Today, we begin 2nd Samuel Chapter 13.
For the Complete Jewish Bible, click HERE.
For the King James Version, click HERE.
So before we dive into our text study…
I gotta issue a warning here.
We’re about to get into what could be considered some serious X-rated material.
I’m talking about rape and sexual violence…
Followed by scheming and cold-blooded murder.
Personally, this is why I love God’s Word.
I love that it’s so transparent.
It shows just how perverse and deviant men’s hearts can be.
So brace yourself.
Because this chapter ain’t some maple syrupy fairy tale you read aloud to your kids before bedtime.
It’s BOLD and GRAPHIC…
And doesn’t shy away from anything.
Ya feel me?
So with that out of the way…
Let’s establish the context for what’s about to unfold.
About 20 years have passed since David assumed the throne.
Amnon’s sin will be just the beginning of a series of events that’ll shake David’s kingdom to the core.
Now, here’s the thing.
Long gone was the young David who had defeated giants like Goliath.
The David we encounter here is a man who has gotten a bit too comfortable.
He spoiled his kids and didn’t set the best example.
Most of his children never knew him as God’s fearless warrior who battled Israel’s enemies and won.
Instead, all they knew was a father who lived a relaxed life of luxury…
And someone who had made some very poor choices in life.
The result?
David’s children grew up as spoiled royals who assumed privilege and luxury were their right.
Now, as I mentioned, I admire the Bible because of its honest, no-filter look at even its heroes’ flaws.
But, on top of that, there’s another reason why I love the Scriptures.
The motivations that drove the behavior of its characters ain’t that much different than what drives us modern homies in our time.
Ya feel me?
A lot of the stories in Scripture might seem random or weird at first…
But there’s ALWAYS a logical reason behind why people do what they do…
Even if things may seem like a mystery on the surface.
Take all of the drama about to explode with Amnon, Tamar, and Absalom.
Here’s the thing.
There was a high-stakes battle going on behind the scenes.
What am I talking about?
Well, think about it.
David had numerous children from different mothers…
Yet there was only ONE throne to be succeeded after David passed away…
In other words, brewing behind the scenes was major conflict over who would become the next king.
So we need to keep this backdrop in mind moving forward.
Alrighty, with that outta the way, let’s move into verse 1.
We’re told that Absalom had a stunningly beautiful sister named Tamar.
Her mother was Maacah, the daughter of the King of Geshur.
Now, at a first glance, I think a lot of us assume they were a brother and sister who were born from the same mother.
But here’s the thing.
Some of the ancient Rabbis beg to differ and assert they had different mothers.
Since their relationship is key to this story…
We’ll get into that the next time we meet.
Leave a Reply