Victory after Victory - The Books of 2 Samuel & 1 Chronicles

In this Bible Story, we witness the triumph of David over the Syrians and Ammonites. He claims victory after victory in battle, and brings Israel into a place of peace with many surrounding nations. This story is inspired by 2 Samuel 10 & 1 Chronicles 19-20. Go to BibleinaYear.com and learn the Bible in a Year.

Today's Bible verse is 2 Samuel 10:12 from the King James Version.

Episode 101: David’s friend Nahash, king of the Ammonites had died, and his son Hanun took his place. David, wishing to show compassion to Hanun, sent him some servants with gifts to mourn the loss of his father. But Hanun’s servants were evil and spoke lies about David’s servants in his ears. Believing these lies Hanun shaved the servants, shamed them, and sent them away. This led to a ferocious battle between David and the Ammonites. Many lives were needlessly lost because of the lies Hanun believed.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Let us pray be of good courage, and let us
play the men for our people and for the cities
of our God and the Lord. Do that which seemeth
Him good. Second Samuel ten twelve. Dear God, etch in
the foundations of my heart that I am a giant

(00:21):
killer like David in Second Samuel ten. I will not
cower and run away when I am faced with challenges
and limiting mindsets that try to loom over areas of
my life. As I build my faith on your word,
my feet will move with purpose and speed in the
direction of my calling, knowing that the armies of Heaven

(00:45):
are backing my life like the army of Israel backed
King David. To day, I make nome the truth that
I am not afraid to fight for what God has
spoken over my life. I make g nome the fact
that I will fight for the dignity of others through
the battles and blows of life. I will stay on

(01:06):
the battlefield until God gives me the victory. I am
fighting the fight of faith for the Lord. I am
fighting for more. I am fighting for peace, and I
am fighting to become the highest version of Me in
Jesus name. Amen. Listening to these daily prayers strengthens your

(01:31):
relationship with God. Continue hearing from the Lord by listening
to today's Bible in a Year brought to you by
Bible in a Year dot Com.

Speaker 2 (01:50):
Victory after victory. In our last story, David came to
the realization that the Lord should have a tempo built
for him. Nathan, the Prophet, agreed and spoke for the Lord,
saying his kingdom would be established forever. The Lord blessed
all of David's exploits, and the Kingdom of Israel continued

(02:13):
to grow day by day. In this story, hanan king
of Aman, will humiliate David's servants, and the Ammonites learned
that David is not a king to be trifled with.
As inspired by Second Samuel and First Chronicles.

Speaker 3 (02:32):
Hello, this is Jack Graham with today's episode of the
Bible in a Year podcast. In our last episode, we
saw David's heart to honor God and build the Lord
a home a temple where his glory could be on
display for all the world to see. As a result
of his faithfulness, David received a message from God through
the prophet Nathan. The message was this God would establish

(02:56):
a lasting kingdom through David. God blessed David's f both
as king and as a warrior, and today will continue
to see the victories that God gives to David. We'll
also hear how the King of Ammon meets David's act
of kindness with distrust and disrespect, and discovers that David
is not a king to be mocked or toyed with.

(03:17):
And as always, through it all God's name will be
made known, not just among the Israelites, but to all
the nations. Let's listen now to today's reading.

Speaker 2 (03:29):
Not too far away from Israel, na Hash, the king
of the Ammonites, had died. Trumpets sounded in the distance,
and the Ammonite people mourned the death of their king. Hanan,
his son took the throne after his father and surrounded
himself with counsel. David heard of Nahash's death and remembered

(03:49):
the kindness he showed David. While in the wilderness, there
was historic blood between the Ammonites and the Israelites. However,
David was determined to usher in a new era of peace.
David gathered some of his men to go and console
Hanan with gifts and good will. The servants entered the land.

(04:10):
There was a slight eeriness in the city when they entered.
Being Israelites in the land of the Ammonites was uncomfortable,
and whispers filled the streets as they passed. Nevertheless, the
men walked into the halls of Hanan, determined to comfort him.
The princes and counselors sat beside Hannan as David's men entered.

