10:4, 5 In Israelite culture, all men wore full beards. It was a sign of maturity and authority. Thus when these ambassadors had their beards half shaved, they suffered great indignity. Cutting off their robes also exposed them to ridicule.
10:6 Because Hanun took the wrong advice, he suspected the motives of the ambassadors and humiliated them. Then he realized that David was angry and immediately marshaled his forces for battle. Hanun should have thought through the advice more carefully; but even if he had not, he should have tried to negotiate with David. Instead, he refused to admit any fault and got ready for war. Often we respond angrily and defensively rather than admitting our mistakes, apologizing, and trying to defuse the other person’s anger. Instead of fighting, we should seek peace.
10:11 When Joab divided his army in two, he arranged for cooperation ahead of time. The two fronts in battle were clearly divided, but Joab made it clear that both divisions of the army were to help each other if either one ran into trouble. The spirit of interdependency and cooperation should characterize families, church staffs, and your attitude at your place of work.
10:12 There must be a balance in life between our actions and our faith in God. Joab said, “Be of good courage.” In other words, they should do what they could, using their minds to figure out the best techniques and using their resources. But he also said, “The LORD do that which seemeth him good.” He knew that the outcome was in God’s hands. We should use our minds and our resources to obey God, while at the same time trusting God for the outcome.