Even Forgiven Sin is Devastating

Transcript

GRS 2-82
9/30/2007
Even Forgiven Sin is Devastating
2 Samuel 13-14
Gil Rugh

We are in Second Samuel and the 13th chapter for our study together continuing the study of the life of David in this section of Israel’s history. One of the most outstanding figures in Israel’s history and really in all The Old Testament and with the name used of God as we have noted to write portions of our Scripture particularly the Psalms, and there you see something of David’s heart and walk with the Lord. In Chapter 11, David sinned by committing adultery with Bathsheba followed it up with murdering her husband in an attempt to cover his sin.

In Chapter 12, Nathan the Prophet came and confronted David about his sin and God graciously has forgiven David. In Chapter 12 verse 13, David said to Nathan I have sinned against the Lord and Nathan said to David the Lord has taken away your sin, you shall not die. David has been forgiven, but things have to be made right between David and the Lord as he confronts the reality of his sin and then gets ready to bear the consequences. But it is important to note David is a forgiven man now. He is not doing penance for his sin, if you will, in what is about to unfold in Chapters 13 to 20, but there are consequences for sin even when we have been forgiven and that’s what is about to unfold.

Psalm 51 and Psalm 32 as we considered earlier today unfolds something of David’s response to this whole situation and the realization of God’s cleansing and forgiveness of his sin. And you will note even those wonderful Psalms as we have looked at them together will not undo certain consequences that David has to bear. But as he goes through this painful experiences as his family is shattered he still will now the reality of the Lord’s presence with him, the strength the Lord provides, the joy the Lord gives, the peace He gives as unpleasant and painful as it will indeed be. While you are still looking at Chapter 12 you will note in verse 10, Nathan told David the sword shall never depart from your house, God says, because you have despised me.

Then verse 11, “Behold I will raise up evil against you from your own household.” So there is going to be much difficulty in David’s own household. The sword will be used within his household, one member against another of his own family. Evil will come against David as he to bear the painful rebellion of his own son against him and so on. Chapters 13 to 20 record these painful experiences and that’s where Chapter 13 picks up. It says now after this, we are not told any exact timeline here, but we are unfolding now things that have happened in light of David’s sin and the pain that it brought to David’s family. God is not the cause of this sinful actions remember.

James 1, “God is never tempted by sin nor does He ever tempt anyone to sin.” But God uses the sinful desires of men to accomplish his purposes. Terrible things are going to happen in David’s family. One of his sons is going to rape his own sister, another son is going to murder his brother, and on it goes. And that’s what Nathan said was going to take place in David’s family, evil in his own household, the sword in his own home, but God never causes it. He is never the cause of sin, but God works in such way that sin is always accomplishing His purposes, and part of God’s judgment – remember in Romans 1, “As he turns man over to his own sinful desires.” And God so uses the sinful desires of man’s heart for accomplishing even of His purposes.

Chapters 13 and 14 are about the unpleasant situation where there is rape and murder in David’s family among his own children. One son will rape his sister and that will lead to the murder of that son by another son. I say son and sister and that we are talking about half-sister, David is the father but he has multiple wives and concubines, so you have one of his sons by one wife doing this to the daughter of David by another wife and on it goes in the situation in David’s family. It’s hard to believe here is the man after God’s own heart, here is the man used to write Psalms that are such a blessing and comfort to us, and you want to talk about a dysfunction family, I mean a family that is a mess. A family that you don’t want to model your own family after, it’s the family of David, remarkable.

It was after this Chapter 13, that Absalom the son of David had a beautiful sister whose name was Tamar and Amnon the son of David loved her. Now Absalom and Tamar are full brother and sister. In other words, David is their father and they have the same mother also. Children of David by his wife Maacah and Maacah was the daughter of Talmai, he was the king of Geshur. This was back in Second Samuel Chapter 3 verse 3 I am sure you remember that. I am mentioning it because knowing who their mother and who their grandfather is becomes significant a little later in the story because when Absalom kills his brother he is going to flee to the land of Geshur. Why would he go to Geshur? That’s his grandfather’s house. It carries him outside the bounds of Israel and really he runs to his mother’s father, his grandfather, so that will come out later. But Absalom and Tamar are the children of David by his wife Maacah.

