A Chagall painting of David saved by his wife Michal.
I don't really understand Joab. He intrigues me because he strikes me as a complicated character. Just because he's aligned with David, you can't assume he shares David's heart. In fact, he almost seems a counterpoint to David. Where David is spiritual and poetic and politically expedient, Joab strikes me as brutish, rash and a bit underhanded. How did these two pick one another? Why does David keep Joab in power as his general?
Joab is one of the three sons of Zeruiah. They seem to be a military family. His two brothers, Abishai and Asahel, also serve David. Perhaps its Asahel's death that puts Joab on his strange path. Asahel is chasing down Abner in the Civil War that has arisen between David's forces and King Ish-Boseth's men.
Asahel will not turn away from running after Abner even at Abner suggestion that he at least needs to arm himself. Why doesn't Asahel turn aside to pick up a weapon? Does he think Abner is tricking him so he can escape? Does Abner not want to kill Asahel because he fears Joab's revenge? Does he know something about Joab?
Ulitmately Abner kills Asahel. Apparently it's a traumatic event because we're told "every man stopped when he came to the place where Asahel had fallen and died." 2 Sam. 2:23
Even after David allies himself with Abner to unify the kingdom, Joab murders Abner to avenge his brother's death. He does it premeditated, without telling David what he's about to do and by means of a bit of trickery, taking Abner aside as if to speak with him privately and stabbing him in the stomach.
David curses Joab saying to his men, "Do you not realize that a prince and a great man has fallen in Israel this day? And today, though I am the anointed king, I am weak, and these sons of Zeruiah are too strong for me. May the Lord repay the evildoer according to his evil deeds!"
David curses Joab...but keeps him on board. Why? Especially when he kills everyone else tied to the death of a great man of Israel, such as Saul or Ish-Bosheth. More to come on Joab. Lord knows.
There's also the curious case of Michal. My wife often mourns the treatment of Michal. David apparently loves her in the beginning because he slays a hundred Philistines to marry her. But Saul, jealous of David, gives her to another. David makes regaining Michal part of a deal with King Ish-Bosheth to unify the kingdom of Israel. Michal is taken from her husband, Paltiel, who follows after her weeping.
Does David still lover her? If it was truly love, wouldn't he allow her to get on with her life? Or is it now a matter of pride and political expediency to bring the House of Saul and the House of David together through marriage. David may be a man after God's own heart, but in the area of love a woman, he seems incredibly deficient. It is, of course, a different time. But David is already amassing a number of wives and concubines. Is our poet-warrior-king a man's man who objectifies women? This might be an early indicator of things yet to come.
My post last year on this date.
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