2 Samuel Chapter 10 Verses 1 – 2

 This is interesting because we don’t know how Nahash had helped

David. It’s not recorded for us. We do however know how

incredibly/strategically cruel Nahash was and that it was Saul that

actually spared Nahash’s life!

 You may recall, (and this is all the way back in 1 Samuel 11), that the

Ammonites came against the people of Jabesh Gilead. And the people

there knew that they were in trouble so they asked the Ammonites to

make a covenant of peace with them. Nahash, the Ammonite, agreed

on one condition. That he would put out the right eyes of all the men!

 As we talked about when we studied that chapter, that would give

them a strategic disadvantage in terms of warfare for the rest of their

lives. The men of Jabesh Gilead asked for seven days to decide, to

respond. And in those seven days, they sent a request to King Saul for

help!

 This was Saul’s finest hour. He responds and beats back the

Ammonites and once the battle is over, the people cheer and shout to

have all of the Ammonites, especially those that proposed this cruel

covenant, killed. But Saul, in a moment of rare mercy, spared them…,

including Nahash!

 That’s what we know of Nahash. We don’t know how later he helped

David but apparently, he did and David desires to show kindness to his

son Hanun. Ok, a couple of things here…

 David knows what it’s like to lose a father. Not necessarily Jesse, his

own father. The Bible has very little to say about Jesse. We read of

him leaving David in the field when Samuel came to visit, a great

show of disregard and dishonor. And then we read of Jesse sending

David to the battlefield of the Philistines to bring provisions to his

brothers…, and that’s it. We never hear from him again…

 I’m actually talking about Saul. The ache in the heart of David that

would be with him for his entire life of the tragedy of his desire to

serve Saul and to be as a son to him. And despite every act of respect,

reverence and love, Saul never embraced him. That loss of his father

compels him to comfort Hanun, and that’s sort of how it works.

 1 Corinthians 1:3-5 says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord

Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who

comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those

who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are

comforted by God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our

consolation also abounds through Christ.”

 May I make an odd request, statement? Please don’t waste the

tragedies that you have endured. Don’t let them be hidden and

unused for the purposes of the Lord. The tragedies of our lives are like

keenly tuned tools in our hearts that we can use so surgically accurate

to come alongside of others…

 If you’ve lost your father, how equipped, genuine and effective you

are in even the look you give someone who has just lost theirs. If

you’ve been laid off, divorced, declared bankruptcy, been in a bad car

accident, the list goes on and on, then you can use that tool to help put

someone else back together. David doesn’t waste his pain. Just like

Christ didn’t waste His. He is a man after God’s own heart!

 One more simple thing here. David doesn’t feel kindness. He doesn’t

think kindness. He isn’t kind. He SHOWS kindness. Kindness that is

not put to action is not kindness at all. Just like love. These words

are verbs, not feelings. And even to be kind when your feelings

demand differently, is to show kindness. That is a thing of worship and

discipline.

 The word in the Hebrew isn’t only kindness. It’s loyalty! If I am loyal

to me above all else then I will do what is right by me. What is just by

me. Just by what has happened to me. What they did to me, for me, or

did not do for me. But if I am loyal to the Lord, then I will do what is

right by Him…

2 Samuel Chapter 10 Verses 3 – 5

 It’s pretty easy to blame the princes of Ammonites here and to say that

the advice that they give Hanun is really unwise. While that’s true,

every bit of what happens here and for the rest of this chapter, is

ON Hanun. First off, princes reflect the king. The sentiment, the

environment, the behavior, all of that…, if there is a king, a boss, an

overseer, every bit of that is either set, tolerated, encouraged or

allowed ONLY by the king. The buck stops with Hanun…

 So, we read this and we think, idiots. But the idiot is Hanun. For

having the princes he has, for setting the tone and environment for this

type of thinking and counsel…, and ultimately for what happens.

Listen, this is why leadership should only be reserved for those that

will do what is right even when it is not popular.

 This is going to sound harsh to some. Letting things that are not good

simply slip without standing in opposition and disallowance when you

are the overseer is not ok. It allows and invites more of the same. Not

providing and driving correction ensures correct and good course,

doesn’t come! It’s an easy way to lose support… AND, the support of

cruel and unwise princes is what you want to lose, even if it leaves

you princeless for a season.

 We know that Hanun is the source because of what he does. His orders

reveal him entirely. What he does to these servants of David that have

come in kindness, in loyalty, is unthinkably cruel.

 In the culture of the day, men would rather die than have their beards

cut off. Only slaves and criminals had shaven faces in this society.

Cutting off their garments in the middle is vulgar. They didn’t have

BVDs in these days! This would be to put them to shame and make

them incredibly uncomfortable.

 Why not just send them away? Why not just let them say their piece

and depart? Because Hanun was not a good man. That’s seen in what

he does here clearly, and to me, and to some, it is seen clearly in the

behavior that emanates from his leadership that we see in his princes.

 The ambassadors of David can’t even go home. The shame they would

bring on themselves, their families and David would be too much. So,

David goes out to Jericho to meet them. A distance of about 20

miles…

 Now, I can’t help but wonder at Jesus in reading this account. He was

sent by God, Comforter, Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, all titles

given to Him. Sent to Comfort and to Love and to reveal humility to

the world. Isaiah 50:6 says, “I gave My back to those who struck Me,

And My cheeks to those who plucked out the beard; I did not hide My

face from shame and spitting.” They removed the beard from His face.

 Matthew 27:35 says, “Then they crucified Him, and divided His

garments, casting lots, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by

the prophet: “They divided My garments among them, and for My

clothing they cast lots.” They removed His clothes from Him.

