From our study of Genesis we learned that the Ammonites are the descendants of Abraham's nephew Lot. When Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed, only Lot and two of his daughters escaped. Lot's daughters, through lack of faith, believed the whole population of the world was being destroyed and that the human race would die out because there were no men for them to marry. They crafted a sinful plan to get their father so drunk he wouldn't know where he was or who he was with, then they each slept with him and conceived a son. One was named Moab and one was named Ben-Ammi. Genesis 19:36-38 tells us that Moab was the father of the Moabites and Ben-Ammi was the father of the Ammonites.
As our chapter opens we find David sending a message of sympathy to King Hanun of the Ammonites. Hanun has just ascended to the throne upon the death of his father, King Nahash. We must keep in mind that although the Ammonites are heathen idolaters and have not always been friendly toward the Israelites, they are not one of the groups of the promised land that the Lord told the Israelites to destroy. On the contrary, He said, "When you come to the Ammonites, do not harass them or provoke them to war, for I will not give you possession of any land belonging to the Ammonites. I have given it as a possession to the descendants of Lot." (Deuteronomy 2:9) Because of the relationship between the Israelites and the Ammonites, the Lord did not give the Israelites permission to take their land. However, that doesn't mean the Lord won't allow them to defend themselves against the Ammonites. For example, King Saul defended his fellow Israelites at Jabesh Gilead when they were besieged by the Ammonites in 1 Samuel 11. David will defend his people in 2 Samuel 10 when the Ammonite king takes bad advice and believes David's message of sympathy is an attempt to spy out his city to plan an attack.
"In the course of time, the king of the Ammonites died, and his son Hanun succeeded him as king. David thought, 'I will show kindness to Hanun son of Nahash, just as his father showed kindness to me.' So David sent a delegation to express his sympathy to Hanun concerning his father." (2 Samuel 10:1-2a) The Bible doesn't tell us when or how Nahash showed kindness to David. Nahash hated King Saul because his forces were defeated by him, so perhaps he supplied aid to David when he was on the run from Saul. Nahash may have been motivated more by spite against Saul than by sympathy toward David but nevertheless David feels he owes a debt of gratitude toward the house of Nahash.
David's heart is in the right place. He feels genuine sadness at the news of Nahash's death. He feels compassion toward Hanun who has lost his father and who has had the heavy mantle of leadership placed upon his shoulders at the same time. I believe David knows what it's like to lose a father. Jesse has not been mentioned since the early years of David's exile and this indicates both he and David's mother are deceased. If they were not deceased we would have found David moving them into his royal city of Jerusalem, but we last heard of them when he sent them to Moab out of the reach of Saul in 1 Samuel 22:4. In addition to knowing what it's like to lose a father, David knows the heavy responsibility of being a king. He understands the pressures Hanun is now under. David's intention is to express sympathy and to wish the new king well but Hanun's officials accuse him of ulterior motives. "When David's men came to the land of the Ammonites, the Ammonite commanders said to Hanun their lord, 'Do you think David is honoring your father by sending envoys to you to express sympathy? Hasn't David sent them to you to explore the city and spy it out and overthrow it?'" (2 Samuel 10:2b-3)
Why are these men so suspicious of David? It is believed that the Ammonites were vassals of Israel after Saul's defeat of them in 1 Samuel 11, so it could be that they are seeking an opportunity to make war with Israel in hopes of winning and no longer having to pay tribute to Israel. Or it could be that Hanun's advisors are such crafty and wicked people that they can't accept that David's friendly overture is not a crafty and wicked ruse. We don't know Hanun's age but he may have ascended to the throne in his teens and this could have caused him to be easily influenced by older, more experienced officials. Perhaps these men hope to turn him into a puppet king, led by them. They may be taking advantage of his youth, his inexperience, and the grief he's feeling due to the death of his father.
Whatever their reasons for prejudicing Hanun against David, Hanun accepts their advice without taking time to think things through. Instead of automatically believing that the Ammonite commanders are correct in their assumptions, he could have thoroughly questioned the men David sent to him. He could have had all their belongings searched for weapons or for notes and maps regarding the layout of his city. If he was so afraid of them, he could simply have turned them away at the gates and had no dealings with them at all. But that's not what he does. Instead he does something deliberately offensive.
"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) This is intended to shame the men deeply and that's what it does. This delegation came to King Hanun in an attitude of respect and honor, accompanied by a caravan loaded down with fine gifts, expecting to be received with courtesy. Instead they are taken into custody and treated disgracefully. Imagine their shock. Imagine their embarrassment at being sent back down the roadway with half a beard and not enough material in their robes to modestly cover their bottoms. This is a horrifying turn of events and David is horrified when he hears of it. "When David was told about this, he sent messengers to meet the men, for they were greatly humiliated. The king said, 'Stay at Jericho till your beards have grown, then come back.'" (2 Samuel 10:5)
The problem with their beards is more difficult to solve than the problem with their clothes. The servants of these men could quickly have bought some new robes at the next town or David, upon receiving a message regarding the men's predicament, could have sent them fresh clothing immediately by return messenger. But beards take some time to grow out. Depending on how long they typically wore their facial hair in David's day, it would have taken several weeks at minimum to grow their beards back to normal length. David doesn't want the men to endure any more humiliation than they've already endured so he instructs them to remain outside of Jerusalem until their appearance is normal again. It's bad enough they were treated so shamefully while on a mission of peace; he will not subject them to any further embarrassment.
In tomorrow's text Hanun realizes he's made a grievous error. But instead of humbling himself, apologizing, and trying to make peace with David, he hires soldiers of fortune to help his forces fight the army of Israel. I believe it's highly possible that David would have accepted a sincere apology, especially if Hanun is a young and inexperienced leader who is being taken advantage of by older officials who are using him to pursue their own agendas. But once Hanun amasses forces with which to fight David's soldiers, he has gone too far to turn back. His course is set and the outcome is war---a war he will lose.
We must always compare any advice we receive with the word of God. We must consult the Lord about our every big decision. If only Hanun had done that, he could have had a valuable ally in David. But instead he's made David his enemy. No matter how much we respect the person who is giving us advice---even if it's our church pastor---we must run it by the Lord to see if this is what He wants us to do. Even if the thing is something we really want to do and the thing is not sinful in itself, it may not be the Lord's will for us. That is why we are cautioned in Proverbs 3:5-6: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight."
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