This is a long, sad chapter in the story of King David and his children. We don\u2019t know exactly how many wives and concubines David had, but 1 Chronicles 3 tells us he had at least 19 sons by 8 different women. His firstborn son, Amnon, the crown prince, raped his half-sister Tamar. When Tamar\u2019s brother and Amnon\u2019s half-brother, Absalom, discovered what had happened to his sister, he was so angry he set a trap for Amnon and murdered him. Absalom then fled because he was afraid of what David might do. David, with his remaining sons, experienced great sorrow when he learned of Amnon\u2019s death and Absalom\u2019s flight.<\/p>\n
All through these sorry events, we never read of David doing anything to discipline his kids as a father. We read that he was angry, sure; but David refused to confront and correct his children. As we consider David’s own past sins, we begin to understand his hesitation at confronting his children\u2019s failures. After all, what Amnon did in raping Tamar was only slightly different from what David had done in taking Bathsheba. And what Absalom did in killing Amnon was only slightly different from what David had done in murdering Uriah, Bathsheba’s husband. David felt like his hands were tied, that he couldn’t rebuke his own children when he himself had failed so miserably in the same sins.<\/p>\n
It seems David never took the callings of husband and father as seriously as the roles demand. David had created a pattern in his own life of taking whatever attractive woman he saw. And as God had already warned, there was simply no way any man could properly husband more than one wife, let alone properly parent all their children. That is why God said in the opening chapters of Genesis that a man should leave father and mother and cling to his wife (singular). Just as our love of God is revealed by our love for our fellow man (John 13:35), our intimacy with God is revealed by our devotion and dedication to our family. A father’s heart turned toward God is seen by his life being turned toward his home. If our homes are not different because of our relationship with Jesus Christ, then something is missing from our faith.<\/p>\n
“LORD, help us to love and serve our families as we choose to love and serve You.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n =============================================================<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2 Samuel 13 KJV<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1<\/sup>\u00a0And it came to pass after this, that Absalom the son of David had a fair sister, whose name\u00a0was\u00a0<\/em>Tamar; and Amnon the son of David loved her.\u00a02<\/sup>\u00a0And Amnon was so vexed, that he fell sick for his sister Tamar; for she\u00a0was\u00a0<\/em>a virgin; and Amnon thought it hard for him to do any thing to her.\u00a0\u00a03<\/sup>But Amnon had a friend, whose name\u00a0was\u00a0<\/em>Jonadab, the son of Shimeah David\u2019s brother: and Jonadab\u00a0was\u00a0<\/em>a very subtil man.\u00a04<\/sup>\u00a0And he said unto him, Why\u00a0art\u00a0<\/em>thou,\u00a0being\u00a0<\/em>the king\u2019s son, lean from day to day? wilt thou not tell me? And Amnon said unto him, I love Tamar, my brother Absalom\u2019s sister.\u00a05<\/sup>\u00a0And Jonadab said unto him, Lay thee down on thy bed, and make thyself sick: and when thy father cometh to see thee, say unto him, I pray thee, let my sister Tamar come, and give me meat, and dress the meat in my sight, that I may see\u00a0it\u00a0<\/em>, and eat\u00a0it\u00a0<\/em>at her hand. 6<\/sup>\u00a0So Amnon lay down, and made himself sick: and when the king was come to see him, Amnon said unto the king, I pray thee, let Tamar my sister come, and make me a couple of cakes in my sight, that I may eat at her hand.\u00a07<\/sup>\u00a0Then David sent home to Tamar, saying, Go now to thy brother Amnon\u2019s house, and dress him meat.\u00a08<\/sup>\u00a0So Tamar went to her brother Amnon\u2019s house; and he was laid down. And she took flour, and kneaded\u00a0it\u00a0<\/em>, and made cakes in his sight, and did bake the cakes.\u00a0\u00a09<\/sup>\u00a0And she took a pan, and poured\u00a0them<\/em>out before him; but he refused to eat. And Amnon said, Have out all men from me. And they went out every man from him.\u00a010<\/sup>\u00a0And Amnon said unto Tamar, Bring the meat into the chamber, that I may eat of thine hand. And Tamar took the cakes which she had made, and brought\u00a0them\u00a0<\/em>into the chamber to Amnon her brother.\u00a011<\/sup>\u00a0And when she had brought\u00a0them\u00a0<\/em>unto him to eat, he took hold of her, and said unto her, Come lie with me, my sister.\u00a012<\/sup>\u00a0And she answered him, Nay, my brother, do not force me; for no such thing ought to be done in Israel: do not thou this folly.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a013<\/sup>And I, whither shall I cause my shame to go? and as for thee, thou shalt be as one of the fools in Israel. Now therefore, I pray thee, speak unto the king; for he will not withhold me from thee.