Gospel Reflections #1076: Not Only on the very last moment

2 Samuel 10:14 ‘When the Ammonites saw that the Arameans were fleeing, they too fled from Abishai and retreated into the city. Joab left the Ammonites as they were and withdrew, returning to Jerusalem.’

This passage depicts the moment when Joab, the commander of the Israelite army, and his brother Abishai overcame the threat of being caught in a pincer movement through faith and wisdom, forcing the combined forces of the Ammonites and Arameans to retreat.

King David, mourning the death of Nahash, the former king of the Ammonites, sent envoys to his son Hanun to offer an alliance and express his compassion.

However, Hanun and his advisers suspected that ‘David had come to spy on the country’; they inflicted the ultimate insult on the envoys by shaving off half their beards and cutting their garments at the waist, before sending them away.

As a result, the Ammonites, fearing David’s retaliation, hired a powerful mercenary force from Aram, a mighty northern power, and war broke out.

Joab, the commander-in-chief of the Israelite army, found himself in a desperate situation, caught in a ‘pincer movement’ with the Ammonites in front and the Aramean cavalry and chariot units behind.

Joab divided his army in two; he himself faced the formidable Arameans, whilst entrusting his brother Abishai with the Ammonites.

They encouraged one another, saying, ‘If one of us is in trouble, let us come to each other’s aid. Let us fight bravely. The Lord will do what is right in his sight.’

In verse 13, when Joab’s forces routed the Arameans, as described in verse 14, the Ammonites, seeing this, lost heart and fled from Abishai’s army, taking refuge in a strongly fortified town.

At this point, Joab did not pursue them too far or attempt a forced assault on the city, but withdrew his troops and returned to Jerusalem.

This was an extremely level-headed military decision, taken both to prevent the troops from becoming exhausted and to account for the risk that the Arameans, now regrouping behind them, might return.

This battle escalated into a major war that threatened to destroy the nation simply because King Hanun suspected that David’s pure goodwill was motivated by ‘ulterior motives’.

This teaches us the danger of unbelief—the inability to accept the goodwill of others with an open heart—and of suspicion born of self-preservation.

We can only see things through our own filters, and what we perceive changes depending on the state of our hearts.

That is precisely why we must allow God to correct us.

Furthermore, Joab and Abishai devised the best possible strategy and promised to support one another, whilst entrusting the outcome to God’s sovereignty.

When we face difficulties, it is vital that we fulfil our human responsibilities whilst maintaining an attitude of trust that ultimate victory belongs to God.

We should strive for a faith that does not rely on God only at the very last moment, but relies on Him from the very beginning and continues to believe in His promises.

AUTHOR'S BIO: This Gospel Reflections page is written by Masae San, who resides in Hiroshima, Japan. Masae is a dedicated student of the Bible with a deep passion for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. She shares her daily reflections on Gospel perspectives to reach out to others and spread the message of God's true love through a Christ-centered approach. We are sharing her insights here so that you, too, can experience the joy that comes from knowing and understanding the true Gospel and the love of God through Jesus Christ.