September 9, 2025
Please use the comment section on this page to share insights from today’s reading OR your own personal Bible reading.
Reading along with us in 2 Samuel and Acts? Here’s today’s reading:
2 Samuel 13 (NIV)
Amnon and Tamar
1 In the course of time, Amnon son of David fell in love with Tamar, the beautiful sister of Absalom son of David.
2 Amnon became so obsessed with his sister Tamar that he made himself ill. She was a virgin, and it seemed impossible for him to do anything to her.……Continue Reading
. Have friends that have intermingled families. From more than one marriages. Constant stress. To many different personalities and desires. Usually discipline does not exist. Constant arguing and strife. House of confusion always. Not the Brady bunch!! Have a friend whose son was accused of rape of his step sister. Did time in jail. Not allowed back into family. Hard enough having one wife with children and bringing them up well.
What a chapter this is, with many bad examples of how to be. It was pure evil what Amnon did to Tamar, not only what he did to her, but also taking advantage of the trust she and others had in him and not even responding to her begging for him not to do it and giving many good reasons why he shouldn’t. But he was consumed with desire which we all need to be careful of. And yet, once he has her, he sends her away. How selfish, but also the twisted way that sin works…really projecting his guilt on her and then despising her because of it. I was also struck by how obedient these servants were and probably needed to be. And then another bad move, David is angry, but doesn’t do anything about it. He doesn’t take Amnon to the wood shed, nor seek out Tamar or Absalom. I imagine the Bible would mention it if he did. He then doesn’t go to Absalom when asked. Who knows what he could have prevented. And it is wrong for Absalom to kill Amnon, although you can understand it in part. But vengeance is the Lords, but Absalom does act in the way David should have according to the law. And boy do you have to watch the information you get and double check things before you react to the news. How true that is today as well!
2 Samuel 13
2 Samuel 13
2 Samuel 13; Isaiah 24-25; 2 Kings 17
The evil that God told David because of his sins is happening. As David lusted after Bathsheba, so does now one of David`s sons. {Amnon} lust after his half sister Tamor. David took Bathsheba and Amnon took Tamor. Then Amnon makes it worse by sending her away. He treats her before and after like she is trash and only a object. When in truth, he is the one acting like trash and sinning against his half-sister Tamor. How terrible this is for women to be treated this way throughout history. This is not what God intended but because mankind is following their own heart and emotions and not God, this is what happens. The Bible says that the heart is deceitful above all else. Unless a person has a changed heart by coming to Christ, he will follow his own lusts. Then we have Absalom taking matters into his own hands and killing his half-brother
As pastor said, David should have taken action and intervened. Perhaps Absalom wouldn`t have run away for three years. Maybe Absalom wouldn`t have betrayed David as we see in the following chapters. As we see sin not only affects one or two people but many. Sometimes for generations. God bless us all as we seek to follow Him.
Not a surprising chapter given David’s own weakness in this area and perhaps his own guilt was what prevented him from handling it properly and disciplining Amnon after raping his sister. Tamar’s hurt compounded by no one doing anything about it is so sad. Perhaps David could have prevented Absalom’s need to seek revenge on his brother if something was done but now a sin is bringing about more sin. Generational curses from David’s own indiscretion already becoming evident here.
The consequences of David’s sin continue. He should have had Amnon disciplined (stoned to death, I believe) for his violation of Tamar.
I thought of several scriptures regarding Ammon’s lust for his sister. God saying to Cain:
”So the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.”“
Genesis 4:6-7 NKJV
This was regarding anger and murder, but sin nonetheless. Sin was stewing in Amnon and he should have ruled over it.
”But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.“
James 1:14-15 NKJV
https://bible.com/bible/114/jas.1.14-15.NKJV
Even after his violation of Tamar, it seems that he could have married her, I am inferring from the text. Not sure how that works, but there are other half-sibling marriages in the Bible.