2Samuel 13-15

Overview of chapter 13
One of David’s sons Amnon was lovesick for his half sister Tamar. Amnon’s friend Jonadab came up with a plan for Amnon to seduce her. Amnon pretended to be really sick and would not eat unless Tamar fed him. While she was feeding him alone in his room, he raped her. After raping her, he threw her out of his room. She tore her robe and covered herself with ashes to show she was not a virgin anymore, and when her brother Absalom saw her he took her to his home and let her live there.

Absalom hated Amnon and would not speak to him. After two years he plotted to have him killed. He invited all his brothers and half brothers to party with his sheep shearers. After Amnon was drunk he had some servants kill him. The rest of the brothers ran away, afraid that they would be killed as well. Word of this got to David, who originally thought that all his sons were killed, but later found out it was only Amnon who had been killed and when his sons returned they all mourned his death together. Absalom fled to Geshur to escape the wrath of his brothers, but David longed to see his son Absalom.

Overview of chapter 14
Joab, the commander of David’s army realized that David missed Absalom and came up with a plan for David to be reunited with Absalom. Joab hired a lady to pretend to have a dispute for David to solve. She told David that one of her sons had killed her other son, and now her family had sent a blood avenger to kill her remaining son. She asked that David would have mercy on her son and let him live. David agreed, but then the lady told him that he was guilty of doing the same thing to his son. David perceived that he had been set up by his old friend Joab.

David asked Joab to go and get his son Absalom and bring him to Jerusalem to live, but David refused to see him. This continued for two years, and Absalom tried to convince Joab to let him see his father. Eventually to get Joab’s attention Absalom set Joab’s field on fire. Finally Joab agreed to bring him to David and it was a happy reunion.

Overview of chapter 15
Absalom grew prideful, and after many years decided he wanted to be king. Absalom used to sit at the city gate and tell people that David was not judging anymore, and then tell them that he would judge if he was in charge. This whisper campaign turned the peoples hearts against David, including one of his advisors. Absalom asked David if he could return to Geshur to complete a vow.

While Absalom was gone he sent word to all the tribes that they will hear a trumpet and then Absalom will be king. Absalom continued to conspire with David and draw in more and more people. When David heard about it he fled Jerusalem and left some spies to tell him what Absalom was doing and planning.

Reflection
Do the things you lust after ever truly satisfy you? When you have family members in trouble are you willing to take them in and care for them? Are you less likely to show mercy to people you love then to strangers? Does your pride lead you to sin? Do you take part in gossip, or ignore it?

For Further Study
Blood Avenger: Numbers 35:6-34, Deuteronomy 19:1-13, Joshua 20, Romans 13:3-4, 1Thessalonians 4:6.