to have been the case with David; the former with Joab. ... after
two days', that of despair; after four days', that of reproof; after five ...
/.../edersheim/sketches of jewish social life/chapter 10 in death and.htm
The First Kings.
... David made him the bearer of an order to Joab to expose him to certain death ... David
bowed his head and wept under the pointed reproof, and began to cry, "Deliver ...
/.../headley/half hours in bible lands volume 2/the first kings.htm
Prov. 22:06 the Duties of Parents
... that Joab went out to war against Ammon, "but David tarried still at Jerusalem."
Was not that idle? ... "The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to ...
/.../the upper room being a few truths for the times/chapter xvi prov 22 6 the.htm
Scriptures Showing the Sin and Danger of Joining with Wicked and ...
... consumed, and say, How have I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof,
and have ... not want of charity, Jeremiah 12:6; Micah 7:5. Cain, Joab, and Judas ...
/.../binning/the works of the rev hugh binning/section v scriptures showing the.htm
Second Sunday after Epiphany
... Reproof and punishment greatly differ from cursing and malediction. ... Again,
how David cursed Joab, captain of his host! 2 Samuel 3, 29. ...
/.../luther/epistle sermons vol ii/second sunday after epiphany.htm
Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners Or, a Brief Relation of ...
... At this reproof I was silenced, and put to secret shame; and that too, as I thought,
before the God of heaven; wherefore, while I stood there, and hanging down ...
/.../bunyan/grace abounding to the chief of sinners/grace abounding to the chief.htm
Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners:
... At this reproof I was silenced, and put to secret shame, and that too, as I thought,
before the God of heaven; wherefore, while I stood there, and hanging down ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/grace abounding to the chief.htm
The Acceptable Sacrifice;
... I have often wondered at David that he should give Joab and the men of war a charge,
that they take heed that they carry it tenderly to that young rebel ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/the acceptable sacrifice.htm
An Exposition on the First Ten Chapters of Genesis, and Part of ...
The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3. <. ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/an exposition on the first.htm
Resources
What are the differences between Catholics and Protestants? | GotQuestions.orgWhat did Jesus mean when He said to not cast your pearls before swine (Matthew 7:6)? | GotQuestions.orgWhat is doctrine? | GotQuestions.orgReproof: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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