The ripple effects of sin
2 samuel 13
Main Idea: We need a King who executes perfect justice on evil and bears the shame of sin.
I. The Consequences of Serious Sin (12:10-11, 14-23)
Though the Lord has “put away” David’s sin (12:13), there are still consequences for his flagrant disregard for God & His Word:
“The sword shall never depart from your house… I will raise up evil against you out of your own house” (12:10-11)
“The child who is born to you shall die” (12:14)
There is always a tension between our sin and our suffering in this world. We must be free to admit that sin in general has led to suffering in general, while being careful not to draw lines where God does not. Not all suffering in this fallen world is a punishment or consequence for specific sins we have committed.
Even in this sobering consequence, there are pointers to the gospel:
A son of David dies instead of the guilty; this will one day be true in an ultimate sense
Rather than David going to his son in death (12:23), Jesus reverses this direction in his resurrection, coming to us from the place of the dead.
II. The Danger of Unrestrained Lust (13:1-19)
Amnon sinfully lusts after his half-sister Tamar, frustrated that it was “impossible to do anything to her” (13:2). Unrestrained lust like this leads to objectification, dehumanization, and distorted relationships / desires.
Amnon is not smart enough on his own to get to Tamar; he needs an accomplice, and Jonadab is more than ready to help. The world is full of people like this, eager to put their wits to the service of other people’s evil. The intelligence and imagination that is generated daily in the cause of assisting others to acquire illegitimate power and indulge wrongful pleasure is astounding. By now “Jonadab” enterprises have sprung up all over the world, dedicated to helping men and women satisfy their sinful desires.
~ Eugene Peterson, First & Second Samuel
Amnon’s “love” for Tamar quickly turns to hatred; after he violates her body, he violates her soul in a cold, evil, & ‘godless’ manner: “Put this woman out of my presence” [lit. ‘this thing’]. Tamar’s appearance of ashes & a torn robe outwardly displays her pain, misery, and shame.
Tamar asks, “Where could I get rid of my disgrace?” Her question is left unanswered in the text… However, there was one who later came & entered her pain & shame. Jesus Christ was killed, not for revenge, but to bear her shame on the cross and to offer her a new robe of righteousness to replace her torn robes of disgrace. How Tamar felt after the assault is shockingly similar to what Jesus experienced leading up to and during his crucifixion. Jesus entered her pain and shame as Tamar’s substitute to remove the stain of sins committed against her, and he rose from the dead to bring her healing and hope.
~ Justin & Lindsey Holcomb, Rid of My Disgrace: Hope & Healing for Victims of Sexual Assault
1 Corinthians 6:18-19: Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
III. The Problem of Inadequate Anger (13:20-33)
Tamar is also failed by the deficient response of those around her. Though Absalom and David are rightly angered about this wickedness, they both have an ‘inadequate’ anger:
As both the King of Israel & a father, David was in the God-ordained means & position to deal with this evil; however, his anger fails to move him to righteous action and appropriate justice.
Absalom “takes this matter to heart” (13:20), but takes vengeance into his own hands with no restraint (cf. Rom. 12:19)
There is an “amplification” of the sins of David with both of his sons, with Amnon’s sexual sin and abuse, and Absalom’s murder of his brother. David’s own sin has led to a loss of moral credibility to properly act and bring God’s Word and will to bear.
David is the christ, God’s anointed king, Israel’s greatest king. But in the end, he’s a let-down. 2 Samuel leaves us longing for a king who will exercise justice without hypocrisy—a king with moral authority. We need a king who can say to the baying crowd as again they accuse the victim, “Let him who is without sin cast the first stone” (John 8:7). We need Jesus. But King Jesus does more than execute justice. He also covers our shame. “Where could I get rid of my disgrace?” asks Tamar before her rape. The answer will be at the cross. At the cross, Jesus not only atoned for our guilt; he also removed our shame. He puts right both the wrong we have done and the wrong that has been done to us. He clothes us in his righteousness and makes us children of God.
~ Tim Chester, 2 Samuel for You
This entire account is an invitation to take up the posture of lament, crying out “how long, O Lord?” (cf. Ps. 13:1, 35:17, 79:5) as we await the return of Christ who will “judge the living and the dead,” when everything hidden will be revealed (Lk. 12:2), and the eternal Kingdom of perfect justice will be established.
