Godlessness

2 Samuel   •  Sermon  •  Submitted   •  Presented   •  31:52
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We’ve found ourselves in a rather depressing section of 2 Samuel. It’s mostly a lot of sin, depravity, darkness. It’s a deeply human section, where the focus seems to be on the fallen nature of mankind.
2 Samuel 13 marks the start of the transition from David’s generation to the generation to follow.
David built a legacy of faith and courage and heroism and faithfulness to the covenant God struck with him.
We’ll see all of these virtues throughout the generations to come. But there’s a curse over all of it—the curse of God’s judgment on David’s sins.
David repented and was forgiven by the grace of the LORD. 2 Samuel 12:13 “Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” Nathan replied, “The Lord has taken away your sin. You are not going to die.”
David received God’s forgiveness, but the consequences of his sin would cast a long, dark shadow over his family and the kingdom he ruled over.
Since David struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife as his own, the LORD told David the sword will never depart from his house.
The house of David would be plagued by violence.
At the end of chapter 12—the last handful of verses—we see Joab at war with the Ammonites. And then David swoops in and captures the city. David subjugates the people of that city and all the other Ammonite towns.
Violence and warfare are just part of the equation for King David and his people as they fight to establish themselves.
But the sword will never depart from [David’s] house.
Three of David’s sons will die by the sword.
The house of David would be plagued by violence, and many things far worse than that.
Great troubles lay ahead for David and his kingdom, troubles flowing from David’s own wickedness.
Unfortunately, where David’s sons are concerned, the apples don’t fall far from the tree. “Like father, like son”—and that’s not a good thing here.
Like his father, Amnon sees something he likes and he takes it. Amnon, like his father, is guilty of sexual misconduct.
Like his father, Absalom kills a man. Absalom, like his father, is a murderer.
The apples don’t fall far from the tree.
It’s sad, but it’s not surprising, is it? We’ve come to expect that one generation will look a lot like the generation that preceded it.
I’m a lot like my father, which is really good in a lot of ways and bad in others. More than likely, you have traits and attitudes in common with your mom or dad (or both). It’s just kind of how it is.
Here in 2 Samuel, David’s sons embody some of their father’s worst traits. And it’s pretty ugly.
No, scratch that.
What we see from David’s sons is absolutely horrifying, utterly sinful, and deeply disturbing.
The only moral compass in the chapter we’re about to read is a young girl named Tamar. She alone is concerned with doing what’s right.
2 Samuel 13 records the horrifying, sinful, and disturbing actions of David’s sons. I’ll warn you; it’s not for the weak of heart.
I’d urge you to have a copy of the Bible in front of you this morning as we read 2 Samuel 13.
2 Samuel 13 NIV
1 In the course of time, Amnon son of David fell in love with Tamar, the beautiful sister of Absalom son of David. 2 Amnon became so obsessed with his sister Tamar that he made himself ill. She was a virgin, and it seemed impossible for him to do anything to her. 3 Now Amnon had an adviser named Jonadab son of Shimeah, David’s brother. Jonadab was a very shrewd man. 4 He asked Amnon, “Why do you, the king’s son, look so haggard morning after morning? Won’t you tell me?” Amnon said to him, “I’m in love with Tamar, my brother Absalom’s sister.” 5 “Go to bed and pretend to be ill,” Jonadab said. “When your father comes to see you, say to him, ‘I would like my sister Tamar to come and give me something to eat. Let her prepare the food in my sight so I may watch her and then eat it from her hand.’ ” 6 So Amnon lay down and pretended to be ill. When the king came to see him, Amnon said to him, “I would like my sister Tamar to come and make some special bread in my sight, so I may eat from her hand.” 7 David sent word to Tamar at the palace: “Go to the house of your brother Amnon and prepare some food for him.” 8 So Tamar went to the house of her brother Amnon, who was lying down. She took some dough, kneaded it, made the bread in his sight and baked it. 9 Then she took the pan and served him the bread, but he refused to eat. “Send everyone out of here,” Amnon said. So everyone left him. 10 Then Amnon said to Tamar, “Bring the food here into my bedroom so I may eat from your hand.” And Tamar took the bread she had prepared and brought it to her brother Amnon in his bedroom. 