S ) "2 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 concerning his father. But when David’s servants came to the land of the Ammonites, 3 the princes of the Ammonites said to Hanun their lord, 'Do you think that David is honoring your father because he has sent consolers to you? Has David not sent his servants to you in order to search the city, to spy it out and overthrow it?'"
2 Samuel 10:2-3 (NASB)
O) Hanun the son of Nahash believed the words of these princes. He humiliated David's messengers, shaving half their beards and splitting their clothes down to their waists (which is kind of funny to visualize), and sent them away. This sparked a war, where the Ammonites even had to seek the help of the Arameans, to no avail. David's commanders had a good battle plan, and pursued the defeated armies until both nations were defeated. This result also cost Hanun his alliance with the Arameans. All of this, because he took bad advice. These princes assumed that David was trying to be deceitful, covertly gaining information under the pretense of condolences. They assumed David was like other kings. Instead, they should have considered who David had been to Nahash. Had Hanun considered David's actions in light of his past, perhaps there would have been no war.
A) There is a warning to consider who people are, and not project stereotypes or act out of fear (as Hanun did), but there is another warning as well. David had pure motives that were perceived as duplicitous. The simple truth is, people will do this because they know the deceit in their own hearts, so they will suspect others of the same kinds of deceit. In Christian culture, words like authenticity, honesty, and transparency are used a lot but I'm afraid they might not be taken as seriously as they should. As a result, the world sees Christians as hypocritical, judgmental, or fake. The world has learned that Christians say one thing, but believe or do something else. Obviously, because of struggles with sin, that can happen, but too often the struggle against sinful nature is misunderstood, which may simply be the result of thousands of years of actual hypocrisy. Whatever the case, I am committed to living a plainly honest life. Nevertheless, I must understand that there will be plenty of people who reject this premise, when they interact with me. The more someone knows me, the more they will see how genuine my character is (I hope they see it, at least). But, if they have to rely on the advice of others, I should not always expect them to believe I am who I say I am, when all they know about me is that I am a Christian. The best way to overcome this, is through real relationships with people. This can be hard to come by (availability and opportunity being the biggest challenges, sometimes), but it's worthwhile if it can prevent war (even if it's just a war of words).
P) Father, You are good and true. You instruct me in good works and true words. I know, because Jesus warned me Himself, that the world will hate me for His sake, Father. But, I also know that the world is ripe for the gospel. I know that one of the most effective ways to spread the gospel and make disciples, is through real relationships with others. So Lord, please prepare the hearts of the people in my life. Soften their hearts to the truth. Open eyes and ears, to perceive who You are and what You have done. Be glorified to them. Let Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment