Making a Bad Assumption

Scripture: But the Ammonite officials said to Hanun, their lord, “Has David honored your father in your eyes by sending comforters to you? Was it not in an effort to search out the city, to scout it in order to overthrow it, that he sent his servants to you?” So Hanun seized the servants of David, shaved half of the beard of each, cut their robes in half so that they were exposed, and sent them away. 2 Samuel 10:3-4

Observation: David has sent attendants to Hanun to honor him as a courtesy to Nahash, and Ammonite king who aided him when Saul was after him. Hanun's advisors give him ... some pretty bad advice, and the outcome of all of this is David will defeat the Ammonites and the Arameans who come to their aid.

Israel and the Ammonites were thiiiis close to peaceful existence, but Hanun decided he couldn't trust a simple gesture of friendship.

Hanun's and his officials did not understand why a foreign king would send people to their palace who were not spies. This is likely because of two flaws in their understanding. First, they themselves would not have considered mercy and comfort as an act of foreign relations, but would have taken the opportunity to spy on Israel. Therefore, they believed that was Israel's intent. Second they did not understand the character of David, and thus they dismissed the idea that he cared for Nahash.

The bad assumption that the Israelites were spies was born out of their own lack of faith and understanding of Yahweh. Without understanding the love and mercy of God, they could not believe David was expressing sincere love and mercy.

Application: Similar to yesterday, I see a connection between someone who makes a bad decision, and a lack of understanding about the nature of God, faith, the law, and love. I am in a season of inviting people into activities at church, primarily GLS. I need to remember they might make bad assumptions about my words, my invitation, and my engagement. These bad assumptions may lead them to merely ignore the invitation, or it may lead them to rash and unintended actions that are even opposed to the objective. I must be careful in my message.

Prayer: Lord, I pray this every week at Alpha, may my words not be of myself, but purely of you and of the Spirit. My invitations to others may bear my name, or be from my email account, but they need to be from you. Please be with me as I seek to engage others into what I pray will be an eternal conversation. Amen.