(04:31):
One of them leaned over to Hanan and whispered, do
you really think David sent comforters because of your father?
You know they are here to spy on our land.
It is a ruse. My King. Hanan gave a slight nod,
not taking his eyes off the men. As they entered
the room. The men bowed before Hanan and laid gifts

(04:52):
at his feet. However, corruption and paranoia had easily gripped
Hanan's mind. He stood to his feet and ordered the
servants to be taken at once. The servants were confused
at his intentions. Hanan slept a devious smile and ordered
his men to shave off half of their beards and
cut the lower half of their robes, exposing their genitalias

(05:14):
before everyone. Then they cast them out into the streets
for all to see. Ammonite cackles filled the city's streets.
As the men ran in embarrassment. Tears of shame filled
their eyes, and they hid themselves in Jericho. They sent
word to David and told him what happened. David did
not send men to get them. He went himself. David

(05:38):
rode to his men swiftly, as a father would to
his hurting children. David found them hiding in Jericho and
comforted them, remain here until your beards grow back. Here
are supplies and new robes. So David left them and
relieved them of their duties until they recovered their dignity.
He mounted his horse and left the area. He rode

(06:00):
fast and aggressively. He looked forward with fury in his eyes.
David would not forgive the humiliation of his servants. Unlike Hanan,
David was a king with actual power. Hanan would soon
learn this for himself. The Ammonites heard that David was
outraged by Hanan's disrespect. They wanted to attack him before

(06:22):
he attacked them, so they hired twenty thousand Syrian mercenaries
to join their army. They also allied with a neighboring
city to gain an extra thirteen thousand men. Soon, a
vast army prepared themselves for David's retaliation. Unperturbed, David sent Joab,
his Mighty Men, and a portion of his army to

(06:44):
face them. Joab scooped out the field and saw that
the Ammonites and the Syrians split up to ambush them
on both ends. Joab and the Mighty Men decided to
march towards the Syrians while the army of Israel took
on the Ammonites. Joab shouted to his men with his
spear in the air and said, protect one another. If

(07:05):
one side proves to be too strong, we will come
to each other's aid. Joab looked to the battlefield. He
longed for battle, craved it. But the armies were large
and his men were few. Be strong and courageous, Joab
yelled again, for you are the city of God. Roar

(07:26):
followed Joab's words, and the men of Israel descended upon
the Syrians and Ammonites. Joab and the Mighty Men reached
the Syrians first. Their speed caught the Syrians completely off guard.
Never had they seen men fight with such unity. Months
of training with David in the wilderness honed them in.

(07:48):
They battled as a single unit, as if they were
one body. They overwhelmed the Syrians within minutes, and they
began to flee. The Ammonites saw their mercenaries flee and
became scared. They fled from the battle and hid behind
their city gates. Joab returned with the soldiers and awaited
orders from David for the next move. The Syrians threw

(08:12):
their weapons on the floor in frustration. They had been
caught completely off guard. Though they were hired hands, they
would not allow themselves to be beaten and humiliated by Israel.
They rallied and gathered their allies from beyond the Euphrates. Schobach,
their commander, led them to Helam and awaited David for battle.

(08:32):
Schobach stood taller than all the other men under his command.
He was fierce and a brilliant swordsman and tactician. The
Syrians feared him and followed him into battle. This time,
David did not send Joab and his men. David rode
out with his army behind him to Helam. Thousands of
Syrian horsemen and soldiers stood before David on the opposite

(08:56):
end of the field. David drew his sword and without
saying word, ran head first into battle. The men of
Israel stood in awe of their king. He ran like
a lion, shortening the gap between him and his prey.
The Syrian chariots rushed in first. For a moment, it
seemed as though it was David running towards a sea

(09:17):
of chariots on his own. His men followed behind him,
inspired by their warrior king. David's fighting was like poetry.
His sword slashed the legs of horses, sending the horsemen
flying through the air. His shield absorbed every blow, and
his blade returned with twice the force. David's sword seemed

(09:38):
to dance in his hand as he fought his way
through the Syrian lines. Schobach had David in his line
of vision. He ran towards David, toppling other soldiers on
his way. David barely saw Schobak at the corner of
his eye before he struck a blow to his side
with his shield. David flew into the air and landed
on his back. Schobach did not stop and ran toward

