2 Samuel 10
by Pastor David Groendyk

As has been the major theme so far in 2 Samuel, the point of this chapter is that David’s kingdom is growing and becoming more and more established. But enjoy the great heights of the reign of King David while you can in this chapter, because the beginning of this Israelite-Ammonite war in 2 Samuel 10 also leads to the occasion of David’s great downfall with Bathsheba in the next chapter.

How does this war between Ammon and Israel start? When King Nahash of Ammon dies, his son King Hanun takes over, and David decides to show “loyalty” or “kindness” to the new king after the death of his father (10:2). That word for “loyalty” or “kindness” is the Hebrew word hesed which is also translated as “steadfast love.” That’s a significant word in the Old Testament and usually goes hand-in-hand with the idea of faithfully keeping covenant promises. God does hesed toward his people, and his people are called to do hesed toward God. Unfortunately, King Hanun thinks the servants who have come to bring condolences are nothing but spies. This war starts because Ammon is suspicious of David’s hesed. This scenario actually mirrors what happened in chapter 9 where David showed hesed to Mephibosheth (9:1). So what are we learning about David and his kingdom? To paraphrase Ralph Davis, King David is a hesed-doing king. Whether it’s showing mercy to those in his kingdom, or whether it’s dealing kindly to those outside his kingdom, David is proving the greatness of his kingdom by spreading the love and mercy to everyone. Remember the words of Jesus in Matthew 5:44–47: “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? [None.] And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? [Nothing.] Do not even the Gentiles do the same?” It is a distinguishing mark of the children of God that they would actively love and show kindness even to the people who persecute them. Do you show kindness only to your fellow Christians? Are you quicker to hate, mock, or insult unbelievers than believers? Why is it so important that we actively and genuinely love even our enemies?

In contrast to chapter 9, Hanun does not receive David’s kindness well like Mephibosheth did. Hanun is suspicious and takes it as a clear and present danger, so the battle lines are drawn. There is some fascinating military strategy at play here that we could pick apart, but I don’t think that’s what we’re meant to focus on. Rather, notice Joab’s confession in verse 12: “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.” Joab is far from a morally upright character in 2 Samuel, but his confession is one we can learn from. Be courageous in your acts for the Lord, and trust that whatever happens is good to God. Keep in mind that that doesn’t mean we’ll succeed in whatever we do for the Lord. Joab and David do end up winning the battle here, and the enemy is subdued, but that is not always the case with God’s people. Joab’s confession means that we must trust God and be content with whatever he decides to do, even if we fail or are defeated. How can we be content, though, even if we fail in our courageous acts for the Lord? Because we know that God is working all things for good; in other words, he is working all things to conform us to the likeness of Christ (Rom. 8:28–29). Let us be bold, then, knowing and trusting that God is doing what is right and good in his own eyes.