11 But when she took it to him to eat, he grabbed her and said, “Come to bed with me, my sister.” 12 “No, my brother!” she said to him. “Don’t force me! Such a thing should not be done in Israel! Don’t do this wicked thing. 13 What about me? Where could I get rid of my disgrace? And what about you? You would be like one of the wicked fools in Israel. Please speak to the king; he will not keep me from being married to you.” 14 But he refused to listen to her, and since he was stronger than she, he raped her. 15 Then Amnon hated her with intense hatred. In fact, he hated her more than he had loved her. Amnon said to her, “Get up and get out!” 16 “No!” she said to him. “Sending me away would be a greater wrong than what you have already done to me.” But he refused to listen to her. 17 He called his personal servant and said, “Get this woman out of my sight and bolt the door after her.” 18 So his servant put her out and bolted the door after her. She was wearing an ornate robe, for this was the kind of garment the virgin daughters of the king wore. 19 Tamar put ashes on her head and tore the ornate robe she was wearing. She put her hands on her head and went away, weeping aloud as she went. 20 Her brother Absalom said to her, “Has that Amnon, your brother, been with you? Be quiet for now, my sister; he is your brother. Don’t take this thing to heart.” And Tamar lived in her brother Absalom’s house, a desolate woman. 21 When King David heard all this, he was furious. 22 And Absalom never said a word to Amnon, either good or bad; he hated Amnon because he had disgraced his sister Tamar. 23 Two years later, when Absalom’s sheepshearers were at Baal Hazor near the border of Ephraim, he invited all the king’s sons to come there. 24 Absalom went to the king and said, “Your servant has had shearers come. Will the king and his attendants please join me?” 25 “No, my son,” the king replied. “All of us should not go; we would only be a burden to you.” Although Absalom urged him, he still refused to go but gave him his blessing. 26 Then Absalom said, “If not, please let my brother Amnon come with us.” The king asked him, “Why should he go with you?” 27 But Absalom urged him, so he sent with him Amnon and the rest of the king’s sons. 28 Absalom ordered his men, “Listen! When Amnon is in high spirits from drinking wine and I say to you, ‘Strike Amnon down,’ then kill him. Don’t be afraid. Haven’t I given you this order? Be strong and brave.” 29 So Absalom’s men did to Amnon what Absalom had ordered. Then all the king’s sons got up, mounted their mules and fled. 30 While they were on their way, the report came to David: “Absalom has struck down all the king’s sons; not one of them is left.” 31 The king stood up, tore his clothes and lay down on the ground; and all his attendants stood by with their clothes torn. 32 But Jonadab son of Shimeah, David’s brother, said, “My lord should not think that they killed all the princes; only Amnon is dead. This has been Absalom’s express intention ever since the day Amnon raped his sister Tamar. 33 My lord the king should not be concerned about the report that all the king’s sons are dead. Only Amnon is dead.” 34 Meanwhile, Absalom had fled. Now the man standing watch looked up and saw many people on the road west of him, coming down the side of the hill. The watchman went and told the king, “I see men in the direction of Horonaim, on the side of the hill.” 35 Jonadab said to the king, “See, the king’s sons have come; it has happened just as your servant said.” 36 As he finished speaking, the king’s sons came in, wailing loudly. The king, too, and all his attendants wept very bitterly. 37 Absalom fled and went to Talmai son of Ammihud, the king of Geshur. But King David mourned many days for his son. 38 After Absalom fled and went to Geshur, he stayed there three years. 39 And King David longed to go to Absalom, for he was consoled concerning Amnon’s death.
May God add His blessing to the reading of His Holy Word!