Amnon was David’s oldest son by his wife Ahinoam. So he is really the half brother to Absalom and Tamar, same father different mother. Amnon loves Tamar whilst it is expressed here as he would say it is but he is really just filled with a consuming lust for her. And once his lust for her has been satisfied he will hate her with an extreme hatred but as the story begins Amnon the son of David loved the beautiful sister Tamar. Now the law forbids marriage between family members including half-brothers and half-sisters. We won’t turn back but Leviticus 18 verses 9 and 11, Deuteronomy 27:22, “You are not allowed to have sexual relations with your half-brother or half-sister. They were not eligible partners for you under Mosaic Law.” Amnon is frustrated over his love for his sister.

Verse 2, he is so frustrated because of his Tamar, he made himself ill. We talk some in our study of Psalm 51 and 32, the devastating impact of sin. And it is not only when sin is committed but the desire for sin and that consuming longing for sin can have consequences for us even physically and Amnon is so taken up with desiring his sister, he is actually physically ill. She was a virgin and it seemed hard to Amnon to do anything to her. But keep in mind he is the king’s son. Like David he had multiple women who could be available to him for him to marry or for him to take as a concubine. But we are back to Proverbs stolen waters are sweet and bread eaten in secret is pleasant. There is just something about that. Why would David would his multiple wives and multiple concubines did he have Bathsheba? And now why Amnon have to have Tamar? But he is consumed with a passion for her.

She is of marriageable age. She is a virgin but Amnon obviously can’t have anything to do with her and in the normal flow of things their contact would be extremely limited because she is a virgin of marriageable age so there in this society would not have been a lot of interaction between the two people. They would never have had times alone if you will because that would raise serious questions and we are going to see what happens here. Amnon had a friend whose name was Jonadab, the son of Shimeah, David’s brother. So it’s a cousin. Jonadab was a very shrewd man. Some would translate that wise man. He said to him oh son of the king why are you so depressed morning after morning. You see it is not only sin committed that depresses you, discourages you. Here he is makes himself physically over his desire for a sinful action. There is a cousin who is a close friend says why are you depressed morning after morning. Why don’t you tell me? Amnon said to him I am in love with Tamar the sister of my brother Absalom. Jonadab then said to him lie down in your bed, pretend to be ill.

When your father comes to you, say to him please let my sister Tamar come and give me food to eat. Let her prepare the food in my sight that I may see it and eat from her hand. So Amnon lay down and pretended to be ill. We are told he made himself ill in verse 2. Now he is got to look ill enough that he can’t even make his own dinner. I am just too sick even to make any food. So then you ask your father if Tamar could come and prepare a meal for you. In other words, the king could give the permission on this occasion can come and she will take care of you, prepare some food for you.

So David sent, verse 7, house for Tamar saying go to your brother Amnon, prepare food for him. So Tamar went to her brother Amnon’s house. He was lying down. She took dough needed and made cakes in his sight, baked it, did all the things, getting things ready. Then Amnon said have everybody go out and Tamar can bring the meal in and serve it to me in bed. You can see his wicked mind unfolding the events and you are aware what happens as she brings the food in he grabs on to her and forcibly rapes her. She tries to prevent it; down in verses 12 and 13 as he holds on to her and says come have sex with me basically. “She answered him, no my brother do not violate me for such a thing is not done in Israel. Do not do this disgraceful thing. As for me where could I get rid of my reproach; as for you, you will be like one of the fools in Israel.” Such a thing shouldn’t be done in Israel. It is disgraceful. That’s one reason you shouldn’t do this. I mean you know they are saying we live under the Mosaic Law. We are God’s people. It is disgraceful, you don’t do it. And this would bring a reproach on me. She would now be defiled. She is now not going to be marriage material if you will. And thirdly it will bring dishonor on Amnon himself. He will be viewed as a fool.

