BACKBONE
II Samuel 3:33, 37-39
"And the king sang a lament over Abner....Now all the people and all Israel understood that it had not been the king's intent to kill Abner the son of Ner. Then the king said to his servants, 'Do you not know that a prince and a great man has fallen this day in Israel? And I am weak today, though anointed king; and these men, the sons of Zuruiah, are too harsh for me. The LORD shall repay the evildoer according to his wickedness.' "
David knew that Joab was a harsh man – churlish, cruel, impudent, obstinate, and stubborn – who had no respect for David's authority. He was a law unto himself, doing his own thing in disobedience to the king's commands. Perhaps Joab saw David's esteem for Abner and killed Abner to remove any competition to this own position as commander of David's army. At any rate, David should have taken authority over Joab, but he didn't, and lived to regret it. Later, Joab even killed Absolom, David's son, in defiance of the king's command. David had a sensitive spirit, but he was weak in dealing with Joab's rebellious nature. It is incumbent on a person in authority – whether a parent, a pastor, or a president – to have the guts to handle tough situations. David had no backbone as king. Instead of taking control of Joab, he took the easy way out and shifted the onus onto God, when he should have taken care of the situation himself. Not doing the hard work of leadership causes problems down the road.
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: A leader needs to have both a sensitive spirit and a backbone to govern well.
[end]
Have a tough love day. Love you.
P.S.: Thank you, Loren, for your insight regarding Joab's insecurities.
II Samuel 3:33, 37-39
"And the king sang a lament over Abner....Now all the people and all Israel understood that it had not been the king's intent to kill Abner the son of Ner. Then the king said to his servants, 'Do you not know that a prince and a great man has fallen this day in Israel? And I am weak today, though anointed king; and these men, the sons of Zuruiah, are too harsh for me. The LORD shall repay the evildoer according to his wickedness.' "
David knew that Joab was a harsh man – churlish, cruel, impudent, obstinate, and stubborn – who had no respect for David's authority. He was a law unto himself, doing his own thing in disobedience to the king's commands. Perhaps Joab saw David's esteem for Abner and killed Abner to remove any competition to this own position as commander of David's army. At any rate, David should have taken authority over Joab, but he didn't, and lived to regret it. Later, Joab even killed Absolom, David's son, in defiance of the king's command. David had a sensitive spirit, but he was weak in dealing with Joab's rebellious nature. It is incumbent on a person in authority – whether a parent, a pastor, or a president – to have the guts to handle tough situations. David had no backbone as king. Instead of taking control of Joab, he took the easy way out and shifted the onus onto God, when he should have taken care of the situation himself. Not doing the hard work of leadership causes problems down the road.
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: A leader needs to have both a sensitive spirit and a backbone to govern well.
[end]
Have a tough love day. Love you.
P.S.: Thank you, Loren, for your insight regarding Joab's insecurities.
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