2 Samuel 13-14 "Seven Years in the Making of a Rebellion" David has been called to be what Israel failed to be. But David has fallen short. We saw last time that Nathan said that David's sin with Bathsheba would be echoed in what David's "neighbor" would do publicly. 2 Samuel 13-20 (eight chapters) will flesh out that prophecy. God had warned that he would visit the sins of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generation. Sin has consequences and those consequences can prove deadly. But God also promised that he would show mercy to a thousand generations of those who loved him. So even as we witness the judgment to the third and fourth generations let us also watch for the mercy to us (after all, a thousand generations would be 25,000 years! and we've only made it 3500 years so far!) 1. The Rape of Tamar (13:1-22) The outline of the rape of Tamar is pretty simple. Amnon, David's firstborn, lusted after his beautiful half-sister. Notice the verbs. Amnon "loved" her. He was obsessed with her. And he wanted to "see" her (v5) But seeing was not enough. His cousin, Jonadab, suggested that he set a trap for Tamar. Amnon followed Jonadab's advice and ensnared Tamar. When she protested suggesting that David would give her in marriage to Amnon (contrary to Leviticus 18) Amnon raped her. He would not listen to her, and so he violated her (literally, humiliated her). (It is likely that she was right. David does not appear to have thought much about enforcing the law with his children! The fact that he allowed Amnon to get away with rape, and Absalom to get away with murder suggests that she was right he would have allowed his son to marry his daughter!) But after raping her, we are told that now Amnon hated Tamar more than he loved her before (revealing that his "love" was nothing more than lust). Lust blinds us to the reality that the very thing that we desire has no future. The moment you think rationally about the object of your lust, you realize that there is no future there there is only death. But that doesn't help in the middle of the fit. In the middle of the fit, nothing will satisfy except the object of our lust. That is the way that sin works. It is irrational, foolish, absolutely ridiculous if only you can see it for what it is. But Amnon only sees it for what it is after the fact, when he sends her away. She replies, No, my brother, for this wrong in sending me away is greater than the other that you did to me. Some have tried to say that this tells us that Tamar truly loved Amnon. I'm not convinced. In the ancient near east, the lack of virginity rendered a woman unacceptable as a wife. Tamar realizes that having been violated, her only chance for an honorable marriage is Amnon. But he would not listen to her. Again we are told in verse 16 as in verse 14 that Amnon's "love" is entirely self-absorbed. Amnon starts his quest by opening his door to Tamar, but it ends with his door locked behind her sex is supposed to draw together husband and wife in the greatest intimacy possible between two humans but Amnon and Tamar end up with a locked door between them. And Tamar, put ashes (a sign of mourning) on her head, and tore her long ornate robe (the sign of her virginity) and fled to her brother, Absalom. Notice that 13:1 tells us that this story is really about Absalom. The reason why the Bible tells us this story is not because of Tamar. It is because of how this story sets up the story of Absalom. I have an ulterior motive in pointing this out. Why does God permit rape? Our first inclination is to be horrified that God would permit (much less ordain) such a horrific act. Rape and especially incestuous rape is an act that properly repulses us. How could a brother even a half-brother lust after his own sister?! A brother is supposed to love and care for his sister. How could such natural affection be perverted to lust and violence? I bring this up with the full awareness that some of you may have been violated in a similar way. 16% of all women claim that a relative abused them sexually before their 16th birthday. We would like to pretend that these things do not happen, but Tamar reminds us that they do. But the sins of the fathers are visited upon their children. David had slept with another man's wife. His adultery and murder would not go unpunished. And one who would bear in her own body the penalty for David's sin was Tamar. I know that you are repulsed by this. It was bad enough last week when we heard that Bathsheba's firstborn died for David's sin. But we could get over that because that baby only lived for a week, and we could convince ourselves that the baby didn't suffer long. But Tamar was raped by her half-brother. And as far as we know, she lived the rest of her life as a desolate woman. This one act completely destroyed her life. No one would