The Wisdom That Wins Hearts

By Danny Saavedra

“Then the king said to the woman, ‘Don’t keep from me the answer to what I am going to ask you.’ ‘Let my lord the king speak,’ the woman said. The king asked, ‘Isn’t the hand of Joab with you in all this?’ The woman answered, ‘As surely as you live, my lord the king, no one can turn to the right or to the left from anything my lord the king says. Yes, it was your servant Joab who instructed me to do this and who put all these words into the mouth of your servant. Your servant Joab did this to change the present situation. My lord has wisdom like that of an angel of God—he knows everything that happens in the land.’ The king said to Joab, ‘Very well, I will do it. Go, bring back the young man Absalom.’ Joab fell with his face to the ground to pay him honor, and he blessed the king. Joab said, ‘Today your servant knows that he has found favor in your eyes, my lord the king, because the king has granted his servant’s request.’”—2 Samuel 14:18-22 (NIV)

Remember Inception? That mind-bending Christopher Nolan film where dream thieves try to plant an idea so deeply in someone’s subconscious that the person believes it came from within? Cobb, the lead character, explains that it’s not enough to tell someone the truth—you have to lead them to discover it on their own. He says, “The seed we plant in this man’s mind will grow into an idea. This idea will define him. It may come to change...everything.”

The idea behind Inception isn’t just a cool sci-fi premise; it’s a psychological truth that sits at the very core of the practice: Don’t just tell people the truth. In most forms of therapy, especially cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), the goal isn’t to lecture but to ask questions, uncover patterns, challenge assumptions, and allow the person to arrive at their own insight. The counselor may already suspect what the real issue is—trauma, guilt, shame, avoidance—but forcing someone to accept it rarely brings transformation. It usually triggers defensiveness or shutdown. But when a person connects the dots on their own, something powerful happens: ownership. And ownership leads to lasting change.

This is also a huge part of Jesus’ teaching style. He asks way more questions than He gives direct answers. He tells parables. He redirects with “Who do you say I am?” or “What do you think?” Because Jesus wasn’t just trying to impart facts, He was leading hearts to transformation.

That’s exactly what’s happening in 2 Samuel 14. David’s emotionally frozen. His son, Absalom, murdered his other son, Amnon, in revenge for the rape of his daughter, Tamar. And while David longed for reconciliation, he was paralyzed—trapped between justice, shame, and fear of what reconnection might cost.

So, Joab sends in a “dream thief” of sorts: a wise woman from Tekoa with a scripted story designed to bypass David’s defenses. Her fictional tale about a grieving widow echoes David’s real-life dilemma. Like Inception, the story within a story gets past the walls he’s built and confronts the deeper issue he’s unwilling to face. This isn’t the first time this practice has been employed with David; Nathan used a similar approach to get him to realize his atrocities regarding Bathsheba and Uriah.

When David realizes it’s all Joab’s doing, he doesn’t explode in anger. He discerns, he listens, he recognizes what’s true, and then he responds—not perfectly, but humbly and wisely. He takes a step toward reconciling with Absalom.

And that’s what makes this passage so powerful. The woman praises David’s wisdom—not flattery, but a recognition that true wisdom sees what’s really going on beneath the surface. She compares it to the “wisdom like that of an angel of God.”

But here’s the key: Wisdom isn’t just about knowing; it’s about receiving. It’s about having the discernment to recognize when God’s speaking, even when His voice comes wrapped in a story, a person, or a moment you didn’t expect.

David had plenty of flaws, but one of his greatest strengths was this: When confronted with truth—whether from Nathan, this woman, or later his son Solomon—he listened. His heart was soft, and He humbled himself under God’s hand. This is what set him apart as a man after God’s heart.

We need that same posture. We live in a culture that’s allergic to correction. Everyone wants to speak, but few want to listen. We praise “hot takes,” not humble hearts. But in the kingdom of God, the wise are those who yield, pause, and say, “Lord, what are You trying to show me here?” That kind of listening heart is rare. But it’s also how God brings about deeper healing—not just in our lives, but in our relationships.

This brings us to the gospel. Like with just about every story in Scripture, this story is a shadow of a greater reconciliation. David’s a king who longs to bring his estranged son home but doesn’t know how to bridge the gap. He’s caught between justice and mercy. Sound familiar?

That tension is resolved in the gospel. God the Father, unlike David, doesn’t remain passive. He doesn’t need a wise woman to convince Him to act. No—He initiates. He doesn’t wait for us to come home. He sends His Son to bring us back. Jesus doesn’t need to manipulate a situation to move a king’s heart. The King sent Him on a mission to offer His own heart, pierced and crucified, to reconcile us to the King, to our Father.

Romans 5:10 (ESV) says, “While we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son.” And 2 Corinthians 5 tells us we’ve now been given the ministry of reconciliation because we’re living proof that God makes the first move.

Where David struggled to fully welcome back a guilty son, God runs to the prodigal. He doesn’t just open the gates...He lays down His life.

So yes, this moment in 2 Samuel is a subtle story of emotional wisdom and relational movement, but it’s also a gospel whisper. It points forward to a better King, a deeper wisdom, and a more perfect reconciliation.

Let’s be people who receive that kind of wisdom; who listen when God speaks—even if it comes through someone unexpected. And let’s live like people who’ve been reconciled, walking in humility, and helping others come home, too.

Pause: Who has spoken hard but helpful truth into your life recently? Did you listen or resist?

Practice: Ask God for a heart like David’s—quick to perceive, slow to defend, and always open to correction. Reflect on one relationship that might need healing, and pray for a first step toward reconciliation.

Pray: Father, thank You for not waiting for me to get it together. Thank You for sending Jesus to do what David couldn’t—to bring those who are far ...near, to make enemies ...sons. Give me the wisdom to listen when You speak and the courage to pursue peace with others. Help me be a peacemaker like Christ. Amen.