2 Samuel 10: 1 – 19
Don’t go out half-dressed
10 It happened after this that the king of the people of Ammon died, and Hanun his son reigned in his place. 2 Then David said, “I will show kindness to Hanun the son of Nahash, as his father showed kindness to me.” So, David sent by the hand of his servants to comfort him concerning his father. And David’s servants came into the land of the people of Ammon. 3 And the princes of the people of Ammon said to Hanun their lord, “Do you think that David really honors your father because he has sent comforters to you? Has David not rather sent his servants to you to search the city, to spy it out, and to overthrow it?” 4 Therefore Hanun took David’s servants, shaved off half of their beards, cut off their garments in the middle, at their buttocks, and sent them away. 5 When they told David, he sent to meet them, because the men were greatly ashamed. And the king said, “Wait at Jericho until your beards have grown, and then return.” 6 When the people of Ammon saw that they had made themselves repulsive to David, the people of Ammon sent and hired the Syrians of Beth Rehob and the Syrians of Zoba, twenty thousand foot soldiers; and from the king of Maacah one thousand men, and from Ish-Tob twelve thousand men. 7 Now when David heard of it, he sent Joab and all the army of the mighty men. 8 Then the people of Ammon came out and put themselves in battle array at the entrance of the gate. And the Syrians of Zoba, Beth Rehob, Ish-Tob, and Maacah were by themselves in the field. 9 When Joab saw that the battle line was against him before and behind, he chose some of Israel’s best and put them in battle array against the Syrians. 10 And the rest of the people he put under the command of Abishai his brother, that he might set them in battle array against the people of Ammon. 11 Then he said, “If the Syrians are too strong for me, then you shall help me; but if the people of Ammon are too strong for you, then I will come and help you. 12 Be of good courage and let us be strong for our people and for the cities of our God. And may the LORD do what is good in His sight.” 13 So Joab and the people who were with him drew near for the battle against the Syrians, and they fled before him. 14 When the people of Ammon saw that the Syrians were fleeing, they also fled before Abishai, and entered the city. So, Joab returned from the people of Ammon and went to Jerusalem. 15 When the Syrians saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they gathered together. 16 Then Hadadezer sent and brought out the Syrians who were beyond the River, and they came to Helam. And Shobach the commander of Hadadezer’s army went before them. 17 When it was told David, he gathered all Israel, crossed over the Jordan, and came to Helam. And the Syrians set themselves in battle array against David and fought with him. 18 Then the Syrians fled before Israel; and David killed seven hundred charioteers and forty thousand horsemen of the Syrians, and struck Shobach the commander of their army, who died there. 19 And when all the kings who were servants to Hadadezer saw that they were defeated by Israel, they made peace with Israel and served them. So the Syrians were afraid to help the people of Ammon anymore.
Today’s title is ‘Don’t go out half dressed’. For most of you I am thinking that your first thought is that you or your child is going out in public half naked. Am I right? Well this fact is true yet as you know the term half-dressed can also mean some other things. Like if your child is playing sports or goes to a school that has a dress code he or she is not dressed up correctly if they do not have only the approved attire. To do so means that they are only half dressed.
When we first set out, as rookies, to learn how to dress better, we work under the impression we already know how to dress. We just need to learn how to dress better. But knowing how to put on clothes is not the same as knowing how to dress.
If you want to learn how to dress better, you must stop thinking you already know something. You must forget everything you think you know. Because what you think you know might be exactly what’s ruining your look. And when you think you already know how to do something, you´ll skip over information telling you how to do it right.
The more basic you think advice is, the more you need to read it. The basics are the most important to learn. So, if you think you have something down, just tell yourself you could use a refresher. You might surprise yourself.
Many people think dressing better is about wearing dressier clothes. They think they put on a suit, and Wala! Their style issues are fixed. You’ll just make the same mistakes as before, just on dressier clothes. And poorly-worn suits look just as sloppy as poorly-worn T-shirts and jeans. Because style isn’t about the clothes you wear. Style’s about how you wear the clothes.
When you first decide you want to dress better, you naturally look toward the fashion world. They’re all about clothes, after all, right? The fashion world isn’t about teaching you how to dress well. The fashion world’s about telling you what to wear this season. The fashion world is about selling. So, you think that if you just buy what they say, your style will improve. But it won’t. You’re wearing trendier clothes, but they still don’t fit your build, and you’re still getting the colors all wrong, and it all still looks like a giant mess, because you never learned how to wear the clothes. You’re wearing trendier clothes, but you still look bad.