Well, she can’t talk Amnon out of it. He is the stronger one. He forcibly had sex with her and satisfied his lustful desires. After he does that, verse 15, we are told Amnon hated her with a very great hatred. For the hatred with which he hated her was greater than the love with which he had loved her. Amnon said to her get out of here. I mean amazing. I read someplace where someone said you know the line between love and hate can be very, very narrow, very small. Well, it certainly is here. When he as consumed I just can’t live with Amnon I can’t go on, I can’t even think of anything else, I am depressed, I am sick but only what he wanted to do is satisfy his lust. When he has, he hates her more intensely than he ever loved her. Can’t even stand the sight of her now, he just wants her to get out.

She said to him, verse 16, no because this wrong in sending me away is greater than the one you have done to me. I mean it was bad enough you raped me but now just to discard, that would even be a greater offence. He calls one of his servants, verse 17, and says throw this woman out of my presence, lock the door behind her. I mean see something of the cold, callous indifference of sin on Amnon’s part. He has done this disgraceful thing to his sister and now he just wants to be rid of her. Where is she to go? What is she to do? And so she is dressed in the garment of a virgin, verse 18, a long sleeved garment, it might have been a very multi-colored tunic, it marked off as a virgin and as a marriageable virgin if you will, but this dress when she got married then she would dress different. That way there would be no confusion on recognizing an unmarried woman who would be a potential wife over one who is already married. She goes out and tears her garment and put ashes on her and went about wailing. Have you ever wondered what did Amnon think was going to happen here? Now she is walking out and is becoming a public thing. He didn’t care. He is the king’s son. Who is going to call him to task in the first place?

You see there is a certain hardness about sin. As you will see as we move along with David’s family, I won’t excuse any body’s sin but David has a reluctance in disciplining his sons. We will told that in a couple of occasions with different sons that David didn’t discipline them. Amnon evidently is not afraid of the consequence. He is not even not out there what I am going to do and if my father finds out what I have done I will be in serious trouble. Whatever is going on we are not told because all the side details aren’t necessary for us to see what happens. Absalom, Verse 20, her brother said to her has Amnon your brother been with you. But now keep silent my sister, he is your brother do not take this matter to heart. Tamar, after he talks to her, he finds out what’s going on, that’s your brother, nothing you can do about it. It’s not your fault. You stay in my home. So she will remain and was desolate in her brother’s Absalom’s house, means she remains a virgin from this point on. It means she doesn’t marry. So in that sense Amnon is if you will ruined her life. Now she will remain an unmarried woman living in her brother’s house. That would have been her as a mother and so on have been taken from her.

Now when King David heard of all these matters he was very angry. But evidently he does nothing about it. He is just angry to hear such a thing, what happened? But he does nothing. That seems shocking. I don’t know why some people speculate. Maybe David just you know what he had done with Bathsheba did involve an immoral relationship and we are not told why he doesn’t act, he doesn’t. He is angry but he doesn’t do anything. But Absalom hasn’t forgotten but he doesn’t do anything at this occasion. But he has planned in his mind already as the story unfolds that he is laying the groundwork, the plan so that at the right time he will take vengeance on Amnon. So it is a personal thing that Absalom takes to heart. He will avenge the honor of his sister for what Amnon has done. Absalom did not speak to Amnon either good or bad for Absalom hated Amnon because he had violated his sister Tamar.

Now we jump two years past about two full years Absalom has sheep shears in Baal-hazor which is near Ephraim. Absalom invited all the king’s sons. So what we have now, the rest of this chapter is the revenge of Absalom, and he doesn’t say anything good or bad to Amnon about this. He didn’t go out and vent what he is thinking to Amnon. He doesn’t say anything. So Amnon doesn’t know how Absalom has taken it. Now, after two full years I am sure Amnon is not thinking anymore about it. He has gone with his life. Evidently, David hasn’t done anything about it. But Absalom has been planning. Now enough time has gone, Amnon won’t be expecting anything. And it is the time for shearing the sheep and the celebration and so on that go with this. So he comes to David and said I would like the whole family to come out. You and all my brothers and we will have a celebration. David says I am not going to come. So well at least let my brothers come out and celebrate.

