Joab’s Rope
is a name I’ve given to a principle of life that can apply to any battle,
whether spiritual or physical. The Bible says, in Ecclesiastes 4:12b, “A chord
of three strands is not quickly broken.” While this verse refers specifically
to a three-way relationship between two people and God, I also see an important
principle in the saying itself. After all, it is a saying, and sayings can have
multiple applications.
Thus,
Joab’s Rope is a “chord of three strands”: strategy, relationship, and trust.
If you apply these three elements to any kind of battle, you will have a rope
to pull you through—a rope that is not easily broken.
To explain
what each of the three strands mean, I want to begin with the Bible passage
that inspired this whole concept. Joab is a person from the Bible whose
turbulent story was told mostly in the book of 2nd Samuel and the beginning
of 1st Kings. He was the nephew of King David as well as the head
army commander of Israel during most of David’s reign. He had a brother named
Abishai who was also a commander.
With these
three things in mind, take a look at 2 Samuel 10:6-14 (NRSV):
“When the
Ammonites saw that they had become odious to David, the Ammonites sent and
hired the Arameans of Beth-rehob and the Arameans of Zobah, twenty thousand
foot soldiers, as well as the king of Maacah, one thousand men, and the men of
Tob, twelve thousand men. When David heard of it, he sent Joab and all the army
with the warriors. The Ammonites came out and drew up in battle array at the
entrance of the gate, but the Arameans of Zobah and of Rehob, and the men of
Tob and Maacah, were by themselves in the open country.
When Joab
saw that the battle was set against him both in front and in the rear, he chose
some of the picked men of Israel, and arrayed them against the Arameans; the
rest of his men he put in charge of his brother Abishai, and he arrayed them
against the Ammonites. He said, “If the Arameans are too strong for me, then
you shall help me; but if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will
come and help you. Be strong and let us be courageous for the sake of our
people, and for the cities of our God; and may the LORD do what seems good to
Him.”
So Joab and
the people who were with him moved forward into battle against the Arameans;
and they fled before him. When the Ammonites saw that the Arameans fled, they
likewise fled before Abishai, and entered the city. Then Joab returned from
fighting against the Ammonites, and came to Jerusalem.”
With the
lack of drama in this factual, historical writing style, it’s easy to miss the impossibleness of Joab’s situation here.
They were ambushed by 33,000 soldiers and were surrounded on both sides—never a
good position to be in when you’re in battle. However, Joab’s response was both
practical and wise. It brought together the three elements of strategy,
relationship, and trust.
Strategy – Joab’s first reaction when
they were ambushed was to survey the situation and come up with a strategy.
Thinking quickly, he chose some specific warriors to turn back with him and
deal with the ambush while sending the rest of the soldiers forward against the
Ammonites’ city.
Relationship – No man is an island.
Joab needed his brother Abishai to command the soldiers against the Ammonites
while he and his warriors fought back the Arameans. When Joab speaks to Abishai
after setting up the strategy, I imagine him stepping forward and talking in a
low, familiar voice—maybe even clapping his brother on the shoulder. First, he
states the very essence of what it means to “have each other’s back”: If my
enemies are too strong for me, then you’ll help me, and if your enemies are too
strong for you, then I’ll help you. After that, he gives encouragement—“be strong”,
“let us be courageous”—and he reminds Abishai just what they’re fighting for.
They weren’t fighting for themselves, but for their people, and for God.
Trust – In the end, there was something
even more important than strategy and relationship, and that was trust in the
Lord. Even after all his practical plans were implemented, Joab recognized that
everything was in God’s hands. Thus, he concluded his encouragement with my
favorite phrase in all the Bible: “May the LORD do what seems good to Him.” (In
the Bible, when LORD is in all-caps, it’s referring to God’s most holy name: I
AM.) Joab didn’t say, “We’re gonna win this!” or even, “God help us to win!” He
said, “May the LORD do what seems good to Him.” This, I think, is what it means
to truly trust God. It doesn’t mean expecting Him to do what you want. It means
having confidence that HE will do what is right regardless of what we think should
happen. What is good in the Lord’s sight is objectively good. While you may be
in a battle in which the will of God is clear (for example, a battle to escape
sin), you can still be confident that God is holy and sovereign no matter what.
Even though he wasn’t about to give up, in the end, Joab gave the situation
entirely over to God. Then, in God’s strength—as with so many other powerful
stories of faith in the Bible—they had victory in the LORD’s name.
What does
this mean for us? How can we apply it to our own lives? A line from one of my
favorite Japanese songs comes to mind: Karuta’s “Ichiban no Takaramono” (from Angel Beats). Translated, the line goes
like this: “Living is the same thing as fighting. If I understand that, I only
need the courage to step forward.”
In other
words, life is a battle. If Joab’s Rope applies to battles, then it applies to
many different areas of life. These three strands—strategy, relationship, and
trust—apply to every spiritual, emotional, psychological, and physical battle
you face, and when twisted together, they are not easily broken.
Joab’s rope
means that strategy is not in conflict with trusting God. A doctor doesn’t stop
treating a patient just because he’s decided he needs to have more faith. In
the same way, we can’t separate having faith from taking practical steps toward
a goal. Are you struggling with a recurring temptation? Don’t just say, “I
trust God to keep me from sinning.” Trust, and
find out what your plan of attack is against that particular demon. Different
temptations require different strategies. If you have a bad temper, you may
have to face it and deal with it head-on. In contrast, the Bible tells us to flee
from sexual temptation, so if you continue trying to fight it in your head,
things will only get worse. Find out what your plan of attack is in your
specific situation, and implement it.
However,
don’t be a loner. Make other people a part of your strategy. Get advice. Look
for trusted friends who you can share your struggles with, and then reciprocate.
When you’re struggling, they can help you, and when they’re struggling, you can
help them. Most importantly, encourage each other and remind each other exactly
what you’re fighting for. What’s worth fighting for? What’s the goal? Continuing
with the example of fighting temptation, relationship in this case could mean
having an accountability partner. If you’re a Christian, seek especially
relationships with your brothers and sisters in Christ. Don’t isolate yourself
from fellow Christians. Go to church and find encouragement there. No one can
support you like a brother or sister in Christ can.
Finally,
place all your trust in the Lord, and give every situation to Him. If you’re
not a Christian, I can’t help you here. I can’t give you an alternative because
there are no alternatives. I’m not talking about believing in yourself. Nothing
can replace believing in God—in His goodness and sovereignty. Truly, there is
no more important strand of Joab’s Rope: without it, the other two strands will
break sooner or later. Yet if you do trust that the Lord will do what is good
in His sight—and that what the Lord sees as good truly is good—then you will be
holding to a rope that will never break. And this rope can pull you through
anything.
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