To express his sympathy, David sent ambassadors to the Ammonites at the passing of their king. The deceased king had shown kindness to David in the past so David simply wanted to help bring comfort to the them as well as Hanun, the king’s grieving son.
While David’s men visited the kingdom of Ammon, some people began speaking negatively to Hanun. They filled his mind with harmful lies which caused him to have great suspicion of David’s motives. Giving into their adverse thoughts, Hanun insulted and humiliated the men by shaving off their cherished beards, cutting their clothes, and then sent them back where they came from.
Hanun’s actions were a clear sign of agression and a direct insult to David. What had first began as a harmless, kind gesture resulted in a war between the kingdoms.
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So Hanun seized David’s envoys, shaved off half of each man’s beard, cut off their garments at the buttocks, and sent them away. – 2 Samuel 10:4
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Wether we are on the receiving or giving end of the act of kindness, know that God is involved as all good things come from Him (James 1:17). Gladly give or receive the blessing and enjoy watching God work through His people for His kingdom.
Hi, thanks for a great picture that shows the embarrassment of David’s men. If you don’t mind, I intend to use this in an upcoming sermon to help the congregation to picture the situation. My focus is on how Hanun thought he knew what David was thinking, which is what we do a lot and get ourselves in all sorts of problems which could have been avoided. Our reaction to what we think others think about us really determines the direction of our relationships and our view of ourselves. We do this with God as well, often thinking the worst rather than the best.
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