2 Samuel 13
It is hard
to tell how much time had passed. David had written Psalm 51 and shown true
repentance (sort of). It might be that David hoped that what the Lord had said
would happen, would not happen, or maybe he thought the threat would come from
outside of Israel. I'm sure he didn't see this coming. This is not only a sad
day in the history of redemption, but days like this would keep on rolling.
Vs. 1-6
Here we are introduced to the old "come and bake bread in my
presence" ploy. With so many wives and children, these people, though
related, didn’t have the same, normal “I’d gag if I kissed my sister”
repulsion. They were almost like strangers to each other in this respect.
Although we don’t see the name “Satan” anywhere in this context, we know from
the New Testament, that he was involved somewhere.
Isn’t it
interesting that we hear so little about Satan in all of this history? I think
it is because the real “enemy” is the sickness within us.
Vs. 7-14
Apparently this was an accepted custom in that culture for a sick person.
That's why David fell for this. I can imagine that if you were rich, the food
was prepared by servants somewhere removed from the main living quarters,
possibly in another house. Now, you have to admit, that when the right stuff is
being made, it makes the house smell great. Actually, I think I have even
gained weight just smelling bread being baked. That sense of warmth and
wholeness and smell, and, in general, the wonderfulness of it all was probably
thought to help make a sick person well. Anyway, as silly and as transparent as
this sounds to us, it probably was rational in that culture.
When Amnon
sent everyone out of the room, didn’t anyone think it looked fishy?
V. 13 This
marriage would have been forbidden in Israel, meaning they would have had to
leave Israel, and Amnon could not have been king. Under the guidelines of the
law, this kind of incest was forbidden, but it would have been no different
than Abraham and Sarah, who both had a common father but different mothers. It
is just to say that if Amnon had really been honest, he could have had her by
abdicating from the throne and living in Moab or Egypt. With David’s
connections, it would still have been a good life and a realistic option.
V. 14 This
is God’s punishment on David. The sickness released in the family was
ironically bearing fruit. I wonder how much this act mirrored David's
interaction with Bathsheba. I wonder if he used the “come and bake bread for
me” ploy too.
Vs. 15-19
Violating Tamar like this would make her “unmarryable” in the proper circles.
Tamar was not at fault, but it would have been Amnon's responsibility to do the
right thing and marry her.
Vs. 20-22
This will be like the spreading of a cancer. Obviously Absalom will be
responsible for his own actions, but this, humanly speaking, destroyed him. And
this is where David failed as a father, as a leader and as a follower of God.
He failed too because of his own failure. How could David judge his son for
doing what he, himself, had done? And now we also see another sickness in David
that will be very transparent when he has to deal with Absalom. David was
consumed with worry about which son would take the throne after him.
You might
have a note that the Dead Sea Scroll and Septuagint (and Luther) add, "But
he would not punish his son Amnon because he loved him, since he was his
firstborn." David couldn't judge him; and at the same time, he hoped that
Amnon would take the throne when he died. This lack of justice created an
intense hatred and bitterness in Absalom that would engulf the nation in war.
As we’ll see, there was at least one other man who was deeply affected by this.
I’m sure that many, many people lost confidence in David.
V. 22 You
can see that hatred was festering in the heart of Absalom.
Vs. 23-33
Two years went by. That is not only hatred; it is commitment to have revenge.
V. 26 How
did David fall for this? I'm assuming that as the heir apparent, Amnon
represented the king at some events and this is what Absalom was asking for. He
certainly didn't want David there. He must have known that David would refuse;
and so, as a compromise, he pleaded with David to show the favor of his
presence by sending Amnon to represent him.
This is
just a speculative point here, but I don't think David was a good relational
communicator. He wrote wonderful songs and psalms, but as a father and as a
verbal minister to his family, he seems to have been a disaster. We'll see more
of that tomorrow and in the days to come.
Vs. 37-39
Three years and no communication, just brooding and sulking on David's part.
And what was going through Absalom's mind? And here we see a very confused
David, so compromised in his own heart and so anxious to have his own son sit
on the throne, that he can no longer judge rightly. And this all began one
evening as he watched a loyal friend’s wife bathe. How tragic.
For us as
disciples, I think the lesson to learn here is to be very serious and
intentional to keep our passions fulfilled God’s way. I’ve heard of people who
have fallen into adultery or pornography and disqualified themselves from
ministry, if by no other way than by the distrust and bitterness they have
brought into their close relationships. God is showing us something in David’s
life that is meant to be a warning to us. With everything God is showing us
here, it would be doubly tragic to make the same mistakes. Imagine getting to
heaven and having David walk up to a fallen disciple and say, “What? God
exposed my sin and wrote it on the pages of His Word to help you and you
ignored it?”
