II Samuel 20:10 But Amasa took no heed to the sword that was in Joab’s hand.
David certainly was a man who had seen a lot of trouble, and such a man needs dependable people who can help both in times of difficulty and in times of prosperity. Joab, David’s general, seemed to be such a man. He had weathered the storms with David. It seemed that he had been loyal to David even when David’s own son, Absalom, had rebelled.
Joab was in every way exactly what one might want in a companion. He was pragmatic, capable, and able to get the job done. The problem was that Joab was a double-edged sword. Joab was loyal to himself first of all, and thus, loyal to David as long as the two coincided. Joab was a man of duplicity, of two intentions. He had one intention in one hand and one intention in the other hand.
When his arrogance and rebellion had reached more than David could possibly bear, David replaced Joab with Amasa. But something happened. David sent Amasa, as the new commander, to overtake a rebel faction. He was slow in getting to the job. He wasn’t as capable as Joab. So Joab himself takes what soldiers were attached to him and likewise follows this rebel band.
II Samuel 20:9 says, “And Joab said to Amasa, Art thou in health, my brother? And Joab took Amasa by the beard with the right hand to kiss him. But Amasa took no heed to the sword that was in Joab’s hand: so he smote him therewith.” Joab was a man who was loyal to David, but only as long as it was beneficial for himself. He was all about David’s goals as long as they coincided with his own goals of power.
David and Joab had gotten to a point where David could not live without Joab and Joab could not gain power without David. It was a bad place to be. David was in some degree stuck with Joab who was perfectly willing to murder others in order to keep his position and get where he wanted to be.
When he could help David, he would do it. In short, he would do both good and bad in order to further his own position. The lesson we learn is that choosing a companion according to their ability more than to their integrity is a double-edged sword. Can they get the work done? Yes. Can they be trusted? No.
Joab had a handshake in one hand and a sword in the other. The Bible says that Amasa “took no heed to the sword that was in Joab’s hand.” Neither did David. David took no heed, it seems, to the sword that was in Joab’s hand.
Proverbs 25:19 says, “Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble is like a broken tooth, and a foot out of joint.” Joab had been faithful in times of trouble, but only to the extent that it seemed to benefit Joab. Joab himself was the two-edged sword. He had two hands, one with a sword and one with a handshake. He had two faces and two loyalties. He was a man of duplicity, a man of two sides.
What we need to surround ourselves with are people of simplicity. I don’t mean people who are simple and know nothing. I mean people who are single in their loyalty, their person, and their intentions. Today, may God give us the discernment to surround ourselves with people who will both tell the truth and be loyal to something larger than themselves. We need to be that kind of person, as well.