September 12 – 2 Samuel 10:1-5

September 12 – 2 Samuel 10:1-5

[1] After this the king of the Ammonites died, and Hanun his son reigned in his place. [2] And David said, “I will deal loyally with Hanun the son of Nahash, as his father dealt loyally with me.” So David sent by his servants to console him concerning his father. And David’s servants came into the land of the Ammonites. [3] But the princes of the Ammonites said to Hanun their lord, “Do you think, because David has sent comforters to you, that he is honoring your father? Has not David sent his servants to you to search the city and to spy it out and to overthrow it?” [4] So Hanun took David’s servants and shaved off half the beard of each and cut off their garments in the middle, at their hips, and sent them away. [5] When it was told David, he sent to meet them, for the men were greatly ashamed. And the king said, “Remain at Jericho until your beards have grown and then return.”

Here we see disgrace brought upon innocent men. The Ammonites convinced the king that David’s servants were actually spies.  The Ammonites shaved off half the beard of each and cut off their garments in the middle. This was a disgraceful insult to these ambassadors from Israel. In that culture, many men would rather die than have their beards shaved off. This was because a clean-shaven face was the mark of a slave and free men wore beards. The cutting of the garments was also a great insult as this exposed their nakedness.

To insult these men was also to insult King David. This is very similar to  what Jesus said to his disciples in John 15:18: If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. 

Oh to be hated for our resemblance to Christ, our Lord and Savior.