“Some time after this, King Nahash of the Ammonites died, and his son Hanun became king. David said, “I am going to show loyalty to Hanun because his father, Nahash, was always loyal to me.” So David sent messengers to express sympathy to Hanun about his father’s death. But when David’s ambassadors arrived in the land of Ammon, the Ammonite commanders said to Hanun, “Do you really think these men are coming here to honor your father? No! David has sent them to spy out the land so they can come in and conquer it!” So Hanun seized David’s ambassadors and shaved them, cut off their robes at the buttocks, and sent them back to David in shame. When David heard what had happened to the men, he sent messengers to tell them, “Stay at Jericho until your beards grow out, and then come back.” For they felt deep shame because of their appearance. When the people of Ammon realized how seriously they had angered David, Hanun and the Ammonites sent 75,000 pounds of silver to hire chariots and charioteers from Aram-naharaim, Aram-maacah, and Zobah. They also hired 32,000 chariots and secured the support of the king of Maacah and his army. These forces camped at Medeba, where they were joined by the Ammonite troops that Hanun had recruited from his own towns. When David heard about this, he sent Joab and all his warriors to fight them. The Ammonite troops came out and drew up their battle lines at the entrance of the city, while the other kings positioned themselves to fight in the open fields. When Joab saw that he would have to fight on both the front and the rear, he chose some of Israel’s elite troops and placed them under his personal command to fight the Arameans in the fields. He left the rest of the army under the command of his brother Abishai, who was to attack the Ammonites. “If the Arameans are too strong for me, then come over and help me,” Joab told his brother. “And if the Ammonites are too strong for you, I will help you. Be courageous! Let us fight bravely for our people and the cities of our God. May the Lord’s will be done.” When Joab and his troops attacked, the Arameans began to run away. And when the Ammonites saw the Arameans running, they also ran from Abishai and retreated into the city. Then Joab returned to Jerusalem. The Arameans now realized that they were no match for Israel, so they sent messengers and summoned additional Aramean troops from the other side of the Euphrates River. These troops were under the command of Shobach, the commander of Hadadezer’s forces. When David heard what was happening, he mobilized all Israel, crossed the Jordan River, and positioned his troops in battle formation. Then David engaged the Arameans in battle, and they fought against him. But again the Arameans fled from the Israelites. This time David’s forces killed 7,000 charioteers and 40,000 foot soldiers, including Shobach, the commander of their army. When Hadadezer’s allies saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they surrendered to David and became his subjects. After that, the Arameans were no longer willing to help the Ammonites.”
1 Chronicles 19:1-19 NLT
Everything has repercussions. There are multiple ways in which outcomes can happen, and this can cause people to only consider one, as they give in to being overwhelmed by the sheer amount of possibilities. Yet the Ammonites were faced with a classic choice: Do they consider all of the data available to them, or do they act rashly and behave in fear? David was a largely consistent man. He was mostly amicable, even as a warrior. The stories of him honoring his friends and his pacts were known facts. Yet this young king, spurred on by bad counsel, chose to ignore this in favor of a less nuanced framework. David was a potential threat, and therefore, danger was imminent. The irony was that David was a threat, but he was also good. He only wished to bless the legacy of his friends until he was betrayed and his messengers shamed. The very action taken to ensure that the threat of David was neutralized was the exact thing that activated it. This is the common downfall of man. Starting in Eden, man wanted to be free from God. He became a slave to sin and the devil. Despite the advice of so-called friends and counsel, it is always best to consider all the facts. We ought never react when we can respond.
Ammonites’ Dilemma: Faced with the choice of considering all available data or acting rashly out of fear.
David’s Character: A consistent and amicable man, known for honoring his friends and pacts.
Consequences of Acting Without Considering All Facts: The Ammonites’ actions, driven by fear and bad counsel, inadvertently activated the very threat they sought to neutralize.
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