Consequences

This is an awful, awful story. It's so awful that we've skipped the start of it, so you don't have to read the whole thing. There is so much wrong here, and it leads to even more difficulties later as Absalom raises a conspiracy against David. But where does the story start? It certainly doesn't start with Absalom. But it doesn't really start with Amnon either. Much of this stems from David's choice to take multiple wives, a sign that he too does not have his sexual desire under control. You could even go all the way back to Judah, David's ancestor, who committed adultery with another Tamar, generations earlier in Genesis 38.

We can see the way that one person's sin leads to more sin. David's choice to take many wives, in disobedience to God's instructions for the King of Israel, led to further corruption of his line. Absalom and Amnon are accountable for their own sin, but their sin is the fruit of David's sin, which was the fruit of Judah's sin, which goes all the way back to Adam and Eve.

At this stage in the story, it looks like this is just the ongoing cycle of generation after generation, all corrupted by the same sin. Each generation passes it from one to the next. It would have gone on until the end of time, but one day there would be one who would come from this line of David who would break the chain. In fact, He would break all the chains of sin and death that bind us. He would take all of that sin upon Himself and conquer it once, for all.

Thought Point

Are there any sins that you can see evident across the generations in your family?

Prayer Point

Thank Jesus that He has the victory over sin and death in your life. Ask Him to break the chains that you have inherited from those who have come before you.