Then Absalom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, “As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, then you shall say, ‘Absalom reigns in Hebron!’” . . . And the conspiracy grew strong, for the people with Absalom continually increased in number. . . . Now a messenger came to David, saying, “The hearts of the men of Israel are with Absalom.” So David said to all his servants who were with him at Jerusalem, “Arise, and let us flee, or we shall not escape from Absalom. Make haste to depart, lest he overtake us suddenly and bring disaster upon us, and strike the city with the edge of the sword.” 2 Samuel 15: 10, 12b-14, NKJV.
Father, here we are; ready to hear Your will, and to obey. Help us we pray, in the holy name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Today as we continue looking at some of the problems that families have to deal with, we come to the difficult problem of a rebellious child. And not just youthful rebellion, but such a deadly rebellion that it turns into a treacherous conspiracy against his father the king! Yesterday, we observed how the sin of adultery crept into the life of his father David. We commented, “The real tragedy, is that our bad decisions do not only affect us. It also affects those closest to us, and even those not so close to us, especially when we are in positions of high visibility (people in authority).”
Today, we are going to observe just how far reaching the results of our sins can be within our family circle, and even beyond! In an attempt to “cover his sin” (Psalm 32) David adds sin to sin. When Bathsheba informed him that she was pregnant (2 Samuel 11: 5), he tried to let it appear as if she had become pregnant through her husband Uriah (8-13). When that did not work, he decided to kill him (14-17). But “God cannot be mocked,” whatever a person sows, he or she will reap (Galatians 6: 7)! Every seed brings forth fruit of its own kind.
Sexual violation (He illicitly lay with Bathsheba) produced sexual violation (his son Amnon raped his sister Tamar). The death of the innocent (Uriah) produced the death of the innocent (the first child he had with Bathsheba). Murder (he had Uriah murdered) produced murder (his son Absalom killed his brother Amnon). Mourning (Bathsheba mourned for her husband) produced mourning (David mourned for his son Absalom). What a terrible picture! How unfailing is the Word of the Lord, “But if you do not do so, then take note, you have sinned against the LORD; and be sure your sin will find you out” (Numbers 32: 23)! Emphasis supplied. What he had done in the darkness would eventually come to the light! Not only the Israelites would hear about the fall of this great man of God, but the heathen as well!
No doubt the other nations had watched with interest the terrible battle that had raged between Saul’s household and the household of David. Surely, even the heathen were aware, that some Power, by far superior to the arm of flesh, had fought on David’s behalf, and had wrested the kingdom from Saul, and given it to David. Now they no doubt watched as this “giant” killer had fallen victim to his own passions. Had not the God who had kept him from being defeated by the Philistine giant been able to help him conquer his own lusts? The words of lament that he had repeated over the death of Saul and his sons were quite fitting to be said of him, “How the mighty have fallen” (2 Samuel 1: 19b)!
The family is a closely knit unit – like an echo system. Every change within it, affects the others for good or for evil. When one member of a family sins, all its members are affected! Some family members never get over it, and are affected for life! The grief and shame, bloodshed and pain, remorse and guilt, that David’s sin had unleashed, would remain in his family for years to come. He had sown to the wind and was reaping a devastating whirlwind! Caveat! Dear reader, “be sure your sin will find you out.”
May God help us to sow seeds of righteousness, and by His grace, may we reap a harvest of blessing – for His glory, and our rejoicing!
NOTE: These counsels are shared from a Biblical, not a clinical, perspective.