PROCLAMATION
“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.” 2 Samuel 10:1-4 (NIV)
EXPLANATION
When Nahash, the king of the Ammonites, died, his son
Hanun succeeded him. King David heard
that Nahash had died he wanted to show kindness to his son because Nahash had
been kind to him. (2 Samuel 8:12) So David
sent a delegation to Hanun to express his sympathy regarding his father’s
death. (2 Samuel 10:1-2) But King Hanun
listened to the commanders of his army and treated King David’s envoy as if
they were spies. He humiliated them and
then sent them away naked from the waist down.
Then he formed an allegiance with the Syrians, with the Maakahites, and
with the Tobites to prepare for war because he felt that he had offended David.
(2 Samuel 10:6)
APPLICATION
Our good intentions and our efforts to be kind to
someone can be misunderstood. Sometimes
something as simple as a smile, or a kind word, or a random act of kindness can
be completely misunderstood. Even when
we clearly state our intentions, our words may not be accepted or believed. That may be caused by the person’s own
suspicions, lack of trust, or paranoia. The
misunderstanding may also be the result of some misinformation or bad advice
from others. Their personal opinions are
not a problem for us unless they choose to take actions against us because of
them. Then we need to pray and ask The Lord
God for protection, guidance, and directions.
If we are left to our own devices, we will probably make an emotional response
and commit a sin. (Proverbs 3:5-6)
No comments:
Post a Comment