2 Samuel 12:26-13:22

2 Samuel 12:26-13:22

If you have read the last few posts, I hope you have not received a negative impression about David. I do hope that you have realized that he was human, just like us. And although we all sin and mess up, I hope you understand the hope we have in God. Although He cannot accept sin in His presence, He did provide a way of forgiveness through His Son, Jesus. Just as David received forgiveness from God when he recognized and repented of his sins, we too can find forgiveness. So although the story of David took a turn for the worse, he rebounded. He turned to God and set things right, and God was able to use David again in many more great ways.

Now we enter into the second half of 2 Samuel, and these closing chapters will present more struggles for David. Even though he has put his past behind him and moved on, there are still consequences for sin. The same is true for us. Yes, we can receive forgiveness for our sins, but that does not mean life goes back to normal. There may be consequences for what we have done. Whereas God forgave us, it may take others more time to do so. So we have to understand that life may still provide challenges. For David these problems began with his children, but before we get to that part of the story, take a look at the end of 2 Samuel 12. After the situation with Bathsheba was over, David and Joab set off for the Ammonites again, and as before they found victory. David took over all the cities of the Ammonites and these closing verses show that in one sense, David had been restored to his position as king over Israel. God was giving him victory in his battles again.

Then, in 2 Samuel 13, the trouble began. Part of the problem was the fact that David had several wives. As a result, he had children with these different wives, and that caused problems. Absalom and Tamar were David’s son and daughter from one marriage, and Amnon was their half-brother from another marriage. The problem was that Absalom was a very protective brother for Tamar, and Amnon lusted after her. Amnon desired to have Tamar so much that he was willing to lie and trick his entire family into just having a few moments with her alone. First, he consulted one of his best friends, and together they developed a crafty scheme. Then, he faked an illness to convince David to allow Tamar to see after him while he was sick. Finally, when she brought food into him, he ordered everyone else out of the room so that he could be alone with her. He then told her of his desires, and when she objected, he overpowered her and raped her.

Of course Tamar, having been a virgin, was greatly upset with what Amnon had done to her. Furthermore, after the fact, he despised her and ordered her to leave, which was worse than what he had originally done. She was forced out of his presence, and she went into a state of grief, upset over what had happened. When Absalom and David heard of what had happened, they were quite angry at Amnon. Absalom refused to speak with him, and he took care of Tamar, allowing her to stay with him. This situation will grow worse as the chapters continue, but all of a sudden the promise God made to David through David is coming true. He said that trouble would arise as a result of what he had done to Uriah and Bathsheba, and He said that it would come out of his own house. This situation between Amnon and Tamar is just the first problem to arise.

Matt