\u00a014<\/sup>\u00a0Howbeit he would not hearken unto her voice: but, being stronger than she, forced her, and lay with her. 15<\/sup> Then Amnon hated her exceedingly; so that the hatred wherewith he hated her\u00a0was\u00a0<\/em>greater than the love wherewith he had loved her. And Amnon said unto her, Arise, be gone.\u00a0\u00a016<\/sup>\u00a0And she said unto him,\u00a0There is\u00a0<\/em>no cause: this evil in sending me away\u00a0is<\/em> greater than the other that thou didst unto me. But he would not hearken unto her.\u00a017<\/sup>\u00a0Then he called his servant that ministered unto him, and said, Put now this\u00a0woman\u00a0<\/em>out from me, and bolt the door after her. 18<\/sup>\u00a0And\u00a0she had\u00a0<\/em>a garment of divers colours upon her: for with such robes were the king\u2019s daughters\u00a0that were<\/em>virgins apparelled. Then his servant brought her out, and bolted the door after her. 19<\/sup>\u00a0And Tamar put ashes on her head, and rent her garment of divers colours that\u00a0was\u00a0<\/em>on her, and laid her hand on her head, and went on crying.\u00a020<\/sup>\u00a0And Absalom her brother said unto her, Hath Amnon thy brother been with thee? but hold now thy peace, my sister: he\u00a0is\u00a0<\/em>thy brother; regard not this thing. So Tamar remained desolate in her brother Absalom\u2019s house.\u00a021<\/sup>\u00a0But when king David heard of all these things, he was very wroth.\u00a022<\/sup>\u00a0And Absalom spake unto his brother Amnon neither good nor bad: for Absalom hated Amnon, because he had forced his sister Tamar. 23<\/sup>\u00a0And it came to pass after two full years, that Absalom had sheepshearers in Baal-hazor, which\u00a0is\u00a0<\/em>beside Ephraim: and Absalom invited all the king\u2019s sons.\u00a024<\/sup>\u00a0And Absalom came to the king, and said, Behold now, thy servant hath sheepshearers; let the king, I beseech thee, and his servants go with thy servant.\u00a025<\/sup>\u00a0And the king said to Absalom, Nay, my son, let us not all now go, lest we be chargeable unto thee. And he pressed him: howbeit he would not go, but blessed him.\u00a026<\/sup>\u00a0Then said Absalom, If not, I pray thee, let my brother Amnon go with us. And the king said unto him, Why should he go with thee?\u00a027<\/sup>\u00a0But Absalom pressed him, that he let Amnon and all the king\u2019s sons go with him. 28<\/sup>\u00a0Now Absalom had commanded his servants, saying, Mark ye now when Amnon\u2019s heart is merry with wine, and when I say unto you, Smite Amnon; then kill him, fear not: have not I commanded you? be courageous, and be valiant.\u00a0\u00a029<\/sup>\u00a0And the servants of Absalom did unto Amnon as Absalom had commanded. Then all the king\u2019s sons arose, and every man gat him up upon his mule, and fled.\u00a0 30<\/sup>\u00a0And it came to pass, while they were in the way, that tidings came to David, saying, Absalom hath slain all the king\u2019s sons, and there is not one of them left.\u00a031<\/sup>\u00a0Then the king arose, and tare his garments, and lay on the earth; and all his servants stood by with their clothes rent.\u00a032<\/sup>\u00a0And Jonadab, the son of Shimeah David\u2019s brother, answered and said, Let not my lord suppose\u00a0that\u00a0<\/em>they have slain all the young men the king\u2019s sons; for Amnon only is dead: for by the appointment of Absalom this hath been determined from the day that he forced his sister Tamar.\u00a033<\/sup>\u00a0Now therefore let not my lord the king take the thing to his heart, to think that all the king\u2019s sons are dead: for Amnon only is dead.\u00a034<\/sup>\u00a0But Absalom fled. And the young man that kept the watch lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came much people by the way of the hill side behind him.\u00a035<\/sup>\u00a0And Jonadab said unto the king, Behold, the king\u2019s sons come: as thy servant said, so it is.\u00a036<\/sup>\u00a0And it came to pass, as soon as he had made an end of speaking, that, behold, the king\u2019s sons came, and lifted up their voice and wept: and the king also and all his servants wept very sore. 37<\/sup>\u00a0But Absalom fled, and went to Talmai, the son of Ammihud, king of Geshur. And\u00a0David\u00a0<\/em>mourned for his son every day.\u00a038<\/sup>\u00a0So Absalom fled, and went to Geshur, and was there three years.\u00a039<\/sup>\u00a0And\u00a0the soul of\u00a0<\/em>king David longed to go forth unto Absalom: for he was comforted concerning Amnon, seeing he was dead.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" This is a long, sad chapter in the story of King David and his children. We don\u2019t know exactly how many wives and concubines David had, but 1 Chronicles 3 tells us he had at least 19 sons by 8 different women. His firstborn son, Amnon, the crown prince, raped his half-sister Tamar. When Tamar\u2019s […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6635"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6635"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6635\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16210,"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6635\/revisions\/16210"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6635"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6635"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6635"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}