28 And Absalom dwelt two full years in Jerusalem, but did not see the king’s face. 29 Therefore Absalom sent for Joab, to send him to the king, but he would not come to him. And when he sent again the second time, he would not come. 30 So he said to his servants, “See, Joab’s field is near mine, and he has barley there; go and set it on fire.” And Absalom’s servants set the field on fire.
31 Then Joab arose and came to Absalom’s house, and said to him, “Why have your servants set my field on fire?”
Do you ever find yourself ignoring a situation, hoping it will just go away? Maybe a conflict you don’t want to deal with or a conversation you just don’t want to have?
Here, Joab is trying to maintain his balance in two different worlds. David has kept Absalom at a distance and Joab has tried to fix that, but when Absalom wants to meet with Joab, the general knows David won’t want him to take that step, so he ignores Absalom’s request. But Absalom won’t go away.
Now, surely Absalom’s choice to burn Joab’s field is a wrong move, even though it leads to the meeting he wants. The lesson for us isn’t to damage someone’s property to get their attention. Instead, we can learn from Joab’s side of the ledger—ignoring things doesn’t make them go away.
Perhaps there are situations pressing against you that you’d prefer not to deal with. Ignoring them isn’t the solution. You can try that, but chances are pretty good that they will find a way to force you to face them. So, for the good of your field, or whatever else you might lose if you ignore a growing problem, find a way to deal with the issue. You may find it a difficult step, but at least you’ll be able to avoid some of the damage that could follow.
– Dr. Mike Clarensau serves as Senior Director of the Healthy Church Network of the Assemblies of God.
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