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I told you it was bad. It’s a horrible chapter in the lives of God’s people. Let’s consider what exactly is going on.
Amnon says he’s “in love” with Tamar who is his brother’s sister. But that makes her his half-sister. Still really gross. Still a big no-no. Still sinful.
He says it’s love. But it’s obsession that’s making him ill (v. 2). It’s lust. Sin-cursed sexual infatuation. He’s so worked-up over her, he looks haggard morning after morning (v. 4).
Gordon Keddie writes: “The ingredients of a genuine love are altogether lacking: there is no self-giving commitment, no seeking of the other’s highest good, no sensitive devotion, not even a hint of romance; there is only naked physical lust and an utterly self-centered disregard for Tamar’s personal integrity, welfare, and blessedness. Amnon is consumed, not by what he could do for her, but by what he wanted desperately to do to her.”
But, like his father, Amnon sees something he wants and he’s going to do what he wants, because, well, he wants it.
Like David with Bathsheba. He saw her bathing on the roof, asked about her, sent for her, took her to bed, then had her husband killed so he could marry her.
Here we see what we could call “Error #1”.

Error #1: Doing Whatever You Want/Following Your Wicked Heart

Amnon had this in his heart for some time. Who knows how long, but it had been long enough that he was fully consumed with lust for Tamar. Lust gave way to obsession. Obsession did a number on him, to the point of making him ill. And so, Amnon finds a way (with a little help from his friends) to get what he wants.
It’s certainly not a new phenomenon—this deep desire to do what one wants to do, regardless the consequences.
It’s present way back here in the ANE, and was even present in the garden. Adam and Eve took what they wanted. David took what he wanted. Amnon takes what he wanted.
We all want to do what we want to do. And today, we have a lot of cover. There’s a great deal of allowance in our culture.
“Who’s to tell me I don’t get to do what I want to do? Who are you to tell me I shouldn’t do whatever I feel like doing?”
This is not new to this generation. It’s present in every generation, yours included, I promise.
We’ve been instructed and encouraged: “Follow your heart,” “Do what makes you happy,” “You do you.”
I can scarcely think of worse advice than that. Why? Well, mainly, because “the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked.” (Jer. 17:9).
Your wicked heart is a terrible guide. Your heart, un-tethered from Christ, on its own, will lead you astray 110% of the time.
Think about what Absalom does. Verse 32 tells us that Absalom’s murder of Amnon had been Absalom’s express intention ever since the day Amnon raped his sister Tamar.
Absalom had been harboring hatred and resentment, giving way to murder. And he had been holding onto that for years!
The problem for both Amnon and Absalom began at the level of their heart. They both had it in their hearts, it had been their intention to do what they wanted to do.
They followed their heart, their own sinful inclination.
This is a grave error, not just in the case of Amnon and Absalom. This—doing whatever you feel like doing, following your heart wherever it leads—this is a huge mistake, a colossal error.
If you belong to the LORD, your task is clear. It’s not simple, but it’s clear. We are to subject our desires to the LORD.
Galatians 5:16–25
16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.
Don’t fall into the error of doing whatever you want, even when everyone around you tells you that you should do whatever tickles your fancy.
That’s actually what we can call “Error #2”.

Error #2: Listening to the Wicked/Refusing to Listen to God’s Word

Amnon found himself a little adviser, who happened to be his cousin (David’s brother’s son Jonadab). When Jonadab realized something was wrong with Amnon, he asked him.
Amnon admitted what was up: “I’m in love with Tamar…”
At this, Jonadab should have told him how wrong that was, how grossly sinful that thought was. He should have said, immediately, “Ew! No! She’s your sister and my cousin!”
Jonadab certainly shouldn’t have recommended Amnon take action.
But Jonadab, who’s just as wicked as Amnon, actually helps Amnon devise a plan: lie and deceive and get what he wants.
