I wanna share something interesting.
The embarrassment of David’s messengers actually connects back to what happened in chapter 8—the defeat of Hadad-Ezer’s Syrian army.
In other words, the battle we read about in chapter 8 happened because of what we’re studying now in chapter 10.
I’ve said this before, but it’s worth repeating…
A lot of the events in 1 Samuel (especially about David and Israel’s kings) aren’t in exact time order.
So don’t get confused!
Also, while your Bible might call it a war with Aram…
I call it the Syrian War because not all of Aram was involved.
It was mainly just the areas that later became Syria.
The conflict between Israel and Ammon wasn’t about some big, new event.
It goes way back to when Hanun’s father, Nachash, tried to drive the Israelites out of the Trans-Jordan.
We don’t know exactly what set him off.
But one thing’s clear…
He hated Israel…
And that hatred had been brewing for a long time.
Probably, his anger had a lot to do with the 2½ Israelite tribes that settled east of the Jordan.
They were on his side of the river…
Which made him feel threatened…
Or at the least, insulted.
To learn more about Nachash, we need to rewind the tape to 1st Samuel 11.
So, it’s worth reviewing.
Why?
Because when we understand the backstory…
It’s so much easier to remember what happened…
And see why these decisions were made.
We’ll dig into that the next time we meet…
But for now, let’s get into the takeaway.
So here’s what’s coming to me.
History shapes the present.
Nachash’s hatred didn’t start overnight…
And neither did the wars that followed.
The same is true in our own lives…
Many of the struggles we face today have roots in the past.
That’s why understanding history…
Whether in the Bible or in our own lives…
Helps us make sense of what’s happening now.
So before we react to a situation…
Let’s take a step back and ask:
What led up to this?
Because when we see the bigger picture…
we can make wiser choices moving forward.
Ya feel me?
See ya all next time.
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