Lesson 375: "Get Your Answer At Able"
Willfully rebelling against God and the authorities He has set in place is to travel the road of destruction. Rebels do not have to continue on this road. God sent His Son to die NOT for the good, obedient people but for rebels like me. “I have not come to call the righteous but sinners” (Matt. 9:13). This rebellion I am speaking of here is an attitude of the heart. An attitude that dishonors God, hurts others and puts you on the road to destruction; running like the devil himself were chasing you (and in fact he is)!
A couple of the many biblical rebels come to mind from 2 Samuel, starting in chapter 20. “There was a troublemaker named Sheba”! Sheba was a rebel-rouser and turned the men of Israel against their king (David), the one God had “set in place of authority”. The next “character” is another rebel, Joab, who had been David’s chief general until he was replaced (because of rebellion-2 Sam. 3:23-39, 18:14-15, 19:1-7)) by Amasa. David’s orders to Amasa were to “stop Sheba’s rebellion” but Amasa runs into problems, causing a delay, so David appoints Abishai, Joab’s brother to muster the troops and carry out this order. Joab joins the ranks with Abishai and Amasa finally shows up. Joab greets him with a smile, a kind word, a kiss and a stab in the back (or in this case in the abdomen). Joab at once took back command as if nothing had happened. He wanted back in the king’s good graces, and top honors, even if it meant killing a man who was fighting on the same side he was. The same side!? Are we sure!? I believe Joab had only one side! His! He was thinking only of himself and no one was to stand in his way to glory. God describes Joab and those like him in Isaiah 65:2; “All day long I have held out my hands to an obstinate people who WALK IN WAYS NOT GOOD, pursuing THEIR OWN IMAGINATIONS”! Rebellion hurts! It causes ripples of pain that reaches everyone around you and maybe even farther than you will ever realize.
Sheba reached the city of Abel, a city of refuge, but this did not matter to Joab who proceeded to batter the wall to bring it down. The wise woman stood on the wall and yelled down at Joab; “long ago they used to say, ‘get your answer at Abel’, and that settled it’ “(2 Sam. 20:18). I understand this statement to mean that if Joab had of not tarried by killing the ones in his way, he would have been to the city ahead of Sheba like David ordered (2 Sam. 20:6). He then could have stopped Sheba before he entered the town and both sides of the rebellion would have been settled. Notice that David did not order Sheba killed!
Who was the greater of the rebels? Joab who rebelled against the king a lifetime or Sheba who rebelled against the king once? Read between the lines, putting you in the places of these men! Did you resolve a problem through rebellion, leaving a trail of hurt, confusion and/or loss of friends in your wake (Joab)? Did you draw others away from the kingdom using the king as an excuse in order to put yourself in leadership (Sheba)? Or did you simply neglect to “go first to Abel”, seeking wisdom (James 1:5)? Did you let the problem ride and fester until only death (of trust) was left and ousting (dismissal, separation & etc.) was the only way out?
The answer: Rebellion against THE KING (God) is a sin and the wages of sin is death (Rom. 6:23). Joab ordered Sheba’s death (2 Sam. 20:21-22) and David seemed to tolerate Joab’s usurpation (for now). David’s dying words to Solomon were; “deal with him according to your WISDOM, but do not let his gray head go down to the grave in peace” (1 Kings 2:5-6, 2:34). “These things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did” (1 Cor. 10:6). God sees the heart (1 Sam. 16:7)! As a man thinks in his heart, so is he (Pro. 23:7! What’s the attitude of your heart (Matt. 15:19)? Because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before the Lord, I have heard you (2 Kings 22:19 paraphrased)!