This deception wasn’t Amnon’s idea, but Amnon was just fine with deceiving. He heard an idea and went with it. He listened to his wicked cousin who told him exactly what his wicked heart wanted to hear—a way to get what he wanted.
Here’s a hard truth for many of us: if the only people in your life you listen to are completely supportive of your stupidity and only encourage you in your sin without ever correcting you, you’ve got a big problem.
Those people aren’t friends; they’re fools.
You don’t want “friends” who help you down the wicked path you’re on.
You don’t want “friends” who let you follow your sinful heart.
You need friends—actual friends—who remind you of what’s true and good and right; friends who call you out when you’re wrong.
It would have been great for Amnon and everyone else involved, if Jonadab had said, “Whoa there, cousin! That’s really messed up. Don’t do that. Don’t you realize how wrong, how evil that is?”
Jonadab and others with Absalom seem to know what Absalom is going to do, and they support him in his sinful, murderous revenge scheme.
Who knows what happened, or how this came to pass, but it seems Jonadab knows something of Absalom’s plan. He pops back up in verse 32 to assure David that not all of his sons were dead, just Amnon. And says that this had been Absalom’s express intention.
When Absalom instructed his men to wait until Amnon was good and tipsy from the wine and then to listen when he told them: “Strike Amnon down then kill him”—there should have been some hesitation of some sort from someone.
But we read: So Absalom’s men did to Amnon what Absalom had ordered.
The hope is that some of the men involved in this would stand up for what was right. The hope would be that someone would question Absalom, “You want to kill your brother?! You want to murder the crown prince!?”
As it is, though, the only moral compass in the entire story is the young girl, Tamar.
As Amnon is in the middle of his plan to get Tamar into bed with him, he says, “Come to bed with me, my sister.”
To this, Tamar replies:
2 Samuel 13:12–13 (NIV)
12 “No, my brother!” she said to him. “Don’t force me! Such a thing should not be done in Israel! Don’t do this wicked thing. 13 What about me? Where could I get rid of my disgrace? And what about you? You would be like one of the wicked fools in Israel…
Tamar, and Tamar alone, is concerned with what’s right in Israel. Such a thing should not be done in Israel!
Amnon knows this. Jonadab knows this. Everyone knows this. But only Tamar speaks up.
God’s Word is clear. The law wasn’t fuzzy at this point. It speaks to this directly, sadly enough because it has to.
In Leviticus 18, we read all about unlawful sexual relations.
Leviticus 18:1–5 NIV
1 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘I am the Lord your God. 3 You must not do as they do in Egypt, where you used to live, and you must not do as they do in the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you. Do not follow their practices. 4 You must obey my laws and be careful to follow my decrees. I am the Lord your God. 5 Keep my decrees and laws, for the person who obeys them will live by them. I am the Lord.
And then, the rest of the chapter lists all the forbidden sexual practices, including this prohibition:
Leviticus 18:9 NIV
9 “ ‘Do not have sexual relations with your sister, either your father’s daughter or your mother’s daughter, whether she was born in the same home or elsewhere.
This type of behavior was not to be done in Israel. It likely took place in Egypt and in Canaan. But the people of God weren’t to follow the practices of those godless people.
The people of God were meant to act like the people of God, not as people who don’t know God.
Tamar, the lone voice articulating God’s Word, knows this is blatantly wrong. She calls it wrong and wicked. She urges Amnon not to be like a wicked/godless fool. She is absolutely right.
But, verse 14:
2 Samuel 13:14 NIV
14 But he refused to listen to her, and since he was stronger than she, he raped her.
To refuse to listen to Tamar as she’s speaking truth—specifically the truth of what God’s law says to His people on this very issue—is to dismiss God’s Word entirely.
This is God’s Word despised, a la David from the last chapter. To despise God’s Word is to despise God Himself (2 Samuel 12:9-10).
After Amnon’s despicable behavior, he sends Tamar away against her urging. He’s defiled her, and now he’s responsible for her (Ex. 22:16, Deut 22:28-29).
