The Space Between Trust vs Suspicion

This is another case where we are given a little evidence that there is a dangerous difference between trust vs. suspicion. Whenever we do not completely trust someone, our mind suspects that they are against us. Our minds make this shift very quickly; we assume an acquaintance has turned on us simply by missing a phone call or talking with someone we don't like.

Amasa makes a mistake in verse 5 when he does not follow the expectations of the king. This is all that Joab needed to make up his mind that Amasa was against the King. The Bible never actually says whether or not Amasa had betrayed David, but it clearly indicates that Joab had already decided that Amasa was a traitor.

This is a good warning for us to guard ourselves against jumping to conclusions about people, especially people we are close to. Amasa could have explained his mistake. Joab was likely already looking for a reason to kill Amasa. Even if Joab was blood thirsty, Amasa could have worked to be more transparent in his relationship with Joab and David. Just my two cents...

Created over 2 years ago