consequences

Starting over

Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbor, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun. For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel and before the sun. (2 Samuel 12:11-12)

These words were spoken to David by Nathan the prophet when he confronted David about his sin with Bath-sheba. The word translated raise, qûwm (koom) means to arise or stand up. “It is also used to denote the inevitable occurrence of something predicted or prearranged” (6965).

The prophecy was fulfilled after Absalom came into Jerusalem and took over as king. At the advice of Ahithophel, it says in 2 Samuel 16:22, “So they spread Absalom a tent upon the top of the house; and Absalom went in unto his father’s concubines in the sight of all Israel.”

Although it may seem as if the prophecy against David was harsh, David knew God was right to punish him and when David was ridiculed by Shimei, he did not doubt that he deserved to be cursed. What guided David through the experience was a belief that God still cared about him and would not bring on him more than David could handle.

David said regarding his punishment, “It may be that the LORD will look on mine affliction and that the LORD will requite me good for his cursing this day” (2 Samuel 16:12). The word translated requite, shûwb (shoob) means to turn back. “The basic meaning of the verb is movement back to the point of departure” (7725). David’s hope was that he would regain his position of right standing with God, so that the LORD could bless him as he once had.

Two Hebrew words related to shuwb are nacham which means to repent (5162) and teshubah which is a recurrence or beginning (8666). Together these words convey the idea of starting over or beginning a new life. Because, in a sense, the penalty for David’s sin with Bath-sheba was paid when Absalom desecrated his wives in public, David was free to move on and was given a fresh start.

Note: Unlike David, we do not have to pay a penalty for the sins we commit. Jesus paid the penalty for all our sins when he died on the cross. He made it possible for the LORD to “requite us good”  automatically at the moment of our conversion. The only thing we have to do from that point forward is confess our sins and the penalty is taken care of by Jesus’ death.

 

Actions & Consequences

If sin were a disease, it would be feared and dreaded more than any other because of the pain and suffering it causes those who contract it. Sin is a killer and like cancer, it often spreads so quickly, that by the time it is detected, it’s too late to do anything about it. Sin is both hereditary and contagious. You have to be careful to not get too close to someone infected with it and be aware that you may be predisposed toward a certain type of sin because of the sins of your parents.

“And Amnon said unto him, I love Tamar, my brother Absalom’s sister” (2 Samuel 13:4). Amnon’s confession of love to his friend Jonadab was understood to mean that he wanted to have sexual relations with his brother’s sister, Tamar. In response, Jonadab lays out a plan for Amnon to rape her. These two men were not only related to each other, they were both related to king David, the father of the woman Amnon was planning to rape.

David’s sin with Bath-sheba had caused his family to become infected with sin. In the same way that David had given in to his lust for Bath-sheba, Amnon decided he was going to have sex with Tamar. What was different about Amnon’s situation was that Tamar was a virgin and unlikely to agree to have sex with him outside of marriage.

Amnon’s friend Jonadab is described as being very subtil. The Hebrew word for subtil, chakam actually means wise (2450). Jonadab’s plan was not some sinister plot, but a well thought out means of obtaining what Amnon wanted, a private encounter with Tamar. Most likely, the intent was to have sex secretly, so that if anyone found out, Amnon could deny it.

“And she answered him, Nay, my brother, do not force me; for no such thing ought to be done in Israel; do not thou this folly” (2 Samuel 13:12). The word translated folly, “nebalah is most often used as a word for serious sin. It signifies ‘disregarding God’s will'” (5039). In other words, Amnon knew what God’s will for him was regarding Tamar and he decided to do the opposite. Jonadab was an accessory to his crime, and together, the two of them planned to deceive king David and trap his daughter Tamar, so that Amnon could have sex with her.

Rather than keeping it a secret, Tamar displayed her shame openly after Amnon raped her. “And Tamar put ashes on her head, and rent her garment of divers colours that was on her, and laid her hand on her head, and went on crying” (2 Samuel 13:19). The word used to describe Tamar’s condition afterward, desolate or shamem in Hebrew means ruined (8076), but the root word shâmêm (shaw – mame´) means to stun or intransitively to grow numb (8074). Tamar was traumatized by what happened to her and most likely suffered from what we know today as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) the rest of her life.