Now David says I am not going but fine if you want your brother Amnon and the others to go with you. Verse 27, Absalom urged him and he led Amnon and all the king’s sons go with him. And then Absalom tells his servants now when we are celebrating, we are eating, everybody is drinking I want you to kill Amnon my brother. The end of verse 28, “Strike Amnon, put him to death. Do not fear. Have I not myself commanded you? Be courageous and valiant.” So when Absalom gives the signal at the feast, his servants pounced on Amnon and kill him. Well you can imagine the impact this has on all the other sons. Maybe this is a coup and the intention is to kill us all. So they all take off, running. And then word gets to David down in verse 30. Absalom has struck down all the king’s sons, not one of them is left. You know how rumors go. So everybody is fleeing and somebody brings a message to David, Absalom has turned and has killed all your sons. Well, David goes into mourning, the signs of morning prayer is closed and so on.

Then verse 32, Jonadab, the cousin, the son of David’s brother, back in verse 5, he was the one who suggested to Amnon on the way that he could establish a relationship with his sister and has some private time. Now he appears here again. Jonadab, son of David’s brother, respond and said let not my Lord suppose they have put to death all the young men, the king’s sons, for Amnon alone is dead because by the intent of Absalom this has determined since the day he violated his sister Tamar. Jonadab has been aware of Absalom’s plan from back. Well, we are not told much about Jonadab but he was a friend of Amnon but he evidently is a cousin who has contact with his cousin here and he knew from day one Absalom intended to kill Amnon. I don't know, evidently he didn’t warn Amnon because Amnon is caught off guard. But Jonadab said to David this is not a matter of all your sons are dead. It is just a matter has made up his mind from the day two years ago when Amnon raped Tamar that he was killing him and that’s what he has done. Maybe he was in on what Absalom was going to do because he is here to tell David what the reality is and what has really happened.

So, verse 33, “Don’t take it to heart at all your sons are dead. Only Amnon is dead.” Now Absalom had fled and the young man who was the watchman raised his eyes and looked and many people were coming down the road. And so when they see this coming and then Jonadab can tell the king, verse 35, here come you sons and their servants all running back to daddy and escaped from Absalom. Verse 37, “Now Absalom fled and went to Talmai the son of Ammihud, the king of Geshur. Remember where he went, he went back to grandfather’s house, his mother’s father. Remember it would be different than Amnon’s mother; he has a different mother. So he goes back really to his grandfather’s house where he would be safe and he will stay there for three years, we are told in verse 38.

Chapter concludes David really misses Absalom. He gets over the mourning for Amnon. Amnon is gone, time’s past. Now you got three years go by. I have gotten over the death of Amnon and I really missed Absalom. Now I mourn two sons, one is dead and one is exile. So David has a desire and it is hard to see Absalom again and this opens the door for Chapter 14 for Joab to intervene. Joab, remember he is David’s commander, army commander, and he is going to suggest the way to get Absalom back where he is really going to lay a plan, more than a suggestion, but he is going to carry it out. Why he may have been concerned for David, he may have realized for the good of the nation we need to get this resolved. I mean David is distracted, this guy had gone through with the rape of one child then the murder of a son, now the absence of another son, this is not good for the nation. We got to get this thing resolved and get on with it. We don’t know why Joab is doing what he is doing.

But verse 1 of Chapter 14 starts, “Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king’s heart was inclined toward Absalom.” So he sent Thecua and brings a wise woman from there and tells her now you put on the garments of a mourner and I want you to look like you have been mourning for a long time for a dead person. Then you go and appear before the king and you have a request that you are asking him to grant. Really to overrule the normal that would take place in a certain situation. And the situation she is going to say is one of her sons was guilty of killing the other. And she wants David to intervene so that her relatives don’t kill the surviving guilty son because then she says I will have no one. Because in normal pattern relatives have the option to carry out the vengeance. So that story is down in verse 8, after David hears it, the end of verse 7, the woman says they will extinguish my coal which is left, the last glowing ember because my husband is gone, my one son is gone, I have only got this son, if they carry out their blood vengeance on him, I will be left with no one. The king says go to your house and I will think about this and give a ruling. Well, she persists then and asks him to proceed and deal with it. She is now going to begin to unfold what needs to be done with David. That’s the account.

