Today's Treasure:
"David thought, 'I will show kindness to Hanun of Nahash, just as his father showed kindness to me' "
2 Samuel 10:2
Read 2 Samuel 10: 1-19
Why did David want to show kindness to Hanun?
His father had died and his father had been kind to David
The Ammonite nobles led Hanun to believe David had sinister motives for sending his men. What do you think Hanun was trying to accomplish by treating David's men as he did?
I know it is difficult for us to understand the depth of humiliation these men felt when they were stripped of their clothes and beards. We must remind ourselves that the Hebrew culture is extremely symbolic about all that they do. These men were made to feel as though they were only half of a man when their beards were cut. The clothing was symbolic due to the modesty of the people. They were left naked and that only furthered their humiliation. I am sure Hanun was trying to let David know that he could not be deceived, and he would make David's nation half of what it was. We know better...don't we?
Reconsider verses 9 - 12. In one word, how would you describe Joab's leadership?
Wise
Who joined the battle according to verse 17?
David
Beth points out three traits about David's character that coincides with the character of God
1. David has an active sympathy for the suffering
David knew that Hanun was more than likely devastated by the death of his father. David wanted to reach out to him because he understood what a loss Hanun was suffering. He was demonstrating sympathy to Hanun in order to show how God embraces us when we are filled with despair.
Read the words of David in Psalm 69:20. What happened when he had looked among men for sympathy?
He was unable to find it among men
Have you ever felt this way? Have you ever desperately needed a sympathetic ear or gesture from another person but were unable to find it?
Do you remember being a teenager and feeling like no one on earth could ever understand what your life was like? That is the closest thing I can relate this feeling to. Now that I look back on being a teenager, I can see that it was just a very awkward time that everyone goes through. Yet, at the time, IT FELT HUGE!!! I remember crying at times and wanting someone to just make everything in life make sense, but there was no one that could do that with the snap of a finger. I had people all around me, but there are just some things that have to be learned and experienced on your own.
Have you had a specific experience which has directly caused you to become more sympathetic to others?
I think going through the situation with my birth father made me understand the importance of parents being involved in their childrens' lives. It made me determined to always be there for my own children, but it also made me very sympathetic towards children that do not have that privilege. I love to embrace children and make them feel loved because I know how vital it is to their self esteem and well being.
How does David describe the sympathetic heart of God in each of the following verses?
Psalm 103:13
As a father's compassion for his children
Psalm 116: 5, 15
gracious and righteous
full of compassion
Psalm 145: 9
The Lord is good and has compassion for all He has made
According to Hebrews 4: 15, how was Christ able to sympathize with us?
Jesus was tempted in the same ways we are, but He stood firm to the temptation and remained sinless
Do you allow God to extend sympathy to you in your pain or loss or do you ten to reject His efforts?
Yes I do...I need Him in those times...especially right now!!!
2. A fierce protectiveness toward his own
When David found out about how his men were treated by Hanun, he immediately sent men out to them to protect them from their humiliation. David knew what they were suffering, and he was determined to keep them from having to face their emotions in front of their peers. He allowed them to stay away until they recovered. The following verse is an example of how God responds to protect us in suffering:
Ezekiel 16: 8 - 14
"I spread the corner of my garment over you and covered your nakedness....I bathed you with water and washed the blood from you and put ointments on you. I clothed you with an embroidered dress and put leather sandals on you. I dressed you in fine linen and covered you with costly garments. I adorned you with jewelry...and I put a....beautiful crown on your head. ... You became very beautiful and rose to be a queen. And your fame spread among the nations on account of your beauty, because the splendor I had given you made your beauty perfect."
3. A vengeance toward the enemies of his people and the mockers of his mercy
David took up the cause of defending the honor of his men on his own. He actually went to battle to defend his men and the way he was betrayed when he tried to show sympathy.
How do each of the following verses prove God's defensiveness toward those who hurt or shame His children?
Lamentations 3: 58
He will take up our case and redeem us
Isaiah 35: 3 - 4
He will come to save those with fearful hearts
Matthew 18: 6 - 7
God will protect His own against the world that tempts them
We must remember that the death of Christ on the cross was the ultimate show of sympathy that God could shower on His people.
In Him,
Tiffany
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