The Mother of Abel Beth Maachah.

Chapter 4

Jerusalem

Joab burst through the doors and into King David's throne room, "What do you think you're doing, you're dividing the kingdom!"
King David wasn't in the best of moods, and even though he was despondent and heartbroken, the fire in his eyes as he raised his head, clearly showed his displeasure at this rude intrusion.  Joab was no fool and quickly realised he might have gone too far.  He made an apologetic bow and said, "Forgive me my King....I should have knocked."
"Shall I forgive the man who murdered my son?" David moaned.
"We were at war, my lord, you were the one who ordered us to engage with Absalom.  He was the enemy, the one trying to overthrow you." Joab answered.
"Did I not instruct everyone before you left that Absalom should be spared?" David replied.
Joab shrugged his shoulders, "People die in battle, my lord."
David lamented, "If only he died like a warrior my grief would be easier to bear.  But the way he died.....it's unforgivable.  Why did you kill a helpless person who couldn't fight back?"
Joab answered, "As far as I'm concerned, the Lord delivered him into our hands.  In either case, what sort of  imbecile goes to war with hair so long that it entwines itself around the branch of a tree.  It must have been painful to hang like that.....I did him a favour."
David, clearly upset by this nonchalant answer, exclaimed, "You could have just cut him down."
Joab, now irritated, replied, "I must remind you, lord king, he was fleeing from the battle.  My commanders would have caught up with him, something that would have been inevitable , seeing he was travelling on a mule, and sent a javelin or an arrow into his back.  The Lord God works in mysterious ways.  My whole army seeks to find Absalom and the Lord uses an oak tree to dismount and incapacitate the fleeing enemy.  I only finished what the Lord started.  My spears pierced his stomach while he was facing me, not in his back like a coward."
David put his head in his hands and sobbed.  Listening to the replay of his son's death brought all his sorrow and grief to the fore.

Joab shifted his weight from one leg to another, his posture displaying the frustration and impatience he was feeling towards his king.  He didn't come here to discuss Absalom's death, it was the King's show of weakness that had to be addressed.

"Begging your pardon, lord king but I did not come here today to have you mourn the death of Absalom.  What is done is done.  You have humiliated all your men, who have just saved your life.  You seem to love those that hate you and hate those who have risked their lives for you and your family.  You have made the commanders of your army and your men feel like they mean nothing to you".  Joab stomped around the room, shaking his head.  He beat his fist into the side of his leg and turned again to face David.  He shouted. "Are you listening to me!"
David said nothing.  Only Joab could speak to King David like this.  His long-standing friendship, the favours he had done for his king and the countless times he had given the king good advice allowed him the privilege of speaking frankly.  Joab continued his verbal barrage on the king.  His lack of self-control, now clearly apparent.  Sarcastically he crooned, "Oh I see!....it would please you if Absalom was standing here speaking to you instead of me.  You would rather that I and your army were dead and sweet little traitorous Absalom was alive...."
"Enough!" King David shouted, jumping up from his throne, his face red with anger, matching his red, puffy tear-shod eyes.
"If you do not shut your mouth this instant, I will shut it for you....permanently!"

Inwardly Joab was smiling.  His ruse had worked.   The king had snapped out of his melancholy.  After his initial outburst, he looked at Joab and quietly said, "What should I do?" Joab answered.
"You must encourage your men.  Go out and thank them for their loyalty, their bravery and the fact that they are still here waiting for your command.  Act as if you are genuinely pleased with their victory and praise them.  Take up your seat, as you would have, if you were saluting the victory march past.  Wave to your men and smile.  I can guarantee you, that if you don't do something, by nightfall you will not have one man left in your army."

David heeded the words of Joab but his General had gone too far, the king's disappointment in Joab's lack of control when in his presence, forced David to send Joab away from the court and suspended his control of the army, as a lesson for his insolence.

The word went out that the king was waiting for the victory parade.  The men of Judah rejoiced and came to receive the King's salute, but half the men of Israel were disillusioned and had already left for their homes.

Later the men of Israel, thinking the king had given special rewards to the men of Judah, returned and asked why the men of Judah had brought King David safely to Jerusalem.  They claimed that they were 10 tribes, compared to Judah's two, and therefore should receive a greater portion of the rewards.  The men of Judah answered, "What rewards are you talking about?   We haven't taken anything for ourselves, not even food from the King's provisions.  You ask us why we stayed true to the king and brought him and his household safely across the Jordan river?  Our answer is simple.  He is the Lord's anointed, he is a mighty warrior, and even though they turn against him, he loves his children.  He is also closely related to us."