Sermon Tone Analysis

David Buss of the University of Texas asked his students if they had ever thought seriously about killing someone, and if so, to write out their homicidal fantasies in an essay.

He was astonished to find that 91 percent of the men and 84 percent of the women had detailed, vivid homicidal fantasies.

He was even more astonished to learn how many steps some of his students had already taken toward carrying them out.

Well now … Is there murder in our hearts today?

Hopefully here we do not have frequent homicidal fantasies on a regular basis here.

But, let us not fool ourselves, you may be surprised, the Word declares that if a person hates another there is murder in their heart already.

Could it be that we are allowing our disappointment, resentment, and hurt to turn into hate?

It was once written…Resentment is when you let your hurt become hate.

Resentment is when you allow what is eating you to eat you up.

Resentment is when you poke, stoke, feed, and fan the fire, stirring the flames and reliving the pain.

Resentment is the deliberate decision to nurse the offense until it becomes a black, furry, growling grudge of hate.

This hate the Bible calls murder in our hearts.

Unfortunately, this is and continues to be a problem in our culture and even the church today.

How should we approach this thing called hate?

How do we respond to resentment?

The Scriptures shines a light on the path.

We will find our answer today.

David sent his servants and had an affair with Bathsheba.

Just like Amnon sent for Tamar and raped her.

David had Uriah murdered just like we will see today that murder happens once again.

This is all a result of David’s sin.

His child was gonna die and the sword would not leave his house.

There will be the unfolding of the consequences just like the Lord said there will be as His discipline.

Last week Tamar was raped and now we are gonna see murder.

From Adultery to murder with David and now rape to murder with Amnon and Absalom.

But after all, David was angry, yet no justice?

After the rape of Tamar by Amnon, David was angry.

But it seems that he did not do anything about it.

Absalom did not speak to Amnon about what had happened, but there was hatred in his heart because of what happened to his sister.

Two years later revenge was in full bloom.

It was time for a big feast and Absalom invited all of the kings sons and the king, but the king did not want to be a burden on him.

Well if you are not coming can Amnon come?

David got a bit suspicious, but Absalom pressed the issue and David sent all his sons including his heir, Amnon.

He told his servants to wait until he gets drunk and at my signal, kill him.

He assured them, that he was the one that gave the order to do it so do not be afraid.

It’s all on me!

And it happened and all of the guests fled with word getting to David that all of his sons were killed.

David fell into despair.

In comes the infamous and crafty Jonadab coming to fix the situation as the evil politician he is.

“Don’t worry sire.

It was not all of your sons it was just Amnon and you know Absalom had been planning to kill him since he raped his sister.”

How did he know?

And after it all, Absalom escaped.

Then David got a report that a crowd was on its way back and it was David’s sons.

And just like Jonadab said, they were all still alive and they all wept together mourning.

David mourned for Amnon.

After some time, David was comforted with the death of his son and he then longed to be reunited with his son Absalom.

2 Samuel 13

The grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of our God stands forever.

1. Premeditated Murder

2. Consequence of Injustice

3. The Fruit of the Spirit

The first thing we will explore today is how deception continues to arouse sinful actions, lust to rape, and now hate to be premeditated murder.

The second thing we will see is how consequences of injustice continue to push things over the edge.

Finally, we will see how the gospel will change our hearts and the power and fruit of the Holy Spirit will dispel hate and murder in our hearts and fill us with love joy peace patience.

Thesis: Though sin and the deceptive pattern of this world and all of its injustices bring us to murderous schemes of hate, it is the better king, our Lord Jesus who will indeed redeem, reconcile and of course restore to life and life more abundant.

I. Premeditated Murder

- It was not a spur of the moment sin, it was planned.

A. Simply.

Absalom hated his brother Amnon for what he did to his sister.

But what we find is a patient display of murder.

Right? 2 years to plan.

When he told Tamar to be calm and not to do anything.

It was almost as if he was saying.

Don’t worry about a thing, cause every little thing is gonna be alright.

I got this.

He sure did, but it was murderous.

Not spur of the moment murder, but premeditated murder.

Premeditated for 2 years.

B. His hatred was so intense that he waited patiently cool, calm, and collected; giving many people around him the idea that he was ok with everything now.

V22 said that he did not speak to Amnon good either good nor bad.

The rage could wait.

This was not a murder out of passion.

It was not spur of the moment insanity.

It was hatefully premeditated.

It was a planned strike.

There was no forgiveness in his heart.

It poisoned him.

He did not let it go.

- In his book.

Lee: The Last Years, Charles Bracelen Flood reports that after the Civil War, Robert E. Lee visited a Kentucky lady who took him to the remains of a grand old tree in front of her house.

There she bitterly cried that its limbs and trunk had been destroyed by Federal artillery fire.

She looked to Lee for a word condemning the North or at least sympathizing with her loss.

After a brief silence, Lee said, "Cut it down, my dear Madam, and forget it."

It is better to forgive the injustices of the past than to allow them to remain, let bitterness take root and poison the rest of our life.

C. The time had come… two years later at the sheep shearing celebration, the plan would come to fruition 14 miles north of Jerusalem.

But an interesting thing, he invited all of the kings’ sons and the king himself.

Why? Would this not keep the murder from happening?

Ahhh.

But it was all a part of the plan.

D. You see, Absalom knew that there was a really good chance that with David and all of his officials, he would deny the request because essentially it would be too expensive, a hassle, and they would all be a burden.

He urged David more after the king denied the request, but maybe the idea is that since he wanted David there and he would not dare do anything to Amnon with him there, there must not be any plan to kill Amnon.

So he asked for a consolation prize.

Can you send your heir apparent in your place instead?

David was a bit suspicious.

Why should he go?

E. Absalom did not take no for an answer.

Maybe he told David that if he did not come and if the heir did not come then it would be an embarrassment to him.

He kept pressing David and he finally relented.

So David sent him.