2 Samuel 18:19-23 – Being loyal and committed

To announce the good news that the enemy had been defeated would be easy if not for the fact that the enemy was Absalom and that he was killed. So the question to Joab was: who should be more suitable to bear the unpleasant news to the king? The son of Zadok, Ahimaaz, who was a sympathizer of David, volunteered to bring the news to the king. Verse 20 tells us that Joab denied him the opportunity for reasons unexplained. Here are two possible explanations for his refusal. Firstly, having disobeyed the king’s request to deal kindly with his son, he was afraid that Ahimaaz, who was sympathetic to David, might just blurt out matter-of-factly concerning Absalom’s death and how he was killed. This would needlessly create trouble for him, and he would become the object of the king’s displeasure. Secondly, Joab could have recalled how David earlier did not treat the messenger that brought news of Jonathan and Saul’s death kindly. In that incident, David had the messenger executed. And Joab did not want Ahimaaz to suffer the same outcome. If this is the reason, sending the Cushite would make more sense. Thirdly, the Cushite could well be one of the ten that had emulated him and speared Absalom to death. If he was, then he would certainly be more cautious in breaking the news since he had participated in the killing of Absalom.  

So Joab sent the Cushite instead of Ahimaaz. But the latter was very insistent, and he persistently pleaded with Joab to let him bring the news to David. Joab’s reluctance was seen in how he tried to reason him out of the task. He asked Ahimaaz why he was so eager to break the news to David, knowing that he would not receive any reward. But Ahimaaz was not thinking of the reward, he was prepared to endure any outcome of being the bearer of the news. His allegiance to the king was obvious and he was committed to him regardless. Joab reluctantly relented. It was likely that he did not expect Ahimaaz to outrun the Cushite. Taking a different route home, Ahimaaz outran the Cushite.  

From the action of Ahmaaz, we learn a lesson on allegiance. He was so loyal and committed to David that he would gladly do anything for him. He was prepared to take the risk of conveying the unpleasant news to the king even if it meant that he had to bear with any unpleasant outcome. His heart was with David. So eager was he that though he started out the journey later, he reached David earlier than the Cushite. Concerning our relationship with Christ, we all like Ahimaaz, need to show allegiance, and be loyal and committed to Him. Lacking allegiance, it would be hard to follow Jesus ardently and serve Him diligently. Loving and being committed to Him will require us to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him. Are we willing to give up comfort and pleasure so that we can live faithfully for Him? Can we say like Paul, “… one thing I do… forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus”? We will never regret being loyal to Jesus.