This week’s study focuses on motivation. What motivates people to do what they do? Trying to determine someone else’s motivation can be not only tricky, but dangerous. Such was the case with Hanun in II Samuel 10.
The story begins with King David learning that King Nahash, his friend Hanun’s father, has died. David decides to send a delegation of men to express his sympathy for his friend. Hanun, however, seeks counsel from his advisors regarding why David would be sending a delegation to see him. His advisors assume the worst about David’s motivation. They assume the men being sent are spies and will go back and report to David, and David’s army will attack.
In this story, David’s motivation is pure, but Hanun attaches negative motives to David’s actions based on the fears of others. How often do we let others influence our relationships? If Hanun would have waited to meet with the delegation, he would have received David’s message and realized David’s motives, but instead he assumed the worst and acted on it.
In the story, Hanun captures that delegation and humiliates them by shaving their heads and cutting off their clothes to show their buttocks. In David’s time, this was a huge offense. The story ends with David retaliating and conquering the Ammonites, Hanun’s people. It is a very sad ending that could have been avoided.
When we misjudge a person’s motives, it doesn’t result in war; however, it can result in conflict and damage relationships, all because we assume the worst instead of the best about another person.
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