Forgiveness is the Way to Peace: 2 Samuel 3:31-39

When we live lives of forgiveness, we allow people to see God dwelling within us.  The world doesn’t forgive.  The world competes.  The world plots revenge.  The world distrusts.  The world shows up its enemies and puts them down.  God forgives.  God turns anger into love.

David is appalled at Joab’s actions, although he understands the emotion behind them.  Joab killed Abner in cold blood even though David pardoned Abner.  Joab’s actions paint David’s leadership in a poor light.  The elders who backed Abner could easily turn away from David because of Joab’s action.  With Abner’s death, it made any future defections highly unlikely.  Joab’s revenge potentially curses David to a fight to the bitter end between Judah and the remaining tribes.

In keeping with the theme of this chapter, David does something amazing yet completely predictable.  David forgives Joab, too.  David risks isolating the fragile relationship Abner had started to foster between himself and the elders of the other tribes by forgiving Joab. 

The elders could easily look at David and claim he is favoring one of his own even though Joab murdered Abner.  The elders could even accuse David of luring Abner into a false sense of security only to make it easier to kill him.  David knows this possibility and still responds with forgiveness.

The only way to God’s peace is through love.  No amount of revenge will bring about God’s peace.  No amount of punishment will bring about God’s peace.  No amount of human vindication will bring about God’s peace.  The Gospel message is God’s peace only comes from sacrificial love.

David forgives Joab’s action just like he forgave Abner’s action.  David has always sought peace.  He did not resist Saul because he sought peace.  He forgave Abner because he sought peace.  He forgives Joab now because God’s peace is worth it.

That doesn’t mean David prohibits consequences.  David forgives Joab, but he is not pleased with him.  David happily makes his displeasure known.  David has already laid a curse on Joab’s house.  Now, he forces Joab and his men to attend Abner’s funeral and to genuinely mourn.  As they mourn, David compares Joab’s death to falling before wicked men.

David knows the anger burning in Joab’s heart is not good.  The murderous intent that caused Joab to kill Abner is not good to allow to fester within.  It needs to be recognized and dealt with.  David forces Joab to mourn for Abner, to mourn for Asahel, and to mourn for the brokenness in the world forcing these events to occur in the first place.

The people respond to David’s leadership.  They realize the power of forgiveness compared to the power of anger.  They see a leader worth following in David.  David’s forgiveness allows the elders to recognize he had no part in Abner’s death.  When we live lives of forgiveness, we allow people to see God dwelling within us.