2 Samuel 10

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The Folly of Fools Brings Folly

Intro

Have you ever had your motives misinterpreted? Ever tried to do something kind to someone only to have them see it as you attempting to harm them? We are often not very good at reading the motives of others. We see evil where there is none, or else we miss evil when it should be obvious. We project our own sins and foibles on others, seeing things we may be prone to in their actions. It’s quite frustrating with this happens, when people attribute things to you that you haven’t done or never intended to.
David, in our text this evening, has his motives misinterpreted. What he intended to be a show of kindness is seen as an act of treachery. In the process, men David relied on to convey his kindness are humiliated, provoking David to war. While this chapter in 2 Samuel arguably serves as a bridge connecting the summary statements of David’s exploits in battle in ch. 8 and the hostility of the Ammonites with the story of his downfall with Bathsheba in ch. 11. It also shows connections with ch. 9 and the covenant kindness David shows to Mephibosheth, as that kindness continues in our text this evening. But sadly, David is rebuffed. Proverbs 14:24 says, “The crown of the wise is their wealth, but the folly of fools brings folly.” On full display in chapter 10 is a fool, bringing folly to himself. His downfall was entirely of his own making. As we consider this text, we see the teaching of proverbs exemplified when it says, Proverbs 15:1–2 “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouths of fools pour out folly.” I believe that this text, coupled with ch. 9 which we considered last week, is intended to create a foil for us to view David. Two chapters of David as a loyal covenant-keeping king, and two where David is disloyal as a covenant-breaker. That I think is the main thrust of this episode in ch. 10, but we learn much more than just about David, for we also see the foolishness of folly, and the reward such folly reaps. By all means, show kindness as David, and receive it as Mephibosheth, but not as the fool Hanun.
2 Samuel 10

David’s Kindness to Outsiders

The link with ch. 9 is found in David’s desire to show kindness to the son of one of David’s allies, who had just died. Nahash was a brutal enemy of Israel, who besieged the people of Jabesh-gilead. They sought to make a treaty with him, which he would do only after plucking out their right eyes and forcing them to serve him. That is, unless someone could deliver them. Saul came to the rescue and defeated Nahash and the Ammonites. But it would seem that at some point David makes an alliance with king Nahash, possibly while on the run from Saul. But now that king has died, and his son will reign in His place. David thinks, I will show the same kindness I showed to his father, and send diplomatic envoys to express His covenant-loyalty, his Chesed. Just as we considered last week when David desired to show kindness to the house of Saul and Jonathan, David was imitating God’s covenant-keeping love. Not only to those in Israel, but also those nations who have been a blessing to him.
Here Paul’s exhortation to the Thessalonians comes back to us.
1 Thessalonians 5:15 ESV
See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone.
We’ve no reason to doubt that David genuinely desires to be a blessing to the rival nation of Ammon. Anticipating well what Jesus would teach was the true spirit of the law when he taught His disciples to love their enemies.
Matthew 5:43–48 ESV
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
But just as it was the case with Jesus, his kindness was not always met with a favorable response. For some enemies, see treachery where there is none. Notice how Hanun responds to David’s show of kindness.

Hunan's Response to Kindness

It was common in the ancient near east when kings died for those nations who had covenanted together to send diplomatic envoys to renew covenant with the son. But instead of taking this as an act of kindness, as David’s attempt to comfort the son after the death of His father, he views it as David’s chance to spy out the land so that he might overthrow it. So instead of receiving them, he humiliates them.
He plucks the beards of these men, and cuts off their garments, exposing them to shame and humiliation. David evidently has a vast network of spies, since he finds out about this before they return to Israel. In another act of kindness, he tells his men to wait in Jericho until their beards regrow, so as not to shame themselves. One of the many reasons David’s men were so loyal to him was he was first loyal to them.
If only Hunan would have known David as such, perhaps he wouldn’t have made such a terrible mistake in judgment. But it serves to illustrate an important truth. We are not always great at judging motives. We think we know exactly why someone is doing what they are, but often we are very wrong. Sometimes it's because we are listening to the wrong advisers. We have the princes of Ammon whispering in our ear.
Matthew Henry commenting on this said,

False men are ready to think others as false as themselves; and those that bear ill-will to their neighbours are resolved not to believe that their neighbours bear any good-will to them. They would not thus have imagined that David dissembled but that they were conscious to themselves that they could have dissembled, to serve a turn. Unfounded suspicion argues a wicked mind. Bishop Patrick’s note on this is that “there is nothing so well meant but it may be ill interpreted, and is wont to be so by men who love nobody but themselves.” Men of the greatest honour and virtue must not think it strange if they be thus misrepresented.

