Nathan had said to David when he confronted him with his adultery and murder: “The sword will never depart from your house” (2 Samuel 12:10). Now we see this prediction beginning to be fulfilled. It was not that God made these things happen. The terrible events described here in 2 Samuel 13 are really the natural result of what David did. What David had done could not have been kept secret. His own household would have become aware of this and it could only have infected the culture of his household with a sense of laxity toward these kinds of misdeeds. David’s actions could not but affect the attitudes of others. It is not surprising then that David’s son Amnon feels a measure of licence to take advantage of Tamar. It is worth recalling here the warning that God gave to Cain in Genesis 4:7: “Sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.” When you open the door to sin in your life it is like letting a wild animal into your house. It will tear the inside apart and leave only wreckage in its path. It will not only affect you but also those within your household. It will even go beyond your own household to your community. God will forgive you when you do wrong, but this must never be used as a licence to sin with impunity. Sin can be forgiven but it inevitably has consequences beyond what you can imagine.
Ask God to help you overcome any sin you might be struggling with.
Read 2 Samuel 13:1-22.
