1 Chronicles 19:1

1 Chronicles 19:1 says, Now it came to pass after this, that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon died, and his son reigned in his stead.  As they always will, one king died as was replaced, this time Nahash the king of Ammon, who was replaced by his son.  Those who are leaders in God's kingdom will one day die and be replaced, not by their sons necessarily, but by the person God calls.  Verse two adds. And David said, I will shew kindness unto Hanun the son of Nahash, because his father shewed kindness to me. And David sent messengers to comfort him concerning his father. So the servants of David came into the land of the children of Ammon to Hanun, to comfort him.  When David heard of the death of Nahash, he decided to whew kindness to his son, Hanun, because Nahash had shown kindness to him.  We should show kindness to those who are bereaved by the loss of a parent or loved one today, even if they haven't shown kindness to us.  We as Christians represent God by our actions, and He showed kindness, or mercy, to us even when we didn't deserve it.  Verse three continues, But the princes of the children of Ammon said to Hanun, Thinkest thou that David doth honour thy father, that he hath sent comforters unto thee? are not his servants come unto thee for to search, and to overthrow, and to spy out the land?  The other princes around Hanun asked him if he really thought that David was showing him kindness in honor of his father.  They said he was likely sending them to spy on him instead.  People will often question the motives of Christians if we are kind to them and claim we are somehow trying to use or control them.  This doesn't mean that we shouldn't be kind and help others though.  David had not done this because it benefitted him in any way, but out of compassion for Hanun.  We should never show compassion for others and help them out of an attitude of wanting to profit from it somehow.  Verse four concludes, Wherefore Hanun took David's servants, and shaved them, and cut off their garments in the midst hard by their buttocks, and sent them away.  Hunan listened to his advisors or friends instead of believing that David was simply trying to bring him comfort, and he abused the servants that David had sent by shaving them and cutting their clothes away to expose their buttocks and sent them away.  He humiliated them in other words.  People did a whole lot more to God's Son, Jesus Christ, when he came to bring salvation to them out of the mercy of God, not only trying to humiliate Him but also crucifying Him on a cruel cross.  Verse five states, Then there went certain, and told David how the men were served. And he sent to meet them: for the men were greatly ashamed. And the king said, Tarry at Jericho until your beards be grown, and then return.  David received word of what had happened, and he sent word to Jerico where the men were to comfort them, telling them to remain there until their beards had grown out again.  God is going to meet us where we are today, and He will bring us comfort when we need it if we are followers of Christ, or to offer us the comfort of salvation if we aren't.  Verse six adds, And when the children of Ammon saw that they had made themselves odious to David, Hanun and the children of Ammon sent a thousand talents of silver to hire them chariots and horsemen out of Mesopotamia, and out of Syriamaachah, and out of Zobah.  When Hanun and the people of Ammon saw that they had made themselves enemies of David, they attempted to buy protection for themselves.  We need to realize that if we are enemies of God that we will never be able to buy anything that will protect us from His coming judgment, no matter how powerful we may become in the world.  Verse seven continues, So they hired thirty and two thousand chariots, and the king of Maachah and his people; who came and pitched before Medeba. And the children of Ammon gathered themselves together from their cities, and came to battle.  They not only hired chariots, but they hired the people of Maachah to fight with them.  The lost people of the world often unite in their fight against God, but no matter how many there may be, they will never overpower God.  This all started because Hanun rejected David's act of compassion, and if we are at war with God, it will be because we have rejected His act of mercy when He sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to die in our place.