Winning Workplace Wars

Two brothers who were certified caterpillar operators attended an employment interview at a construction company. The younger brother succeeded. To avoid shame back home he opted to sabotage his younger brother. He told the interview panel’s chair that he taught his successful younger brother caterpillar operation. Upon confirmation from the younger brother the expatriate stopped the secretary formally handing over the appointment letter that was prepared for the younger brother. Consequently, both brothers returned home unemployed. The older brother preferred it that way rather than letting his younger brother get the job and possibly help him to get a job in the same company later or elsewhere. Joab killed King Saul’s paternal cousin, Abner who served as the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) during Saul’s reign. Joab hid under the guise of revenge to kill Abner. Whether Joab killed Abner partly because he feared that David might appoint him (Abner) as COAS to compensate Abner and pacify Saul and Abner’s tribe of Benjamin for their loss of the throne to David and his tribe of Judah is not impossible. 1 Samuel 26:13-16(15) reiterates that David classified Abner Israel’s greatest warrior. Also, Abner had over 40 years of experience as COAS with enormous nationwide clout/influence which he used successfully while God allowed, to bar David from taking complete control of the entire nation during the seven and a half years immediately following King Saul’s death. Joab feared that with Abner’s presence, he (Joab) had no chance of emerging as the COAS of Israel while his maternal uncle, King David as commander-in-chief. 1 Chronicles 11:6 says Joab rushed to meet David’s condition for the potential COAS during his royal reign. 2 Samuel 19:13, 20:1-13 details how Joab disregarded David’s decision and directive, to kill Amasa (Joab’s maternal cousin) whom David appointed to replace Joab as the COAS of Israel’s army after the quelling of Absalom’s rebellion and David’s return to resume his rule in Jerusalem. Though a lifelong warrior, 2 Samuel 2:18, 3:39, 16:5-14(9), 19:18-23(21) affirms that David considered Joab and his brothers too violent for his liking. At the workplace, there are vile souls with wild animalistic instincts who think nothing wrong with killing whoever’s presence threatens their ascension and enjoyment of the establishment’s position they consider befitting. Joab killed a non-relative (Abner) and a relative – Amasa was his maternal cousin whom their God made great maternal uncle chose to replace him. Psalm 75:6 reiterates that God is the fundamental author of promotion in any sphere of human endeavour. Ecclesiastes 10:5-7 strongly suggests that there are God-enabled bosses who use their influence to promote the unfit persons to position of authority. 2 Samuel 2:8-11, 3:6-12, 17-21 strongly suggests that Abner knew that God never meant Ishbosheth to be king after his father, King Saul but Abner still chose to impose him (Ishbosheth) on the Israelites for two years before they fell-out. 2 Samuel 5:1-5, 7:8-9, 23:1, 1 Chronicles 11:1-3, 17:7-8, 29:26-27, Acts 13:21-22 attests that God of Israel elevated David to occupy the exalted position of the king of Israel and Judah during the 70 years that 2 Samuel 5:4-5, 1 Kings 2:10-12, 1 Chronicles 3:5, 29:26-28, Job 14:5, Psalm 39:4, 90:10, 139:13-16, Acts 17:26 implies that God meant for and let him (David) live. Isaiah 22:15-23 states that God deemed it necessary to elevate Eliakim to replace Shebna as the most powerful official in Judah’s royal palace in Jerusalem. 2 Kings 18:18, 26, 37, 19:1-2, Isaiah 36:1-3, 11, 22, 37:1-2 confirms that Shebna and Eliakim son of Hilkiah were amongst the three highest palace officials during King Hezekiah of Judah’s reign. Much as the king will find a human reason to promote Eliakim to replace Shebna, it is God remotely using the king to effect/implement this replacement promotion which inevitably has gainers and losers. Genesis 41 affirms that God used Pharaoh to appoint Joseph to the newly created office of the prime minister of Egypt on merit. Genesis 39:1-6, 21-23 affirms that Joseph’s promotion at Potiphar’s household and prison followed the same pattern. God’s favour helped him (Joseph) to excel in his assigned duties. His bosses rewarded his valued contribution with promotion. 1 Kings 11 – 12 implies that God chose to elevate one of Solomon’s subordinates, Jeroboam to share Israel’s throne which God let Solomon inherit from his father with Solomon’s only noted son, Rehoboam because of Solomon’s unrepentant sinful stance despite God’s concerted efforts to make Solomon repent. Daniel 5 includes that God’s response to King Belshazzar of Babylon’s disrespect, the Lord let one of Belshazzar’s palace officials, Darius to succeed him at the expense of any of his (Belshazzar’s) sons. 1 Kings 19:13-15-18-21, 2 Kings 8:7-15 affirms that God elevated Hazael to succeed his boss, King Benhadad of Syria. 1 Samuel 22:6-9 connotes that in his desperation to stop David as his successor because Saul had offended God who used Samuel to make him (Saul) king earlier, Saul tried to use the reward of promotion and valuable gifts to buy the loyalty of his officials to support him to have David killed. 1 Samuel 20:27-33 says that he reminded his eldest son and preferred successor, Jonathan that only David’s death guarantees Jonathan becoming king after him (Saul). There are superiors who resort to all sorts of shameful misery-milling methods and tortuous tactics when they face the consequences of their abuse of the office. Much as God meant Hazael to become the king of Syria, 2 Kings 8:7-15 includes that God used His prophet, Elisha to counsel Hazael to restrain himself from killing his boss to hasten his emergence as the next king of Syria. This is important because like Joab who murdered Abner and his (Joab’s maternal) cousin, Amasa because of occupying the position of COAS of Israel’s army during David’s reign, there are individuals who sees nothing wrong with killing a fellow human being made in God’s image to get their cherished position in the workplace. Making the workplace a mine-laden environment that all those walking therein must be aware of and tread cautiously.