Chain of events
I love stories, and one of the places that I am in at the moment is 2 Samuel, which is as good as story as you have ever heard. And it's probably all the more so because of the Hebrew tradition of story telling. I figure they include things to tell it like a story and so you see how it all connects and why it's in there and they weave the threads through as they go. One interesting thing to do is the track the story of Joab, he is such an interesting character. But I've actually been looking at the implications of David's actions. This stuff has impacted me before, but even more so on a second reading of it. So here's somewhat of how it goes.David should have been off at war. Instead he's at home, congratulating himself on what a great state his kingdom is in. Then he gets distracted and ends up committing adultery, murder, thievery, deception and who knows, probably other things that I haven't pointed out. And yes he comes before God and asks for forgiveness and receives this. But it does say that God was displeased with David (2 Sam. 11:27) and then Nathan tells David that the sword will never pass from his house and that evil will be raised up against him out of his own house (2 Sam. 12:9-10). So God forgives him, but there are still consequences. Watch what happens.
In the very next story we have Amnon and Tamar where Amnon molests his half-sister and gets Absalom really mad because Tamar was his sister (2 Sam. 13:1-22). There is so much significance in this being the next story. Not only do you have this mirroring of David's actions in his family, but in many ways, it is this incident that sets up the rest of the flow.
In a few years Absalom murders Amnon and it had been after plotting and scheming and waiting until exactly the right time (2 Sam. 13:23-29). Because of this he fears David and runs off and this sets up this whole exile situation between Absalom and David (2 Sam. 13:37-39). Then David is convinced to let Absalom come back to Jerusalem (2 Sam. 14:22-24) but still Absalom doesn't come into David's presence for another two years (2 Sam. 14:33).
So you can imagine the kind of relationship that there must be between the king and his son and the time. David did welcome him and love him, but there has got to have been some tension. It would certainly seem that Absalom felt this way. After another four years it seems that Absalom decides to exact more revenge, this time on his father (2 Sam. 15:7-12). And he ends up getting a whole bunch of people on his side and the come against David. Through a bunch of decetion (2 Sam. 15:32-34; 16:15-19; 17:7-14) David ends up not being defeated by Absalom and instead Absalom ends up getting killed (2 Sam. 18:14-15). But this is not before Absalom has slept with all of David's concubines in public view of everyone (2 Sam. 16:22). From this David returns to his people but we also see here the beginnings of the split of Judah and Israel (2 Sam. 19:41-43).
Talk about nothing in a vacuum. If that isn't evil rising up against you, then I don't know what is. And we have swords out and about everywhere. There is also the direct fulfillment of the private actions turned public prophecy. It's all there. And then it sets up the divisions of the kingdom. And it all comes from one action. It's got to be the same in our own lives. Do we notice it? Are we that mindful of it? Yes, God is gracious and loving, but God is just, and there are consequences. And sometimes the consequences are infathomable. I wonder if David ever realised it. I wonder how he felt if he did. I wonder how we would feel if we saw how our actions can change the course of lives. It's worth thinking about.
posted by bec @ 12:11 pm
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