A Blueprint for the Battle Lines

A Blueprint for the Battle Lines

2 Samuel 10:1-19  

 

Illus. Line up!

 

            In 2 Samuel 10, we will study a situation where the king of the Ammonites stirs up a battle against King David and once again we see Israel lining up for battle.  David is king of Israel and over the past few chapters we have seen him establishing not only his kingdom, but establishing himself as king. He had been expanding the territory God has given him, but at we turn to chapter 10, a nation he was intending to show kindness to, turns against him. David and in the Israelites will line up for battle to defend themselves against this foe, and we see their posture and position on the battle lines, we are given a blueprint for the battle lines we come to in our lives.

            As we continue through 2 Samuel 10, there are a couple of things to keep in mind. First, David’s story and position as king, often directs our attention to the King of Kings, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. David didn’t live a perfect life, Jesus did. But through King David’s life, position, and story, we are again and again, pointed to our King.

 

Psalm 2:1-2, Why are the nations so angry? Why do they waste their time with futile plans? The kings of the earth prepare for battle; the rulers plot together against the Lord and against His Anointed One. (NLT)

 

Psalm 2 is often referred to as a Messianic Psalm, a Psalm about Jesus. Surely the nations are angry, putting together futile plans, preparing for battle against the Lord. But as the Psalm continues we understand that the that the Lord is not shaken by their plots or plans, and it is those who serve the Lord and take refuge in Him that will be blessed and saved.

So too, the nations, again and again, go against King David, they plot and plan, but he was the Lord anointed king and what we see is that those who decided on making David their enemy were defeated, but those who stayed on his side, found victory.

Chapter 10 begins strikingly similar to chapter 9. King David desires to show kindness to someone because of the kindness he received from their father. In chapter 9, it was Mephibosheth, a man who had been unable to walk since childhood. He received the kindness of the king, was given an inheritance, and a seat at the kings table for dining because of a covenant with his father. In chapter 10, David desires to show kindness to a nearby king whose father had shown him kindness, but in this case, the son Hanun rejects the kindness of the king, mistreats David’s messengers, and a battle begins.  

 

1. Stick With What the King Has Spoken

 

2 Samuel 10:1-2(a), Now it happened afterward that the king of the Ammonites died, and his son Hanun became king in his place. Then David said, “I will show kindness to Hanun the son of Nahash, just as his father showed kindness to me.” So David sent some of his servants to console him about his father.

 

• Chapter 10 begins by giving us details into the death of an Ammonite king named Nahash.

 

• When David learns of his death, he immediately states his desire to show kindness to his son because Nahash had shown kindness, hesed, which is goodness, mercy, favor or kindness. David said, “he was so good to me, so kind to me, I want to show kindness to his son, to his family.”

 

• It is an interesting statement because we don’t have the backstory to the kindness he showed David, but Nahash does have a history with Israel and it isn’t a history of goodness and mercy.

 

• Nahash came on the scene biblically in 1 Samuel 11. Nahash had attacked a small town in northern Israel called Jabesh-Gilead, just before Saul was officially confirmed as king.

 

• When Nahash attached the city, they surrendered right away, they asked him to make a covenant with them and they would become his servants.

 

• He responded by agreeing to make a covenant with them on one condition, he would gouge out the right eye of all the men in town to disgrace Israel, and another likely reason was so they would not be able to rise up and form a powerful army against him.

 

• The men of Jabesh then asked for him to give them seven days to see if there is anyone in Israel who can come and save them…Nahash agreed to the deal, thinking they and all Israel were helpless at the time without a king.

 

• That was when Saul heard about it, the Ammonites were defeated that day and those who remained scattered.

 

• That was the last time we read about them, and now that king, Nahash, had died and his son Hanun is now the king in his place.

 

• David cites the kindness of Nahash toward him, and we aren’t sure exactly what the act of kindness was, but many suspect it was some sort of provision, protection, or a place to stay when David was hiding out for his life from king Saul. We see many other enemies of the Israelites help David out because they had a common enemy, so that could be the case.

 

• In an effort to show kindness, David sends some of his servants to go and show kindness…

 

2 Samuel 10:2(b)-3, But when David’s servants came to the land of the Ammonites, the commanders of the Ammonites said to their lord Hanun, “Do you think that David is simply honoring your father since he has sent you servants to console you? Has David not sent his servants to you in order to explore the city, to spy it out and overthrow it?” 

 

• They came to bring kindness as King David had spoken, but the men counseling Hanun, are skeptical about the situation. Perhaps they knew the history there, perhaps they are still upset about being defeated by Saul so they are skeptical. Or perhaps they know they have a new king and they want to seem like experts.

 

• The come with their speculation, asking questions, making it seem like David was up to something, he had sent these men to start spying things out and to take them out.

 

• This is where the battle begins. The battle lines are being drawn up for them. And the lines are being defined by questioning what the king has spoken.