You know sort of the pattern they followed. Remember what Nathan did, he told an abbreviated kind of account as a parable. Here this lady just tells a story that is not true are going to make the same point in the same kind of way. So what she really then says down in verse 18, after all of her accounts, the king answered and said to the woman please do not hide anything from me that I am about to ask you. The woman said let my lord the king speak. The king said is the Joab with you on all this. When she persists in this and then makes her application, David says I think probably Joab put her up to this. I mean this story about her son killing another son and now that son needing to be spared and now the way she is applying this I think maybe Joab is involved. So he says to her, does Joab put you up to this?

Verse 19, “The woman replied as your soul lives, my lord the king, no one can turn to the right or the left from anything that my lord the king has spoken. Indeed it was your servant Joab who commanded. It was he who put all these words in the mouth of your maidservant nor did it change the appearance of things your servant Joab has done this thing. But my lord is wise like the wisdom in angel of God and all that is in the earth.” The point is done. She didn’t do this to get Joab in trouble. Because the whole of this is what? To open David up to having Absalom return home and so the point has been made, the story has made its point.

So the king said to Joab in verse 21, “Behold now I will surely do this thing. Go therefore bring back the young man Absalom.” All right maybe you are right, maybe we ought to bring Absalom back. Joab fell on his face to the ground, prostrated himself and bless the king. Then Joab said today your servant knows that I have found favor in your sight oh my lord the king in that the king has performed the request of his servant. I mean Joab said you have done me a great kindness. The chapter opened up Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king’s heart was inclined toward Absalom. So he does this for David but it is done, you know, you are dealing with the king, you don’t tell him what to do. So it ends up being that David has done a favor to Joab that brought Absalom back. Joab deals with it that way and thanks David for performing the request. Joab evidently thinks this will be best for David and for the nation. He didn’t have any particular strong feelings for Absalom because you know at whose hands Absalom will die later in the story.

So Joab arose, went to Geshur and brought Absalom to Jerusalem. Geshur is up with the trans-Jordan in the north side. Really the east side of the sea of Galilee, up there we know is the sea of Galilee. That’s where Geshur is, I will give you an idea where Absalom has been in exile if you will living with his grandparents. However the king said let him return to his own house. Let him not see my face. So Absalom returned to his own house and did not see the king’s face. Interesting the unfolding of things here. Verse 39 of Chapter 13 told us David’s heart longed to see Absalom and it is clear even to Joab who assumed others around David that David really misses Absalom. But it is done in steps, Absalom can come back to the land that may be a comfort to David knowing that his son is back in the land, back home. But David will have no contact with him, won’t see him. This went on for a couple of years. So there may be comfort to David to know that Absalom is back but there is no restoration to this point.

So Absalom is now back home but David is not open to see him, to have any contact with him or to talk about him. Verses 25 to 27, really are put in here because they help us understand what is coming in the next chapter. They tell us how physically attractive Absalom is and you know nothing has changed, we like to say oh we shouldn’t put emphasis on physical appearance but that’s not anything knew. I assume that David was probably a very handsome man and you can be relatively sure that a man in David’s position didn’t pick the ugly woman of the kingdom to be his wives. So we are not surprised that he had beautiful kids. I mean Tamar was a beautiful woman. Absalom is a strikingly handsome man.

Verse 25, “He is the most handsome in all Israel.” What more can you want? You are the son of the king so you have got money, you have position and you are the most handsome in the whole nation. He had it all. Now in all Israel there was no one as handsome as Absalom; so highly praised. From the sole of his foot to the crown of his head there was no defect in him. I mean it is not like someone you put some clothes on, they look decent. I mean Absalom was from head to toe a strikingly handsome man and he had a head of hair. He only got a haircut once a year. And the reason he got a head of hair, his hair was so thick, when it got too long it was just too heavy for him to carry around. So once a year he got his hair cut.

