Call Off the Dogs

O. T. #672  "Call Off the Dogs"
January 8, 2016
2 Samuel 2-Part 6
When will you call off your men from chasing their Israelite brothers?  2 Samuel 2:26c NLT

LET IT GLOW

In my neck of the woods, a good dog is a protector for its master. You can sick 'em on someone that you don't want in your yard and they will attack to protect their owner. So when a person pulls up their truck in the yard, they better not get out of their until the master has called off their dog, lest they get attacked by the dog. So it was with the army. The leader had to stop his troops from pursuit of the enemy. Such was the case of Joab.

We left a sad scene-Abner, commander of the former King Saul, killed David's nephew, Asahel. Abner warned the young man to go home, but he would not. So Asahel's two brothers, Joab and Abishai set out after Abner to take revenge. The Benjaminites joined Abner's troops to regroup on a hill. Joab and his troops were pursuing them when Abner shouts down a proposal to Joab:

• Must we always be killing each other?
• Don't you realize that bitterness is the only result?
• When will you call off your men from chasing their Israelite brothers?

Apparently Joab listened to Ahab. Joab answer to Ahab, "God only knows what would have happened if you hadn't spoken, for we would have chase you all night if necessary." So Joab and his men stopped chasing Ahab. Joab and his troops let Ahner and his troops pass by through the Jordan valley. All returned home.

When Joab and his troops returned home, their death toll was 19, yet Ahab's  was 360, all from the tribe of Benjamin. Joab took his brother's body to Bethlehem and buried him.

Are we the peace maker when a dispute occurs? Instead of people getting hurt in our own disagreement, do we call off the dogs and settle it with forgiveness and "I'm sorry?" Disputes between neighbors have been known to last for decades with the families always trying to take revenge. It takes a bigger person to forgive and love in spite of.

LET IT GROW

After burying his brother, Joab and his troops traveled all night to return home at Hebron by daybreak. He called off the dogs. (Joab was winning the battle, but he was killing his relatives in the process. He could have wiped them out at the rate they were going, but chose not to do so.)

Looking at chapter 3 and verse 1, we read of a summary of all this mess.

That was the beginning of a long war between those who were loyal to Saul and those loyal to David. As time passed David became stronger and stronger, while Saul's dynasty became weaker and weaker.

Looks like they realize that their enemy is not each other, but the Philistines, as we go into the third chapter.

Are we fighting the wrong ones? Do we realize that the devil is our real enemy, not that person?

LET IT GO
                      and forgive.
                                 and love my so called enemy.
                                 and recognize the devil as my actual enemy.
                                 and call off the dogs; talk good and not bad about the person.