Mistakes in Leadership always Cost Others

2 Samuel 12:26-31

Have you heard this statement, revenge is sweet, or payback is just around the corner?  That is what was taking place in these verses?  “Now Joab fought against Rabbah of the Ammonites and took the royal city. And Joab sent messengers to David and said, “I have fought against Rabbah; moreover, I have taken the city of waters. Now then gather the rest of the people together and encamp against the city and take it, lest I take the city and it be called by my name.” 

When we left chapter eleven, it began in the next few verses telling us David sent Joab out to war with the Ammonites and the goal was to destroy the Ammonites and besiege Rabbah.  But then a wife of one of his soldiers, you recall Uriah and his wife Bathsheba got involved in the story of King David’s lust and it turned into the King having Uriah murdered and taking Bathsheba for his wife.  We never got to the result of the war with the Ammonites that really began in chapter ten.

You may recall how the King of the Ammonites died and his young son Hanun listened to the wrong counsel and treated the men David had sent shamefully and then got fearful of what he had done and hired armies to fight against Israel.  We know that did not work well and David and his forces beat the socks off of them.  We also know that the Ammonites ran home and now we can resume the story in 2 Samuel 12:26-31, with the capture of the city of Rabbah.

Before doing so we need to explain, about two points, the royal city was probably the part where the palace stood and it would have been defended better.  Next the water supply, whoever controlled the water for the city was going to win the battle. “So David gathered all the people together and went to Rabbah and fought against it and took it.”  We are told that Rabbah was about 40 miles from Jerusalem, very close by our standards.  The removing of the crown from the defeated king and placing it on David’s head symbolized the transfer of power.  It is also of interest that David dedicated the good stuff like silver and gold and bronze for the future building of the temple.

I’m not sure why David enslaved the Ammonite people and put them under heavy labor, but that is what happened.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice