“Amnon became so obsessed with his sister Tamar that he became ill, for she was a virgin, and Amnon thought it would be impossible to approach her.”-2 Samuel 13:2
Verse 2 tells us that Amnon became ill with lust towards his sister Tamar.
Why?
Because he thought it would be impossible to approach her.
But that begs the question.
Why did he think it would be impossible to approach her?
A lot of folks think it was because she was a virgin.
That’s incorrect.
There ain’t no restriction that forbids a man from entering into a relationship with a virgin.
The problem was because Tamar was his sister, homies.
The Torah prohibits incest…
And of course, this would include marriage.
So as far as Amnon was concerned…
He would never be able to touch her sexually…
And that’s what was driving him crazy.
Here’s the Torah reference:
“You shall not uncover the nakedness of your sister,
the daughter of your father or the daughter of your mother,
whether born at home or born abroad.”
-Leviticus 18:9
I know I said that I was operating under the assumption that Tamar was his full sister…
But even if she was his half-sister, it doesn’t matter.
This command explicitly forbids sexual relations with a half-sister…
Whether she is your father’s daughter or your mother’s daughter.
Heck, it’s even restated in Leviticus 20:17, which also prescribes punishment:
“If a man takes his sister,
the daughter of his father or
the daughter of his mother,
and sees her nakedness…
it is a disgrace.”
-Leviticus 20:17
Amnon was forbidden by Torah law from marrying Tamar even if she was his half-sister…
And Leviticus 18:9 forbids sexual relations with a half-sister…
No exceptions for marriage are given!
My point is even if he had wanted to “do the right thing” after raping her (which he didn’t)…
Torah law wouldn’t have permitted marriage between them anyway.
Ya feeling me here?
So there’s a pattern here I want you to notice.
Isn’t it interesting that Amnon fell the same way his father did?
King David lusted after a woman who was legally forbidden to him…
And now his son was doing the very same thing.
Both men were taken in by the rare beauty of the woman for whom they fell head over heels.
So, this was the Lord executing divine justice as He said he would…
The classic eye-for-eye principle is unfolding before our very eyes.
The takeaway here is plain as day:
How we’ve wronged others in the past…
Will come right back to bite us similarly…
I’ve noticed this in my own life…
And I’ve noticed it in others.
If you’ve lied, stolen, or taken advantage of people who trusted you…
Don’t be shocked when betrayal comes from those you swore would never turn on you.
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