But he doesn’t care and we read those words again at the end of verse 16: But he refused to listen to her.
Absalom (v. 22) hated Amnon and then exacted his own revenge on Amnon, murdering him.
We don’t know what, if anything, anyone said to Absalom about what he planned to do to Amnon. But we know Absalom knows he is in the wrong.
After all, having accomplished what his sinful, vindictive heart wanted (v. 34) Absalom fled and stayed away for three years (v. 39).
Absalom no doubt knew he should not murder. That’s one of the Big 10 (commandments, not the college sport conference). Absalom, and everyone else in Israel, knew what God had to say about murder.
And Absalom likely knew, as a member of the people of Israel and part of the king’s family, that in the Law, the LORD forbade vengeance, saying Deuteronomy 32:35 “It is mine to avenge; I will repay.”
But, like his father before him, and his brother Amnon, and so many others, Absalom opted to listen to the wickedness inside him and all around him, and refused to listen to God’s Word.
And this is what happens. Sin compounds, it grows and grows until we’re left with a situation just like this—all because these fools followed their hearts, listened to the wicked, did whatever they wanted to do, and refused to listen to God’s Word.

What God’s People Should Do: Look to the LORD, Listen to His Word, and Live!

We see here the generational impact of David’s sin. David sins, and his sons follow in his steps. We don’t know for sure, but nothing is recorded about David having a conversation with his sons about the life-altering decisions he made with Bathsheba and Uriah.
Maybe something would have gone differently for David’s sons if David was less passive. True, when King David heard all this [between Amnon and Tamar] he was furious (v. 21), but didn’t involve himself or seek to handle the matter.
What is recorded for us, from David, is his eventual lament and prayer to God in Psalm 51—when David looks to the LORD, and asks to be cleansed clean, washed whiter than snow.
Psalm 51:10–12
10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. 11 Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
If only David’s sons had, in their lust and anger, looked to the LORD and asked the LORD to give them a new heart, to renew in them a steadfast spirit, to sustain them, He would have!
I promise you, the LORD answers this prayer. And looking to Him makes much better sense than looking to ourselves or to sinful people masquerading as friends who encourage us in our sinfulness.
Look to the LORD, and
Listen to His Word.
This is something Amnon and Absalom refused to do. Tamar spoke the truth, advocating for what is objectively right. Amnon refused to listen to her.
Again, at some point in David’s life, he wrote Psalm 119, which says this:
Psalm 119:9–11
9 How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word. 10 I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. 11 I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.
Hiding God’s Word in one’s heart is an unbelievably effective measure to keep fight temptation.
If Amnon had hidden God’s Word in his heart and listened to God’s Word, he would have been able to tell himself that God is holy and God’s people must be holy. He would have known that his desire for his sister (or any woman he wasn’t married to) is wrong and sinful.
If Absalom would have listened to God’s Word and hidden it in his heart, he would have known that hatred is sinful and vengeance wasn’t for him to exact. He would have been able to call to mind the 6th Commandment: “You shall not murder.”
How differently this would have gone had anyone listened to God’s Word, heard His Word, and obeyed it.
Look to the LORD. Listen to His Word. And
Live!
Sin leads only to death. Sin is utterly destructive, and it’s ultimately alienating. It severs relationships here and now.
But more significantly, it creates an impassable chasm between us and a Holy God.
The only answer for us sinners, the only hope for us is Jesus Christ. He alone can reconcile us to God. And this, we desperately need, because,
Apart from Him, there is only death.
Romans 3:23 NIV
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Romans 5:8 NIV
8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 6:23 NIV
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 10:9–10 NIV
9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.
Romans 10:13 NIV
13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Friends, repent. Turn from your sin and run to Jesus.
Christ Jesus took our place, absorbed the wrath of God we each rightly deserved, and stood-in as our substitute, offering to us forgiveness full and free.
Repent and believe.
Look to Him.
Listen to Him.
Give your life to Jesus and LIVE!
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