2 Samuel 14:1-20 “Prophetic Word or Manipulation?”
“Now Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king’s heart was inclined toward Absalom.” (1) So Joab concocted a scheme using a wise woman to generate influence on David to return Absalom to Jerusalem [most likely as an heir to the throne]. Joab, and many others, saw Absalom as the likely candidate to inherit the throne and key to the stability of Israel’s future was David aging. His plan involved a story similar to the prophetic word Nathan shared to call the king to repentance. However, as we will see soon, Joab and the people’s were wrong and Absalom was actually a threat to the health of Israel. When the woman carried out Joab’s scheme, David recognized Joab was behind her story. Yet David, being softened toward Absalom, allowed him to return to his house in Jerusalem but did not allow him in the presence of the king. As we will soon see [chapter 15], what seemed good to Joab and the majority was very wrong! This was not a prophetic allegory, but an attempt to manipulate the king to do what seemed right to others. We must be wise to the difference between genuine prophecy and manipulative schemes!
