The Wages of Folly and the Courage of Faith Text: 2 Samuel 10:6-14
Introduction: The Stench of Sin
There is a principle that runs through all of Scripture, and indeed, through all of reality. It is the principle of sowing and reaping. What a man sows, that he will also reap. This is not some abstract spiritual platitude; it is as fixed and unalterable as the law of gravity. We see it in the garden, we see it in our finances, and we see it in the affairs of nations. And in our text today, we see it in the realm of international relations, diplomacy, and war.
The sons of Ammon had committed a grievous, foolish sin. David, acting in good faith and covenant kindness, had sent ambassadors to console their new king, Hanun, on the death of his father. But Hanun, listening to the cynical counsel of his foolish princes, chose to believe the worst. He chose suspicion over kindness, and repaid David's decency with a calculated, grotesque insult. He shaved off half their beards and cut their garments in the middle, exposing their nakedness. This was not a simple diplomatic faux pas. In the ancient world, this was an act of profound humiliation, a declaration that David's men, and by extension David himself, were contemptible slaves, not worthy of respect. It was an act of war.
And now, the bill has come due. Our text opens with the Ammonites realizing the gravity of their folly. They "saw that they had become odious to David." The Hebrew says they "stank" before David. Sin has an odor. Folly has a stench. And when you have provoked a righteous king, a man after God's own heart, that stench is the smell of your own impending funeral pyre. Their response to this realization is not repentance, but a doubling down on their foolishness. Instead of seeking forgiveness, they hire mercenaries. They throw good money after bad, compounding their sin with the sin of others. This is the way of the world. When caught in a sin, the unregenerate heart does not turn to God, but rather seeks to marshal whatever worldly power it can find to protect itself from the consequences.
This passage is a master class in the consequences of sin, the necessity of righteous warfare, the nature of godly courage, and the absolute sovereignty of God over the affairs of men. It shows us a leader, Joab, who, for all his personal faults, understands the essential calculus of faith and duty. He acts with tactical brilliance, exhorts with theological depth, and ultimately, submits to the good pleasure of God.
The Text
Then the sons of Ammon saw that they had become odious to David. So the sons of Ammon sent and hired the Arameans of Beth-rehob and the Arameans of Zobah, 20,000 foot soldiers, and the king of Maacah with 1,000 men, and the men of Tob with 12,000 men. Then David heard of it and sent Joab and all the army, the mighty men. And the sons of Ammon came out and arranged themselves for battle at the entrance of the gate of the city. But the Arameans of Zobah and of Rehob and the men of Tob and Maacah were by themselves in the field. Then Joab saw that the battle was set against him from the front and from the rear. So he chose from all the choice men of Israel, and they arranged themselves to meet the Arameans. But the remainder of the people he put in the hand of Abishai his brother; and he arranged them to meet the sons of Ammon. And he said, "If the Arameans are too strong for me, then you shall save me, but if the sons of Ammon are too strong for you, then I will come to save you. Be strong, and let us show strength for the sake of our people and for the cities of our God; and may Yahweh do what is good in His sight." So Joab and the people who were with him drew near for the battle against the Arameans, and they fled before him. Now the sons of Ammon saw that the Arameans fled. So they also fled before Abishai and came into the city. Then Joab returned from fighting against the sons of Ammon and came to Jerusalem.
(2 Samuel 10:6-14 LSB)
Compounding Folly with Mercenaries (v. 6-8)
We begin with the Ammonites' reaction to their own sin.
"Then the sons of Ammon saw that they had become odious to David. So the sons of Ammon sent and hired the Arameans of Beth-rehob and the Arameans of Zobah, 20,000 foot soldiers, and the king of Maacah with 1,000 men, and the men of Tob with 12,000 men." (2 Samuel 10:6)
Their first mistake was their initial act of insolence. Their second mistake is trying to cover it with cash. They realize they have made themselves a stench, and their solution is to buy friends. But mercenaries are not friends. They are hired swords, loyal only to the highest bidder. The Ammonites are trying to solve a spiritual and moral problem with a material solution. They have offended honor, and they respond with money. They have provoked a righteous king, and they respond by hiring unrighteous armies.
They assemble a formidable force, some 33,000 hired soldiers from various Aramean city-states. This is a significant coalition. But notice their strategy. The Ammonites arrange for battle at the gate of their own city, while their hired help, the Arameans, are out in the open field. This reveals their cowardice. They want the mercenaries to do the real fighting, while they hold the defensive position. They are willing to pay for war, but they are not so eager to bleed for it themselves.
When David hears of this, he does not hesitate. He sends Joab, his commander, and "all the army, the mighty men." The term "mighty men" refers to David's elite, battle-hardened veterans. David is not sending a diplomatic note. He is not sending a peace envoy. The time for talk is over. The Ammonites have declared war through their actions, and David is responding in kind. A righteous ruler has a duty to protect the honor of his people and to execute wrath on the one who practices evil. This is the God-ordained function of the civil magistrate.
Joab's Tactical Dilemma and Brilliant Solution (v. 9-10)
Joab arrives on the scene to find himself in a precarious tactical position.
"Then Joab saw that the battle was set against him from the front and from the rear. So he chose from all the choice men of Israel, and they arranged themselves to meet the Arameans. But the remainder of the people he put in the hand of Abishai his brother; and he arranged them to meet the sons of Ammon." (2 Samuel 10:9-10 LSB)
He is caught in a pincer. The Ammonites are at the city gate in front of him, and the massive force of Aramean mercenaries is in the field behind him. He is surrounded. From a purely military perspective, this is a nightmare scenario. But Joab is not just a soldier; he is a brilliant strategist. He does not panic. He assesses the situation and divides his forces.
