[Linux4christians] Wednesday - 2 Samuel 13:23 - 38

[dcolburn at bibleseven.com]

    Wednesday


      2 Samuel 13:23 - 38



Absalom Has Amnon Put to Death

13:23 Two years later Absalom's sheepshearers were in Baal Hazor, near 
Ephraim. Absalom invited all the king's sons. 13:24 Then Absalom went to 
the king and said, "My shearers have begun their work. Let the king and 
his servants go with me."

13:25 But the king said to Absalom, "No, my son. We shouldn't all go. We 
shouldn't burden you in that way." Though Absalom pressed him, the king 
was not willing to go. Instead, David blessed him.

13:26 Then Absalom said, "If you will not go, then let my brother Amnon 
go with us." The king replied to him, "Why should he go with you?" 13:27 
But when Absalom pressed him, he sent Amnon and all the king's sons 
along with him.

13:28 Absalom instructed his servants, "Look! When Amnon is drunk and I 
say to you, 'Strike Amnon down,' kill him then and there. Don't fear! Is 
it not I who have given you these instructions? Be strong and 
courageous!" 13:29 So Absalom's servants did to Amnon exactly what 
Absalom had instructed. Then all the king's sons got up; each one rode 
away on his mule and fled.

13:30 While they were still on their way, the following report reached 
David: "Absalom has killed all the king's sons; not one of them is 
left!" 13:31 Then the king stood up and tore his garments and lay down 
on the ground. All his servants were standing there with torn garments 
as well.

13:32 Jonadab, the son of David's brother Shimeah, said, "My lord should 
not say, 'They have killed all the young men who are the king's sons.' 
For only Amnon is dead. This is what Absalom has talked about from the 
day that Amnon humiliated his sister Tamar. 13:33 Now don't let my lord 
the king be concerned about the report that has come saying, 'All the 
king's sons are dead.' It is only Amnon who is dead."

13:34 In the meantime Absalom fled. When the servant who was the 
watchman looked up, he saw many people coming from the west on a road 
beside the hill. 13:35 Jonadab said to the king, "Look! The king's sons 
have come! It's just as I said!"

13:36 Just as he finished speaking, the king's sons arrived, wailing and 
weeping. The king and all his servants wept loudly as well. 13:37 But 
Absalom fled and went to King Talmai son of Ammihud of Geshur. And David 
grieved over his son every day.

13:38 After Absalom fled and went to Geshur, he remained there for three 
years. 13:39 The king longed to go to Absalom, for he had since been 
consoled over the death of Amnon.



      Prayer


Lord, when evil goes unpunished the disease of injustice spreads like 
cancer, which is why in Your perfect wisdom You established a system of 
justice. May I be as willing to submit to justice as I am to seek it for 
others.



      Commentary


Two years after Amnon raped his half-sister Tamor, her brother Absalom 
still seethed in anger, as no justice had been brought to bear upon him 
for the crime by King David.

Amnon was the eldest son of King David, his mother was Ahinoam (from the 
Jezreelites; 2 Sam 3:2).

Absalom schemed to get Amnon out of the palace to the shearing fields 
where he instructed his servants to kill him. The rest of David's sons 
fled in fear.

David first received word that all of his sons had been killed by 
Absalom but then learned that it was only Amnon.

Meanwhile Absalom fled to Geshur, the home of his mother Maacah (one of 
David's wives and an Aramean) and he remained there for three years. 
David mourned Amnon and, after the time had passed, he desired to see 
Absalom to reconcile.



      Interaction


        Consider

When a crime has been committed, and the perpetrator is known, if there 
is no justice it is probable that the victim (or those close to them) 
will seek vigilante justice.


        Discuss

Could David's reluctance to bring justice to bear upon Amnon have been 
because he was his first born son?



        Reflect

David's irresponsible favoritism toward Amnon, a incestuous-rapist, 
created an environment where the enemy poisoned the heart of Absalom 
against both Amnon and King David.


        Share

When have you experience or observed an unpunished offense leading to 
further offenses, actual crimes or perhaps unresolved offenses?



      Faith in Action



        Prayer:

Ask the Holy Spirit to make you aware of an injustice you are 
responsible to make right, or one for which you need to grant 
forgiveness and release to Him.



        Action:

Today I will use my appropriate authority to mediate justice where a 
wrong has been done and has not been properly addressed, it may be in 
the role as parent, coach, educator, ministry leader, judge, or some 
other role. If the injustice has been against me I will walk through the 
process of forgiveness so that the enemy can no longer use it to poison 
my life and perhaps manipulate me into stealing from the Lord God His 
sovereign right to vengeance against those who sin.


        Be Specific ______________________________________________________



    Thursday's text will be:


      2 Samuel 14



-- 

Draw nearer to the Lord and He will bless you,
Have an http://Ultrafidian.com Day!
David M. Colburn, DMin. MaCo
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Personal Site: http://bibleseven.com
Bible Resources: http://bible.org
Teacher's Verse: John 7:16
Defend free speech or lose your freedom.
I don't google I SEARCH! http://ixquick.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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