The Joab Christian

1 Chron 11:4 Then David and all Israel went to Jerusalem (or Jebus, as it used to be called), where the Jebusites, original inhabitants of the land, lived.

5 The people of Jebus said to David, "You will never get in here!" But David captured the fortress of Zion, now called the City of David.

6 David had said to his troops, "Whoever leads the attack against the Jebusites will become the commander of my armies!" And Joab, the son of David's sister Zeruiah, led the attack, so he became the commander of David's armies.

7 David made the fortress his home, and that is why it is called the City of David.

8 He extended the city from the Millo to the surrounding area, while Joab rebuilt the rest of Jerusalem. (NLT)

I find it interesting to see the origin of Jerusalem. It was first called Jebu and inhabited by the Jebusites. They were a fortified city and it was there that Joab distinguished himself as a battle commander: "Whoever leads the attack against the Jebusites will become the commander of my armies!" And Joab, the son of David's sister Zeruiah, led the attack, so he became the commander of David's armies. Jerusalem became known as the city of David.

Joab was David's sister's son, his nephew. He was a mighty warrior showing no mercy to his enemies. When David's son Absalom rebelled against his father and took the kingdom from him, it was Joab who killed Absalom as he was hanging from a tree by his hair. This upset David who did not want his son killed. David was after God's own heart, but Joab had not the spirit of God. Joab would lead Israel's armies and be victorious in many battles. I see Joab as a type of a Christian that is zealous for fighting against the enemies of Christ, but doing it in the flesh and not the spirit. There was little grace or mercy in Joab. He even turned against some of the warriors who fought for David. General Abner was a great general, sort of like Robert E Lee was as he led the South in the civil war. When Abner joined with David to serve him it was Joab who found an occasion to kill him. The Joab Christian does not have forgiveness. Those who have been received by Christ and forgiven, sometimes are attacked by the Joab Christian and virtually destroyed because Joab would not forgive them. Abner had killed Joab's brother in battle. We must put away past hurts because eventually they may cause us to fall away. Joab fell away from serving David and when David asked his son Solomon who became king after David, to kill him. Joab then grabbed ahold of the horns of the altar, but it was too late as it was there that he was killed.

Sometimes the unforgiving and unloving battling Christian will fall away, perhaps because they never had the evidence of God in their life. They will like Joab seek to call on God for mercy, but not be able to find it. Hopefully none of us are like this, a Christian in name only, vengeful, unforgiving, for we may not be able to find God because of our sin hardened heart. If you think that you may be a Joab Christian pray with me David's words and .If you were truly saved, God will receive you back.

Psa 51:9 Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.
Psa 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
Psa 51:11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.
Psa 51:12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.

1Jn 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Join ranks with the army of God; love one another, encourage and forgive your brother's and sister's in the Lord as Christ Jesus has forgiven you.

Solomon anointed king

King David had several wives and concubines by which he had son's and daughters. Because of his sin with Bathsheba, having her husband killed in battle to cover his sin with her, his family was troubled with sin. Absalom had tried to steal the kingdom from David, taking David's concubines to himself and causing a civil war splitting northern Israel from Judah. General Joab killed Absalom against King David's command. Israel and Judah were reunited but now Joab  and Abiathar the priest, had supported the oldest son of David Adonijah in a power grab. King David was very old and unaware of what was happening. Nathan the prophet approached Bathsheba and Bathsheba went to king David to have him declare her son Solomon as king instead of Adonijah.

1 Ki 1:32  And king David said, Call me Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada. And they came before the king.
1 Ki 1:33  The king also said unto them, Take with you the servants of your lord, and cause Solomon my son to ride upon mine own mule, and bring him down to Gihon:
1 Ki 1:34  And let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him there king over Israel: and blow ye with the trumpet, and say, God save king Solomon.
1 Ki 1:35  Then ye shall come up after him, that he may come and sit upon my throne; for he shall be king in my stead: and I have appointed him to be ruler over Israel and over Judah.
1 Ki 1:36  And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king, and said, Amen: the LORD God of my lord the king say so too.
1 Ki 1:37  As the LORD hath been with my lord the king, even so be he with Solomon, and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord king David.

Solomon's half brother Adonijah had grabbed the horns of the altar begging for mercy, as the custom was to kill the rivals of a king. Solomon gave his half brother mercy but with a condition, he was not to seek power to be king again. Later Adonijah approached Bathsheba with a request, that she would ask Solomon to give to him the virgin wife of King David. The virgin kept old king David warm and had comforted him. When Bathsheba asked King Solomon to grant his request, Solomon considered this a power grab. Taking a wife of David would give him political power. Solomon had Adonijah killed for this transgression.

The old testament was showing us how the law works. No one could keep all the law and even one transgression would result in death. Solomon was given wisdom from God, the wisest of men. He too would become a law breaker having too many foreign wives. He made shrines to their gods and worshiped at them. Even the wisest of men will sin. We need a savior to give us mercy and grace. Our nation needs righteous leaders and laws until each person comes to Jesus to be given grace and a new heart. The law shows to us sin and the result is death. Jesus came with God's mercy and grace becoming our substitute, dying in our place, to give us eternal life. Jesus became the eternal wisest and most righteous king to sit on the throne of David  and to sit at the right hand of God the Father forever.