2 Samuel 20:12-17: a reflection

12Amasa lay wallowing in his blood in the middle of the highway. When the man saw that all the people stood still, he carried Amasa out of the highway into the field, and cast a garment over him when he saw that everyone who came by him stood still. 13When he was removed out of the highway, all the people went on after Joab to pursue Sheba the son of Bichri. 14He went through all the tribes of Israel to Abel, to Beth Maacah, and all the Berites. They were gathered together, and went also after him. 15They came and besieged him in Abel of Beth Maacah, and they cast up a mound against the city, and it stood against the rampart; and all the people who were with Joab battered the wall to throw it down. 16Then a wise woman cried out of the city, “Hear, hear! Please say to Joab, ‘Come near here, that I may speak with you.’” 17He came near to her; and the woman said, “Are you Joab?” He answered, “I am.” Then she said to him, “Hear the words of your servant.” He answered, “I’m listening.”

As Joab pursues the rebel Sheba to the city of Abel and besieges it, casting up a mound and battering the wall, a wise woman of the city cries out to be heard, calls Joab to come near, and by her wise words spares the city from destruction. Hear, hear, she cries; and when Joab comes near, she speaks with him, and her wisdom, boldly used, will turn aside the destruction that threatened the whole city. Rather than let the city be destroyed in the siege, this one wise woman spoke up, used her wisdom, and saved it. This shows the good that wisdom, boldly used, can do: one wise person, speaking up, can prevent destruction and save many. Wisdom, boldly used by one person, spared a whole city. One wise voice, speaking up, prevented destruction. Wisdom boldly used can save many. One wise person speaking up can turn aside great harm.

Notice what this one wise woman accomplished. The city of Abel was under siege, its wall being battered, on the verge of destruction because the rebel Sheba had taken refuge there. In that dire moment, a wise woman did not stay silent or resign herself to the city's fall; she cried out to be heard, boldly called the commander Joab to come near, and by her wise counsel found a way to spare the city. Her wisdom, used boldly at the critical moment, saved many from destruction. This shows the real good that wisdom can do when it is used and not kept silent. One wise person, willing to speak up boldly, can prevent great harm, turn aside destruction, save many. Wisdom is not meant to be hidden or kept silent in a crisis; used boldly, it can accomplish much good. We do well to use the wisdom we have, to speak up when wisdom is needed, rather than staying silent and letting harm unfold. Wisdom boldly used at the critical moment can save many. One wise voice, not kept silent, can prevent destruction. To use wisdom boldly when it is needed can do great good. Do not keep wisdom silent when speaking it could prevent harm.

That is worth taking to heart, for wisdom, boldly used, can prevent destruction and save many, as one wise woman's words spared the whole city of Abel. We can keep silent in a crisis, holding back the wisdom we have, resigning ourselves to letting harm unfold; but the wise woman of Abel cried out, called Joab near, and by her bold wisdom saved her city from destruction. One wise person, willing to speak up, can turn aside great harm. Do not keep your wisdom silent when speaking it could prevent harm; use it boldly, as the wise woman of Abel did, and it may save many. Use the wisdom you have boldly when it is needed, not keeping it silent, as the wise woman of Abel, when the city was besieged and its wall battered on the verge of destruction, cried out to be heard, called Joab to come near, and by her wise words spared the whole city; for wisdom is not meant to be hidden or kept silent in a crisis, but used boldly it can prevent destruction and save many, so that one wise person willing to speak up at the critical moment can turn aside great harm, and we do well to use the wisdom we have and speak up when wisdom is needed rather than staying silent and letting harm unfold.

Lord, as Joab pursues the rebel Sheba to the city of Abel and besieges it, casting up a mound and battering the wall, a wise woman of the city cries out to be heard, calls Joab to come near, and by her wise words spares the city from destruction. Hear, hear, she cries; and when Joab comes near, she speaks with him, and her wisdom, boldly used, will turn aside the destruction that threatened the whole city. Rather than let the city be destroyed in the siege, this one wise woman spoke up, used her wisdom, and saved it. This shows the good that wisdom, boldly used, can do: one wise person, speaking up, can prevent destruction and save many. Show me what this one wise woman accomplished. The city of Abel was under siege, on the verge of destruction. In that dire moment, a wise woman did not stay silent or resign herself to the city's fall; she cried out to be heard, boldly called the commander to come near, and by her wise counsel found a way to spare the city. Her wisdom, used boldly at the critical moment, saved many from destruction. This shows the real good that wisdom can do when it is used and not kept silent. One wise person, willing to speak up boldly, can prevent great harm, save many. Wisdom is not meant to be hidden or kept silent in a crisis. I do well to use the wisdom I have, to speak up when wisdom is needed, rather than staying silent and letting harm unfold. Take that to my heart, for wisdom, boldly used, can prevent destruction and save many. Keep me from keeping my wisdom silent when speaking it could prevent harm; help me use it boldly, Lord, when it is needed, as the wise woman of Abel did, that it may turn aside harm and save many rather than staying silent while harm unfolds.