Verse 26, “It was heavy on him.” So he cut it, he weighed the hair of his head 200 shekels by the king’s weight. I mean what more could you want. And to Absalom there were born three sons, one daughter whose name was Tamar. She was a woman of beautiful appearance. See what he has done and some do this today, they are named after their relatives, he names his daughter after his sister. Sometimes they have a child they name that child after a brother or a sister of their own. He names his daughter in honor of his sister Tamar and she is a beautiful woman. You now he has three sons here but evidently none of these sons survived because later in Chapter 18 when Absalom on account of his activities and death we are told he had no sons. So when he dies he has no sons. So these three sons here will die young. We are not told how old, we are just told that he had three sons born to him and a beautiful daughter. The daughter probably survived and her beauty was evident.

The sons won’t survive as Chapter 18 verse 18 will tell us. That account of Absalom will prepare the way for Chapter 15 when the whole nation is ready to follow him because he has the appearance you would want. I mean nothing new, people like to look at beautiful people. I mean look at the celebrities. There is nothing new. Now here he will be in a position to assert himself against David his father and his appearance is such people are drawn to him and attracted to him and he will have a personality that wins people over. I mean if you put all that together, he is a striking young man but he will have a short life.

Verse 28, now we go back to the account here of Absalom, he lived two full years in Jerusalem and he didn’t see the king’s face. So we have got five years have gone by. Three years that he lived in his grandfather’s territory in Geshur. Now two years back, five years since he has seen his father David. He is ready to see his father. Now you know something of what Absalom’s heart is about what will happen in Chapter 15. He is not just happy living back here in his house, being provided for as a king’s son and he doesn’t like being on the outside of what’s going on. We don’t know what else is going in his mind at this time. So he sends for Joab so that Joab can get him an audience with his father the king. He just couldn’t even as the son of the king the king said he can’t come in. Joab is in the position and he would be in charge of these things, anyone the king says can’t come and see me, can’t get in.

So Absalom has no access to the king even though he is his father so he calls for Joab, the commander of his father’s army, to provide an access. It was Joab who got him back to his home. So that’s a natural contact. But Joab won’t come. Joab did what he thought he should do for David’s comfort but he won’t come and see Absalom either. So Absalom sends the second time, he won’t come. So Absalom says to his servants Joab’s field is next to mine. He has barley there go set it on fire. So Absalom’s servants set the field on fire. Absalom’s servants are loyal. When Absalom tells his servants kill my brother when I give the signal even though that brother is the son also of the king, they do what Absalom says. Now Joab is commander of the king’s army. He tells his servants go burn down Joab’s, I mean Joab is not a man to fool around with, but they go and set his field on fire. And Absalom wants Joab to know that he is the one who has done it. So they set Joab’s field on fire.

Verse 31, Joab arose and came to Absalom at his house. See Joab won’t come when I call for him. I will burn his field down. Now he is going to want to talk to me. So here comes Joab. Why have your servants set my field on fire? Absalom answered Joab behold I sent for him saying come here that I may send you to the king to say why have I come from Geshur. It would be better for me to still be there. Now therefore let me see the king’s face and if there is iniquity in me then let him put me to death. I am not willing to live this. I would rather be in exile living in my grandfather’s country, land. Be here in the king’s house in a broad sense his household but be cut off all access to the king I would have rather stayed there in exile.

He finds this humiliating, unacceptable. So he is ready to have an appearance for the king. If the king wants to me to death, then let him do it. Absalom is aware of his father is not going to do that. He didn’t attempt to do it for five years. It’s a good bet, safe bet that he is not going to try to execute him now. There has been no attempt on David’s part to pursue Absalom when he was in exile nor any attempt here David has said he can come back and live here. So it is a strong statement but he is making clear to Joab I won’t live like this any longer. I am willing to die over this issue.

