II SAMUEL 10 Lesson # 10
THE DANGER OF INSULTS
I. Introduction:
Q Has anyone every insulted you when you were younger? Did you seek revenge? What did you do?
Q Does it pay to insult people? Why?
Note: Today we are going to look at what started as an insult and wound up a total catastrophe for a man’s entire life and all those associated with him.
II. Provocation For War: II Samuel 10:1-6.
>>>> Have someone read II Samuel 10:1-2.
Q What is David’s motive for sending a delegation to the neighboring kingdom of Ammon?
An = To politely show respect and to reestablish good diplomatic relationships with the Ammonite nation. David seems to have been on good terms and wanted to continue that relationship. Nahash had shown loyalty (hesed) to David, and David wanted to show loyalty (hesed) to Nahash, by showing respect at his death.
Note: Show where Ammon is on the map.
>>>> Have someone read II Samuel 10:3-6.
Q How did Hanun get the idea to be disrespectful to David’s men?
An = The young princes. Others are often quite suspicious, and this is especially true of young men. Many times the young do not respect the loyalties between older men. Many times in business when the young bucks take over they void previous loyalties that the older men had made and see the future without respect to those old commitments.
Q Have you ever seen this happen in business?
Note: The Bible speaks about insults and proper respect. Hanun has mistreated a delegation from a king. Therefore Hanun has been rude to a king. He has insulted a king. The Proverbs attempt to teach us practical wisdom, they warn us about inciting the wrath of powerful authorities.
>>>> Have three different people look up the following three passages, (in this order):
Proverbs 20:2
Proverbs 19:12
Proverbs 16:14
Q Has Hanun been wise?
An = No, he has not. He has angered a king, an authority. He has humiliated a king’s delegation without proof of conspiracy. All David was trying to do was establish good international relations. David sought peace, but Hanun misinterpreted it!
Q Have you seen this type of mistake made by a young person before?
An = Let them share their experiences if they will.
Q Why did Hanun do this?
An = Perhaps, he misjudged David’s strength and the anointing of God that was upon him.
Q Is this the type of thing young men are more apt to do? Why?
Q Do older men make such mistakes as well?
An = I think we are all prone to make mistakes and misread the people we have before us.
>>>> Have everyone turn to Hebrews 13:2 and have someone read it to the group.
Q What is this verse teaching us?
An = We ought to treat all people well. We ought to show respect to all people. We never know the motives of others, and we do not always know just who we are dealing with. Humility and proper behavior is always the rule.
Q Have you had similar experiences?
Note: There are only four speeches in this whole chapter and David makes two of them in these first six verses. In verse 2, David makes an attempt to offer consolation.
Q What does he attempt to do with his men in verse 5?
An = He offers consolation. The only two speeches David makes in the entire chapter are both speeches of consolation.
III. The Results of the Provocation: Two Battles. II Samuel 10:7-19.
A. The First Battle: Joab is General. II Samuel 10:7-14.
>>>> Have someone read II Samuel 10:7-14.
Note: David never actually threatened Hanun, but once he got into the suspicious mood, he reasoned that David would attack, so he sought allies.
Q Does it appear to you that Joab seems to have made a tactical error and allowing his troops to be surrounded?
An = It does appear so and Joab makes the fourth and final speech of the chapter in 10:11-12. Joab should have lost this war. But Hanun did not figure on “God being added to the equation”. Joab belonged to David’s army, and God was on David’s side.
Q What is the essence of Joab’s speech?
An = He basically makes battle plans, gives an encouragement for them to be tough and courageous and then puts himself into the hands of God. The Proverbs also have something to say about this type of action as well.
>>>> Have someone read Proverbs 16:1,3,9.
Q What do these Proverbs have in common with Joab’s speech?
An = Joab makes the very best plans he can now that he is in a terrible pickle and then wisely places himself in submission to God’s will.
Q Do they win?
B. The Second Battle: David is General. II Samuel 10:15-18.
>>>> Have someone read II Samuel 10:15-18.
Note: David fights this battle against the Arameans, north of David’s territory, and they are extensively defeated. Show where this took place on the map.
C. The Final Consequences: Allies Cut Off. II Samuel 10:19.
>>>> Have someone read II Samuel 10:19.
Q What did it cost Hanun when he humiliated and insulted David’s emissaries?
An = It cost him his allies. They were not only pacified but now subject themselves to David and were afraid to help the Ammonites again. They were left vulnerable to full scale Israelite attack with no help.
Note: David goes back after this chapter and attack the capital city of Ammon which was Rabbah.
>>>> Have someone read II Samuel 12:29-31.
Q What else did it cost Hanun, king of Ammon, for insulting David’s delegation?
An = It cost him his head, his crown, his city was plundered, his people were made to work for the Davidic empire, and other towns were sacked as well. Hanun paid big time!
>>>> Have someone read Matthew 25:41-46.
Q What does Jesus say about being kind to people no matter what their position in life?
An = Our eternal destiny may hang in the balance as to how we treat the “little people”.