The Dangers of Vengeance

And, while we turn there, let us recall some important things about this portion of Scripture. This passage is found in the book of 2 Samuel, which we may remember, along with 1 Samuel was understood as only one volume or one book. We might also want to consider the purpose of the book of Samuel which is to present David as a king that ruled according to God’s heart, and yet, to present him also as an imperfect king from which the perfect long-expected King will come.

And so, it is good that, at this point of the series we make a summary of what has been going on in David’s life lately:

Everything seemed to be good until David commits murder and adultery by taking Uriah’s wife, Bathsheba.

He is confronted by Nathan, the prophet, and, though he repented, disciplinary judgement is pronounced against him.

And so, he not only loses his son, but as we saw last week, very deep and concerning problems begin to sprout among his other children.

His eldest’s, Amnon, sin grievously against one of his own sisters, Tamar, and David does not bring him to justice.

It is with all these in mind that we should come to our passage this morning.

And while we read it, let us pay attention to the consequences of a heart full of hatred which attempts to bring about unlawful justice by its own hand. Pay close attention to the consequences of vengeance in the heart of men. For even when these events took place long time ago, men still struggle with the temptation of acting out of vengeful desires, instead of trusting the Lord of justice.

So now, let us stand and read the text before us. This is the Word of the Lord:

English Standard Version Chapter 13

Absalom Murders Amnon

23 After two full years Absalom had sheepshearers at Baal-hazor, which is near Ephraim, and Absalom invited all the king’s sons. 24 And Absalom came to the king and said, “Behold, your servant has sheepshearers. Please let the king and his servants go with your servant.” 25 But the king said to Absalom, “No, my son, let us not all go, lest we be burdensome to you.” He pressed him, but he would not go but gave him his blessing. 26 Then Absalom said, “If not, please let my brother Amnon go with us.” And the king said to him, “Why should he go with you?” 27 But Absalom pressed him until he let Amnon and all the king’s sons go with him. 28 Then Absalom commanded his servants, “Mark when Amnon’s heart is merry with wine, and when I say to you, ‘Strike Amnon,’ then kill him. Do not fear; have I not commanded you? Be courageous and be valiant.” 29 So the servants of Absalom did to Amnon as Absalom had commanded. Then all the king’s sons arose, and each mounted his mule and fled.

30 While they were on the way, news came to David, “Absalom has struck down all the king’s sons, and not one of them is left.” 31 Then the king arose and tore his garments and lay on the earth. And all his servants who were standing by tore their garments. 32 But Jonadab the son of Shimeah, David’s brother, said, “Let not my lord suppose that they have killed all the young men, the king’s sons, for Amnon alone is dead. For by the command of Absalom this has been determined from the day he violated his sister Tamar. 33 Now therefore let not my lord the king so take it to heart as to suppose that all the king’s sons are dead, for Amnon alone is dead.”

Absalom Flees to Geshur

34 But Absalom fled. And the young man who kept the watch lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, many people were coming from the road behind him by the side of the mountain. 35 And Jonadab said to the king, “Behold, the king’s sons have come; as your servant said, so it has come about.” 36 And as soon as he had finished speaking, behold, the king’s sons came and lifted up their voice and wept. And the king also and all his servants wept very bitterly.

37 But Absalom fled and went to Talmai the son of Ammihud, king of Geshur. And David mourned for his son day after day. 38 So Absalom fled and went to Geshur, and was there three years. 39 And the spirit of the king longed to go out to Absalom, because he was comforted about Amnon, since he was dead.

Prayer of Illumination

When was the last time that you were wronged, and nothing happened to the offender? What happened the last time that you consider taking ‘justice’ in your own hands? And what was it, that prevented you from acting in a vengeful manner? Were you prevented at all? Not only that, but, furthermore, when was the last time that your sin made some else think about vengeance?

Human vengeance is dangerous and destructive by nature. When we speak about vengeance, we are speaking about this proclivity of the human heart to take what he believes to be justice by its own hands. And hence, my purpose this morning is to persuade you that,

Because vengeance is dangerous; therefore, we must trust the Lord of holy justice.

