David had the power to compel others to bring Bathsheba to
him. Amnon lacked that power but the
feelings he had for his half-sister Tamar were no less powerful so he contrived
with his friend Jonadab to get David to compel Tamar to come to his bed,
ostensibly for the purpose of nursing him in a sickness. The problem of polygamy extends beyond the
husband-wife relationships to extended family.
Amnon describes her as Absalom’s sister which allows him to let his “love”
grow in ways it would perhaps not if he reminded himself that she was also his
own sister. Ultimately, the love becomes
lust which needs to be satisfied and he rapes Tamar and then immediately hates
her more passionately than he had loved her and sends her away from him. Absalom learns the truth and yet sits on it,
sheltering Tamar at his home. David,
too, learns the truth but takes no action against his son. Why?
He set a son above a daughter in the matter.
John knew his place in God’s grand plan. He knew that he wasn’t the Christ and
therefore when that one came he was willing to take a lesser place, to see
others going to the Christ. His work was
to point to Jesus. That is our mission
as well. We should be glad when people
believe our testimony about Jesus and follow Him. We aren’t to make disciples for ourselves,
all are to be disciples of Jesus. John was
willing to let go of people and rejoice that they followed after Jesus. He knew that what Jesus taught was greater
than his own teaching because he was a man of earth and Jesus a man from
above. His exaltation of Jesus was
important because he had such a ministry.
He wasn’t attempting to create a dependency on himself as the messenger
but only to direct people to the one whom he proclaimed.
What would our fellowship look like if we set out not to
please ourselves but to please our neighbors instead? I think we would find ourselves greatly
pleased. That one change in thinking and attitude changes not only me but,
ultimately, my neighbor as well. If someone else is seeking my good in our
relationship then I don’t have to look out for my interests. It allows me to seek their interests. Paul cites Jesus’ example of bearing the
reproach of sin on our behalf. He came
to bear away our sins, to take them and the punishment, death, on Himself out
of love. What if Amnon had loved Tamar
in truth and sought her interests rather than the gratification of his own
desires? How we love matters greatly in
the kingdom, our love is to be of a different character and quality.
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