What happened when David’s peace delegation was shamed by the Ammonites – 2 Samuel 8, 10, 21, Part 3

Could you imagine if a peace delegation from the USA went to North Korea, and the North Koreans forcibly shaved the heads of the men and women in our delegation, and then cut off their garments at the waist and kicked them out of the country?  What kind of response do you think the US government would have?

As we continue the story of David completing the Conquest of Canaan, in 2 Samuel chapter 10 we read a story in verses 1-4 that includes some dark comedy like that scenario above. 

“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. 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 only to explore the city and spy it out and overthrow it?’ 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.”

Yes, that is in the Bible.  What the Ammonites do to the Israelite peace delegation would be shameful in our day too.  It’s an act of war.   Which is exactly what happens.  In verses 5-14, David sends his general Joab to attack the Ammonites. The Ammonites hire the Arameans and some other people groups to bolster their forces. A massive battle ensues, and Israel is victorious. The Ammonites hide out in their city, the Arameans flee, and the armies of Israel return to Jerusalem.

With a pause in the war, the Arameans regroup.  Now David and the whole army go out to fight the Arameans, and Israel routs the Arameans.  That leaves the Ammonites holed up in their city, which is the battle that David should have been at in the David & Bathsheba story (read post here).  At the end of the David & Bathsheba story in 2 Samuel 12, David and Israel were eventually victorious over the Ammonites.  God continues to give David victory everywhere.  God is at work, helping David and Israelites complete the conquest.

Photo by Akshar Dave🌻 on Unsplash