Showing Honor No Matter the Consequences
[2] And David said, “I will deal loyally with Hanun the son of Nahash, as his father dealt loyally with me.” So David sent by his servants to console him concerning his father. And David’s servants came into the land of the Ammonites. [3] But the princes of the Ammonites said to Hanun their lord, “Do you think, because David has sent comforters to you, that he is honoring your father? Has not David sent his servants to you to search the city and to spy it out and to overthrow it?” [4] So Hanun took David’s servants and shaved off half the beard of each and cut off their garments in the middle, at their hips, and sent them away. [5] When it was told David, he sent to meet them, for the men were greatly ashamed. And the king said, “Remain at Jericho until your beards have grown and then return.”
[6] When the Ammonites saw that they had become a stench to David, the Ammonites sent and hired the Syrians of Beth-rehob, and the Syrians of Zobah, 20,000 foot soldiers, and the king of Maacah with 1,000 men, and the men of Tob, 12,000 men. [7] And when David heard of it, he sent Joab and all the host of the mighty men. 2 Samuel 10:2–7 ESV Read More
Twice in this little section, David is choosing honor above the sword in his activities as king.
First, David sends a delegation to the Ammonites to show respect for the king that has passed away. He does it because he had peace with the previous king and wants to keep that with the Ammonite princes. This would have been a very simple group, minimally armed, and much like the media statements different leaders make to other countries today.
This kind act is not just misunderstood, but the Ammonites retaliate with an awful show of dishonor. In their culture, your beard was your sign of wisdom and manhood, so as it grew it showed that you were coming of age. You weren’t a little boy that did foolish things if you had a good manly beard. The next act is comical to us today but it was really awful then. They cut off the bottom of their clothes so that their bare bottoms stuck out. It would have been awful to kill these guys and send that message back to David, but this is just wrong. They were probably traveling on foot, so they had to walk back to the nearest city in Jerusalem like this and get some help.
David honors these guys by going to meet them personally and then giving them sanctuary in Jericho until their beards are back again. Depending on how much half a beard is, these guys might have been there for a while.
Second, David doesn’t seem to make any moves yet to retaliate about this act. He doesn’t mobilize Joab until he hears that Ammon and Syria are uniting to fight against him. In the end, David beats the Ammonites so bad that Syria can feel it.
The thing is, the risk of shame didn’t stop David from showing honor and doing good. David could have sat in Jerusalem and day-dreamed about all the ways this could have happened and never taken action. Instead, he took action (sent diplomats) and something completely unexpected happened (they got sent home in only their shirts!)
The most honorable thing David did in all of this was to not make his enemies decisions for them. He didn’t hold back condolences at the risk of being hurt. He didn’t send in an army to retaliate. What if the Ammonites came an apologized? It could have happened.
Let’s be honorable. Let’s love our enemies even if it brings us a risk of shame. And let’s care for those that have been shamed by giving them sanctuary and time to be restored.
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