READING: 2 Samuel 13-15
You’d think that King David would have reacted swiftly and decisively. After all, he had heard that his son Amnon had raped his daughter Tamar. In fact, Amnon had even used David to get Tamar in a place that would make her vulnerable to attack. How could a father not be irate and do something?
We’re told that David was indeed furious: “When King David heard of all these things, he was very angry” (2 Sam 13:21). What we’re not told is that he actually did anything in response to Amnon’s sin. Maybe he simply doted on his firstborn son Amnon and chose to ignore his act rather than call him to justice. It’s also possible that David felt he had little room to judge Amnon’s sin since he himself had sexual sin in his history. Whatever it was, David’s failure to deal with his son’s sin would lead to disastrous consequences, including Amnon’s own death at the hands of Absalom and Absalom’s later rebellion against David.
We are wise to learn from this story. First, lust is incredibly powerful and painfully consequential. Amnon so desired to sleep with Tamar that he made himself sick over it (2 Sam 13:2), but then he tossed her aside once he had been with her. Temporary pleasure would lead to long-term disaster.
Second, it’s difficult to discipline those you love for doing things you yourself have done. I tell dating couples that they must walk in godliness in their physical relationship not only because God demands it, but also because they will one day have to direct their own children in these matters. To say to our children, “We didn’t follow these guidelines, but we think you should,” simply loses any sense of credibility. We need to learn to make short-term right decisions to avoid the long-term consequences.
Third, to ignore the sin of those we love is not loving. David surely loved Amnon, but not confronting him with his wrong led to nothing bur further heartache. The pain we feel when we confront someone in love is worth the risk when we realize that doing so might save him or her from agony in the future.
ACTION STEPS:
- Choose some parents today (including yourself if you’re a parent), and pray that they will be great role models for their children.
- If you’re living in a way you would not want your children to emulate, turn from your wrong.
- If you have wayward children, enlist someone to pray with you for them today. If you need to confront a child lovingly, do so under the power of prayer.
PRAYER: “God, make me the best parent I can be today, even if it means confronting our children in their sin. Make me love them enough to guide them to deal with their wrong.”
TOMORROW’S READING: 2 Samuel 16-18