But Joab, for whatever reasons, let shimself be used. David's abuse of power comes back to haunt him, as we will see in the upcoming readings. It has dire consequences for him, his family, and his people. For example, David's sexual abuse of women would come back to haunt in in the even worse sexual abuses of his sons - Amnon who rapes his half sister Tamar, and Absalom who kills Amnon and then eventually rapes the ten wives of David after rebelling against his father and trying to take the throne. Like father, like son.
Abuse of power leads to others also abusing it.
Our newspapers are too full today of similar stories - of politicians, military officers, ministers, teachers, and other persons in positions of power using that power for their own desires and ends. They seem to do this with the belief that somehow they are entitled or that they can't get caught or will be protected. After all, they have the power. With all David's power, he could not control what happened with Bathsheba's pregnancy, with Uriah's principles, with the sure laws of God which did not change. How easily we could read this story and think it does not apply to us.