In both life and ministry we face conflicts. David had more than most. You can’t be king without people loving and hating you. Personal agendas clash. Ambitious people take advantage of opportunity to promote themselves—often at the expense of others.

David was not happy with how Joab handled Absalom. Joab defied a direct order and killed David’s son. Now another rebellion was ensuing. When there was an argument between the northern tribes of Israel and the tribe of Judah, Sheba, a Benjamite, blew his trumpet and said:

“We have no portion in David, and we have no inheritance in the son of Jesse; every man to his tents, O Israel!” (2 Samuel 20:1, ESV)

So all the men of Israel withdrew from David and followed Sheba. But the men of Judah remained loyal to David. Meanwhile, David had promised his nephew Amasa that he would be the new general of his army. He had sent Amasa to gather all the people of Judah in three days. But Amasa had taken longer than the appointed time. Concerned about Sheba’s rebellion, David sent Joab’s brother Abishai to pursue Sheba before he took refuge in a fortified city. It is telling that David did not assign this task to Joab, but Joab joined Abishai anyway. When the two brothers came to Gibeon, Amasa met them. Then Joab said to Amasa, “Are you in health, my brother?” (They were cousins.) Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him and reached for his sword with his left hand. He pierced Amasa in the stomach so that his intestines spilled out, and he died.

As Joab had done with Abner, so he now did with Amasa. He would not allow anyone else to take his place as general, even when it meant disobeying David. But Joab would pay for this with his life after David handed the kingdom over to Solomon.

In these events we see the kind of people that God used. They weren’t perfect. They had flaws. Some committed grievous sins and suffered for it. But they trusted God, and God was pleased to call them His people. Do you feel that the sins you’ve committed disqualify you for ministry? Think again. God looks at the motives of our heart, and he hides His treasure in these cracked clay pots.