Absalom waited two years to get his revenge on Amnon. We aren’t told why he chose this particular
time, only that he begged his father David to send his sons to participate in
the celebration at sheep shearing time and ultimately David relented. David’s question as to why Amnon should come
out seems to indicate that he had some doubts about the matter but he sent him
anyway. The initial report was that all
the king’s sons were killed, a la Job’s situation, but Jonadab, the very man who contrived with Amnon to have Tamar come to
his chamber and provide opportunity for the rape, assured the king that only
Amnon was killed and the reason was the rape to which he was plotter and
accomplice. Absalom flees to Geshur and
remains for three years. The last verse
seems to indicate that David’s reaction to the death of Amnon was perhaps, to
him, as the death of his child with Bathsheba.
He knew of the sin of Amnon and surely knew that it was only a matter of
time before someone got the revenge and, as she lived with Absalom, it seemed
likely it would be him.
Obviously, Jesus took personal righteousness seriously. Sin mattered greatly to him, enough that He
would suggest that if a member of your body caused you to sin you should
consider cutting it off. He says that
hell is real, and is a consequence of a life lived according to the flesh. To the extent we enter heaven maimed, that is
far better than entering hell, “where their worm does not die and the fire is
not quenched”, whole and intact in body.
We have to deal with the fact that believing is only the beginning of
the journey not the end. We are saved by
faith because we can’t be saved by our own righteousness, but we express our
gratitude and the reality that we have a lord when we submit our lives to
Him. Jesus can’t just be savior, He must
also be Lord if you truly believe.
Paul calls the elders of the Ephesian church together and
gives them a charge to keep the faith. His
speech is much like an abbreviated version of the book of Deuteronomy. He reminds
them of all he has done, how he taught house to house, paid his own way in all
things, defended the faith, and all in tears and persecution. He fears for the future of the church as he
knows some will come from outside like ravening wolves and that there will be
some also within their own ranks who will stray from his teaching. He is very much aware that the Spirit
constrains him to go to Jerusalem and this will not turn out well as has been
prophesied over and again to him but he will be obedient to the Spirit
regardless of the outcome.
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