The events of 2 Samuel 10 form an important contrast with those of chapter 9. At the beginning of chapter 9 David declared that he wanted to show kindness to someone from the family of Saul. Now here in chapter 10 David says the same thing with regard to Hanun the Ammonite King. But here the response is quite different. Whereas Mephibosheth received David’s kindness with humility and gratitude, Hanun the Ammonite spurned David’s gesture, suspecting him of treachery. David’s increasing power was probably causing some concern to Hanun. At this point we should remember the covenant promise to Abraham. God promised to make his people agents of blessing (Genesis 12:2-3). He had said that those who would bless his agents of blessing would be blessed themselves, but whoever cursed them would be cursed. This is what we see here in the case of Hanun the Ammonite. Hanun could have received David’s kindness but instead he made himself David’s enemy. That became his downfall. In the light of this story let’s be reminded how God works. God wants to bless you and he wants to do this through people. He will use the most unlikely people for this purpose, people who you might be entirely indisposed to trust or respect. God may be testing your humility. If you cannot honour those through whom God wants to bless you then you will not only miss out on that blessing but you will put yourself in conflict with God.
Have you dishonoured, by word, thought or deed, those through whom God wanted to bless you?
Read 2 Samuel 10