So Joab will come to the king on his behalf because what is Joab going to do now, he is caught here. If he can’t have Joab, what do we burn down next to burn down my house nor is Joab ready to take these things into his own and kill Absalom without David’s permission because then David could have Absalom executed. You may think well we are rather close but when all is said and done David will have Joab executed for something happens later. So Joab has to handle things properly. So he goes to the king. He told him and so he called for Absalom. He came to the king, prostrated himself on the face before the king, and the king kissed Absalom. Well, the family is back together, not for good. Absalom has evil intentions. It is not only he wants restored to his father, he has his eyes set on the throne, and he has to get back in a position where he can again assert some influence and develop a following in Israel and he can’t do this when he is closed out. So now he has to get back in because Chapter 15 will open up and we are not going into this but after this Absalom provided for himself a chariot horse and 50 men to run for him.

Now he can begin to act again as a king’s son and utilized that position to begin to develop a following that will prepare for a disastrous rebellion against David. You see it just gets worse. Back when David’s sin with Bathsheba little did he know what all would unfold out of that evening of pleasure. That led to murder and then a year of misery for himself as we saw described in Psalm 51. And now the sword will never depart from his house and evil will rise up among your own household. Now he has experienced terrible thing of one son raping his daughter and then another son killing that son in revenge. And then the son who killed his brother living in exile for three years and realizing that my daughter’s has been ruined, my son is dead and my other son is now in exile so then he can come back. And you know you have five years here but the Bible hasn’t given us a lot of details on David’s life during these five years. It is highlighting some of the awful consequences.

David is an outstanding man but God wants to drive home to us the seriousness of sin. I am sure there could have been a lot of things said about David during this period of time. Wouldn’t it have been enough just to say there were troubles in David’s family, we have to unfold this? Do we have to study this? Do we have to read it, have to read what Amnon did to Tamar? Have to read about them? Could we have just said there was trouble in David’s household and death? Why is God taking the time in Scripture these five years is this what we need to know about David? I mean this is what God intends for us to know. Sin is terrible. David could write about the wonder of God’s forgiveness and the joy of being cleansed. He had to live out the consequences of his sin.

Now the Lord was with him. The Lord restored him but the Lord didn’t say okay now you won’t have any consequences. He doesn’t impute iniquity to him. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t consequences, difficulties, trials. I wonder as I study this and I say Lord chapter after chapter of this, this is what we need to know year after year out of David’s life, we don’t have anything. Just these terrible accounts. Why would God choose to record that? Because we need to be reminded how terrible sin is. We need a healthy fear of sin because it appeals to us delightfully. The beautiful Bathsheba, the beautiful Tamar, but a reminder it is not worth it. It is not worth it. The price goes on. The evening’s pleasure is over and the price goes on and on and on. But doesn’t God forgive, he forgives, he cleanses, he restores, the consequences go on and it only gets worse.

So just a few things in a more orderly way, sin has devastating consequences. You know we never want to forget that. Sin has devastating consequences. Well, we think this is not that significant, says who? The only one who decides is the God who is sinned against. So sin has devastating consequences. I just want to think of it in that how do I want to live with the consequences of this sin. Whereas sin comes to us and just sells about the pleasure of the evening so to speak, but sin has devastating consequences and often the effects of our sin are felt most strongly in our own families. That doesn’t excuse Amnon’s sin, it doesn’t excuse Absalom’s sin but sin has devastating consequences and often those close to us are greatly affected by our sin.

As we have noted sin’s desires have physical and emotional effects. We saw that Amnon. He is physically ill and he is depressed and he hasn’t even committed the act of sin yet. But that desire for sin becomes consuming and it begins to have that impact. You know marriage has unraveled and you say we haven’t done anything but one of the spouse is taken up with the desire that is sinful and wrong, pretty soon that has begun to have an impact upon him, upon his marriage, upon his family, he says I haven’t done anything yet. But understand here is Amnon and he is sick, made himself physically ill even his cousin who is a close friend said you are depressed morning after morning. He hasn’t even committed the sin yet but the desire for sin has begun to take its grip on his life. It affects him emotionally, affects him physically.

