2 SAMUEL 10
The Syro-Ammonite War.
DAVID’S SERVANTS SHAMEFULLY TREATED
This chapter should be read along with 1 Chronicles 19.
V.1. And it came to pass after this (after the accounts of David showing kindness to Mephibosheth) that the king of the children of Ammon died (Nahash, verse 2 ), and Hanun, his son, reigned in his stead.
· The Ammonites were descendants of Lot, thus they were of Semitic origin, and closely related to the Hebrews in blood and language.
· They inhabited the country east of the Jordan and north of Moab and the Dead Sea. Geographically, Ammon would be the modern-day country of Jordan.
· The Ammonites were closely associated with the Moabites (Judg 10:11; 2 Chr 20:1 Zeph 2:8). Both of these tribes hired Balaam to curse Israel (Deut 23:4).
· They showed no kindness to the Israelites when passing through their territory, and therefore they were prohibited from "entering the congregation of the Lord to the tenth generation" (Deut 23:3).
· So to say that “bad blood” existed between these people and the Israelites would be an understatement. They had a relationship like the Hatfields and the McCoy’s.
· But David and the king of the Ammonites, Nahash had a cordial and kind relationship that was not affected or polluted by their history.
V.2. Then said David, I will show kindness unto Hanun, the son of Nahash, as his father showed kindness unto me. And David sent to comfort him by the hand of his servants for his father; And David’s servants came in to the land of the children of Ammon,
· I will show kindness unto Hanun- We see here another glimpse at David’s desire to express kindness. The Bible teaches us that love is kind.
· As we will see, the results of David's desire to extend kindness to Nahash’s son Hanun are going to be met with a very different outcome than in the previous chapter in which he showed kindness to Mephibosheth, Jonathan's son. Some people, like Mephibiosheth will receive the kindness that is given to them with grace and thanks. Others, like Hanun’s advisors will view your deed of kindness with suspicion and contempt.
· As his father showed kindness unto me. Nahash had been defeated by Saul at Jabesh, 1 Sam. 11, but had maintained a friendly attitude toward David, probably also by rendering him some form of assistance during the years of his persecution. David is returning kindness for the kindness he had received.
· David, on leaving Gath, where his life was exposed to danger, found an asylum with the king of Moab; and as Nahash, king of the Ammonites, was his nearest neighbor, it may be that during the feud between Saul and David, he, through enmity to the former, was kind and hospitable to David. JFB
· And David sent to comfort Hanun by the hand of his servants for his father, And David’s servants came in to the land of the children of Ammon,
· Upon hearing the news of Nahash’s death, David dispatched an embassy to express his sympathy at the bereavement of Hanun. David is not expecting, nor is he prepared for the response that he is about to get.
V.3. And the princes of the children of Ammon said unto Hanun, their lord, Thinkest thou that David doth honor thy father, (literally, “Is David in thine eyes an honorer of thy father,”) that he hath sent comforters unto thee? Hath not David rather sent his servants unto thee to search the city, and to spy it out, and to overthrow it?
· The suggestion of the princes or advisors of Hanun made were that the messengers of David were spies who were sent by him to spy out the city in order that he might assess their strengths and weaknesses and how to attack it.
· No doubt this bit of advice was an assumption that was based upon either hearsay or the bad blood that existed between the 2 tribes historically. But it certainly was not based upon truth or correct facts. To say that they wrongly questioned David’s motives would be an understatement.
V.4. Wherefore Hanun, (listening to the false counsel of his princes), took David’s servants and shaved off the one half of their beards, and cut off their garments in the middle, even to their buttocks, and sent them away.
· To cut off ones beard was a disgraceful act. In that culture. Many men would rather die than to have their beard shaved off, because to be clean shaven was the mark of a slave, but free men wore beards.
· In addition to shaving off their beards, they had their garments cut off in the middle. All Jews were to be dressed modestly, so exposing their rears was real embarrassing. This would expose them before all the people. Thus, they were sent away being doubly insulted and disgraced.
· To insult the messengers of the king was equivalent to insulting the king himself. What they did to the men that David sent out It was just as if they had done this to David himself. It would be like a foreign leader publicly disgracing our Secretary of State or another other member of our Presidents Cabinet. This was a declaration of war!
· The same principle is true with King Jesus and His ambassadors. Jesus reminded His disciples: If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. (John 15:18). When Christians are mocked, ridiculed, persecuted and even martyred, in reality, it is Jesus Christ Whom they are attacking. Remember what Jesus said to Saul on the road to Damascus? Why are you persecuting Me?
