2 Samuel 10:5-7
Verse 6 When the Ammonites realized that they had become obnoxious to David, they hired twenty thousand Aramean foot soldiers from Beth Rehob and Zobah, as well as the king of Maakah with a thousand men, and also twelve thousand men from Tob.
Word about what had been done to David’s ambassadors reached him and before the men could be further humiliated by being seen by their friends and family, the king cares for them by having them stay in the closest Israelite town. But they king didn’t ignore the fact that this message was for him, not his men. The king of the Ammonites was insulting David. Yes, their beards would grow back and they could be sewn new clothes but that really wasn’t the point. This slap in the face of the king was inexcusable.
It didn’t take King Hanun to realize he had stirred up the anger of the wrong man and he knew he couldn’t protect his nation by himself. This was going to take calling in some favors and even paying another nation’s army to come to help him fight back against the attack he knew was coming. Maybe he should have thought out his response to David’s ambassadors a few more minutes before acting. Oh well, it was too late now.
With 35,000 troops gathered from the surrounding nations, he had to face up to what he had done and hope he survived the assault he knew had to be coming from King David. The truth was David wasn’t going to retaliate until he heard that Hanun was gathering the troops. David, though angry, wasn’t going to break what his intentions had been, to remain as allies with the Ammonites.
Knowing that they had called upon other nations, David knew he needed the whole of his army to go up against the Ammonites and their chosen allies. He has Joab, his commander, set off with the Israelite army to meet with the men of Ammon, the Arameans of Zobah and Rehob and the men of Tob and Maakah. Of course this took longer than a day or so to set up. It seems there was time for common sense to kick in and prevent needless shedding of blood. If Hanun would have humbled himself and apologized to David and his ambassadors or if David had just let the slight go, a battle could have been prevented. But like us today, pride often holds us hostage in actions that we should have thought through better.
Making It Personal
When have you gone through with something you decided upon in the heat of the moment but shouldn’t have done? How did it affect your life? Is there anything today which you need to step back from?
Making It Personal Kids
Have you ever done something because you were mad which you shouldn’t have done? What happened because you did it? What can you do to make sure you don’t act out in anger?
Closing Prayer
Father, thank You for not acting out in anger towards us. We deserve Your wrath but You choose love instead. Please help us to be wise in our decisions and choose to love instead of reacting in hate. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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