2 Samuel 20:4-6 (KJV) The Right Sort of Follow

2 Samuel 20:4-6 (KJV)
Then said the king to Amasa, Assemble me the men of Judah within three days, and be thou here present.So Amasa went to assemble the men of Judah: but he tarried longer than the set time which he had appointed him.And David said to Abishai, Now shall Sheba the son of Bichri do us more harm than did Absalom: take thou thy lord’s servants, and pursue after him, lest he get him fenced cities, and escape us.

One of the greatest concerns that President Lincoln faced during the early years of the Civil War was the ineffectiveness of his generals. McClellan was especially guilty of this because he had, at the beginning of the war, a clear and huge advantage over the South in numbers of troops but was too cautious to use them. McClellan’s inactivity, choosing to build and train troops rather than getting them into the field of action, created conflict between he and President Lincoln and probably extended the war by a number of years. It was not until General Grant took charge of the Army that President Lincoln finally had a man who understood and was willing to fight on the level that expected.

David found himself in the same place. Joab had proven himself to be an untrustworthy leader, choosing to do things his own way rather than following the orders of the King. Amasa was put in charge of the army over Joab. But Amasa turned out to be a pour choice for a general in that he tarried longer than he should have, giving the enemy valuable time to mount an effective campaign against King David. Joab, though crude and brash, knew how to get the job done.

Good servanthood is a combination of the two. It is loyal and devoted to the wishes of the leader and, at the same time, active and aggressive in the work.

Christians ought to be solidly for God, not willing to do anything in opposition to the Word of God, even for what we believe to be the good of God’s work. At the same time we need to be aggressive in doing all that the Lord has commanded in His Word.

To my reader:
The combination of aggressive obedience to the Word of God without crossing over into willful presumption is a rare quality indeed. Take a moment to ask God to examine your heart. Are you loyal enough to God to not presume to do the will of God while at the same time fully obeying what you know to be His will? I would love to hear from you. Leave comments below.

2 Samuel 20:4-6 (KJV) The Right Sort of Follow

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