· Once again we see that Hanun is acting here on the poisoned and prejudiced advice of these men that stemmed from a personal dislike for Israelites that had been passed down from previous generations.
· When we get to 1 Kings 12.6-14, if God permits, we will read how Solomon’s son Rehoboam would make a similar mistake and follow unwise counsel. Beware of foolish counselors.
V.5. When they told it unto David, when the news of this shameful treatment came to him, he sent to meet them, because the men were greatly ashamed, disgrace had been heaped upon them; and the king said, Tarry at Jericho, the district where that city had formerly stood, until your beards be grown, and then return.
· David goes to meet these men who were humiliated and embarrassed by the enemy. When we are faithful to The Lord and are humiliated and embarrassed by the enemy or one of His children, Jesus is there to minister to us and gives us time to heal and recover. He has felt the same pain and is able to give us real comfort and peace.
THE FIRST DEFEAT OF THE ENEMIES.
V.6. And when the children of Ammon saw that they stank (made themselves repulsive) before David, the children of Ammon sent and hired the Syrians of Beth-rehob, and the Syrians of Zoba, twenty thousand footmen, and of King Maacah, a thousand men, and of Ishtob twelve thousand men.
· To hire the help of a foreign army was a common practice in the ancient world. 1 Chronicles 19:6 says that the Ammonites paid 1,000 talents to the Syrians.
· Recognizing that his insult to David was, in effect, a declaration of war, Hanun engaged 33,000 mercenary troops from the three Aramean kingdoms of Beth Rehob (in northern Galilee), Zobah (see comment on 8:3), and Maacah (east of upper Galilee), and from Tob, a small kingdom on the western fringes of the Syro-Arabian desert. It was a formidable army of infantry, cavalry, and chariots.
V.7. And when David heard of it, he sent Joab and all the host of the mighty men, (literally, “the whole host, the mighty men,”)
· Mighty Men - The elite of David's fighting forces, who were renowned for their ferocity in battle. Their names and exploits are listed in Chapter 23.
· This is the first mention of David's mighty men. They would be equivalent to our Navy Seals or Army Rangers.
V.8. And the children of Ammon came out and put the battle in array at the entering in of the gate, they formed their battle-front immediately before the city; and the Syrians of Zoba, and of Rehob, and Ishtob, and Maacah, their auxiliaries or allies, were by themselves in the field, in the broad Plain of Medeba, the two armies preferring to maneuver separately.
V.9. When Joab saw that the front of the battle was against him before and behind, that he could be attacked by the Syrians in the front, by the Ammonites in the rear, he chose of all the choice men of Israel, the best men of his veteran army, and put them in array against the Syrians, whom he evidently considered the more dangerous enemies; v.10. and the rest of the people he delivered in to the hand of Abishai, his brother, that he might put them in array against the children of Ammon.
· Joab and Abishai were in command of David’s military. They each took on half of the enemy line. Abishai’s men lined up against the Ammonites and Joab’s men lined up against the Syrians (Arameans).
· This strategy of attacking from the north and the south is known in military terms as The Pincer Movement.
V.11. And he said, if the Syrians be too strong for me, for he intended to attack and defeat the Syrians first, then thou shalt help me; but if the children of Ammon be too strong for thee, then I will come and help thee.
· In verses 9-11 we have Joab’s battle strategy…..attack!
· G. Campbell Morgan wrote: “It is interesting to observe that in his arrangements he made no allowance for the possibility of ultimate defeat in his conflict with Ammon . . . it does not seem to have occurred to him that the combination might have been too much for both of them." (Morgan)”
· Retreat is not an option for the child of God when under enemy attack. Greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world. Put on the armor of God and stand!
· When one part of the body of Christ is under attack, the entire body is under attack. We are many members, but one body. We are soldiers in the army of The Living God. Our enemies are the powers of darkness, not those who are born of The Spirit, regardless of the name on the church sign.
V.12. Be of good courage, and let us play the men for our people, and for the cities of our God, and the Lord do that which seemeth Him good.
David makes 3 points that are worth noting beloved:
· Be of good courage, and let us be strong: Courage and strength are not matters of feeling and circumstance. They are matters of conviction and choice, especially when God makes His strength available to us. Beloved, whatever it is that you are facing tonight, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might (Ephesians 6:10).
· Let us be strong for our people and for the cities of our God: Joab called them to remember all they had to lose. If they lost this battle they would lose both their people and their cities. This was a battle bigger than themselves, and the army of the mighty men had to remember that. The uncompromising stands that we are taking today for the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ are crucial for the next generation of the church.