And we are going to focus primarily in three main reasons why vengeance is dangerous:

Vengeance is dangerous because it leads to Strife, it leads to Sorrow, and finally, because it leads to Shame.

How is it then that human vengeance come with these dangers? What signs can we see in our lives to act before we act vengefully? How can we deal with vengeful desires?

To begin to answer these questions, let us start with the first of these dangers that come from vengeance.

Vengeance Leads to Strife

The first thing that this narrative teaches us is that vengeance leads to strife that, beginning in the heart, gives birth to sin. We ought to understand strife as this conflict which comes from an angry or bitter heart. And so we see that vengeance is something that first and foremost comes from the heart and not from the circumstance itself.

It may suffice to recall how the last section of scripture ends before our text begins. After what Amnon did to Tamar, the Bible tells us that Absalom hated Amnon (2 Sam 13:22).

But it is not only the hateful origin of the crime itself that makes his desire for vengeance sinful, but also the fact that it was not his role as a prince to bring justice. That was the king’s role. So, by taking actions in his own hands, we see that, in a way, he is usurping the king’s rightful place as judge, something that though first in his heart, will eventually come to realization ahead in chapter 15 (2 Sam 15:4).

Furthermore, when we see all what Absalom planned so as to fulfill what was on his heart, we realize the complexity with which he planned all of this in his mind before committing the action.

The Bible tells us that Absalon waited patiently for two whole years, he waited upon a specific occasion, the celebration of sheep-sheering (2 Sam 13:23 ), he had to convince the king to let at the very least Amon go with him (2 Sam 13:26), and he goes un to summon a complete audience for his coming revenge (2 Sam 13:27). That’s not all. Absalom drove them far away from the king’s palace and army to another location. He had servants ready to commit the crime for him, and he instructs them to disarm the enemy first with wine, to make sure everything will work (2 Sam 13:28). All of this comes before the actual murder his brother.

This whole planning and the strife-ridden desires of his vengeful heart are in itself sinful. And yet, he does not stopped in his own imaginations of how it would be for him to take the matters with Amnon in his own hands, but he went on and act upon his desires, making his sin even more heinous before God.

Until the murder was committed, Absalom had more than enough time to go to the king and make a right plead for justice. He even had time to go to the prophet if the king refuse to listen. No doubt he had time to go before the Lord in prayer so that God may bring justice and take away this vengeful desires. And yet, he chose not to. He chose to dwell in those desires, and then to act upon them.

Has it ever happened to you, that before you actually have an argument with someone, it could be a friend, your spouse, your parents, you create a complete dialogue in your own mind and heart in which, of course, by stepping ahead all the possible replies, you make your case so perfectly, that you end up winning? Have you ever savor the imaginary moment in which the counterpart will ask you to forgive him or her after such a great argument only to realize when the time of confrontation comes that this mindset led to more conflict than to a swift solution? Something similar happened in Absalom’s case.

This not only illustrates what was happening in Absalom’s heart and mind, but it also shows how we too are prone to this kind of attitudes and actions. We too have time to pray before acting upon our vengeful desires. We too have time to seek for the right biblical authority upon which to present our case before taking matters in our own hands. We too have a decision before us every-time we are wronged. Notice that Absalom had a good case to call for justice, however, his heart was not in the right place, and that led to strife and quarrel. That led to one brother killing another. That which started with hate, ended up in murder.

We are not to trust our own ideas of justice, especially if we are seeing the roots of vengeance and the consequence of strife in the near horizon. If the Lord is not approving of what we want to do, or what is going on in our hearts, it is not justice, it is vengeance.

It is better to trust a Holy God, a God who has reclaimed vengeance for himself, and that we know is going to do the right thing. We can trust, that if we pray for Him to work upon our vengeful heart, he will do it for his glory.

So we have seen one of the greatest dangers of vengeance, which is strife. However this is not the only one, for the text also shows that vengeance leads to sorrow.

Vengeance Leads to Sorrow

This sorrow to which vengeance behavior leads us, is one that not only affects targeted people, but often goes beyond what we planned.

