One day, David made a small mistake, which led to a bigger mistake! He was on the roof one day, probably praying to the Lord, but instead of praying he stared at a woman bathing through the window and saw that she was beautiful! So he sent for her, Bathsheba, and laid with her then she conceived. So David knew that he had to cover his mistake, so he tried, but failed, so he had no choice, but to compromise with a friend.
Joab is probably the only name that came into David's mind. He is the only friend that he may compromise with! Since David once dimissed Joab for a murder by saying that let Abner's blood fall on him and demand Joab and his men to tear their clothes and mourn before Abner. That's Joab's only punishment! I think it is obviously that David knew that Joab owed him a favor and that Joab has the ability to compromise with someone.
"In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by the hand of Uriah. In the letter, he wrote, 'Set Uriah in the forefront of the hardest fighting, and then draw back from him, that he may be struck down, and die.'" So Joab followed David's order and Uriah died! But after following his order, he decided to use it to defend himself for his error, Joab "instructed the messenger, 'When you have finished telling all the news about fighting to the king, then if the king's anger rises... then you shall say, "Your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also."' So the messenger went and came and told David all that Joab had sent him to tell."
Joab knew that he had make a battle error by getting so near the city to fight, so he defended himself using "Remember, I'd done you a favor here..." excuse. So David said to the messenger, "Thus you shall say to Joab, 'Do not let this matter trouble you.'" David probably feel like everything is out of control, living in a lie! But I think Nathan brought a relief to David as a non-compromising friend! After Nathan confronted him by mirroring David as a wealthy shepherd who killed a poor shepherd's only beloved lamb, knowing that David is a true shepherd. David saw the ugly truth and said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the Lord." What a relief! Although David faced the consequence, but after 7 days of fasting, he accepted the consequence of a deceased son. "Then David arose from the earth and washed and anointed himself and changed his clothes. And he went into the house of the Lord and worshipped."
Now David is free from guilt, but he knew that his compromising friend lingers! So he waited until his son raised up to take his place to clean up this mess! So David instructed Solomon, "Moreover, you also know what Joab did to me... act therefore according to your wisdom, but do not let his gray head go down to Sheol in peace." Even our greatest leader didn't know what he should do, but his son Solomon was wise to ask the Lord for the gift of wisdom later. And so he got the wisdom from the Lord how he should deal with a compromising friend.
Do you have a compromising friend that is chained to you due to some mistakes in your pasts? Maybe it is time for us to ask the Lord for the wisdom in dealing with our compromising friend. You wouldn't want to be unable to say, "No!" to a compromising friend due to what favor you are owing to them like how David had to say, "Sure, no problem" when it is a problem! David is probably dying inside until Nathan came! So David confessed, "I've sinned" and then he went free! Are you willing to confess in order to break your chain to a compromising friend? Now or never...
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