Today's treasure: 2 Samuel 13:1
What would happen to David because he had despised God and taken the wife of Uriah to be his own?
Read 2 Samuel 13:1-22
Identify the children of David listed in verses 1 and 2 and any information you learn.
What can you learn about Amnon by looking at his friend Jonadab?
why do you think Amnon's love turned so quickly to hate?
Why was Tamar wearing a richly ornamented robe?
Describe the reactions of Tamar, Absalom, David to the crime against Tamar in verses 19-22.
These verses are replete with tragedy. The focus was a beautiful young virgin daughter of the king, no doubt awaiting the man she would one day marry. The events in chapter 13 are scandalous even by today's standards and as painful as the descriptions of rapes we read in a big city newspaper.
The richly ornamented robe was her cloak of dignity and honor. She ripped the fabric of her robe as surely as Amnon had ripped the fabric of her honor.
Our first reaction is to assign appropriate responsibility. All wrong, fault and blame for the rape belongs to the perpetrator--Amnon. Tamar also fell victim to all three men surrounding this event.
Amnon was David's firstborn. His name means trustworthy and faithful. We see the immediate evidence of a father's influence on his son. In a nation where polygamy was forbidden, Amnon had watched his father take one wife after another. Bathsheba and Tamar were described by the same adjective in our first introductions to each of them. (2 Sam. 11:2, 13:1)
Like his father, Amnon saw something beautiful and determined to have it. He gave no consideration to the other party involved. He literally became sin-sick to the point of stopping at nothing to satisfy his appetite.
We humans often practice a kind of blame shifting. When we have done something sinful and shameful, we blame out actions on someone else--often the victim of our behavior.
God was faithful to Tamar as she mourned before Him, completely innocent of any sin. Tamar lived the rest of her life in desolation, but God will replace her tattered robe and cover her with finest white linen, and she will stand before Him once again the virgin daughter of the king.
We can also be assured that God will deal with Amnon. We see no sign of repentance.
Absalom was Tamar's brother. Both Absalom and David reacted inappropriately toward Tamar and the crime she suffered. Absalom obviously discovered his sister in extreme distress. He guess the nature of the crime against here from the tearing of the virgin's robe. No one can doubt Absalom's love for his sister, but his reaction to her could only have added further injury.
Absalom's advice to Tamar was to keep the secret and pretend nothing happened. He took his own advice and never said a word to Amnon, either good or bad. But his hatred would finally cause him to lose control. Overwhelming feelings cannot be stuffed, they will turn inward and take the person prisoner.
David was Tamar's father. Absalom's immediate assumption of Amnon's guilt speaks volumes. Amnon's lack of character was common knowledge. David should have dealt with Amnon before disaster struck. Then after the crime, David still refused to do anything. If only David had applied the wisdom of Psalm 39 to this tragedy, things would have been different.
Why didn't David take control of his family tragedy? Satan uses sin and failure against us so that even after sincere repentace we often remain disabled.
Two wrongs don't make a right. Restoration does not mean you can no longer stand for the truth because you fell.
David allowed his failure to disable him to lead his household in righteousness. He had been forgiven by God but he chose not to live like a forgiven person.
David needed to channel his anger and respond to the crime committed in his household. No weaker house exists than one that lacks appropriate authority. This is a breeding ground for untold recklessness and sin.
Allow God to bring you to victory in vulnerable areas. God is faithful!!!
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