00:00Hey friends, welcome back to our channel. Today, we're diving into an exciting story from long ago that's all about friendship, big misunderstandings, and learning important lessons.
00:12It's like a real-life adventure story with kings, soldiers, and a super important message.
00:18Imagine you have a friend and their parent, who is also friends with your parent, passes away, you want to do something nice, right?
00:25Like send a card or give them a hug to show you care. That's exactly what King David wanted to do.
00:32The king of a nearby land called Ammon, named Nahash, had been kind to David.
00:37When Nahash passed away, his son Hanan became the new king.
00:41David felt sad for Hanan and wanted to show his support.
00:45He thought, I will show kindness to Hanan, just as his father showed kindness to me.
00:50So, he sent some of his best messengers with a special message of comfort.
00:55It was a super nice thing to do, a real gesture of peace and friendship.
01:00But here's where things get a little messy.
01:02When David's messengers arrived in the land of Ammon, some of the new king's advisors got suspicious.
01:09They went to King Hanan and said, wait a minute, do you really think David is sending these men to comfort you?
01:16No way, he's just using this as an excuse to spy on our city so he can attack us later.
01:21Now, these advisors were letting their fear and suspicion take over.
01:26Instead of seeing a hand of friendship, they saw a hidden threat.
01:30And sadly, King Hanan listened to them.
01:33He didn't stop to think, maybe David is just being nice.
01:37He jumped to the worst conclusion.
01:39So, what did he do?
01:40He did something incredibly rude and embarrassing to David's messengers.
01:45In those days, a man's beard was a symbol of his honor and dignity.
01:50And wearing long robes was also part of their culture.
01:53King Hanan had his soldiers grab David's messengers, shave off half of their beards, and cut their clothes in half right up to their waist.
02:02Can you imagine how embarrassing that would be?
02:04It was a huge insult, not just to the men, but to King David and his entire kingdom.
02:10When David heard what had happened, he was, of course, very upset.
02:14His messengers were so ashamed, they didn't even want to come home.
02:18David told them, stay in the city of Jericho until your beards have grown back, and then you can return.
02:24He was being a good and understanding leader.
02:27But the story doesn't end there.
02:29The Ammonites knew they had made a huge mistake.
02:31They realized they had made a powerful enemy out of King David.
02:35Instead of apologizing and trying to make things right, they let their pride and fear guide them again.
02:42They thought, oh no, David is definitely going to attack us now.
02:46So, what did they do?
02:48They panicked.
02:49They decided the best offense was a good offense.
02:52They went and hired thousands and thousands of professional soldiers, called mercenaries, from other kingdoms.
02:59They hired soldiers from the Arameans of Beth-ri-Hob and Zobah, from the king of Malka, and from Tup.
03:06They gathered a massive army to prepare for a fight they had started with their own mistrust.
03:11This shows us how a small seed of doubt can grow into a giant tree of conflict.
03:16All David wanted was to be a good neighbor.
03:19But the Ammonites' fear twisted his kind gesture into an act of aggression in their minds.
03:23When King David heard that the Ammonites were gathering a huge army of mercenaries, he knew he had to protect his people.
03:30He couldn't just ignore this massive threat gathering at his doorstep.
03:34So, he sent his own army, led by his brave general, Joab, and all his best warriors.
03:41Now, Joab was a very clever general.
03:43When he got to the Ammonite city, he saw he was in a tricky situation.
03:48The Ammonite army was inside their city gates.
03:51But the huge army of hired mercenaries was camped out in the open fields.
03:56Joab and his soldiers were caught in the middle, with enemies in front of them and enemies behind them.
04:02It was like being in a sandwich, and not a yummy one.
04:05What will you do?
04:06Joab didn't panic.
04:08He came up with a brilliant plan.
04:09He said, Okay, we need to split up to fight on the fronts.
04:14He chose the best of the best soldiers for himself, and prepared to fight the stronger Aramean mercenaries in the field.
