II Samuel 13:23-39 - Revenge
The Living Word With Chuck Davis
II Samuel 13:23-39 - Revenge
"Welcome to the Living Word with Chuck Davis" 2 Samuel 13, 23 to 39, revenge. After two full years, Absalom had sheep shearers at Baal Hazor, which is near Ephraim, and Absalom invited all the king's sons. And Absalom came to the king and said, "Behold, your servant has sheep shearers. Please let the king and his servants go with your servant." "But the king said to Absalom, 'No, my son, let us not all go, lest we be burdensome to you.' He pressed him, but he would not go, but gave him his blessing. And Absalom said, 'If not, please let my brother and none go with us.' And the king said to him, 'Why should he go with you?' But Absalom pressed him until he let Amnon, and all the king's sons go with him. Then Absalom commanded his servants, 'Mark, when Amnon's heart is merry with wine, and when I say to you, strike Amnon, then kill him. Do not fear, I have not commanded you, have I not commanded you. Be courageous and be valiant.' So the servants of Absalom did to Amnon as Absalom had commanded. And all the king's sons arose, and each mounted his mule and fled. While they were on the way, news came to David. Absalom has struck down all the king's sons, and not one of them is left. Then the king arose and tore his garments and lay on the earth, and all his servants who were standing by tore their garments. But Jonah Dab, the son of Shymia, David's brother, said, 'Let not my Lord suppose that they have killed all the young men, the king's sons, for Amnon alone is dead. For by the command of Absalom this has been determined from the day he violated his sister, Tamar. Now therefore, let not my Lord the king, so take it to heart as to suppose that all the king's sons are dead, for Amnon alone is dead. But Absalom fled, and the young man who kept the watch lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold many people were coming from the road behind him by the side of the mountain. And Jonah Dab said to the king, 'Behold the king's sons have come, as your servant said, so it has come about. And as soon as he had finished speaking, behold the king's sons came and lifted up their voice and wept, and the king also and all his servants wept very bitterly.' But Absalom fled and went to Talmai, the son of Amnon, king of Gesher, and David mourned for his son day after day. So Absalom fled and went to Gesher, and was there three years. And the spirit of the king longed to go out to Absalom because he was comforted about Amnon since he was dead. Here we get a classic picture of revenge, Absalom orders the murder of Amnon as reward for what he's done to his sister Tamar. It's two years since Amnon had violated Tamar. This is the beginning of the downfall for Absalom. Possibly other things were planted in his heart, but somehow a bitter root remains in his heart towards his father. Maybe he wanted his father to execute justice a little bit more. Maybe royal news travels fast, but in this case it travels incorrectly. There's a report that all the sons are dead. Remember, Nathan said that a sword is coming to your family. You can imagine how hard this was for David to receive. But Jonah Deb steps in and says it's just Amnon as a result of the violation of Tamar. Absalom flees David mourns, but once again David remains passive in this situation. It says in this text that he longed to go out to Absalom, but he's going to leave him in three years of exile. What could have been a moment of forgiveness that might have stopped this trend of violence in his family and revenge is lost to David and sadly it's lost to Absalom as well. So what of this passage is a reminder to all the men listening to this? There is a danger in us to have a passive spirit. We don't want to be people that are manipulative and dominating, but the pendulum swing of being passive is what we refer to sometimes as the Ahab spirit allows destruction to come into the places where we're supposed to have influence and to take leadership. The now what then is a reminder for those of us that have a tendency to that is to deal with that passivity and be reconciled. Don't let things linger out in a distance. Don't let people linger out at a distance from us, but resolve to press back into these relationships before the gap becomes too wide. So Lord we refuse any passive spirit in the same way that we refuse any spirit of revenge. We want to be people that trust in you as the one who is our venture. It's you who will care for our enemies and so we trust you in that. And Lord give us eyes to see when there are people that we've allowed to become distant and have allowed a bitter root to surround us with. We pray this in Jesus' name, Amen. [BLANK_AUDIO]