marry her she is tainted. So why did God permit this? Indeed, if we believe that God foreordains whatsoever comes to pass, then we must say that God foreordained this. I tremble at this. But God is bringing judgment against the house of David. Why? It is not just because of David's sin. Lots of sinners "get away" with it. (For now) It is also because of who David is. David is the LORD's anointed. David is the Messiah the man after God's own heart. And we need a Messiah who will make everything right. We need Jesus. And nothing less than Jesus will do. Jesus is the one who will be abused, stripped naked, and humiliated. Tamar shares in the sufferings of Christ. I know, some people will be horrified by this. We don't mind calling saying that persecution by death, beating, or mockery is suffering with Christ; but we don't like saying that sexual abuse is suffering with Christ. But consider the alternative: the alternative is saying that sexual abuse is outside of the redemptive work of God. And there is another reason I say this. Because Tamar is wearing Joseph's robe. This phrase "a long robe" is identical to the phrase in Genesis 37 "a robe of many-colors." These are the only two uses of this phrase. The Hebrew reader could not help but think of Joseph and the robe that signaled his father's pleasure. But even as Joseph would endure the wrath of his brothers being sold into slavery even so Tamar was abused by her brother (and of course in Genesis 38 there was another Tamar in the house of Judah who was treated unrighteously). When King David hear of all these things, he was very angry. (v21) Never in all the Bible do we see such pathetic and impotent anger. When God is displeased, he does something about it! (Isaiah 59) But when David is angry, nothing happens. We need a king who will bring justice to rapists! Even if the rapist is his own son! Indeed, this will be Absalom's argument. In chapter 15:4 Absalom will say to those who long for justice that David is soft on crime, and that if he were king, he would give justice! No doubt echoing his anger at his father for failing to give justice to Tamar. Incidentally, fathers, you will not bring peace to your household if you withhold justice from your children. Godly discipline is crucial for the well-being of your house. But for two years Absalom said nothing to Amnon. For two years he plotted his revenge. 2. The Murder of Amnon (13:23-39) Verse 23-39 recount how he exacted that revenge. He cleverly got his father to allow him to invite all his brothers to his sheepshearing, and especially Amnon! Then, when Amnon was enjoying himself and his heart was merry with wine, Absalom's servants struck him down, and the rest of David's sons fled. While they were on the way, news came to David, "Absalom has struck down all the king's sons, and not one of them is left." They thought that Absalom was trying to wipe out all opposition and claim the throne, in which case he would have killed all his brothers but Jonadab understood the motivation. Remember Jonadab the bosom buddy of Amnon?! Jonadab was a great friend of Amnon. Such a good friend that though he knew that Absalom had determined to kill Amnon, he just hadn't bothered to warn Amnon over the course of two years... With friends like these . . . After killing Amnon the king's firstborn Absalom fled to Geshur for three years. Geshur was a small country in the region of Galilee where Absalom and Tamar's mother was from, Maacah, the daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur. So Absalom flees to Grandpa Talmai. David has succeeded at turning Absalom into a hero. In the ancient world (as in much of the modern world) avenging the honor of your sister, by killing her rapist, would be considered a noble thing. When Jacob did nothing about the rape of Dinah, his sons killed Shechem and all his house. (Genesis 34:25) So Absalom is simply replaying the story of Simeon and Levi. And so Absalom spends three years in exile. Think about this for a minute. A robe of many colors. A son in exile A brother avenging the rape of his sister, because father won't do anything about it. A woman named Tamar. Oh, and do you happen to remember when Tamar took advantage of Judah in order to obtain justice? It was during the sheepshearing! (Gen 38:12) The parallels between Genesis 34-38 and 2 Samuel 13-14 are remarkable. Oh, and what was Jacob's other name? Israel? Remember what I've been saying all along: Israel has failed, and so now David is called to be what Israel failed to be. And right up front we are told that David is a failure too. He is just like Jacob. His family is just like Israel. We need Jesus!!!! 