2 Samuel 14 Commentary
We have a very difficult situation at the palace. David wants Absalom back, but he cannot say it. Joab senses that the king wants to have Absalom back and devises a plan to initiate the process.
Absalom is finally brought back to Jerusalem, but the King doesn’t want to see his son. Interestingly, Joab also doesn’t want to see Absalom. We know Joab and Absalom are first cousins. To force Joab to see him, Absalom burns Joab’s crop field. We are also told about Absalom’s very good looks.
It is very easy to smell trouble right here in this chapter. Absalom is trouble in the making, but that is for tomorrow. Today, we can focus on the decisions at the palace that could have probably added fire to the trouble.
After Amnon raped Tamar, Absalom’s sister, apart from being upset, David goes quiet. It is a point of indecision. Likely, this indecision or the decision to tolerate such sin within the palace angered Absalom. Now that Absalom had exacted justice, the king wants to act tough. Absalom sees nothing but injustice at the palace. He is not completely wrong.
Under the Law of Moses, Amnon deserved death. It didn’t happen. Check Deuteronomy 22 verses 23 to 27.
Indecision in the case of Amnon robbed David of his authority to act in the case of Absalom. Indecision can only produce further indecision and more trouble. In the case of sin, indecision today is only more indecision and more trouble tomorrow. The scripture encourages us to ruthlessly deal with sinful situations to avoid more trouble tomorrow.
But who doesn’t feel for David? He has zero moral authority to deal with any of these cases. His own position was severely weakened by his sin with Bathsheba. He is seriously compromised!
Sin is nothing but trouble and more trouble. See how sin punishes sin! Sin is always punished, today, tomorrow, or in eternity.
You would wish penitence ran through David’s family the way lust did, then you would have hope for Amnon and Absalom!
It’s never a perfect picture, but you can see the difference. David’s penitence (fully displayed in Psalm 51) earns him forgiveness, and he has the following day to lick his wounds. Amnon and Absalom are a different cast – sinful males with hearts set on themselves. Creation has its own way of obeying the “stoning” commandment.
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