“Welcome Home?” – Page 3 - 2/12/2012
David was easily overtaken by the temptation to lust after a woman who did not belong to him. And when he gave in to that sin, a whole lot of changes came upon his life. At least one of the lessons you can see from David’s life at this stage is this. David was unwilling to forgive. Your relationships will change when you make decisions for either good or evil.
One of those changes was his relationship with his two sons Amnon and Absalom. As you know from the story, Absalom took the life of his brother Amnon because Amnon assaulted his sister Tamar.
David had banished Absalom from Jerusalem and the palace for years. He even banished Absalom from seeing David face to face. At this point though, David has allowed Absalom to come home. Yet, he still refuses to have a meal or even a conversation with his son for another two years. Would anyone anywhere describe this as a welcome?
We, folks, are a whole lot like David. When someone has offended us and sinned against us, we withhold forgiveness. Or we only extend, like David, half-forgiveness. And, as we all know, that is not the way to restore a broken relationship. It takes humility and it takes effort on your part to clear up things between you and someone else. Sometimes it’s so hard to forgive that we just don’t even want to see that person’s face.
Yet that is exactly what needs to be done. God even tells us to do it. Here’s a NT word on that subject. Ephesians 4:32 “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.”
The message God has for us in II Samuel fourteen from David’s life is this. “The longer you stay away from those you need to forgive, the longer you stay away from the LORD.”
Forgiveness is a very powerful decision. That’s what the LORD wants us to see through David here.
First, David.
Second, Absalom.
Here’s Absalom. He’s home, but he’s not welcome in the home of his own father.
Verse 25 tells us this – he’s handsome, but hurting.
Verse 27 – he’s angry, but softer. He brings a daughter into the world and names her after his sister Tamar who had been abused by Amnon.
Verse 29 – he’s persistent. Time and again he begs for an opportunity to be reunited with his father; all to no avail.
Verse 30 – he’s frustrated. He sets Joab’s fields on fire in order to get Joab to set up an appointment with David.
And verse 31 – he’s welcomed (?) home. But he’s a wounded son. Proverbs 18:14 tells us this. “The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity; but a wounded spirit who can bear?”
When you read and study II Samuel, you’ll also see that Absalom is also unrepentant. He had killed his own half-brother. Yet, you will never read in the Bible that Absalom repented for his sin.
And this wounded, frustrated man is surprisingly like you and me. We get offended. We sin. We quote “get even”. According to Jesus, when we hate someone, we’ve broken the sixth commandment and murdered.
And we’ve all been wounded. We hurt others and they hurt us. And woundedness persists. It’s not easily overcome. It’s personal. It’s deep. It’s unjust. It’s unwanted. It’s one of the devil’s main ways to keep us focused on ourselves. It’s also a means to keeping us from listening to God and from receiving and believing his love.
One of those changes was his relationship with his two sons Amnon and Absalom. As you know from the story, Absalom took the life of his brother Amnon because Amnon assaulted his sister Tamar.
David had banished Absalom from Jerusalem and the palace for years. He even banished Absalom from seeing David face to face. At this point though, David has allowed Absalom to come home. Yet, he still refuses to have a meal or even a conversation with his son for another two years. Would anyone anywhere describe this as a welcome?
We, folks, are a whole lot like David. When someone has offended us and sinned against us, we withhold forgiveness. Or we only extend, like David, half-forgiveness. And, as we all know, that is not the way to restore a broken relationship. It takes humility and it takes effort on your part to clear up things between you and someone else. Sometimes it’s so hard to forgive that we just don’t even want to see that person’s face.
Yet that is exactly what needs to be done. God even tells us to do it. Here’s a NT word on that subject. Ephesians 4:32 “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.”
The message God has for us in II Samuel fourteen from David’s life is this. “The longer you stay away from those you need to forgive, the longer you stay away from the LORD.”
Forgiveness is a very powerful decision. That’s what the LORD wants us to see through David here.
First, David.
Second, Absalom.
Here’s Absalom. He’s home, but he’s not welcome in the home of his own father.
Verse 25 tells us this – he’s handsome, but hurting.
Verse 27 – he’s angry, but softer. He brings a daughter into the world and names her after his sister Tamar who had been abused by Amnon.
Verse 29 – he’s persistent. Time and again he begs for an opportunity to be reunited with his father; all to no avail.
Verse 30 – he’s frustrated. He sets Joab’s fields on fire in order to get Joab to set up an appointment with David.
And verse 31 – he’s welcomed (?) home. But he’s a wounded son. Proverbs 18:14 tells us this. “The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity; but a wounded spirit who can bear?”
When you read and study II Samuel, you’ll also see that Absalom is also unrepentant. He had killed his own half-brother. Yet, you will never read in the Bible that Absalom repented for his sin.
And this wounded, frustrated man is surprisingly like you and me. We get offended. We sin. We quote “get even”. According to Jesus, when we hate someone, we’ve broken the sixth commandment and murdered.
And we’ve all been wounded. We hurt others and they hurt us. And woundedness persists. It’s not easily overcome. It’s personal. It’s deep. It’s unjust. It’s unwanted. It’s one of the devil’s main ways to keep us focused on ourselves. It’s also a means to keeping us from listening to God and from receiving and believing his love.