“But when she brought them near, so that he could eat, he grabbed her and said to her, ‘Come to bed with me, my sister.’ ‘No, my brother,’ she answered him, ‘don’t force me! Things like this aren’t done in Israel; don’t behave so disgracefully!'”-2 Samuel 13:11-12
We’ve now arrived at the scene of terror.
Tamar has finished preparing the “heart-cakes” for her brother.
But when she tried to serve him, he refused to eat.
In his princely arrogance, Amnon instead ordered all the servants to leave.
He then asked Tamar to bring the cakes into his bedroom.
I imagine Tamar had a feeling in her gut that something wasn’t quite right.
You know how women possess this sixth sense that enables them to perceive danger?
Well, I betcha her spider senses were going off full throttle as she entered her brother’s sleeping chambers.
She should’ve obeyed her instincts…
But tragically, she didn’t.
As soon as she tried to serve the food to her “sick” brother…
He suddenly sprang to life like a tiger who had just been uncaged.
Amnon grabbed Tamar and expressed his real intentions to her.
“Come to bed with me, my sister,” Amnon begged.
Shocked and repulsed, Tamar responded with…
“No, my brother…
“Don’t force me!
Things like this aren’t done in Israel.
Don’t behave so disgracefully!”
She would be cleared of all blame by clearly rejecting Amnon’s invitation to sin.
The guilt would fall on Amnon who would go down in eternal history as a rapist.
But tragically, it was the innocent party who would suffer the most.
Alright, let’s stop here and get to today’s takeaway.
To me, it’s summed up perfectly in this phrase:
“Things like this aren’t done in Israel.”
That line captures the heart of what it means to be a believer.
It means a holy God has redeemed you…
And called you to SEPARATE yourself from the world’s way of doing things.
If you’re a gentile believer, grafted into Israel through faith in the Jewish Messiah…
And if evil urges inside you arise…
Tempting you to commit adultery, lie, or steal…
Remind yourself:
“Things like this aren’t done in Israel.”
If you’re tempted to follow New Age teachings promising you can manifest riches beyond your dreams…
Remind yourself:
“Things like this aren’t done in Israel.”
Or if you feel the pull to gossip, judge, or hate…
Remind yourself:
“Things like this aren’t done in Israel.”
Ya feel me?
Over and out, homies.
CONNECTING THIS TEACHING TO THE NEW TESTAMENT
“It is actually being reported that
there is sexual sin among you,
and it is sexual sin of a kind
that is condemned even by gentiles
— a man is living with his stepmother!
And you stay proud?
Shouldn’t you rather have felt some sadness
that would have led you to remove
from your company the man
who has done this thing?
For I myself, even though I am
absent physically, am with you spiritually;
and I have already judged the man
who has done this as if I were present.
In the name of the Lord Yeshua,
when you are assembled,
with me present spiritually and
the power of our Lord Yeshua among us,
hand over such a person to the Adversary
for his old nature to be destroyed,
so that his spirit may be
saved in the Day of the Lord.”
-1 Corinthians 5:1-5
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