He takes the "choice men," the elite soldiers, to face the greater threat: the Arameans in the open field. Mercenaries are professional soldiers, and they are the larger force. Joab knows that if he can break the hired help, the will of the Ammonites will likely crumble. He gives the rest of the army to his brother, Abishai, with the task of keeping the Ammonites pinned down at their gate. This is a calculated risk, but it is a wise one. He is applying his greatest strength to the enemy's greatest strength.
This is a lesson for us in our own spiritual battles. We are often beset from the front and the rear. We have temptations before us and accusations behind us. The world presses in on one side, and our own flesh on the other. The solution is not to despair, but to prayerfully and wisely assess the threat, and to apply the specific truths and graces of God to the specific challenges we face. We must meet the fiercest attacks with our strongest faith, trusting that God will provide for the rest.
The Theology of the Foxhole (v. 11-12)
Before the battle begins, Joab gives his brother Abishai a short, profound speech. This is the theological and moral heart of the passage.
"And he said, 'If the Arameans are too strong for me, then you shall save me, but if the sons of Ammon are too strong for you, then I will come to save you. Be strong, and let us show strength for the sake of our people and for the cities of our God; and may Yahweh do what is good in His sight.'" (2 Samuel 10:11-12 LSB)
First, notice the bond of brotherhood and mutual dependence. "If they are too strong for me, you help me. If they are too strong for you, I will help you." This is covenant loyalty in action. Joab and Abishai are brothers in blood and brothers in arms. They are committed to one another's success and survival. This is the model for the church. We are to bear one another's burdens, to strengthen the weak hands and the feeble knees. When one part of the body is under severe attack, the other parts must rush to its aid.
Second, he issues the call to courage. "Be strong, and let us show strength." The Hebrew is emphatic. It is a call to be courageous and to act courageously. But this is not a call to mere machismo or stoic resolve. The courage is grounded in a purpose beyond themselves. They are to be strong "for the sake of our people and for the cities of our God." They are not fighting for personal glory, or for plunder, or for territory. They are fighting for the covenant people of God and for the inheritance God has given them. Their cause is righteous, and because their cause is righteous, their courage can be righteous.
Third, and most importantly, Joab places the outcome squarely in the hands of God. "And may Yahweh do what is good in His sight." This is a magnificent statement of faith. It is the perfect balance of human responsibility and divine sovereignty. Joab is saying, "We will do our part. We will plan, we will divide our forces, we will fight with all our might. We will be strong. But after we have done everything we can do, the outcome belongs to the Lord." He does not presume upon God's favor. He does not say, "God will certainly give us the victory." He says, "May Yahweh do what is good in His sight." This is true submission. It is the faith that acts, and then rests in the sovereign wisdom and goodness of God, whatever the result. It is the prayer of the soldier who has done his duty and now trusts his King.
The Rout and the Return (v. 13-14)
The result of this faithful courage is immediate and decisive.
"So Joab and the people who were with him drew near for the battle against the Arameans, and they fled before him. Now the sons of Ammon saw that the Arameans fled. So they also fled before Abishai and came into the city." (2 Samuel 10:13-14 LSB)
Joab and his elite troops advance, and the Arameans simply break and run. They had no stomach for a real fight. This is the nature of mercenaries. They are fighting for pay, not for a people, not for a city, not for a god. When faced with the determined courage of men fighting for their homes and their God, their professional resolve evaporates. Their hearts are not in it. They were paid to fight, but they were not paid enough to die.
And just as Joab predicted, the cowardice of the mercenaries is contagious. When the Ammonites, watching from their comfortable perch at the city gate, see their hired guns fleeing for the hills, their own courage fails them completely. They also flee, not even waiting for Abishai to engage them. They run back into their city, proving that their trust was in their hired army, not in their cause or their gods. They put their faith in the arm of the flesh, and the arm of the flesh failed them.
The battle is won with barely a sword lifted. Joab, having accomplished his objective, does not press the attack on the city at this time. He returns to Jerusalem. The immediate threat has been neutralized. The stench of Ammon's sin has been met with the strength of David's righteous response.
Conclusion: Fighting for the Cities of Our God
This historical account is not in the Bible to simply satisfy our curiosity about ancient military tactics. It is here to instruct us in the ways of God. We too are called to fight for our people and for the cities of our God. The church is the city of God, and it is under constant assault.
Like the Ammonites, the world makes itself odious to God through its sin and rebellion. And when confronted, it does not repent, but rather hires mercenaries. It marshals the intellectual mercenaries of secular philosophy, the political mercenaries of the state, and the cultural mercenaries of entertainment to fight its battles. It surrounds the people of God, attacking from the front with open hostility and from the rear with subtle temptations.
We, like Joab, must not despair. We must face the battle with tactical wisdom, with covenant loyalty to one another, and with courageous faith. We must be strong and show ourselves strong, not for our own reputation, but for the sake of the gospel and the honor of our King. We must fight for the "cities of our God," for our families, for our churches, for the establishment of Christian culture.
And above all, after we have planned and worked and fought, we must commit the outcome to God. "May Yahweh do what is good in His sight." Our duty is faithfulness. The results are His. We do not fight because we are guaranteed to win any particular skirmish. We fight because our Commander is worthy. We fight because our cause is just. And we know that in the end, the great Joab, the Lord Jesus Christ, has already secured the ultimate victory. He faced the ultimate pincer movement on the cross, with the wrath of God before Him and the sin of man upon Him, and He triumphed. And because He has triumphed, we can fight with courage, knowing that the Lord will indeed do what is good in His sight, and what is good in His sight is the final and total victory of His kingdom.