The texts remarks the profundity of the sorrow that resulted from Absalom’s actions by the verbs the author is using. He says that when David heard of this news he tore his garments and fell on the floor (2 Sam 13:31). We also see that, when the good news of the survival of most of the king’s sons came, instead of the expected response of rejoicing, not only the king, but all of his sons wept very bitterly for what just happened (2 Sam 13:34-36). Finally, the author remarks that after Absalom fled, the king mourned (2 Sam 13:37), and longed for him continually (2 Sam 13:39). It is as if the author really wanted us to understand the depth and breath of the sorrow caused by Absalom’s actions. Three times he tells us that the king reacted sorrowfully.

And perhaps this is a sorrow that Absalom expected. I believe that Absalom wanted the king to feel this way. This sorrow towards the king is part of Absalom’s revenge. After all, he really tried to convince, his father, the king to be present at the murder scene (2 Sam 13:24-25). And yet, though he might have expected his father to be in sorrow, this sorrow had a greater reach. The text also says twice that all of the king’s servants were afflicted (2 Sam 13:31, 36). In a way, as we will come to see in the coming weeks, this sorrow affected all the nation.

However, there was another person whom this sorrow touched, and you bet that Absalom did not expected that to happen. This person was himself. Though this might only be hinted by in this portion of Scripture by the fleeing of Absalom away from the scene, it is a little more clear in the next chapter. We’ll see that Absalom flees, and is eventually called back to Jerusalem. However, he is not allowed to be in the presence of his father, the king. At a certain point, consumed by the sorrow which comes from an inner sense of guilt, he says to the king’s general:

English Standard Version Chapter 14

Absalom answered Joab, “Behold, I sent word to you, ‘Come here, that I may send you to the king, to ask, “Why have I come from Geshur? It would be better for me to be there still.” Now therefore let me go into the presence of the king, and if there is guilt in me, let him put me to death.’ ”

We can hardly imagine how Absalom felt after what he had done; the guilt, the uncertainty, the impossibility of standing before his father.

Picture this, your attempt to bring justice has brought sorrow to those most fond of you, and those most fond of them who are most fond of you. So now you have not only grieved, let’s say, your family, but also their friends. And to make thinks even worse, instead of bringing to and end the initial problem, you find that more and more this is creating a sense of guilt and regret, so great, that sometimes leads to a desire of death for one’s self.

The human’s heart is not designed to support the burden of sorrow that vengeance brings with it. It’s like trying to place a full loaded ship container in a pick up truck. It does not matter how powerful you think your pickup is, it will not support a full loaded ship container, it is not designed for that, and it will break.

So what must we do when our hearts begin to entertain vengeful desires? Well, we must remember that while this sin promises joy, it often brings sorrow. And even when we try to calculate who this sorrow is going to affect, we must remember that sorrow it is an indomitable beast. We cannot control it. It is, again, better to seek our Lord of Justice. He is the one who may lead us to true joy.

And so we have seen strife and sorrow as the dangers of vengeance. But there is one last reason why vengeance is dangerous. If it is true that a heart filled with vengeful desires will lead to strife, and that strife will result in sorrow, it is also true that this sorrow ends up in our own shame.

Vengeance Leads to Shame

Not only the author of this narrative tells us about three moments that mark the king’s sorrow. But after each time, he also states what Absalom did: Absalom fled (2 Sam 13:34, 37, 38).

The author wants us to notice that vengeance leads to a shame that results in separation, and a shame that lasts.

This shame led him to flee to an enemy city. Geshur was supposed to be destroyed by Joshua in the conquest of the land, and in an act of disobedience, Israel covenants with them that they would not attack the city. However, it was a pagan place. David himself lead battles against that city. Absalom’s fleeing towards Geshur is not coincidental. It is intended to show a shift of status. Before, Absalom was the rightful heir to the throne after what Amnon did, now, he is an outlaw after what he has done. And this status will remain so for five full years. Three years he banished himself from Jerusalem. And when the king allows for his return, he does so without allowing him to stand before his presence. The time the king prevented Absalom to see him was two years, the same time it took for him to plan his sin.

