Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi
Just a little blurb for anyone who's late to the game...this is not intended to be a polished up Bible study. This is me, real time blogging a study I'm doing and sharing any insights I've gained. Currently, I'm cruising through the Bible looking at all the references to Heart/ Hearts as identified by my Exhaustive Concordance for the NIV 84, so all scripture references are from that text, unless specifically identified as being from a different one.
Normally I post on Fridays, but sometimes things come up and I miss one here and there. Today being a holiday, it's standing in for last Friday, which I missed.
And today we are looking at the tragedy of two of David's oldest sons...Amnon, who was the firstborn and son of David's wife Ahinoam, about whom we only know her name and that she was from Jezreel, and Absalom, David's third son, born to David's wife Maacah, who was the daughter of the king of Geshur and likely given to David as wife as part of a political alliance. David's second son, Kileab, was the son of Abigail, Nabal's widow, but as we have absolutely no record of him other than his name it's possible that he died while still a child. At some point Maacah bore David a daughter, Tamar, who is also part of the story.
It's interesting to me that there is no reference to heart/ hearts in the entire narrative pertaining to David's sin with Bathsheba. But David's sin and the following cover up led to the violence in his house. Did his sons...especially Amnon...believe that because their dad had behaved in such a way it was ok for them? Did David's guilt over what he had done prevent him from disciplining his sons as they grew up? The whole story smacks of a lack of real relationship between David and his older sons.
But Amnon became infatuated with his half-sister Tamar in a most unhealthy way, and, by way of deception and sheer physical strength, violated her (2 Sam. 13 1 - 14). Once he'd done so, however, he was repulsed by her...likely because she was going on about him marrying her and being responsible for what he'd done; I'm basing this on what she said in 2 Sam 13: 16 ("Sending me away would be a greater wrong than you have already done to me."). So long as she was out of reach, he wanted her. But when she threw herself at him, demanding he now fulfill his duty to her, he hated the sight of her and had her thrown out.
He treated her shamefully...but he did, perhaps, rationalize that his dad had done a similar thing so...why not?
Tamar went into mourning, and went to her full brother Absalom, who minimized her trauma:
Her brother Absalom said to her, "Has that Amnon, your brother, been with you? Be quiet now, my sister; he is your brother. Don't take this thing to heart." And Tamar lived in her brother Absalom's house, a desolate woman. - 2 Sam. 13:20 'Heart' is Strong's H 3820, which we have seen before.
He basically told her it was no big deal...can you imagine? He did, however, despise Amnon for what he'd done and he quit speaking to his half-brother. David was furious when he heard about what Amnon had done, but he did nothing about it. Two years later, Absalom finally managed to get Amnon isolated and had him killed, then hightailed it out of town. David mourned both his boys...the one who died and the one who went into hiding. I actually think he mourned for Absalom more, because Absalom had held his brother accountable for what he'd done.
We do not know if Tamar had peace after she was avenged or not. She's not mentioned again, but Absalom named his first daughter after her.
As time passed, David missed Absalom and wanted to go to him...but he did not. Was Absalom his favored son? I kinda suspect he was, which makes the rest of the story even more poignant.
Joab son of Zeruiah knew that the king's heart longed for Absalom -- 2 Sam. 14:1 (Strong's H 3820 again), so he set up a lady to come to David with a story that moved his heart, much like Nathan had done earlier, then called him a hypocrite for not allowing Absalom to return.
So, David called Joab to go get Absalom and bring him home, but...and this is a big but...Absalom was not permitted to come into David's presence. Now Absalom was frustrated, and grew even more frustrated as two more years passed and he still was not allowed to see his father. He tried twice to talk to Joab, but Joab ignored him until Absalom burned his fields. Absalom basically said, "Why was I allowed to return home if I can't see the king? If I'm guilty of anything, just go ahead and sentence me to death."
Joab spoke to David, and David finally received Absalom and they were reconciled.
Or so it seemed. But Absalom was not someone who allowed an injury to go unavenged, and he had a plan. He started small...ingratiating himself into the hearts of the people. He was handsome, he was sympathetic, he was personable, and he was accessible to the people.
Absalom behaved in this way toward all the Israelites who came to the king asking for justice, and so he stole the hearts of the men of Israel. -- 2 Sam. 15:6 (Strong's H 3820 again).
Absalom did this for four years, then he sprung his plot to have himself anointed king when he took an entourage to Hebron to 'worship'; even David's long time advisor Ahithophel joined Absalom's faction. When Absalom went to Hebron, some one...it's not mentioned who...caught wind of the conspiracy and sent word to David.
A messenger came and told David, "The hearts of the men of Israel are with Absalom." -- 2 Sam. 15:13 (once more, H 3820). I have always marveled that that statement was enough for David to recognize his peril. Had it been me...I might have thought, good! He will be king after me! The people should love him! But David immediately recognized the implication that Absalom was usurping the kingship and that he and all his household were in immediate danger. They packed up and fled (all but ten concubines, who stayed behind to do the housekeeping) to the wilderness, so when Absalom and his entourage came back ready to assassinate David...he was gone.
It was now a civil war. Because the hearts of the people had turned from David to his son.
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