## The Life of David - Part 14

## II Samuel 13:1-29

There is no pain harder to bear than domestic difficulty. We can bounce back from setbacks at work, problems with friends, or even physical battles. However, when it comes to family problems, wayward kids, or husband and wife disagreements; they have a way of breaking our spirits and stealing our joy. No one is immune from such problems whether they be a common person or even the king! David compromised God's standard and brought upon himself more pressure from within the home. Tonight as we look into the life of David we should take heed of our own lives and families.

I. Statements from Scripture

Ho 8:7a For they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind…

Pr 6:27-29 Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned? Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned? So he that goeth in to his neighbour's wife; whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent.

Ga 6:7-8 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

A. Scripture warnings are never casually stated even though they are often casually ignored.

1. We reap what we sow...

2. The pain of the harvest is much greater than the pleasure of planting.

B. A distinction must be made between the forgiveness of sin and the removal of consequences.

1. When we are forgiven of sin, our consequences are seldom-if ever removed.

2. We reap what we sow... God gives grace in that He forgives us of sin and often gives us the strength to endure the consequences.

3. Grace cannot be used as a tool to justify sin or to take away the pain of the results.

4. David's sin, although forgiven by God, led to some tremendous consequences in David's life, the likes of which few fathers on earth will ever go through.

II. Problems in the Palace.

A. General prediction.

1. Nathan the prophet of God previewed the tone of David's future in one phrase:

2. "The sword shall never depart from thine house" (12:10) (violence)

3. God's grace to David is seen when he was told he would not die. (12:13)

4. But the consequences would accompany him in the future.

B. Specific instances.

1. Marital infidelity ... as he was unfaithful with his relationship with Bathsheba, so he will reap infidelity. (12:11)

2Sa 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.

2. Death in the household ... as he caused the death of Uriah, David will reap the sorrow of death many times over. (12:18a)

3. A son overtaken by the lust of the flesh ...as he had to have Bathsheba, so Amnon had to have his sister Tamar. (13:1-16)

a. note the deception of Amnon and compare it with the deception of David.

b. Amnon had Jonadab as a co-conspirator like David had Joab to help him.

c. Amnon seemingly got away with his awful act; much like David seemingly was successful in his deception.

d. note David's reaction to this sin in v21 he never took any action against his son because he had lost his influence due to his own sin!

4. His own son plots to kill his brother. (13:23-29)

a. Absalom had learned how to plan someone's demise for he had witnessed his father's removal of Uriah.

b. Absalom learned that it was easier to have someone else do the dirty work.

c. we see in Absalom, David's cold calculating heart and. blatant disregard for life.

5. His own son, Absalom, rebels against him. (15:13-14)

a. Absalom cleverly maneuvered his way into a position of strength.

b. Absalom's conspiracy worked to the extent that David began running in fear of his own life.

c. the rule of a great king had been a undermined by his own son.

d. once again we see David on the run, but this time he was running from a wicked and rebellious son.

6. David loses yet another son. (18:1-33)

a. David commanded the captains to deal gently with his son. v5

b. however, when Joab found him helplessly caught in an oak tree he killed him. v6-11

c. David mourned greatly over the loss of his son, because he knew that it was a result of his sin and disobedience that Absalom rebelled. v28-33

Everything that God had said would happen came about. David suffered the consequences of his sin. They were not easy for him to bear, they never are. It is no wonder that David cried, out, "would to God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!" Sometimes the consequences are so difficult to bear that we wish we had died rather than suffer them. God said, "Be not deceived, God is not mocked, whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap."

- Amnon rapes Tamar
- Absalom kills Amnon
- Absalom rebels against David
- Absalom is killed by Joab
- David knows why!

Where do we go from here? We must go on and not quit. We must humble ourselves and face up to the consequences.