1st Samuel 15: 22 And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.
At times Joab would get really vexed with David, for requiring something that he knew would end in a national tragedy, but because Joab’s loyalty was to David, and not to God, he gave David his worship, for worship at its very core is not merely praise and thanksgiving, it essentially, and always boils down to who you obey.
Thus, persons who had nothing whatsoever to do with Bathsheba, ended up taking a fatal hit in the process, for as was stated before, if loyalty to man becomes the working principle you will have trouble coming down the pipe. It’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when. Hence the reason why the warning is given, that if any loyalty to man takes place in the near future the people of God may not be entirely immune from the collateral damage and fall out that may take place. It isn’t the best of news, but it is the truth.
The law of God clearly states: “Thou shall not kill” and therefore, when Joab obeyed David instead of God, David became to him, one greater than God, and thus, his obedience to David, contrary to what God says, is classified as worship. Here it is again, the same modus operandi in action as Joab is called upon by David to do that which he knows is wrong. Like Adam, he is consciously aware that it is a sin.
1st Chronicles 21:1 And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel. 2 And David said to Joab and to the rulers of the people, Go, number Israel from Beersheba even to Dan; and bring the number of them to me, that I may know it.
May God add His blessing to the study of His word. “Good night” and God bless!