 

• King David had said that he wanted to show kindness, that is what he desired to do… But the advisors say, “do you really think that is what David is doing?”

 

• Unnecessary battles can easily and quickly flare up with questions like this… “do you really think?” The word there is “do you think” or “what does the situation look like in your eyes?”

 

• Hanun’s counselors stir things up by asking, “do you really think David is honoring your father?”

 

• Hanun could have put it back on them, “I don’t know, let’s go ask him” …But he didn’t.

 

Illus. Yard wars.

 

• The king will end up following his own line of thinking tragically, and when he ends up in is an unnecessary battle.

 

Illus. Genesis 3:1-7, Do you really think…?

Ephesians 6:17, Stand firm therefore, having belted your waist with truth…

John 8:31-32, So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly My disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

 

• In other words, the truth is knowable. It is not a truth you think, it is a truth you know.
• Hanan should have stuck with what the king had spoken. He was there to show him kindness, but Hanan and his men had other thoughts…

 

• So too, there are many battles we face because we start trying to do our own thinking for others, or even for the Lord…Stick with what the king has spoken.

 

• Hanun went with his own thoughts, and begins a battle that never needed to take place.

2 Samuel 10:4-5, So Hanun took David’s servants and shaved off half of their beards, and cut off their robes in the middle as far as their buttocks, and sent them away. When messengers informed David, he sent servants to meet them, because the men were extremely humiliated. And the king said, “Stay in Jericho until your beards grow back, and then you shall return.”

 

• What was done here was to bring shame and humiliation to David’s men. First, he shaved off half of their beards.

 

• In these days, beards were a symbol of manhood, and a symbol of freedom because a person taken in as a slave would have his beard shaved.

 

• It was an act to shame them. He shaved half ( I think this way not that way)…

 

• Not only does he do this, but he cuts their robes off in the middle.

 

• It was all done to disgrace them, to shame the men David sent. Finding this out, David sent men to them to advise them to stay in Jericho until their beards grew back. He had them stay away so they would not lose their dignity, or be shamed at home.

 

• Now, the battle is going to begin, because an act like this to a king’s men, was as if you were doing it to him.

 

• A battle is going to begin. An unnecessary battle, one that could have been avoided, but it will happen, why? Hanan had a bad support system and did not seek the truth nor did they point him toward the truth.

 

1. Set Up a Godly Support System

 

2 Samuel 10:6-8, Now when the sons of Ammon saw that they had become repulsive to David, the sons of Ammon sent messengers and hired the Arameans of Beth-rehob and the Arameans of Zobah, twenty thousand foot soldiers, and the king of Maacah with a thousand men, and the men of Tob with twelve thousand men. When David heard about this, he sent Joab and all the army, the warriors. And the sons of Ammon came out and lined up for battle at the entrance of the city, while the Arameans of Zobah and of Rehob and the men of Tob and Maacah were stationed by themselves in the field.

 

• From verse 6, we know that the Ammonites had made themselves repulsive to David by their response to his act of kindness. Knowing that King David is upset, they are thinking a battle is coming and they end up hiring out some Aramean (Syrian) soldiers.

 

• This was common practice in the ancient world, from 1 Chronicles 19:6 we know there was 1,000 talents of silver sent to hire thousands of soldiers, chariots, and horseman.

 

• David heard about it all and then sent his army commander and army and warriors out for battle.

 

• The Ammonites station themselves at the entrance of the city, and they set their hired men in the fields, on the battle lines.

 

• Then the attention turns to David’s army commander, Joab and the powerful words he speaks and blueprint he provides for the battle.

 

2 Samuel 10:9-12, Now when Joab saw that the battle was set against him at the front and at the rear, he selected warriors from all the choice men in Israel, and lined them up against the Arameans. But the remainder of the people he placed under the command of his brother Abishai, and he lined them up against the sons of Ammon. And he said, “If the Arameans are too strong for me, then you shall help me; but if the sons of Ammon are too strong for you, then I will come to help you…”

 

• The battle was set against the army of King David, the battle was set against him. He was in the middle of the battle, there were soldiers behind and before, they were surrounded.

 

• As they are surrounded by the battle, Joab, sets up two groups of men, some with him, and some under the command of his brother Abishai.

 

• Joab’s men were going go against the Arameans (or Syrians) who were set up on battle lines in field. His brother’s group was going to go against the sons of Ammon, who were lined up for battle at the city entrance, or gate.

 

• As they are all set in place, on the battle lines, Joab tells his brother, if the soldiers in the field are too strong for me, come help me…But if the soldiers at the entrance of the city are too strong for you, I will come help you.

 

• They were in a real battle, and that was their blueprint, if the enemy is too strong for you, I will help, if too strong for me, help!