You must ignore seasonal trends and focus on learning the basics of dressing well. Because when you know how to dress well, you won’t need to rely on the fashion world. You won’t need to rely on anyone. You’ll just know what works for you and what doesn’t.
When someone’s eyes are finally opened to how clothes should fit, they often discover how troublesome finding proper-fitting clothes off the rack are. So, they settle for a fit that’s close enough. But close enough isn’t good enough. You want clothes that fit like they were made for you — like their creator had you in mind when he made them.
Getting a grip on fit is priority one. Without the right fit, your clothes won’t look good on you. Without the right fit, all your efforts to fine-tune your look will be futile. You don’t want close enough. You want as close to perfect as possible.
Much like the situations mentioned previously, many think buying fancy designer duds will solve all their issues. They think if you have some well-known designer tags that other people will be impressed. But again, it’s not about the clothes you wear, but about how you wear the clothes. So, a fancy brand won’t fix your style issues. You’re only making more expensive mistakes.
I must give my youngest daughter Amy a lot of credit on this issue. When she went away to college the girls in her dorm thought that her daddy must be rich because she had on new clothes almost every day. How did she pull this off? You see what she did was make a lot of trips to a Salvation Army discount clothes store in town. She was able to pick up a whole outfit for less than a dollar. Most of her purchases were still new in their original packaging. Rich kids never even broke open the package before donating it away. Way to go Amy.
So, be who our Holy God made you to be. Don’t try to be someone you saw on television or in magazines. Dress in clean complementary clothes that match your physical build. Then no one can accuse you of being half dressed.
Today, we are going to read about some of king David’s men who will be half dressed in a way we might not have thought could happen.
On the death of Nahash, king of Ammon, his son Hanun came to the throne, and because Nahash had shown him kindness in the past David sent ambassadors to him with messages of condolence. This, however, raised the suspicions of the princes of Ammon, who simply saw the ambassadors as spies, with the consequence that they treated them in such a way as deliberately to insult David. The usual cause of suspicions like that is that those who are suspicious have something to hide. Messages of condolence on the death of a king would not usually arouse suspicions. This seems to be confirmed in what follows, which, while only covered briefly, suggests a major and protracted war with other major powers with which David had to contend, who would have had no reason for coming to the aid of the Ammonites other than the fact that they were scheming to gather together in order to invade Israel.
The rise of David would have pleased no one in the area around Israel, and we know already that the Moabites must somehow have behaved abominably. Given that David had reason to be grateful to them for looking after his parents when he was fleeing from Saul (1 Samuel 22.3-5), and that he tended to be generous in his appreciation of those who were kind to him (9.3; 10.2), his harsh treatment of them (8.2) could only possibly have arisen as a result of some heinous behavior on their part, while the necessity of culling their forces so severely suggests that he had larger problems to deal with and could not risk having to deal with their further activities. This might be indicating that he already knew that he was facing the threat of action from elsewhere. And as the Philistines had already been dealt with, and the Egyptians were busy with their own affairs, that could only be from enemies in the north.
But those enemies were seemingly still unsure of their ground, and it would appear that they had therefore approached some of the princes of the Ammonites and the Edomites as potential allies with a view to gather them against David, the Moabites having already responded to their suggestions and having been mercilessly crushed (they would not be the first to act in expectation of help from others, only to discover that the help did not materialize). This very crushing of and treatment towards the Moabites would have aroused fears and dislike among the Ammonites and Edomites. Who knew whom David would savage next?
This sneaky influence of the Aramaeans would serve to explain why they are seen as connected with both the Ammonites (10.6) and the Edomites (8.13), and as so willing to assist them. They had, however, seemingly made no firm commitment, for on David’s forces being gathered to attack the Ammonites, it resulted in the Ammonites appealing to the Aramaeans and paying them a large sum (a thousand talents of silver - 1 Chronicles 19.6) to come to their aid. As so often, those who were mainly responsible for the trouble and had stirred it up did not want to get their hands dirty unless it was made worth their while.
