2 Samuel 12 Rabbah’s Fall
Joab has been besieging Rabbah for several years. Just before Rabbah falls, he sends word to David. “You better come or this is MY victory.”
I’m sorry to say that I skipped right over this story. I got so wrapped up in David and Bathsheba’s story that I missed the end of Rabbah. David almost missed it too. This is the same campaign that David used to eliminate Uriah; Bathsheba’s first husband. That makes this campaign at least two years long. David stayed home the whole time. Joab led the armies of Israel in this press against the Ammonites. I’m curious if it would have lasted so long if David had gone out with them. God gave David AMAZING victories in short periods of time. Would he have done the same if David hadn’t stayed home that spring? He wouldn’t have gotten in trouble with Bathsheba if he had gone. Or maybe their ‘meeting’ would simply have been postponed.
Joab has been the one doing all the hard work in this campaign. The city is about to fall. And David still hasn’t set foot on this battlefield. Joab has had enough! If David doesn’t come, Joab will claim the victory as his own. Loyalty, though, compels Joab to give David a chance to make this right. Let’s join in Joab’s struggle and see where the Spirit takes us today.
♥ ♦ ♥
This has been the strangest campaign of Joab’s entire time under David. True, David didn’t personally join the battles against Abner and the house of Saul. David directed it though. But David could be counted on to be in the battle against Israel’s enemies.
The first year that David stayed home, Joab chalked it up to being tired. David deserved a rest, if anyone did. He led and participated in battles since he was a lad of about fifteen, when he met Goliath on the field of battle. He has earned a rest.
In the middle of that first year, David has Joab do something so uncharacteristic of David that Joab begins to wonder. David orders him to put Uriah the Hittite front and center in the battle and WITHDRAW from him. In essence, kill Uriah.
“Uriah is one of David’s mighty men. What could he have done to make David want him dead?” This is what went through Joab’s that mind when Uriah himself delivered the letter from David. Uriah delivering his own ‘death sentence’ was almost more that Joab could fathom. But he obeyed David to the fullest. Uriah the Hittite fell in a glorious battle, but not a victorious one.
Through the ‘grapevine’ Joab learned of David’s new wife, Bathsheba. He started putting the pieces together. “Our ‘not so perfect’ leader has a ‘chink in his armor’, Joab mused when he heard the news. But he still honored David as his king.
The city is on the verge of collapse. Joab’s forces have hammered it until it holds on by a string. Rather than finishing it off and taking all the glory for himself, Joab sends word to David.
“I have fought against Rabbah; moreover, I have taken the city of waters. Now then gather the rest of the people together and encamp against the city and take it, lest I take the city and it be called by my name” (2 Samuel 12:27-28).
When David sees the message, his cheeks burn with shame. “I should have been fighting alongside Joab instead of enjoying the comforts of home.” David immediately sends messages out to the rest of Israel. “Come and join Joab in the fight against Ammon.”
Troops start massing within a day. By the third day, troops have arrived from all the tribes. David leads them himself to Rabbah to join Joab’s forces.
Joab sees the rising dust in the distance. “It’s about time”, he thinks. “Just in time to ‘mop up’.” As soon as David is within sight, Joab goes out to meet him.
“My king” says Joab as he bows before David.
David puts his hand on his shoulder and bids him to rise. “Let’s go and check out your battle plans.”
Joab leads David to his tent where his plans are spread out on a table. There are markings to indicate troop placement, engagement places, and areas that still need strengthening. David looks them over carefully as Joab tells him the history of the battle so far.
“What about here”, David says as he points to an area that he thinks needs shoring up.
“There is a sea cliff there. We don’t see a reason to defend there.”
“That is exactly what they are thinking too. We need out best men to scale that cliff, come over the wall, and open the gates. They will fall in a matter of hours that way instead of days.”
Joab sees the wisdom of this. “Who will we send?”
“The mighty three of course” answers David.
Joab nods. He sends a runner out to gather Josheb-basshebeth, Eleazar, and Shammah. They arrive at Joab’s tent in moments of being called.