We learn two things from this. First, that we should endeavor to think the best of others. Would not most of our troubles in the church, and in the household vanish overnight if we sought to think the best of others? To put the best spin on their actions, and to receive even what we may be tempted to interpret as treachery as kindness. I’m not saying we need to delude ourselves, or live lies, nor am I suggesting we become doormats for those who would wickedly take advantage of our kindness. I daresay this will not come about unless we first cultivate a disposition that seeks to extend kindness to others. When you have wore yourself out trying to be loyal and kind to others, perhaps you will find it easy to interpret their motives as coming from kindness as well. Matthew Henry’s comments were appropriate—we see treachery in others because we allow treachery in ourselves. “Unfounded suspicion [is indicative] of a wicked mind”
Secondly, If David’s response of kindness as we saw last week was merely a type of the kindness Jesus would extend to you and I, then Hanun’s response is typical of those who reject the offer of the gospel and turn and persecute us. As Paul eloquently points out in 2 Corinthians 2, the gospel is either an aroma of life to those who are being saved, or else an aroma of death to those perishing. We should not be surprised that when people smell the gospel as a fragrance of death, they will often retaliate by persecuting what they’ve come to hate. For Jesus said if they hate him they will hate you, and if they persecute Him, they will certainly persecute you (Jn 15:18-20). So we ought not be surprised when our kindness is repaid with the folly of fools.

Joab’s Surprising Confession

The rest of the story goes just about like you would expect. David retaliates for the mistreatment of his envoys. Even now, the mistreatment of an ambassador is tantamount to an act of war. So it’s not wonder that David sends Joab and all his mighty men to go put down the Ammonites and the Syrians they hired to help them. But nestled in the middle of an admittedly sparse retelling of the battle is a surprising confession of Joab. We have been ambivalent towards Joab up till now. Speaking of motives, it's been difficult to interpret Joab’s action in a completely favorable light. He has at least shown himself to be vindictive, holding a grudge for past wrongs and looking for any chance to repay.
So it's somewhat surprising to hear a frank confession of dependence on God coming from him. Notice v. 12:
2 Samuel 10:12 ESV
Be of good courage, and let us be courageous for our people, and for the cities of our God, and may the Lord do what seems good to him.”
With these words, Joab encourages His brother Abishai, as they have set themselves front and back to face the enemy on two different fronts. And this only mention of the Lord is found on the lips of someone who we have grown to distrust. But this only goes to show that the people of God are never static, we are always on the move, and it's hard to say until the end how this or that mans actions will be weighed in the balance. In the end, Joab proves to His true nature, but along the way he makes some surprising good choices. Here is one of them.
2 Samuel Courageous for Our People

John Calvin points out that Joab cites the two causes for which a nation may justly initiate war: “the good and common safety of the people, and the honour of God.”9 All other reasons for starting a war, other than the protection of assailed people and the freedom of religion, are illegitimate and unjust in God’s sight.

Despite what else may be going on with Joab, it's his courage that is worthy of emulating. For certainly we ought to be willing to set ourselves against any wicked tyrant who seeks to mock our king. For are not the stakes we fight for much higher than a strip of land in Palestine, but for the eternal souls of men? And how many have been dashed upon the rocks of worldliness because they lacked courage to stand against the tide of evil in their own day?
Joab and Abishai won the day, and the battle may have been won, but the wars not over. Fools often redouble their efforts, and so the Syrians, embarrassed at their loss, bring out all the Syrians who are beyond the river. This time, it's not just Joab and the mighty men. David summons the whole army of Israel and he leads them out against Hadadezer and the kings allied with him. So you might fight an occasional skirmish where it seems like you are on your own, but the war will be won when Christ comes at the head of His army and makes war against the ungodly nations who have refused to bow and confess Him as Lord.
Again, David sees victory, and this time the kings see that the only option left is to come and become subject to David and Israel. But what of the Ammonites? We are left with the Syrians defeated, no longer willing to help the Ammonites, yet presumably they are still a stench in David’s nostrils. And so they will be when Ch. 11 opens as Joab and the army go off to battle, while David stays home for some R&R. Which spells trouble when his eyes get the best of him as he is lured and enticed by his sinful desires to become what he has worked so hard to avoid—a covenant-breaker.
So our text leaves us waiting for a resolution, one that will not come until chapter 12, but what must come first is a lesson all of us must learn. Mountain top victories are often punctuated with trials that can lead you down into the valley of the shadow of death. Trials that will test the limits of your covenant loyalty. Until next week, then let us steep ourselves in the lessons of David’s desire to follow God by extending kindness to others, even if that kindness is not received.
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