2 Samuel 10

The Explanation

A king had died. Not in Israel, but in the land of Ammon, next door. His name was Nahash, and long ago he had been good to David. Now his son Hanun sat on the throne.

David remembered. "I will show kindness to Hanun the son of Nahash, as his father showed kindness to me," he said. So he chose some of his servants and sent them on the long road to Ammon. They came with a message of comfort, the way you might say to a friend, "I'm sorry your father died."

But in the palace of Hanun stood men who whispered. Princes with sharp eyes and suspicious thoughts. "Do you really think David honours your father?" they said. "No. He sent spies. They came to look at your walls and count your gates. They want to take your city."

Young Hanun listened to the whispers instead of the words. And then he did something cruel and strange. He had David's men grabbed. Someone came with a knife and shaved off half of every beard. Half! One cheek smooth, one cheek bushy. Then they cut their long robes off short, right at the bottom, so the men stood there half naked. And Hanun sent them home like that.

Imagine walking for days through the desert like that. Imagine everyone staring. Those men were so ashamed they could hardly lift their eyes. When David heard it, he did not laugh. He sent a message: "Wait at Jericho until your beards have grown, and then return." Take your time. Come home when you are ready.

But Ammon knew they had gone too far. So they bought soldiers. Twenty thousand men from one place, twelve thousand from another, a thousand more from a king in the north. A wall of shields and spears.

David sent Joab with the whole army. And when Joab arrived, he looked around and his stomach must have turned over. Enemies in front of him at the city gate. Enemies behind him out in the field. Trapped, both ways.

Would you have run? Joab did not. He split the army in two. He took the best soldiers himself and gave the rest to his brother Abishai. Then he said something you should hear: "If the Syrians are too strong for me, then you shall help me; but if the children of Ammon are too strong for you, then I will come and help you." And then: "Be courageous, and let's be strong for our people, and for the cities of our God; and may Yahweh do what seems good to him."

They charged. The Syrians fled. The Ammonites saw it and ran into their city and slammed the gates. Later the Syrians came back with even more men, and David himself crossed the Jordan River to meet them. They fled again. And after that, the kings who had been hired made peace. Nobody wanted to help Ammon any more.

What Does This Mean?

It began with kindness. David wanted to be good to Hanun. But suspicious whispers turned kindness into war. That is how fast it can go when people believe the worst about each other instead of asking.

And look at David after the shame. He did not say, "Don't be such babies, it's only a beard." He said, wait, take your time, I know it hurts. God's king cared about hurt people.

The Common Thread

Joab said the wisest words in the whole chapter: be strong, and may Yahweh do what seems good to him. Do your best, and leave the ending with God.

Jesus came from David's family. He was mocked too. Soldiers pulled at his beard and tore his clothes and shamed him. He did not fight back with swords. He carried the shame for us, so that we could come home to God.

For You

Someone may whisper to you, "He did that on purpose." Do not just believe it. Go and ask. And if a friend is ashamed about something, do not laugh. Sit next to them, like David said: take your time.

Talk About It

Why did Hanun believe the whispering princes instead of David's kind message?

When was the last time you felt ashamed, and who helped you?

Praying Together

Lord God, help me not to believe every whisper about other people. Give me courage like Joab, and kindness like David. Thank you that Jesus carried our shame. Amen.