3. The Return of Absalom (14:1-24) But the spirit of the king longed to go out to Absalom, because he was comforted about Amnon, since he was dead. I am tempted to say that David is comforted because he realizes that justice has been done. He had been unwilling to do anything about Amnon, but now that Amnon has gotten what he deserved, he doesn't know what to do about Absalom. And so Joab provides a way. Joab is a study in contrasts to Jonadab. Whereas Jonadab is an opportunist, siding with whichever cousin/prince happens to be on top, Joab is steadfast in his loyalty to David. Whether good, bad, or ugly, Joab will do whatever he thinks is best for David. Last time we saw that Joab offered implicit rebukes to David, and called David to do that which God had called him to do. Now Joab calls upon the wise woman of Tekoa. Before we look at her speech, we need to understand why 2 Samuel spends so much time on this story Saul was a dynasty of one. God had promised to David that his son will sit on his throne. God will build David's house, and then David's son will build God's house. What happens to the Son of David is what will happen to the Son of God. Amnon has fallen short he died as a wicked rapist. The future of Israel now depends upon Absalom He is David's heir. And David is not acting very kingly. The king is supposed to rule with justice and equity but David seems confused. Comedians often portray our current president as a blithering idiot; but this is no comedy. David appears to be genuinely clueless. But the woman of Tekoa, instructed by Joab, comes to David and lies to the king. She tells him that her two sons fought in the field, and one killed the other. According to the law, a murderer was to be put to death. In the case of an accidental death, the manslaughterer was to flee to the city of refuge. Why doesn't David respond according to the law? Think about the structure of the Law. There is no "code" of Moses. There are lots of case laws, but no formal code. The king and judges of Israel were to use wisdom in bringing justice because the law was not designed to handle every case. If the woman had three sons, then the law would be easier to apply. But she only has two and one is now dead killed by the other son. So she appeals to the king's sense of what is just and right. And David is able to think straight when his own house is not involved: He understands that the death of her remaining son would leave her without an inheritance. Since there is doubt regarding his guilt, David responds rightly. But the wise woman presses him: let the king invoke Yahweh! Will you swear by the LORD? And David does: As Yahweh lives, not one hair of your son shall fall to the ground. Just as Nathan had done in chapter 12, so now the wise woman of Tekoa says you are the man. But unlike Nathan, the wise woman of Tekoa was not sent by Yahweh, but by Joab. Yahweh is silent. Notice that David is not inquiring of the LORD, and the LORD is not speaking through the prophets. Throughout the whole Absalom narrative, from chapter 13-20, Yahweh is silent. The prophecy of Nathan must run to its conclusion. God will be silent until all has run its course. But David finally sees the wisdom of Joab's request, and so he restores Absalom to Jerusalm but not to his own presence. There is a recognition that Absalom was not guilty, but there is still a cloud over his head. Absalom would go another two years without seeing the king. 4. The Restoration of Absalom (14:25-33) But Absalom is the most handsome man in all Israel. His hair was thick and long. He had no blemish in him. This is the word used in Leviticus 21 regarding the priests no blemished man could serve as priest. It is used in Leviticus 22 regarding sacrifices because no blemished animal could be offered to the LORD. It is used in Deuteronomy 32:5 figuratively to refer to Israel "They are no longer God's children because they are blemished; they are a crooked and twisted generation." It is used three times in the wisdom literature in various ways, and twice in Daniel 1 to refer to Daniel and his friends. In other words, it has very strong cultic overtones. This is a perfect specimen of a man. This is man as he should be. at least on the outside! Because on the inside Absalom goes from bad to worse. Unlike the prodigal son who came back repentant; Absalom comes back longing for revenge and power. He is convinced that he did nothing wrong. And in his self-righteous anger, he forces Joab to mediate with his father, declaring: Now therefore let me go into the presence of the king, and if there is guilt in me, let him put me to death. We need a son of David who is indeed "like Absalom." One who is free from blemish! One who has the courage to go into his Father's presence, saying, "if there is guilt in me, let him put me death!" But that wasn't Absalom! We need a son of David who will humbly submit to his Father's will, and take upon himself the sin of Israel the sin of God's people so that all the exiles may come home.