Facing Two Armies With God

Now when Joab saw that the battle was set against him in front and in the rear, he selected from all the choice men of Israel, and arrayed them against the Arameans.  But the remainder of the people he placed in the hand of Abishai his brother, and he arrayed them against the sons of Ammon.  He said, "If the Arameans are too strong for me, then you shall help me, but if the sons of Ammon are too strong for you, then I will come to help you.  Be strong, and let us show ourselves courageous for the sake of our people and for the cities of our God; and may the Lord do what is good in His sight." (2 Samuel 10:9-12 NASB)

The character of Joab in Scripture is not one of those I would point out as one of great theological insight, not one of upstanding moral character, or one as a good example of anything but killing people.  He was really good at that.  His references to God aren't often and they aren't typically deep, but sometimes it's the practical piece that turns out to be so great.  That's the case here.

So, here Joab has brought part of the army; the good part, but only part (1 Chronicles 19 says all the fighting men).  We're not told how many enemies were here, and 1 Chronicles 19 only tells us part of the numbers involved.  It was still fighting front and back.  It wasn't a good tactical situation to address, but Joab was not in his first rodeo either.  He put the best against the 'attackers', and the rest against the 'defenders'.  That kept the defenders from becoming the attackers.  But then he rally's the troops.

Joab's words are actually very insightful, but only along practical lines.  They don't form a pattern I would necessarily follow every time I go to God or address Him.  Remember this isn't David and His insight into God, it's his 'pet assassin' he's not even that fond of.  So, consider the source as you consider the statement.

"Be strong and let us show ourselves courageous for our people and the cities of our God; and may God do what is good in His eyes."  The statement has three elements: 1) Be strong/courageous in action as we engage this bad situation.  2) Be inspired by our concern for our people and their daily life including worship. 3) Let God do His part, whatever He decides.

The lesson I learn is also made up of three parts: 1) My Master can work with courage because it demonstrates faith in Him. 2) My Master does not put in situations for myself alone, but to use me as a blessings in the lives of others. 3) My Master will do what He sees fit to do, BUT it would also be good to know what He would have me do as His designed role for me.

The third lesson may have been assumed for Joab because he already was the leader of the fighting forces, and he had a fight before him.  He just did his job the best he knew how.  But David would ask before battles, and sometimes do the battle differently at different times.  I think Joab's statement assumes that he can't know what God will do, nor what God would have him do.  I doubt that Joab thinks God doesn't have those insights, but I think Joab thought that they are inaccessible to him.  Keep in mind, David's not there.  Ordinarily, it would be David providing that insight.

So, I am to be courageous because I am convinced my Master loves me, has my back, and is using me for His service.  The work of my Master done through me isn't just for me, but for those I love around me.  The work of my Master done without me is even more important for His glory. 

Yeah, okay, I totally twisted that one around, but it's still true.  True, I need to do the work, be faithful in it, and know God will do as He sees best.  But really, isn't His part more likely to gain Him glory than my part?  I bring 'five loaves and two fish' worth of my own ability, and yet He feeds 5,000 hungry males worth of effective work.  Isn't His part more important than my loaves and fish?  Doesn't what He does bring Him more glory than what I do?  I believe it does.

Frienemies of God

He defeated Moab, and measured them with the line, making them lie down on the ground; and he measured two lines to put to death and one full line to keep alive. And the Moabites became servants to David, bringing tribute. (2 Samuel 8:2 NASB)

 At the end of Ruth (4:21) we find that Ruth, the Moabitess was David's great great grand mother (third generation).  Then, in 1 Samuel 22:3, David asks the king of Moab to hide his father while Saul pursues him, and he does.  So, you would think that there would be some 'friendliness' between David and Moab.  Until this happens.

In 2 Samuel 8, David's victories are described without a lot of detail, but in summary.  It's possible that these victories were spread out along his reign, but they are all compiled together in a single chapter.  There are several difficult things to translate and understand in the chapter, but one that is fairly easy to translate, but hard to understand is David's treatment of Moab.

In our age of 'atrocities' bringing an outrage and shock, people are probably surprised by David here.  This is not the 'Christian behavior' expected of one with such a close relationship with God, who is thought to be a 'man after God's own heart'.  Was it in God's heart to kill two-thirds of Moab after the battle/war was won?

Some possible understandings here are that this was only the treatment of one city, possibly the capital, and not the entire nation.  But it doesn't say that.  It's possible that David did this elsewhere and it was more customary than it would appear.  But it doesn't say that.  It's possible that Moab was under some sort of curse by God for something they did when Israel was coming into the land of promise.  But this doesn't refer back to any such curse.

One caveat is a reference in Deuteronomy that anyone of Moabite descent cannot enter the temple until after 10 generations, where other nations were at 3 (Deuteronomy 23:1-8).  The explanation given is that 'they did not meet you with food on the way.'  Another note refers to Balaam, and it was the king of Moab who sent for him, and from whom came the sin of 'Peor' which caused such calamity for Israel in the desert.  So Moab wasn't necessarily a 'friend' as such.

But why, if they were supportive of David as he fled Saul, and why, if David was a near descendant of Moab, would David treat them as brutally as he does; more than he is with other nations?  I don't know.  Let's be honest, as I read Scripture, I see very little to support such treatment of this people.  I don't know why.

So, I have a couple of choices: 1) I can say that David was wrong to treat them that way, and it set off the problems with them that follow (and there are several).  2) I can say that there was good reason, but it's not included in the account.  Or 3) I can say that God was 'willing' to permit this even though He didn't necessarily require it.

Of the three, I personally like the second one.  It preserves the character of both David and God.  On the other hand, it seems that if an explanation were missing from the text, it would also have been missing for the 'editor' compiling these accounts.  He is so full of explanation for other difficult things (but not all).

So what's my lesson?  Well, as hard as it is, I have to fall back on my inability to understand my Master.  What I mean by 'fall back' is that rather than require an explanation, I have to instead rest on what I do know already.  In other words, even though I don't know here, even though this sounds harsh, I have to go with what I know of my Master:  He created all things, He sustains all things, He knows my name, and chooses to love me, and not only me.  Therefore, along with all the other stuff I don't know (how He creates stars, how He holds atoms together, how He can see all of the universe and still know where I am, etc.) I will include this, God loves and blesses David, who killed 2/3s of the nation of Moab.

But a God capable of such work is worth my attention, and I should be concerned to be on His good side.  Abraham was considered a 'friend of God', David was considered a 'man after God's own heart', so that's where I want to aspire to be.  This is not Someone I want as an enemy.  Therefore, I will worship Him.  And I will obey Him, and that means that one day, I might just be involved in measuring the enemies of God and leaving only 1/3 alive.  I seriously doubt that, but I'm just going with what I read.  Just the same, are you a 'Friend of God'?