As I have mentioned sin’s passions blind us to the reality of sin and its consequences. You know we are told in Hebrews that Moses was willing to forgo the pleasures for a season. Who will argue sin can be enjoyable, that sin can be fun, that sin can give great pleasure, the problem is its duration. It is just for a little time but the consequences go on. David’s pleasure with Bathsheba was for an evening, the consequences are going on year after year after year after year, and he is forgiven. He is cleansed. His guilt is taken care of. We are five years later, six years later, the consequences are going on because we have come five years after the sin of Tamar, we don’t know how long. If we just added those five years on to the year and we would have six years. We don’t know how long we have gone but the consequences are going on. Do you think David would say that evening was worth it? No. That’s what sin does it blinds us, all we can see is what we want. It is like Amnon. All he can see is I got to have Tamar, I got to have Tamar, I have got to Tamar. David, oh Bathsheba she is so beautiful, I want to have her. And all of a sudden we don’t think about the consequences. When we look at sin, we say sin makes us stupid. Sin makes you do stupid things. It is irrational.

All right also in my next point sin is irrational and self-centered. I think the pleasure will be worth it. Sin ruins lives, Tamar, Amnon, Absalom, on it is going. We are not done. Sin weakens our effectiveness, and I think this comes out as we will see it as we move along through David’s family. You know it is hard to deal with sin in our family when we have been guilty of the same thing. I don’t know whether that's the reason David doesn’t act. I mean David is a decisive man. I mean he had no problem making decisions, deciding someone has to die now on the spot. But somehow when it comes to dealing with his own sons, he doesn’t act. We will see this come out later. He is just not willing to rebuke them, to call them to account. He told later he just never rebuked another of his sons. Sin has a way of weakening us and we now are uncomfortable doing what is the right thing because we are aware and have that sense that we have already done. I don’t know what David did here but I know he is not acting like you would expect David to act in dealing with sin that is becoming so prominent in his family.

I just wrote down as a closing comment. We should learn from the life of David sin is a serious thing, it can never be taken lightly. Its effects even when forgiven are devastating. Let’s say well I would be depressed how did say well you know David found his joy and sufficiency in the Lord. He couldn’t undo yesterday. So you don’t find parked in the lament over his yesterday. Psalms demonstrate that. You want to be careful here. That is become sin. I am going to be parked to looking back thinking oh if I only hadn’t done, if I only hadn’t, well I never want to forget how terrible sin is but I have responsibility today to be what God tells me I must be doing today. Otherwise now I am sinning and using my past sin as an excuse for my sin today. I have to do what’s right today. And I have learnt something doing what wasn’t right last week, last month, last years, ten years ago, what I learn is sin is devastating in its consequences but that’s no excuse for me not being busy about what I must do today.

So lessons of sin, I think we would all be running from sin as fast as we could, wouldn’t you? It never really catch me in this straps. One thing I know sin is terrible, I don’t want anything to do with it. It is not going to have any part in my life and it comes and is so pretty, well this may exception and I have to say there are no exceptions, think of the of outcome, how will you want to live with this next month, next year, five years and praise God is a forgiving God. We saw that in Psalm 51, Psalm 32 but that didn’t minimize that in anyway. We have been in the same light. I don't want that to cause me to think that sin is anything less than terrible.

Let’s pray to God. Thank you Lord for your grace; your grace in David’s life. Thank you for the Psalms that we have considered together and the joy that comes from forgiveness and you are a God of graciousness, loving kindness, compassion. You do bring cleansing and forgiveness and you blot out iniquities, but sin is terrible, it is devastating. And even when we have been forgiven the consequences are often so painful, so unpleasant, so sad. Thank you Lord for the record of David, his life, the unfolding of the terrible things in his family so that we might learn from what is written to walk wisely and safely before you. Lord we pray in Christ’s name, amen.