Absalom, second in line to the throne after Amnon, unlawfully takes justice in his own hands and kills the rapist as the law required (De 22:25). However, because it was not his role to do this, instead of the expected consequence of rightful justice, which he should have seek for, he is no longer able to stand before the king. Notice that no one sends him into exile. No one commands him to flee. He understands that what he has done is against the law. He, now, is the one deserving death. And so, when his sin promised him great reward, it only led him to great shame.

These whole episode echoes something of what happened at Eden. Adan sinned, and then flees. Instead of the great promise of being equal to God, his relationship with his Father is completely broken. And so he flees, he tries to hide. And God does the right thing, he banishes Adam and Eve from his presence.

Vengeance might promise great things, but as every other sin does, it rewards only with greater shame. We must avoid vengeance at all times. We must deliver whatever vengeful desire that is on our heart to our heavenly Father, to the God of justice. We must trust that he is always going to do the right thing.

Thus, we have seen that the dangers of vengeance are strife, sorrow and shame, and that we therefore must trust God instead of acting upon those vengeful desires. But, how can we trust God when nothing seems to happen? How can we know that He is going to do the right thing if we don’t see immediate justice taking place?

Let me end by telling you why we can trust God will do the right thing

Trusting God When Things Do Not Seem To Go Right

We believe that God is a God of justice, but we also believe that God is a sovereign God. Even when we do not see things happening, that is often because we are not able to see the bigger picture.

Have you ever considered that Absalom’s wrongdoing was in fact part of the fulfillment of David’s punishment from God? Nathan told David that because of his sin, the sword would not depart from his house. Thus, even what Amnon and Absalom where doing in sin, God had already decreed in holy justice. Absalom’s murder of Amnon was part of God’s punishment upon David. This in no way justifies Absalom’s sin, but it shows that God always fulfills his word.

At the same time, the sins of David, Amnon, and now Absalom are ment to show us that the covenant which God made with David was pointing to someone greater than all of them. It was not David’s battle-skill, nor Amnon’s primogeniture, nor Absalom’s beauty which would characterized the promised king. But it was through Solomon, the chosen seed of David, that the greater king would come: Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus is the true heir of David, he who acted as a king should act, in submission to God.

Jesus Christ was in a similar position to that of Absalom. At the time He was being nailed to the cross, it may have seemed as if God was doing nothing. He felt the Father’s curse upon him. But, instead of taking matters in his own hands, he submitted to the Father in trust, he prayed for forgiveness for those who where his enemies (Lk 23:34), and the Father did what seemed impossible. God raised him up from the dead. The Lord of Holy Justice acted even against nature to establish his Holy judgment: His Holy One was not to see corruption (Ps 16:10). And he didn’t.

God brought at the same time judgment and forgiveness through Christ to those who believe. God promised to David an eternal seed, and even when Amnon is now dead, and Absalom does not seem to be the chosen one, God brought about that promise through Solomon. And as he fulfill the promise he made with David, God in Christ has promised to return and bring final judgment with him.

You see, we may trust in God not only because he has proven through Christ that he is faithful and just, but because in that same act, he also gave us Christ’s Spirit to straighten us and shape us, so that, empowered but the same Spirit that led Christ to pray for his enemies, we may also pray for them. It is only in Christ that we trust in the Father instead of taking revenge. And if you have taken revenge already for something, or are planning in your heart how to do so, it is only through Christ that you will find forgiveness and true peace.

So we may see as if nothing is happening right now. But the Lord of Holy Justice is acting in ways higher than we are able to understand or perceive. The Lord of Holy Justice is acting, and these actions also will lead to different things.

While human vengeance leads to strife, God’s justice leads to peace. As our vengeance leads to sorrow, God’s justice leads to joy. When your vengeance leads to shame, God’s justice leads to an open celebration at the wedding of the Lamb.

We have seen the terrible dangers of human vengeance; we understand that vengeance is wrong for us. And because vengeance is dangerous, we must trust the Lord of Holy justice.

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