Respect
Good Morning,
As we approach Christmas, I want to encourage everyone to have a grateful spirit and a thoughtful response to the world around you. We do not need to live angry, bitter, vengeful, and so selfishly that we forget to rejoice and be glad for all the good we have every day.
With that being said, let me mention a Bible principle that is too neglected in our culture. First, let us take a look at the story. David had just met with Abner, an enemy general who stood with the son of former king Saul, dividing the nation in half with David. Abner had offered to help David unify the north and south of Israel. Joab, David’s general, returned from battle to hear of the peace talks. Joab had a brother, Asahel, who was killed by Abner in battle, and that certainly added to the difficulty of the situation.
2 Samuel 3:23 “When Joab and all the host that was with him were come, they told Joab, saying, Abner the son of Ner came to the king, and he hath sent him away, and he is gone in peace.”
vs. 24 “Then Joab came to the king, and said, What hast thou done? behold, Abner came unto thee; why is it that thou hast sent him away, and he is quite gone?”
vs. 25 “Thou knowest Abner the son of Ner, that he came to deceive thee, and to know thy going out and thy coming in, and to know all that thou doest.”
The problem in the scenario was that Joab did not agree with the decision David had made. Of course, it is the right of every human being to disagree, but Joab proceeded to scold, correct, and challenge the king. That was a right he did NOT have! Joab made it clear that he felt David was wrong and was deceived by Abner, and that David completely missed the truth of the whole situation. Joab clearly thought he knew more than the king, but more than that, he felt liberty to scold David as though he were the leader speaking to the follower. Following the scolding, Joab murdered Abner.
I may not agree with the decision my boss makes, but that is his decision; I am not the boss. A child may not agree with the decisions of their parents but that is not their decision, nor is it their right to correct a parent. A policeman may give me a ticket that I feel I do not deserve, but to yell and challenge the officer is not my place; I am not his boss or his authority. The police have a boss; I have a court system (though often failing us) that I can honorably turn to when my leader (the police) needs to be challenged.
When a wife corrects her husband (as if he were a child and she the parent), she has stepped out of the biblical realm of authority. Allow me reverse the scenario, when a husband treats his wife as if she were a child without a brain or opinion, that also violates Bible directives.
The husband and wife are to be “one flesh,” and he is to love her “as his own body.” (Ephesians 5) Respect has been lost in our world, and respect for authority has also been forgotten. The adult child who tries to run the decisions of their parents is equally out of line. Subordinates are never to correct superiors. (Well, there is a giant leap towards loosing a bunch of readers.) In the military, a subordinate who corrects a superior may get away with it in today’s society, but in the military that won wars and protected the people, that would have been treated with the utmost severity.
Ephesians 5 says a wife should reverence her husband. Ephesians 6 says children are to honor and obey parents; the chapter continues with the directive that servants are to be obedient to their masters. Regarding pastors: 1 Thessalonians 5:13 says members should “esteem them very highly;” and 1Timothy 5:17 tells us to count them “worthy of double honor.”
The disrespect shown toward leaders has brought about a great loss to our nation. If we ignore the clear directions of God we will suffer for it. A nation without respect for leadership will soon end in anarchy.
At the very least, Joab should have lost his job; if this had been done, much harm and loss could have been avoided.
Pastor