2 Samuel 18:1-17
After King David established himself at Mahanaim, he began organizing his troops. He divided them equally under Joab, Abishai and Ittai. David himself wanted to go into battle with them, but they pleaded for him to stay in the city. The soldiers felt that if David was actually in the battlefield, Absalom’s forces would fight even harder to try to kill him. David followed their advice and stayed behind. As the soldiers were filing out of the city, King David stood at the gate and asked the leaders to deal kindly with his son.
Absalom however had joined the battle. He had extremely long hair of which he was extremely proud. As he rode his mule along he went under a terebinth tree and his hair got hung in the tree limbs. Rather than stopping the mule went on. Abaslom was stuck hanging there!!
One of Joab’s men saw him and went and told Joab. Joab asked the man why he didn’t kill him. The man replied that everyone had heard the king’s instructions about his son, so he dared not harm him. Joab felt differently. This was the man who had led a rebellion against the king. Joab went and killed Absalom with 3 spears. Joab blew the trumpet thus calling back all the soldiers who had defeated Absalom’s men. They then took Absalom’s body and buried it in a pit covered with rocks.
Joab had a made a choice. The king had given him one set of instructions but he chose to kill Absalom. Why? I believe Joab felt that the king was thinking as a father, not a king. A king needs to remove rebellion, a father wants to save his child. As a military leader, Joab decided it was more important to destroy the rebellion. Sometimes we have to choose what we think is right, even when we know we may upset someone else. But we also need to be prepared for the consequences.
Draw a picture of Absalom stuck hanging from his hair in the tree. Do you think he got what he deserved?