(10:01):
David with his sword in the air. David dodged the
second attack and swiped Schobach's calf. The two fought ferociously,
yet Chovac's strength was no match for David's skill. David
allowed Shobach to come close, grabbed the hilt of his sword,
and drove his blade into Schobach's side. He stumbled back,

(10:23):
holding his stomach, Frightened that David might slay him where
he stood, Schobach ran away, bleeding from his stomach. Schobach
ran through the battle looking for safety. Growing faint, he
fell to his knees and bled out on the battlefield.
The battle was won. David and his men killed seven

(10:45):
hundred chariots and forty thousand horsemen. David raised his spear
into the air and roared a mighty cry of victory.
With the blood of his enemy laced on his face
and clothes. The men of Israel shouted and chanted to God.
The kings of the East trembled in fear of David
and made peace with Israel. David used his sword to

(11:08):
make a statement, but he would go no further than
protecting his people. David was not a conqueror and had
no interest in enslaving other kingdoms. He wanted peace and
welcomed to any kingdom that desired the same, David's bravery
became renowned in all the land. Yet even the bravest
of kings can be undone by the smallest of temptations,

(11:31):
a lesson David would soon learn.

Speaker 3 (11:40):
Today's passage begins with the death of the Ammonite king.
His son, Hannun was his successor, and when David heard
of the death of the man who had once been
kind to him when he was in exile, he wanted
to show his respect and return the kindness. So he
sent some of his men on a peaceful mission into
the land of the Ammonites, enemies of Israel. Though he

(12:02):
was a very powerful king with a great army, David
wanted to rule with peace whenever possible. But as his
men entered the palace of Hanun, there they were met
with distrust and paranoia. Now, for sure, a certain amount
of trepidation on the part of the Ammonite king would
have been understandable, but rather than give the men a
chance to speak, he had them seized immediately. Their beards

(12:25):
were shaped, an act of humiliation in itself in those days,
and their robes were cut off at the waist, exposing
them to ridicule. As they were cast into the streets.
The men fled in embarrassment and hid in Jericho. Second
Samuel ten to five tells us how David reacted. We
read when it was told to David, he sent to

(12:45):
meet them, for the men were greatly ashamed, and the
king said, remain in Jericho until your beards have grown,
and then return. Now. Don't miss the significance of this passage. First,
it tells us that David was primarily concerned with his men.
As a king, he could have focused first on the
disrespect shown to him by Hanoun. He could have immediately

(13:08):
departed to attack the Ammonites to punish them for their mockery,
but he went first to his men to care for
their needs and comfort them. Secondly, David went to them himself.
A great leader is never above serving those who follow him.
Jesus gave us the best example of this, as he
washed his own disciples feet. David surely could have sent

(13:31):
someone else to reach his men, but he went to
see them himself. So, with the first priority handled, David
then turned to the Amonites, for their offense could not
be unanswered. David gathered his men, with his faithful commander
Joeab in charge Joeb wisely was careful in his plan
of attack. He'd learned from David, a skillful and wise

(13:52):
military leader, and rather than rush into the war, Joab
surveyed the battlefield. He saw there were two fronts on
which to fight, so he prepared his men and they
resolved to fight as one unit, supporting each other where
any weakness arose. Joeb's men were strong and ready for battle,
and the enemy was quickly defeated and the Syrian mercenaries

(14:13):
driven off. When the Syrians realized they were in a
large fight, they gathered their allies, and this time David
himself led the Israelite army into battle. God, as he
had been doing since David rose to the throne, gave
David a convincing victory and the Syrians were defeated and
driven away, And rather than use this as an opportunity

(14:34):
to increase his territory and kill his enemies, David made
peace with the Syrians and their allies, who knew now
that David and God's people were not to be abused.
But as David's fame and power grew, a complacency began
to creep in, and with it, temptation was just around
the corner. We'll discover the tragic consequences of that in

(14:55):
our next reading. Dear God, we thank you for today's
passage on servant leadership. Help us always be willing to
serve those around us and to help those that we
lead and love. May we show kindness even to our enemies,
as Jesus taught us, and it is in his name
that we pray. Amen. Thank you for listening to today's

(15:17):
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(15:39):
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