The Fighting Goes On!
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Last week we looked at the story of Mephibosheth. When we come to chapter 10, we have a story about the kindness of David, but as we’ll see, his kindness is not received.
If you have your Bibles, I want to encourage you to turn with me 2 Samuel chapter 10, and we’ll begin reading with verse 1.
In the course of time, the king of the Ammonites died, and his son Hanun succeeded him as king.
In the Course of Time
In the Course of Time
The opening phrase is a time marker. This passage has a parallel passage in 1 Chronicles 19.
In the course of time
The king of the Ammonites died.
The king’s son Hanun succeeded and became 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,
David wanted to show his kindness (we might say his condolences) to Hanun for the loss of Nahash his father.
So David sent a delegation to express his sympathy to Hanun.
So David’s men went 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?”
The Ammonites don’t believe David’s motives—Hanun gets bad advice.
His commanders (the suspicious ones) suggest that David’s real motive was to spy out the city so they could 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.
Hanun seized the men of David.
Then they did two things to humiliate the men:
—They shaved 1/2 of each man’s beard.
—The cut off their robes at the buttocks.
Then they sent them away, humiliated.
David’s Response
David’s Response
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, and then come back.”
David receives the news of the men’s humiliation.
David sends word to the men that they should stay in Jericho until their beards grew back.
Then when their beards were back they could come home.
David is mad at the situation! Look at verse 6.
When the Ammonites realized that they had become obnoxious to David, they hired twenty thousand Aramean foot soldiers from Beth Rehob and Zobah, as well as the king of Maakah with a thousand men, and also twelve thousand men from Tob.
The Ammonites realized that they had become obnoxious to David—the word translated “obnoxious” has the idea of being a foul oder, or rancid. It came to mean being hated.
Realizing that David was angry with them, they were now afraid so they hire soldiers from three different kings.
—20,000 foot soldiers from Beth Rehob and Zobah.
—1,000 men from the king of Maakah.
—12,000 men from Tob
Now if you are keeping count that’s 33, 000 men on top of their own Ammonite army.
Ready For Battle
Ready For Battle
On hearing this, David sent Joab out with the entire army of fighting men.
When David hears that the Ammonites have hired 33,000 additional men, he sends Joab out with the entire army of Israel!
Notice something. David sends Joab out—he did not go.
The Ammonites came out and drew up in battle formation at the entrance of their city gate, while the Arameans of Zobah and Rehob and the men of Tob and Maakah were by themselves in the open country.
In verse 8 Joab and the army arrive in Ammon.
The Ammonites drew battle lines. They formed them in front of the city gate.
The Arameans of Zobah and Rehob, along with the men of Tob and Maakah lined up in the open country.
This means that Israel is going to have to fight on two fronts instead of just one. So now, Joab has to come up with a plan.
Joab’s Plan
Joab’s Plan
Joab saw that there were battle lines in front of him and behind him; so he selected some of the best troops in Israel and deployed them against the Arameans. He put the rest of the men under the command of Abishai his brother and deployed them against the Ammonites.
Joab sees the two front battle that is brewing.
So he divides his forces into two groups.
He took some of the best troops and deployed them against the Arameans, under his command.
The rest of the men were placed under the command Abishai his brother—and they were deployed against the Ammonites in front of the city gate.
Joab said, “If the Arameans are too strong for me, then you are to come to my rescue; but if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will come to rescue you.
He tells Abishai that he will fight the Arameans, if they become too strong for him, Abishai can come to his rescue.
On the other hand, if the Ammonites prove too strong for Abishai, then he will come to his rescue.
Then Joab shows his faith in God! Look at verse 12—by the way, this is the verse I chose for our memory verse this week.
Be strong, and let us fight bravely for our people and the cities of our God. The Lord will do what is good in his sight.”
First, he encourages the men to be strong!
Fight bravely.
Fight for the people of Israel
And fight for the cities of Israel’s God!
Then he reminds his troops that Yahweh will do what is good in His sight!
The Battle
The Battle
Then Joab and the troops with him advanced to fight the Arameans, and they fled before him.
Joab and his troops advance against the Arameans.
And the Arameans fled before him.
When the Ammonites realized that the Arameans were fleeing, they fled before Abishai and went inside the city. So Joab returned from fighting the Ammonites and came to Jerusalem.
The Ammonites realize that the Arameans are fleeing.
When this happens the Ammonites fled before Abishai.
They fled into the city.
And the battle is over before it begins!
So Joab and the army return to Jerusalem. It looks like the battles are over and that Israel has “won.”
But it is not over yet!
After the Arameans saw that they had been routed by Israel, they regrouped.
After Israel chases off the Arameans, they regroup. They don’t like defeat.
Hadadezer had Arameans brought from beyond the Euphrates River; they went to Helam, with Shobak the commander of Hadadezer’s army leading them.
The leader of the Arameans, Hadadezer sent for reinforcements from beyond the Euphrates River.
These troops gather at Helam—this is a place in the desert some 40 miles straight east of the Sea of Kinnereth—also called the Sea of Galilee.
Shobach (Shobak) is the commander of the army of Hadadezer.
David’s Response to the Build Up
David’s Response to the Build Up
When David was told of this, he gathered all Israel, crossed the Jordan and went to Helam. The Arameans formed their battle lines to meet David and fought against him.
David is told about the build up of troops.
So he gathers all of Israel’s fighting men and David, himself, leads the men to cross the Jordan, headed to Helam for battle.
The Arameans form their battle lines.
And the meet David and fought against him.
But they fled before Israel, and David killed seven hundred of their charioteers and forty thousand of their foot soldiers. He also struck down Shobak the commander of their army, and he died there.
But the Arameans end up fleeing before the army of Israel.
David (and his troops) kill 700 charioteers. This is conflict with the parallel passage in 1 Chronicles, it says 7,000 charioteers. Most scholars believe the Chronicles passage is more accurate.
They also killed 40,000 foot soldiers (infantrymen).
And Shobach, the commander of the Aramean army died in the battle.
When all the kings who were vassals of Hadadezer saw that they had been routed by Israel, they made peace with the Israelites and became subject to them. So the Arameans were afraid to help the Ammonites anymore.
Servants of Israel
Servants of Israel
So there were a number of kings who were under the control of Hadadezer, they all become subject to Israel.
Not only that but the Arameans are now afraid to help the Ammonites.
So What?
So What?
Never forget, there will be times when your kindness will NOT be accepted as kindness.
Living and serving the Lord can result in you being humiliated for His name’s sake.
Living for the Lord may lead you into a battle where you feel like you are out gunned. But you’re NOT—Because God is on your side.
We need to follow Joab’s advice:
—Be Strong! Ephesians 6:10 “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.”
—Fight bravely! Joshua 1:9 “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.””
—Fight for God’s people and for God’s cities! Zechariah 10:5 “Together they will be like warriors in battle trampling their enemy into the mud of the streets. They will fight because the Lord is with them, and they will put the enemy horsemen to shame.”
—Accept that the Lord will do what is good in His sight! 1 Thessalonians 5:18 “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”