David's naughty, naughty children! King David definitely needed to read a copy of Boundaries by Cloud & Townsend. His children manipulated him like crazy! I just want to scream at him, "Are you out of your mind? What were you thinkin'?"
Amnon fell in love with Tamar, who was his brother Absalom's sister. Doesn't that make Tamar Amnon's sister too? This is another example of why multiple wives was a bad deal. Amnon's "cousin friend" Jonadab didn't help matters either. Lord, please surround my children with godly friends who will offer them godly advice! I just can't believe King David fell for the stupid scheme. Poor, naive Tamar. She was just obeying her father. Amnon's rejection of Tamar after the incest is very typical of perpetrators. I just cried for Tamar, who lived as a desolate woman after she was violated.
2 Samuel 13:21 makes me sick. David was furious? And then what? Nothing! He did absolutely nothing about his son's crime. Aaaahhhhhhhhhh! This drove Tamar's brother Absalom to plot Amnon's murder. Two years later he succeeds. Again, David is manipulated by his children. Good grief! 2 Samuel 13:32-33 shows Jonadab meddling again. He knew all along that Absalom was planning to kill Amnon. I thought he was Amnon's friend! Can anyone say, "Soap opera?" Verses 37-39 leave me dumbfounded. David didn't deal with Absalom's crime either. His passive fathering is just horrifying to me. Parents, step up and be the parent. Comfort your children when they need it, but never be afraid to discipline them when they need it. Aaahhh!
2 Samuel 15 proves that Absalom lost complete respect for his father. I have to wonder how drastically different things would have been if David had handled Tamar's victimization wisely. But since David avoided confrontation when his children were young adults, he had to face their opposition later in life. 2 Samuel 15:6 tells us Absalom, "stole the hearts of the men of Israel." He was very shrewd! It almost makes me admire him for being a man with a plan. David falls for the plan once again (surprise, surprise) when Absalom asks his permission to worship at Hebron. Remember Hebron is where David was first proclaimed as king. Absalom was no dummy.
David fled Jerusalem in fear of his own son. Verse 16 of 2 Samuel 15 should cause you to reflect back on the judgments Nathan pronounced against David in Chapter 12. Absalom will publicly defile David's concubines at the end of 2 Samuel 16.
Did you notice that David kept telling people to go back to Jerusalem? I'm not sure I get that. I would want as many people on my side as possible. Do you have any thoughts about this? I'm not sure I understand what David was thinking. I do think it's funny that he prayed in 2 Samuel 15:31 that God would ruin Absalom's counselors. Then he sends Hushai to make sure Absalom's plan will be thwarted. 2 Samuel 17 gives those details.
2 Samuel 18 leaves me shaking my head again. David was totally confused. Did he want Absalom alive or dead? What if Joab had not killed Absalom? Then what? As a parent, I understand that David had to mourn the loss of his son, but Joab wisely tells him to snap out of it in 2 Samuel 19:1-8.
Ick! These were not fun chapters. I think today's reading will spur me on to be a better parent and to pray daily for my children. How about you?
David sure held out hope for change in his son. He knew once he heard of his death that there were no more chances for change, that was it.
ReplyDeleteI have seen it over and over on the news, interviews with parents of children who have just been accused of doing something horrible and they can not accept that their child would be capable of such evil. But, they are, we all are.
Just as King David waited for his son to come around, so does our LORD wait for us. I wish that David would have handled his son's first wrongs better and acknowledged Tamar's pain, but wow...in the end Absalom lost everything, his life. He did not lose his eternal life though and by his earthly choices, I believe his eternal life will be spent seperated from God. Oh, that Absalom would have had a change in his heart. The pain that David must have felt knowing his son died so far from God, it would be unbearable and such a hard thing to get past.
Ok, these were very confusing! Who's brother, who's daughter, who's counselor, etc. is who's???? Doesn't this also make Tamar David's daughter? So, why didn't he stand up for his own daughter and nip it all in the bud right then and there? I have always been sickened by Amnon and what he did to Tamar. It wasn't bad enough to rape her, then he sends her away. He deserves eternal separation from the Lord for what he did (my opinion). But how disheartening this must have been to David for his son's to act this way and to not follow the Lord.
ReplyDeleteIt does make you want to be in constant prayer for your children to choose God's path for their lives. This hits me so much because of everything I can see happening with Riley. I want him so much to see the Lord and want to live his life for Him that it sometimes just crushes my heart to not have him here to be teaching him the right way. But I have to just pray that God has him in His hands and will protect him from evil. I also pray that he will choose God's way and not his own or an evil way.
Isn't it too bad that God didn't create children with a remote control so we can change their behavior whenever we need to? Well, guess what, God created each of us with the freedom of choice. He loves us too much to control our every move. LORD, may I choose You every day. May my children choose You too.
ReplyDeleteOh the heartache that children can cause! I regret deeply the times that I broke my parents hearts. I mourn the times that my children have and will break mine. I rejoice in the times of repentance and return to God. I love the verse (don't know where it is found) "Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it." My grammy and papa were heartbroken and in constant prayer over their baby boy who walked away from the Lord. I believe God's word is on its way to being fulfilled, I recently heard that while he is still drinking and not following God, downloaded Christian songs as his ringtones on his phone, not much but a step in the right direction considering he has not and would not listen to christian music for such a long time.
ReplyDeleteGod's word is so awesome. I am constantly amazed at how often God uses different situations to bring himself to our minds.