10 It happened after this that the king of the people of Ammon died, and Hanun his son reigned in his place.
The passage commences with the background to what follows. All arose because of the death of the current king of Ammon, Nahash, who was seemingly on good terms with David. He had been replaced by his son Hanun. The end of a long reign was often the time when men began to think about how the current situation could be altered, especially if they were egged on by others.
2 Then David said, “I will show kindness to Hanun the son of Nahash, as his father showed kindness to me.” So, David sent by the hand of his servants to comfort him concerning his father. And David’s servants came into the land of the people of Ammon.
News of Nahash’s death reached David who immediately determined to show his sympathy and offer friendship to Hanun, because Nahash had previously shown kindness towards him. We have no indication of what this kindness was, and it may have been related to his time when he was a fugitive from Saul. So, David sent messengers of comfort to Hanun, and his messengers accordingly entered the land of the children of Ammon.
3 And the princes of the people of Ammon said to Hanun their lord, “Do you think that David really honors your father because he has sent comforters to you? Has David not rather sent his servants to you to search the city, to spy it out, and to overthrow it?”
The princes of Ammon, however, far from being grateful, sought to persuade their new king against David. The death of Nahash had increased their ability to influence the throne, and it must seem very probable that these half wild princes of a half wild had been stirred up by outside troublemakers to take this attitude since they were opposing the view of their late king. Thus, these princes, possibly taking advantage of his innocence, suggested to the new young king that what David was doing was not genuinely showing honor to his dead father, but simply spying on them and assessing their capabilities with a view to an invasion. It is doubtful if they really thought this, for there had been a fairly long period of peace between Israel and Ammon (although it is quite true that it was at the commencement of a new reign that a potential aggressor might have such intentions). It is far more likely that they were being influenced by troublemakers from outside, namely the Aramaeans, who did not want to attack Israel themselves, but were hoping to foment trouble with that aim eventually in view.
4 Therefore Hanun took David’s servants, shaved off half of their beards, cut off their garments in the middle, at their buttocks, and sent them away.
The result of their urgings was that the new and rather naive king, no doubt egged on by his princes, decided to show David what he thought of him, and took David’s ambassadors, and shaved off half their beards, and cut their robes so that their buttocks were revealed, and then sent them away. I think you would agree that this act really caused David’s men to be half-dressed.
This was a deliberate insult of a most serious kind. To a Near-Easterner to have the beard shaved off was looked on as a major insult, and indeed warranted a death sentence on the culprit. Men would rather die than had their beards shaved off. And to shave off only half their beard added to the insult. The ambassadors thus arrived back in Jericho feeling utterly shamed and humiliated, and in doing it to his ambassadors Ammon had in effect done it to David.
5 When they told David, he sent to meet them, because the men were greatly ashamed. And the king said, “Wait at Jericho until your beards have grown, and then return.”
When David heard what had happened to his messengers he sent messages of sympathy and support to them at Jericho and told them that they could wait there until their beards had re-grown. Then they were to return to court. Meanwhile the insult was so great that retaliation was inevitable. So, as the Ammonites clearly recognized with some trepidation, an aggressive response to the insult would only take a matter of time.
The Ammonites did not wait for David to attack but immediately sent messages to the Aramaeans along with a thousand talents of silver (a considerable sum) calling on them to come to their aid. This tends to confirm that there had already been contact with the Aramaeans, otherwise why would there have been such an immediate response to their request? It suggests that the Ammonites had in fact succumbed to Aramaean troublemaking suggestions and were now looking for their assistance in facing up to the repercussions. Since they knew that they could not face David and his forces alone they would hardly have deliberately insulted David in the way that they had unless they had had some plan already in mind which they had reason to think would be successful. They must have been confident that the Aramaeans would respond to their aid.
6 When the people of Ammon saw that they had made themselves repulsive to David, the people of Ammon sent and hired the Syrians of Beth Rehob and the Syrians of Zoba, twenty thousand-foot soldiers; and from the king of Maacah one thousand men, and from Ish-Tob twelve thousand men.
The Aramaeans did immediately did respond. It gave them their opportunity to test David in battle without invading Israel, or Israel invading them. But what they had certainly not anticipated was the skill of David’s highly trained forces, and such a resounding defeat of their own forces. In truth they had failed to recognize that Yahweh God was with Israel.
7 Now when David heard of it, he sent Joab and all the army of the mighty men.
As soon as David heard of the hiring of the Aramaean contingents he mustered his army and sent ‘Joab and all the host of the mighty men’ to the land of the children of Ammon, to avenge the insult to his messengers, and to him.
