2 Samuel 20

“They were at the great stone in Gibeon, when Amasa joined them. Joab was wearing his uniform and over it was a belt around his waist with a sword in its sheath. As he approached, the sword fell out. Joab asked Amasa, ‘Are you well, my brother?’ Then with his right hand Joab grabbed Amasa by the beard to kiss him. Amasa was not on guard against the sword in Joab’s hand, and Joab stabbed him in the stomach with it and spilled his intestines out on the ground. Joab did not stab him again for Amasa was dead. Joab and his brother Abishai pursued Sheba son of Bichri.” 2 Samuel 20:8-10 (HCSB)

There was a revolution underway. A Benjamite named Sheba was trying (unsuccessfully) to get the ten tribes of Israel to secede from David’s tribe of Judah and the priestly tribe of the Levites. He was a rebel. David appointed a man named Amasa to muster a Judean army within three days to pursue Sheba and quash the rebellion. For whatever reason, Amasa took more than his allotted time, so David told Abishai to muster his army and march against Sheba. Joab and his men were riding out under Abishai’s command.

It seems cut and dried. Go get the rebel. But if you look closely, you will notice two rebels in this story. Joab is also a rebel, perhaps more dangerous than Sheba. On his way to bring justice to another rebel, Joab took the opportunity to kill his power rival within David’s kingdom. Sadly, we are not surprised. We have seen this all before. People who get in Joab’s way find themselves pushing-up daisies! Joab butchered Abner and Absolam. Now Amasa is his latest victim. Joab specialized in treachery and blood.

But was he really a “rebel”? Sure, he was a brutal warrior, but was he a threat to the kingdom? I believe so. Sheba wanted to leave the Davidic kingdom behind, but Joab refused to be controlled within the kingdom. He was always hacking away to keep his own position unrivaled. Jesus warned us of such men.

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but only the one who does the will of My Father Who is in Heaven.” Matthew 7:21 (HCSB)

There is such a thing as acknowledging the king’s sovereignty yet disregarding his will. You see, Joab is faithful to David. He does not try to become king like Sheba, yet he acts as his own king. He is extremely loyal to David but essentially un-submissive to David.

This kind of person has no place in the kingdom in the end. There are scores of “Joabs” in the Church. Do you have “Joabs” in your life? Are you a “Joab” to someone else in spiritual authority? Are you one who claims loyalty to God yet denies the authority of His Scripture?