· And may the Lord do what is good in His sight: Joab wisely prepared for the battle to the best of his ability and worked hard for the victory. At the same time, he knew that the outcome was ultimately in God’s hands. The horse is prepared against the day of battle, but safety is of The Lord (Proverbs 21.31).
V.13. And Joab drew nigh, and the people that were with him, unto the battle against the Syrians, and they fled before him. V.14. And when the children of Ammon saw that the Syrians were fled, then fled they also before Abishai, and entered in to the city. So Joab returned from the children of Ammon, and came to Jerusalem.
· The demoralized Syrians fled and the Ammonites followed in their footsteps. Joab returned to Jerusalem in victory.
THE FINAL DEFEAT of THE SYRIANS.
V.15. And when the Syrians saw that they were smitten before Israel, they gathered themselves together (regrouped).
V.16. And Hadarezer, the mightiest Syrian king, sent, and brought out the Syrians that were beyond the river, in Mesopotamia: and they came to Helam, in the neighborhood of Hamath: and Shobach, the captain of the host of Hadarezer, went before them.
· The enemies of Israel wouldn't quit after one defeat. They were a persistent enemy, and came back to fight again.
· This is typical of the agenda of our ever-persistent adversary the devil. This is also typical of those battles with the flesh. Beloved, as long as we are this side of heaven, we will be engaged in spiritual warfare against principalities of darkness. As long as we are dwelling in this fallen flesh, we are going to be doing battle with fleshly lusts that war against the soul.
· Victories in the past will not discourage the enemy from attacking you tonight. A victory yesterday is of no value whatsoever to me tonight if I refuse to fight the good fight of faith.
V.17. And when it was told David, he gathered all Israel together, and passed over Jordan, and came to Helam. And the Syrians set themselves in array against David and fought with him.
V.18. And the Syrians fled before Israel, unable to withstand the fury of their attack; and David slew the men of seven hundred chariots of the Syrians, and forty thousand horsemen, and smote Shobach, the captain of their host, who died there, he was so severely wounded that he did not survive the battle.
V.19. And when all the kings that were servants, vassals, to Hadarezer saw that they were smitten before Israel, they made peace with Israel and served them, became tributary to them together with their former lord. So the Syrians feared to help the children of Ammon any more.
· “Nothing is here said of the wars with Damascus and Edom, to which Joab turned in the south, while David was gaining his victories in the north, because the narrative is here occupied with the fortunes of Rabbah only because of their connection with those of Uriah.” (Lange.)
· The chapter ends with unfinished business at Rabbah. The offending Ammonites are still in their city and Joab has returned to Jerusalem. In the Spring King David will send Joab and the army out again to deal with Rabbah as he waits in
· Jerusalem. As we will see next week, Lord willing, while David waited comfortably in Jerusalem instead of going out and fighting the enemy, he fell into sin with Bathsheba.
Practical Applications
Rejoice, not retaliate.
Since David retaliated when his men were embarrassed, should we not be able to do the same? Of course we know better. Jesus tells us just the opposite in the Sermon on the Mount.
· Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.Matthew 5:11, 12
· Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven:for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. Matthew 5.43-48
Be faithful in sowing the seed of the gospel or the truth of God’s Word and leave the results up to God.
· Our King, the Son of David, has commissioned you and me as servants to be communicators of kindness, messengers of mercy and ambassadors of hope.
· No 2 days are alike and no 2 people are alike. In chapter 9 we saw that Mephibosheth received David’s kindness. In chapter 10, Hanun didn’t. The difference? Mephibosheth was poor, broken, lame, weak. Hanun was rich, proud, self-centered, and arrogant.
· As servants of the Living God, we will encounter those who are poor in spirit and meek; those who mourn their own sin and as a result will be thankful for bringing them the truth about Jesus.
· But on the other hand, there will also be those who, like Hanun, will not receive the word we bring. They will question our motives and proceed to insult us, ridicule us and make a public spectacle of us. Sound familiar? Pray for them.
· We do not have any control over how people respond to the truth, nor are we responsible for results. We are only called to be faithful to speak the truth in love.
We are living in the last days, where biblical definitions are being altered to adapt to the fallen mores of society, and the narrowness of the gospel and path of life is being broadened and compromised.
Be of good courage, and let us play the men for our people, and for the cities of our God, and the Lord do that which seemeth Him good.
· May God grant unto us the grace and love to contend for the faith once delivered unto the saints. May The Spirit of God grant us thecourageto take those unpopular but uncompromising stand’s for the truth of the gospel, the truth about gender, the truth about marriage and the truth about abortion that are constantly being attacked, mocked and maligned by the secular, humanistic and liberal church and media.