8 Then the people of Ammon came out and put themselves in battle array at the entrance of the gate. And the Syrians of Zoba, Beth Rehob, Ish-Tob, and Maacah were by themselves in the field.
Once the Israelite army approached, the warriors of the children of Ammon ‘came out’ from their various cities and stood ready to do battle at the gate of the city at which battle was to be joined. That would enable them if necessary to retreat into the city. Meanwhile the Aramaean footmen had congregated out in the countryside. Israel were thus faced with the prospect of having to fight on two fronts at once.
9 When Joab saw that the battle line was against him before and behind, he chose some of Israel’s best and put them in battle array against the Syrians. 10 And the rest of the people he put under the command of Abishai his brother, that he might set them in battle array against the people of Ammon.
Immediately summing up the situation Joab divided his forces into two. He himself took the best trained and most effective units to deal with the sophisticated Aramaeans, while he gave to Abishai the remainder of his forces in order that they might meanwhile keep the Ammonites at bay. He did not want to meet the Aramaeans and at the same time be attacked from behind.
11 Then he said, “If the Syrians are too strong for me, then you shall help me; but if the people of Ammon are too strong for you, then I will come and help you.
Then he instructed his brother to face up to the Ammonites, while also keeping an eye out so that if Joab and his forces seemed to be failing he could send troops to assist him. Meanwhile he would do the same for Abishai if the Ammonites did attack.
12 Be of good courage and let us be strong for our people and for the cities of our God. And may the LORD do what is good in His sight.”
After this he gave the instruction that was important. It was to the effect that they should be of good courage and play the man, for the sake of their people and for the cities of their God, and then he committed the result to Yahweh. Here would be the secret of their success. His very words suggest his awareness of the seeming superiority of the forces that were arraigned against them.
13 So Joab and the people who were with him drew near for the battle against the Syrians, and they fled before him.
Then Joab and his elite forces advanced on the Aramaeans and dealt with them so effectively that the Aramaeans fled before them. David’s highly trained forces, led by his mighty men, were too much for the Aramaeans.
14 When the people of Ammon saw that the Syrians were fleeing, they also fled before Abishai, and entered the city. So, Joab returned from the people of Ammon and went to Jerusalem.
As soon as the Ammonites saw that the Aramaeans had been put to flight they panicked, and fled before Abishai, seeking refuge in their city. At this point Joab, recognizing that they had not seen the last of the Aramaeans, decided to leave the Ammonites cooped up in their city (possibly with containing troops surrounding it) and returned to Jerusalem, no doubt to warn David of what the situation was and in order to prepare for a major war with the Aramaeans. The Ammonites could wait.
15 When the Syrians saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they gathered together. 16 Then Hadadezer sent and brought out the Syrians who were beyond the River, and they came to Helam. And Shobach the commander of Hadadezer’s army went before them.
Recognizing that his forces had been soundly defeated by Israel Hadarezer gathered together, along with the remainder of his own forces, reinforcements from the Aramaeans in Mesopotamia. This was going to be the real test for David and his men. This powerful army then made for Helam, and were personally commanded by Shobach, Hadarezer’s commander-in-chief (who is mainly mentioned because he will shortly be slain).
17 When it was told David, he gathered all Israel, crossed over the Jordan, and came to Helam. And the Syrians set themselves in battle array against David and fought with him.
Once David learned of this major force approaching he gathered all his forces and, crossing over the Jordan, went out to meet them.
18 Then the Syrians fled before Israel; and David killed seven hundred charioteers and forty thousand horsemen of the Syrians, and struck Shobach the commander of their army, who died there.
The result of the battle was that the Aramaeans were totally defeated and fled before Israel, with the Israelites killing Shobach the Aramaean commander-in-chief and destroying seven units of chariots, and forty units of horsemen.
19 And when all the kings who were servants to Hadadezer saw that they were defeated by Israel, they made peace with Israel and served them. So, the Syrians were afraid to help the people of Ammon anymore.
The result of David’s string of victories was that all the kings who had been vassals of Hadarezer noted how David had totally defeated him, and quietly switched their allegiance to David, accepting him as their overlord, becoming his vassals and paying him tribute which caused the Ammonites to no longer have allies to look to and were left to stew having insulted David so grievously.