John 17
Vs. 1-5 It
is instructive that as Jesus begins this prayer for His disciples, it is all
about glory, that is, revealing who the Son is and who the Father is. As
followers of our Lord, living for and giving glory to the Father should be just
as important to us as it was to our Lord.
V. 3 This
is a great definition of what eternal life is.
Vs. 4-5
This seems like a very intimate talk between the Son and His Father.
Vs. 6-8 I
guess you could say that it wasn’t Jesus’ job to make them believe, but to
manifest the Father before them. The final word on their progress was that they
had kept the Father’s Word, which was the Word that Jesus had spoken.
Vs. 9-12
It appears that Jesus was praying for their growth and unity in Him. Judas was
lost and these 11 would be tested. Jesus was glorified in them in that they had
saving faith and were still following Him. Jesus didn’t just want the Father to
protect them, but to give them the oneness with Him that Jesus had with the
Father. I guess that unity is a supernatural enablement too. I think this
oneness grows out of the mission.
Vs. 13-19
Notice that it was the Word that made them hated by the world, and it was the
Word that sanctified them in the truth. Verse 18 is the pre-resurrection giving
of the Great Commission. Jesus is not only announcing that they will complete
what He has begun, but Jesus is saying He will continue His work with them by
consecrating Himself, now and during the church age as He sits at the right
hand of God. (See Mark 16:20.)
Vs. 20-23
Jesus prayed that the Father would grant that all who believed in Jesus would
have spiritual unity.
Vs. 24-26
Jesus also prayed that they/we would be with Him and would see His glory and
would be filled with the love that the Father had for the Son.
There is a
lot of love and unity being spoken of here. And it makes sense to me that it is
not only in Jesus and in His Word, but we need to be following Him in the
harvest to really understand what He is talking about.
Psalm 119:81-96
Vs. 81-88
What stands out to me is the longing in these verses. Do you notice here, and
through this entire psalm, the interchange between David’s distress and going
to the Word?
Vs. 89-96
I think David understood that as the promises were made in the past, there was
also waiting and suffering as those promises moved to fulfillment. Abraham
waited; Joseph waited; Israel waited and Moses waited. David was now a part of
this waiting, but also he had become a part of the story of God’s faithfulness.
V. 92 I'm
sure this was true for David in those long years of running from Saul. I'll bet
it became true for David again as his family was falling apart.
V. 93 If
only that had been true of David. It needs to be true of me.
Proverbs 16:6-7
David was
still a man after God's own heart and I'm sure these two verses came into play
as God forgave David and as David refocused his life on following God. We need
the fear of the Lord, and we need to live to please our Lord and honor our
Father, as we follow in the harvest.
If you’re reading along and don’t have a One Year
Bible, click on this link http://www.esvbible.org/devotions/every-day-in-the-word/. If that doesn't
work, go to http://www.esvbible.org/devotions/
and click on “Every
Day in the Word.”
I'm writing these comments to and for those who are
following a One Year Bible and interested in growing deeper as a disciple,
following Jesus in the harvest. My hope is to see the growth of a discipleship
culture in the church. Groups of 3-4 disciples, meeting weekly, encouraging
each other to follow Christ and work to reach out and make disciples who make
disciples. The Bible itself is the most universal manual we have and key to our
growth and service in Christ. Nothing keeps us more focused on why we are here
or what we are to be doing. My comments are only meant to provide some
explanation of the events or to show the flow of God's plan of redemption. My
comments are in no way exhaustive, but are designed to keep us focused on
Christ and our role in His harvest. My hope is that the people in these groups
will grow in Christ and be willing, after a year, to find 3 others to meet with
and encourage in their growth as disciples, disciples making disciples in the
harvest.
If you would like a complete description of this model
of being and making disciples you can find it in my book: Simply
Disciples*Making Disciples. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B011WJIDQA?*Version*=1&*entries*=0
If you would like a more descriptive commentary that is
still readable and concise, I'd recommend the Bible Knowledge Commentary. It's
keyed to the NIV, so the result is the commentators are constantly telling you
what the Greek or Hebrew is. That never hurts.
I am not endorsing any particular One Year Bible; in
fact, I read something you don't, die revidierte Lutherbibel 1984.
Anyone reading along with us is welcome to do so and is
encouraged to take their own notes and make their own observations. If the
comments made do not agree with your particular tradition or understanding,
that's OK. Nothing I've written is meant to criticize any point of view, but
only to express the truth of what God has written to us, as I understand it.
Send comments or feedback to dgkachikis@gmail.com.
If you would like documents containing an entire month
of the Reading Notes, go to https://sites.google.com/site/dlkachikis/reading-notes. You can download
these to use on your computer or to print.
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