2 Samuel 10:6 “Now when the sons of Ammon saw that they had become odious to David….”
Observation: Years earlier, when David had been a refugee from Saul, the Ammonite king had been kind to him. Now, the king had died and was succeeded on the throne by his son Hanun. Upon learning of the king’s death, David resolved to show kindness to Hanun during his season of mourning so he sent a delegation of servants to console the new king. But when David’s servants arrived, Hanun’s advisors claimed that David’s motivation was not to show compassion by honoring the memory of Hanun’s father, but was instead dark subterfuge, saying that David’s real motivation was to send the delegation to “search out the city, to spy it out and overthrow it.” (v. 3)
So Hanun seized David’s servants and shaved off half their beards, cut their garments off at their hips….” (v. 4) and sent them away.
Application: To cut off a man’s beard is even today among Arabs considered to be a profound indignity. To add fuel to the fire of purposeful offense, Hanun also cut off their garments at the hip, leaving the servants fully exposed to the worst kind of humiliation. After this comes the dawning realization that Hanun may have become odious to David. (v. 10) They realized that they might be wise to prepare for war.
What in the world could they have been thinking when they dishonored the delegation from the most powerful king in the region? Had Hanun and his advisors lost their sanity, unable to think through the certain consequences they should experience from an enraged David? Things did not go well from this point on for the Ammonites (2 Sam. 12:31) and their rented army of neighboring Arameans. The consequences, though, should have been completely predictable.
But what of me? Is this story just a dusty footnote in ancient annals, or might it speak to me today? David’s heart to bless king Hanun during his season of grief is a beautiful foreshadowing of God’s desire to bless me today. I, and everyone I know, have experienced loss in every imaginable way…loss of vision and assets, loss of friends and family, loss of time as the ageing process cuts short opportunity for accomplishing life goals once thought important. Like Hanun, I have a choice to make. I can turn my back on Jesus, who comes to me as David’s servants came to Hanun, or I can choose to rest in His promise to never leave nor forsake me. I can be thankful for His more-than-enough provision in this life and look forward to the certainty of future resurrection when my decisions today assure me of an eternity spent in fellowship with him. Surely the consequences of my choices can be foreseen.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, you offer outcomes based on my daily choices that are as consequential and as predictable as was the outcome of Hanun’s choice. Convict my heart of every poor choice, and lead me into eternal intimacy with you. In your name, Amen.