The Ammonites misunderstood when King David sent ambassadors to them after their king died. They assumed Israel was about to attack their nation, and so they prepared for war. But in fact, David was only trying to honor their dead king. The Ammonites also hired armed forces from the Syrian nation to help them, which escalated the tension further. This chapter is a fascinating study in the danger of jumping too quickly to conclusions and failing to take the time to try and avoid misunderstandings. All the warfare described here was because of a simple misunderstanding.<\/p>\n
When we find ourselves facing a conflict, we need to pray, think, and move slowly before we answer. The wisdom of Proverbs 15:1, “A soft answer turns away wrath, \/ But a harsh word stirs up anger,” is what is needed more often in our lives than a show of strength. We have a choice to make about how we will respond in tense situations. We can choose to answer gently or harshly. By answering harshly, we assume much and automatically worsen the circumstances. The fire is already burning; will we choose to add more fuel or add water. Adding fuel will always make things worse, and we may find we are never able to fully recover from such a blaze.<\/p>\n
In 1931, a large statue of Jesus Christ was completed high in the Andes, on the border between Argentina and Chile. Called “Christ of the Andes,” the statue represented a pledge between the 2 countries that as long as the statue stood, there would be peace between Chile and Argentina. However, shortly after the statue was erected, the Chileans began to protest that they had been slighted because the statue had its back to Chile. Just when tempers were at their highest, a Chilean journalist saved the day. In an editorial that not only satisfied the people but also made them laugh, he said simply, “The people of Argentina need more watching over than the Chileans.” A soft answer successfully turned away wrath.<\/p>\n
“LORD, help us to practice this today as we represent You before a world caught in darkness.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n =============================================================<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1 Chronicles 19 KJV<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1<\/sup>\u00a0Now it came to pass after this, that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon died, and his son reigned in his stead.\u00a02<\/sup>And David said, I will shew kindness unto Hanun the son of Nahash, because his father shewed kindness to me. And David sent messengers to comfort him concerning his father. So the servants of David came into the land of the children of Ammon to Hanun, to comfort him.\u00a03<\/sup>\u00a0But the princes of the children of Ammon said to Hanun, Thinkest thou that David doth honour thy father, that he hath sent comforters unto thee? are not his servants come unto thee for to search, and to overthrow, and to spy out the land?\u00a0\u00a04<\/sup>Wherefore Hanun took David\u2019s servants, and shaved them, and cut off their garments in the midst hard by their buttocks, and sent them away.\u00a05<\/sup>\u00a0Then there went\u00a0certain\u00a0<\/em>, and told David how the men were served. And he sent to meet them: for the men were greatly ashamed. And the king said, Tarry at Jericho until your beards be grown, and\u00a0then<\/em>return. 6<\/sup>\u00a0And when the children of Ammon saw that they had made themselves odious to David, Hanun and the children of Ammon sent a thousand talents of silver to hire them chariots and horsemen out of Mesopotamia, and out of Syria-maachah, and out of Zobah.\u00a0\u00a07<\/sup>\u00a0So they hired thirty and two thousand chariots, and the king of Maachah and his people; who came and pitched before Medeba. And the children of Ammon gathered themselves together from their cities, and came to battle.\u00a08<\/sup>\u00a0And when David heard\u00a0of it<\/em>, he sent Joab, and all the host of the mighty men.\u00a09<\/sup>\u00a0And the children of Ammon came out, and put the battle in array before the gate of the city: and the kings that were come\u00a0were\u00a0<\/em>by themselves in the field.\u00a010<\/sup>\u00a0Now when Joab saw that the battle was set against him before and behind, he chose out of all the choice of Israel, and put\u00a0them\u00a0<\/em>in array against the Syrians.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a011<\/sup>\u00a0And the rest of the people he delivered unto the hand of Abishai his brother, and they set\u00a0themselves\u00a0<\/em>in array against the children of Ammon.\u00a0\u00a012<\/sup>\u00a0And he said, If the Syrians be too strong for me, then thou shalt help me: but if the children of Ammon be too strong for thee, then I will help thee.\u00a013<\/sup>\u00a0Be of good courage, and let us behave ourselves valiantly for our people, and for the cities of our God: and let the\u00a0LORD\u00a0do\u00a0that which is\u00a0<\/em>good in his sight.\u00a014<\/sup>\u00a0So Joab and the people that\u00a0were\u00a0<\/em>with him drew nigh before the Syrians unto the battle; and they fled before him.\u00a015<\/sup>\u00a0And when the children of Ammon saw that the Syrians were fled, they likewise fled before Abishai his brother, and entered into the city. Then Joab came to Jerusalem.16<\/sup>\u00a0And when the Syrians saw that they were put to the worse before Israel, they sent messengers, and drew forth the Syrians that\u00a0were\u00a0<\/em>beyond the river: and Shophach the captain of the host of Hadarezer\u00a0went\u00a0<\/em>before them.\u00a017<\/sup>And it was told David; and he gathered all Israel, and passed over Jordan, and came upon them, and set\u00a0the battle\u00a0<\/em>in array against them. So when David had put the battle in array against the Syrians, they fought with him.\u00a018<\/sup>\u00a0But the Syrians fled before Israel; and David slew of the Syrians seven thousand\u00a0men which fought in\u00a0<\/em>chariots, and forty thousand footmen, and killed Shophach the captain of the host.\u00a019<\/sup>\u00a0And when the servants of Hadarezer saw that they were put to the worse before Israel, they made peace with David, and became his servants: neither would the Syrians help the children of Ammon any more.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Ammonites misunderstood when King David sent ambassadors to them after their king died. They assumed Israel was about to attack their nation, and so they prepared for war. But in fact, David was only trying to honor their dead king. The Ammonites also hired armed forces from the Syrian nation to help them, which […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_s2mail":"yes","footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7043"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7043"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7043\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16334,"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7043\/revisions\/16334"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7043"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7043"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7043"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}