The Hatchet Man

S: 2 Samuel 20:8–13 — Joab murders Amasa through deception, greeting him like a brother and then striking him. Afterwards, he calmly resumes command as if nothing has happened.

O: David had given Amasa Joab’s position as commander of the army of Israel. He likely did this to consolidate the two sides after the civil war with Absalom, and perhaps because he was angry with Joab for killing Absalom when he had expressly commanded him not to.

When Sheba ben Bichri launched a new rebellion and David sent Amasa to deal with it, Joab seized the opportunity to murder him, thereby securing his return as head of the army.

Joab functioned as David’s hatchet man, rather like Chuck Colson was for Richard Nixon. David relied on Joab to do his dirty work time and again — for example, in the matter of Uriah, Bathsheba’s husband. Joab also confronted David when his behaviour threatened the stability of the kingdom, such as during his excessive mourning for Absalom.

David may have felt unable to deal with Joab’s murders (yes, murders, in plural — he had earlier murdered another rival whom David had promoted for similar reasons: Abner, Saul’s commander) because Joab seemed too indispensable. David’s own moral failures may have weakened his ability to confront Joab decisively.

He was fiercely loyal in public, ruthlessly self-serving in practice, maintaining the kingdom’s “efficiency” by eliminating rivals. Yet that efficiency was built on murder and deceit. The frightening reality is how quickly a community can be conditioned to move on once the evidence is removed (the body is taken off the road, and everyone carries on). God is not deceived by managed appearances; bloodguilt cries out to Him, and in time He brings true judgement — Joab eventually meets justice under Solomon. This is the moral shape of reality: sin’s consequences may be delayed, but they are never erased by usefulness.

Chuck Colson’s story shows that Joab’s path was not inevitable. Colson genuinely repented and was redeemed, later doing much good through Prison Fellowship. The difference is not “good PR” versus “bad PR”, but repentance versus self-protection. Justice fell on Joab; mercy is available to the repentant like Colson.

So I must ask: Where am I tempted to justify sinful methods because they seem necessary? Where am I hiding behind competence, loyalty, or “the cause”? God requires truth in the inward parts, and He will not allow bloodguilt, abuse, or manipulation to have the final word.

A: The end does not justify the means. I must remain faithful to God’s good way, even when the wrong way seems more “efficient”. When I am tempted to justify sinful methods, I must remember the lesson of Joab, David’s hatchet man. God requires truth in the inward parts, and He will not allow bloodguilt, abuse, or manipulation to prevail.

P: Father, guard my heart from the hatchet man’s ways — willing to harm others for personal gain. Help me always to treat people with Your love. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Notes:

I came up with this SOAP in a conversation with Kairos AI after reading 2 Samuel 20, as I struggled with what lesson could I draw from this horrible incident. The picture was based on an illustration from the 1862 Illustrirte Pracht-Bibel, updated by ChatGPT.