Joab Convinces King David To Bring Absalom Back To Jerusalem Series

Have you ever had a disagreement with someone, a long time friend or family member? And then you stop talking? But as the months and years go by you long to see that person again. You think about them. You think about the good times. Yet, you can’t quite get yourself to call them up, or make things right? It’s a tough situation. It's like a wall goes up, that we can't quite get down.

I was close with my cousin Travis growing up, we would do so much together, we would play videogames, play football in grandma's backyard, fight and wrestle in mom's backyard, and go to concerts together. But we would sometimes get into angry fights, one of us would storm out, and for months, and years we would not talk. It's sad, when those walls go up.

Similarly today we see King David in a similar situation with Absalom his son.

Absalom the dearly loved son of King David has committed murder, he killed his own brother Amnon. This was in revenge for something truly disturbing that Amnon did to Absalom’s sister Tamar.

So Absalom is now in hiding, out in the country far from King David. King David is very upset about this, day and night he wrestles with the pros and cons of what happened. He is caught between two opinions, one, he is very angry and upset with Absalom, he killed his own son Amnon. But David had a huge heart. He loved Absalom despite what he had done. He was his own son. So secondly, David longed to go to Absalom, bring him back, and make things right with him.

So there’s this man named Joab who is the closest advisor to the king. He’s been with David many years. And Joab makes a plan to try to convince David to let Absalom come back home.

It says this in 2nd Samuel 14:1-3: “Joab son of Zeruiah knew that the king’s heart longed for Absalom. 2 So Joab sent someone to Tekoa and had a wise woman brought from there. He said to her, “Pretend you are in mourning. Dress in mourning clothes, and don’t use any cosmetic lotions. Act like a woman who has spent many days grieving for the dead. 3 Then go to the king and speak these words to him.” And Joab put the words in her mouth.”

Joab put the words in her mouth. Which is where the saying comes from: “Don’t put words in my mouth.” So many things we say and believe in our society come from the Bible. More than most of us will ever realize.

Joab sets up a situation with a wise woman, to speak the right words to David, to convince David to bring his son back to Jerusalem.

Joab sends someone to get this wise woman from Tekoa, a town about 10 miles south of Jerusalem, and brings her back.

Joab tells her exactly what to say to get the King’s heart swayed in the right direction.

Sometimes we need to see a situation from a different perspective. It is very hard to see things we do wrong, or notice things within us that are troubling or need to be changed.

We all tend to have a blind spot toward our own bad behavior. But we’re very good at recognizing sin and problems in other people.

In this situation Joab is using this woman to help David see his own behavior from a different angle.

Nathan the prophet did the same thing, when David had committed adultery with Bathsheba. He gave a parable.

We all need friends, accountability partners, who can speak truth into our lives. Who can call us out when we’re doing wrong. We all need that. Find that in your life, and you’re going to be blessed.

So the woman comes before the King and here’s what says: (verses 4-11)

4 When the woman from Tekoa went to the king, she fell with her face to the ground to pay him honor, and she said, “Help me, Your Majesty!”

5 The king asked her, “What is troubling you?”

She said, “I am a widow; my husband is dead. 6 I your servant had two sons. They got into a fight with each other in the field, and no one was there to separate them. One struck the other and killed him. 7 Now the whole clan has risen up against your servant; they say, ‘Hand over the one who struck his brother down, so that we may put him to death for the life of his brother whom he killed; then we will get rid of the heir as well.’ They would put out the only burning coal I have left, leaving my husband neither name nor descendant on the face of the earth.”