 

• This is key to our own battle strategy, because there are many battles we face, personally, externally, internally, and spiritually. For our battles, we need a support system in place.

 

1 Thessalonians 5:11, Therefore, encourage one another and build one another up, just as you also are doing.

 

Galatians 6:2, Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.

 

• As the body of Christ, we need one another. To encourage, to come alongside, to point each other toward the truth, and toward the Lord.

 

Ephesians 6:10-12, Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

 

• Paul goes on in Ephesians 6:13-17 to tell us to take up the full armor of God (13), with the belt of truth and the breastplate of righteousness (14), strapping our feet with the gospel of peace (15), taking up the shield of faith to extinguish the arrows of the evil one (16), and taking up the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit which is the word of God (17).

 

• All if those pieces of armor were important, but Paul was picturing a Roman soldier, and what we know is that in their battles, the enemy would not just attack and shoot arrow straight on, they would shoot them high into the air to come down on them from above, and if they could get behind the line they would fire from behind.

 

2 Timothy 2:22-26, Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.

 

• There is a battle going on, a spiritual battle, but flee from sin and its entanglements, pursue the Lord and the things of Lord with others who call on the Lord from a pure heart, get shielded, supported, and surrounded by a godly support system.

 

2 Timothy 2:23-26, But refuse foolish and ignorant speculations, knowing that they produce quarrels. The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, skillful in teaching, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.

 

• In other words, those who belong to the Lord, should seek to lead to and be led by the truth, so that they won’t be held captive the will of the devil.

 

• We are to help one another there, to pursue righteousness together. Righteous deed through righteous means.

 

• In John 17, Jesus prays a prayer for His followers, both those who walked with him physically, and those who would one day put their faith and trust in Him as Savior.

 

Illus. John 17:15-23

 

• Oneness and unity something seen throughout the Bible:

 

Psalm 133:1, How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!

 

Galatians 3:28, …You are all one in Christ.

Illus. Same Direction.

 

• As he continued to encourage those on the battle lines, with the battle about to begin, Joab offered these words to them…

 

2 Samuel 10:12, “Be strong, and let’s show ourselves courageous for the sake of our people and the cities of our God; and may the Lord do what is good in His sight.”

 

III. Show Yourself Strong, Courageous, and Committed

 

• Joab tells the men first to be strong…which is to be strengthened, strong, resolute, or stand firm.

 

• Then, “let’s show ourselves courageous…” which is to say, let’s not just be strong, lets hold onto our strength and establish ourselves as courageous and strong!

 

• Be strong, be courageous, take hold of that, harness it!

 

• This give us insights into the facts about strength and courage when facing a battle, they aren’t circumstantial, or based upon the way we feel, but a choice we make.

 

Ephesians 6:10, Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.

• God has made his strength available to us, we then have a choice to whether we will put it on when we are in the battle.

 

• 12(b)…And may the Lord do what is good in His sight.

 

• Joab and his men were to do all they could to be strong and show themselves courageous, while also recognizing that the Lord was in control. They were surrendered to whatever the Lord thought was good, but it did not stop them from giving their all as they go.

 

Ephesians 6:13-14(a), Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist on the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm…

• That is where Paul gives the armor of God, the belt of truth and the breastplate of righteousness, strapping our feet with the gospel of peace, taking up the shield of faith to extinguish the arrows of the evil one, and taking up the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit which is the word of God.

 

• In verses 13 to 14, Joab advances against the Arameans who were out on the battle lines in the field, and they fled.

 

• In verses15 to , we learn that a son of one of Aramean kings realized they had been defeated and so he called in reserves and sent out over 40,000 of them to go against King David and the people of Israel.

 

2 Samuel 10:17-19, Now when it was reported to David, he gathered all Israel together and crossed the Jordan, and came to Helam. And the Arameans lined up against David and fought him. But the Arameans fled from Israel, and David killed seven hundred charioteers of the Arameans and forty thousand horsemen, and struck Shobach the commander of their army, and he died there. When all the kings, servants of Hadadezer, saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they made peace with Israel and served them. So the Arameans were afraid to help the sons of Ammon anymore.

• What a picture, the enemy scatters but doesn’t stop. No question that is often a picture of the battles we are in.

 

James 4:7, Submit therefore to God. But resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

 

• And when you resist, stand firm, show yourself strong and courageous, he will flee, but all the while, he will look for another opportunity…

 

Illus. Luke 4:1-13.

 

1 Peter 5:8, Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

 

2 Chronicles 16:9, The eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.

 

• We need the right battle plan in place, centered on what the king has spoken, surrounded by the people of the King, committed to and strengthen in Him!

 

• The picture given is 2 Samuel 10, is an enemy who flees and comes back again to take another opportunity to take them out…But the king steps in, and when the king steps in, his people win.

 

Illus. In the end…

 

Psalm 46:10-11, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. (NIV)

 

 

 

2 Samuel 10:1-19