04:20He put his brother, Abishai, in charge of the rest of the army, to face the Ammonites at the city gate.
04:27Before they went into battle, Joab said something really amazing to his brother.
04:32He said, If the Arameans are too strong for me, you come and help me.
04:36And if the Ammonites are too strong for you, I'll come and help you.
04:41Be strong, and let's fight bravely for our people and our land.
04:45And may the Lord do what is good in his sight.
04:48What a great example of teamwork and trust.
04:51Joab knew they had to rely on each other, and also trust that things would work out for the best.
04:57So, the battle began.
04:59Joab and his elite soldiers charged toward the Aramean mercenaries.
05:03And guess what happened?
05:05The mercenaries saw how brave and determined Joab's army was, and they got scared.
05:10Before the real fighting even started, they turned and ran away.
05:14They just fled.
05:16When the Ammonite army, waiting by the city gates, saw that their hired help had run off, they lost all their courage.
05:23They thought, If that huge army ran away, what chance do we have?
05:27So, they also retreated, pulling back behind the safety of their city walls.
05:32Joab and his army had won the day without even having a major fight.
05:37It was a decisive victory, all thanks to his smart strategy and the bravery of his soldiers.
05:42Joab then returned to Jerusalem.
05:45But the conflict wasn't completely over.
05:47The Arameans, who had run away, were embarrassed.
05:51Their leader gathered an even bigger army to try and fight Israel again.
05:55When David heard about this, he didn't just send his general this time.
05:59He gathered all of Israel and led the army himself.
06:02David and his forces met the Aramean army, and this time, there was a huge battle.
06:08David's army fought with great courage and skill, and they won a massive victory.
06:13They completely defeated the Aramean forces.
06:15After this big defeat, the Aramean kings, who had been hired by the Ammonites, decided they had had enough.
06:22They made peace with Israel and promised not to help the Ammonites anymore.
06:26And what about the Ammonites?
06:28After their allies were defeated, they were left all alone.
06:32The next year, David sent Joab back to the land of Ammon.
06:35This time, the Israelite army conquered their lands and surrounded their main city, Rabat.
06:41The Ammonites were defeated.
06:43Because of their pride, suspicion, and poor choices, they lost their freedom and ended up serving King David.
06:50So, what can we learn from this incredible story?
06:53There are so many great lessons here.
06:55First, it shows the danger of jumping to conclusions.
06:59The Ammonite leaders let fear and suspicion cloud their judgment.
07:03They saw a threat where there was only friendship.
07:05It's a good reminder for us to always try to see the best in people and not let our fears make.
07:11Decisions for us.
07:13Second, it teaches us about the consequences of pride.
07:16Instead of admitting their mistake and apologizing for insulting David's messengers,
07:21the Ammonites doubled down and prepared for war.
07:25Pride prevented them from seeking peace and led to their downfall.
07:29A little bit of humility could have saved them a whole lot of trouble.
07:33Third, we see the importance of good leadership and strategy.
07:37Joab's smart plan to divide his army shows how thinking clearly under pressure can lead to success.
07:43And David's willingness to lead his people himself shows what a dedicated king he was.
07:48And finally, this story is a powerful tale about how miscommunication and disrespect can quickly spiral into a huge conflict.
07:57David's simple act of kindness was meant to build a bridge.
08:00But Hanun's insulting response burned that bridge down and built a wall of hostility instead.
08:06It reminds us how important it is to treat everyone with respect and dignity.
08:11Our words and actions matter a lot.
08:14So, the next time you have a misunderstanding with a friend, remember the story of David and the Ammonites.
08:21Think about whether you're letting fear or pride get in the way.
08:24Maybe.
08:25Instead of preparing for a fight, it's better to offer an apology or try to understand a side of the story.
08:32Building bridges is always better than building walls.
08:35Thanks so much for watching with me today.
08:37I hope you enjoyed this story and learned something new.
08:41If you did, don't forget to hit that like button and subscribe for more adventures from the past.
08:46See you next time and God bless.