 And yet He still died for them. He gave His life for them. Their

behavior emanating from their leader, the god of this age, and yet

Jesus to show forth the truth of humility in love gave Himself still.

 Then, Psalm 16:10 says, “You will not leave My soul in Sheol, You will

not allow Your holy One to see corruption.” God went to Jericho to

get Him. Psalm 139:8 saying, “If I ascend into heaven, You are there;

If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there…”

 God raising Jesus from the dead. Acts 2:23-24, “Him, being delivered

by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken

by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; whom God raised

up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that

He should be held by it.” The city which had fallen gates just as Jesus

said the gates of Hell will not prevail. And in the last days, Revelation

14, Revelation 19, God will have His vengeance just as David has

his…

2 Samuel Chapter 10 Verse 6

 The kings of the earth gather against him. Who? David? God? Yes!

David in 2 Samuel 10. God in Revelation 14 and 19. This is a picture,

a pointer, a type, just like every element of every scripture. All of it

points to the love of God in sending forth His Son and all of it points

to the justice of God in every wrong will be righted!

2 Samuel Chapter 10 Verse 7

 The picture and type continues! David sends his general and his

mighty men. Just as Jesus will send the angels to reap the harvest of

the earth including the Battle of Armageddon! Michael goes, Gabriel

goes… Joab goes, 2 Samuel 23 mentions a soldier named Adino who

was made famous for killing 800 men at one time, 1 Chronicles 11

mentions a soldier named Jashobeam, made famous for killing 300

men at one time, and a solder named Benaiah who was made famous

for killing a lion…

 Survey the news, true TV, walk the malls and visit the schools, where

in the up and coming generation are the men that can stand their own?

What has happened? In the 50s, on average, a man was married and

starting a family at the age of 22.5. Today, the average age a man does

this is 30.2 years of age… Why?

 Today, the culture complains when they aren’t given sufficient

resources and accommodations when a generation ago, the majority

would set themselves to work for what they did not have. And, if they

were provided something, would have a sense of respect for what was

provided. Why? Hold that thought as we see this chapter play out and

we’ll end on that…

2 Samuel Chapter 10 Verses 8 – 12

 We will do what we need to do and if we have to give ourselves for

our king, so be it. We will do what is right, what seems good, in the

eyes of the Lord. This is the might of resolve from men that are

mighty!

 Check this out. This word in the Hebrew for mighty is reserved only

for the male. It means strong, bold, audacious, self respecting, and

someone who is proud of themselves. A powerful man. By

implication, a warrior and even can be, if needed, tyrannical. A

champion. A chief. One who excels. One who remains valiant for

good in the presence of opposition. What does our culture call that

today? Toxic.

2 Samuel Chapter 10 Verses 13 – 19

 What was sent as comfort and as kindness, loyalty and humility, ended

up being the death of probably around 100,000 men, fathers, brothers,

sons… We see here listed 700 chariots and 40,000 horsemen so the

total number of 100,000 is probably exceedingly low. For every

chariot, you’d have 100 foot soldiers and for every horsemen, you’d

have between 10 and 50 foot soldiers…

 Why? Hanun. No other reason. Not the princes, not the people, not

the nation of the Ammonites or the Syrians. Hanun. And the fact that

he did not do what was wise or right. Let leadership be lonely if it has

to be. If you’re not willing, you’re not fit to lead. Because unfitness, it

leads to this…

 The next chapter is David’s greatest fall. Why? Returning to the topic

and thought I asked you to hold earlier…, because times of great

prosperity can bring times of great weakness…. Abundance,

prosperity and even victories in life often leads individuals to believe

they are authors of their own success and that fosters a sense of self-

importance. Self-importance diminishes your respect for others,

perceived need of others, and certainly your appreciation. All of that

saps kindness, loyalty, decency, virtue…

 Notice what’s missing in this chapter, at least on the part of David? No

speak of the Lord. No speak of David calling upon Him or God

preserving him. We heard that three times in chapter 8 when we read

of David’s previous success in conquest...

 This is a long conversation which we will not embark on today. But

suffice it to say that all the previous generation worked for has been

given to the recent generations and in that prosperity has come

weakness. Even today, now, many listening or reading this sermon,

almost all that you have in a worldly sense, you have not really

worked for…, someone else has…

 The home you live in, the food you eat, the clothes you wear, the

comforts you posses…, have all been provided to you by someone

else’s sacrifice of work. Like perhaps your parents… In times past, if

you lived in a house you didn’t pay for, ate food you didn’t procure,

and wore clothes that were provided by someone else, they had a word

for that, servant…

 Is that the sentiment of those that have such prosperity from the hand

of another? Very rare. William Bates wrote a nice piece called, “The

Danger of Prosperity,” in which he fully prosecutes this problem

writing, prosperity abused is fatal and destructive to the foolish sinner.

Prosperity feeds the fleshly lusts that war against the soul and deprive

it of it beauty, order, freedom and felicity. Prosperity makes the soul

more prone to anger, and renders many averse to suffering for the sake

of Christ. The prosperity of the foolish tempts to delay repentance

until one’s state is desperate. It’s folly and madness above all wonder

when we abuse the blessings of God to our own destruction! But that’s

so often what happens…

 Next chapter David sits in his prosperity, even while his armies are on

the battlefield, and forgets that all he has been given, even his people

including Bathsheba, they are all given to Him by the hand of God and

not his own greatness… And he falls.

 Oh, how do you win? Enjoy what you have been given. Enjoy your

prosperity and ensure it tracks to the next generation? Servant…