David smiles at them. These are his best of the best. Men whom God has worked miracles through their hands. David calls them over to the map and lays out his plans. “Do you think you can do this” he asks.
The three carefully consider David’s plan. “Only if the people are distracted by a frontal assault, until we clear the wall” says Eleazar.
“I think that can be arranged” Joab says with a mischievous smile.
“Once we are in though, you need to direct their attention over here” says Shammah while pointing to a fortified are on the east of the city. “That way we can make it to the gates without having to fight all of their forces.”
“You want me to make it easy on you” chides Joab.
“Well, maybe a little help. We don’t want it to be too easy” quips Josheb-basshebeth.
“What will be the signal to move the attack” asked Joab.
Shammah holds up his arrow. “I will send this over the western wall.” He walks over and puts his fingers into the ink pot and smears the ink onto the feathers of his arrow.
Joab nods. “I will station someone to watch. We will blow the rams horn twice when we change attacks.”
“Station troops on the eastern side in this thicket” David points to a position on the map. “That way, we won’t have to move the troops, just pull one force back and advance the other.”
“It will be done as you command” answers Joab.
It was nearing twilight when David and the reinforcements arrived. They add their tents to Joab’s camp and prepare for the battle in the morning. David divides the troops into three groups. The first will leave during the second watch of the night and be in place on the eastern side of the city before daybreak. The second group will make the frontal assault, and the third will be ready to rush in when the gates are opened. David’s three will begin their climb with the first rays of the morning. David also has a small detachment that will provide cover for them, if needed. David is hoping that those in the city won’t even be paying attention to this side, as it should be impenetrable.
Morning brings renewed fighting. Those inside the city are doing their best to repel Israel’s troops. They have no idea what is already underway. Israel is keeping them busy, but not truly pressing their way into the city.
Joab’s man spies Shammah’s arrow and blows the rams horn twice. Those pressing the attack by the gate fall back and make a move to the east. Those in the thicket charge forward with siege ladders, ready to scale the walls. They have to draw everyone from the gate to this wall, so their entry must look eminent.
David’s three easily slip behind the enemy lines and make it to the gates. As soon as they are open, David’s third wave rushes in and attacks from the rear of those fighting on the eastern wall. Within minutes, the battle is over. Israel has won!
David’s three, after opening the gates, went in search of the king. He was hiding in his chambers with two guards guarding the door. They were dispatched without any difficulty and the king was brought out. They stand guarding the king as David and Joab enter the city.
David walks straight to the King Hanun. “Do you yield?”
With a snarl the Hanun replies, “Never!”
David reaches out to take the crown from his head and the Hanun tries to strike out at David. Shammah and Josheb-basshebeth grab his arms and restrain him. David removes the crown, looks at it for a moment, then, with eyes glued on the king’s eyes, he places it on his own head.
The king roars and tries to break free. Eleazar removes his dagger and thrusts it into the king’s middle. The king sags to the ground. He lays there is a spreading pool of his own blood as David and his men turn and walk away.
Joab’s troops are lining up all the captives. David walks over to them and gives them a choice. “You can either become slaves of Israel and work in the brick piles, or join your king in death. It is up to each of you to make this choice.”
All the captives chose to serve Israel. After they were removed from the city, Israel’s forces swarmed the city, gathering all the spoils of war. Rabbah became another part of Israel that David expanded into. And the indignities perpetrated on his men by Hanun was paid back in full!
(to be continued)
I honestly don’t know if David came up with some brilliant battle strategy, but he often saw things that others missed. His complete reliance on God made all the difference. He had repaired his relationship with the Lord by this time, so the Lord was free to move on his behalf again.
Father God, this is a story of revenge and justice. The hand offered in kindness and friendship was slapped away. More than that, it was thrust to the ground and trampled on. Hanun saw deceit where there was none. Keep me from imagining slights where there are none. Doing so can lead to a complete destruction of what ‘could have been’. Keep me open to those around me, while still protecting me from ‘injury’ when I naturally reach out to others. I want to have a heart like Yours. One that sees the good in people.
