NEWS & THOUGHTS ARCHIVE

Dealing With Tragedy

Evangelist Dr. Bob Sanders
August 1, 2008

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II Samuel 13:11-14 “And when she had brought them unto him to eat, he took hold of her, and said unto her, Come lie with me, my sister. And she answered him, Nay, my brother, do not force me; for no such thing ought to be done in Israel: do not thou this folly. And I, whither shall I cause my shame to go? and as for thee, thou shalt be as one of the fools in Israel. Now therefore, I pray thee, speak unto the king; for he will not withhold me from thee. Howbeit he would not hearken unto her voice: but, being stronger than she, forced her, and lay with her.”

II Samuel 13:28-29 “Now Absalom had commanded his servants, saying, Mark ye now when Amnon's heart is merry with wine, and when I say unto you, Smite Amnon; then kill him, fear not: have not I commanded you? be courageous and be valiant. And the servants of Absalom did unto Amnon as Absalom had commanded.”

The more that I study the Word of God, the more appreciative I am of it completeness, competence, and comfort. There is no aspect of human life that the Word of God does not shed light on; whether it is triumph or tragedy; and both will inevitably make an appearance in the lives of all men! In the biographical record of David, the sweet Psalmist of Israel, the Word of God records David’s heights of ecstasy and his depressive depths of despondency. At times David appeared to enjoy the spiritual triumphs equal to that of an Apostle Paul carried into the third heaven, only to plummet to the sinful tragedies equal to that of a Judas on the night of betrayal. We watch David stand victorious as he reigns supreme over the giant only to be plunged beneath the captivating domain of sinful flesh as he plots to take another’s wife. While this degree of variableness in David’s life may have been equaled by some; it has only been surpassed by a limited few! For David the degree and the distance that the emotional pendulum swings is intense and lengthily.

Within the text before us in II Samuel 13, we have the record of one of the many tragedies that transpired in the life of David. The sacred passage of Scripture that is before us will reveal virtue being stolen, vengeance being executed and the violation of divine truth. This all equates to the sum total of tragedy! The family of David has been devastated by sin which has manifested itself in the unbridled desires of the flesh. The tender hearts of two mothers have been ripped from their breast by the callous hands of tragedy. One suffers as she looks into the eyes of a defiled child and the other is smitten as she looks into the eyes of a dead child.  

Is there anything to be learned from these events that devour and ravage the family of David? While it may require a lengthily season of meditation as well as an open heart to receive the full force of the truth, there is divine help from the Word of God. Of the many, there are three areas of truth that I want to magnify from the passage that may serve us when it falls our lot to deal with tragedy. 

The first thing that I notice within the context of the story is that there is a Law that must not be overlooked. In the chapter previous to our text, II Samuel 12, God has just finished educating David concerning the law of God. God has sent Nathan by with a word for David. While David’s sin has escaped the eyes of most; it has not went undetected by the Master! David would be reminded of a law established when God created man and placed him in the garden.  It was a law that had not been stricken from the books of divine justice! The basic truth of that law can be seen in the context of the command that God gave to Adam in the garden, “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die” (Genesis 2:17). The basic truth is; sin has a price tag and the price must be paid! In II Samuel 12, David fell under the jurisdiction of that law when under the domination of unbridled lust David sinned against God. God informed David that it was time to settle the books and payment was due. “Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun. And the LORD struck the child that Uriah's wife bare unto David, and it was very sick.” II Samuel 12:11&15 It is imperative to remember that God’s law is still in place. The first thing that we notice about this law is its jurisdiction. What was true for Adam and David; is true for Amnon and Absalom. There are none that fall outside its jurisdiction! The law’s boundaries extends to the celestial creatures of heaven (Lucifer), those that were created in God’s image (Adam’s race), and even to Christ (when He was made sin). The Bible is very clear, “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap” (Galatians 6:7). If God would turn His back on His only begotten Son when the sin of all men was placed on Him; who would be so foolish to think that God would wink at our transgressions? 

The second thing to be noticed is the law’s judge. God said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord” (Romans 12:19). Listen to Romans 14:4, “Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.” The only person that we have a right to judge is ourselves; “For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged” (I Corinthians 11:31). We have neither the capacity nor the competence to take on the role of a judge. While sin must be paid for, neither you nor I have a right to determine the timing or the degree of payment! There is a Sovereign God in Heaven that knows the thoughts and intents of the hearts of all men. The right to judge has been given to Him; “For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son” (John 5:22). We can take on the role as judge, but we must remember another law, “Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again” (Matthew 7:1-2). The sin Amnon was compounded when Absolam became his brother’s judge. 

Within the text, there is a Love that must not be lost. I would begin by saying that we are living in a day when most do not know the true meaning of true love, but that is not true! The passage before us is the record of an event that occurred over two thousand years ago and it is evident that they had no comprehension of what true love was either. Several years ago there was a pop song that went to the top of the charts for a short season. One of the repetitive lines of the song was, “What the world needs now is Love.” While it may appear quaint to say it, “What the world needs now is Love.” The Word of God reminds us that “Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins” (Proverbs 10:12). 

Concerning Amnon and his sister, we see the abuse of what some people call love. Amnon said that love would not allow him to live without the affections of his sister which is a total misconception of love. Amnon knew nothing of true love; he was totally dominated with physical lust! Tamar asked Amnon to spare her of the embarrassment and to wait for things to be done properly. How would have love responded to her request? “Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil” (I Corinthians 13:4-5). True love is not unbecoming in its actions and does not seek its own pleasure. 

When we consider Absolam’s dealings with Amnon, we discover that love is abandoned. Absolam would say that his love for his sister Tamar made him kill Amnon, but that’s just not true. Jesus reminded those that were so quick to judge the woman caught in adultery, “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her” (John 8:7). One does not have to dig too far into Absolam character to find hatred, pride, and greed. True love is not easily provoked and does not seek the harm of another. This story would have been very different if true love had been present in the lives of these men. 

Within the frame work of the text, there is a Lord that must not be neglected. A careful reading of the text reveals that the Lord is never sought for comfort or council by any of those involved. Tamar does not seek the comfort of the Lord. Amnon does not seek cleansing from the Lord for his sin. Absolam does not seek council from the Lord in how to conduct himself and deal with his anger. While David was comforted in the death of young child born to Bathsheba, we never read of David seeking conciliation and closure for the defilement of his daughter or the death of his two sons, Amnon and Absalom. Many times we are prone to ask, “Where is God in all of this?” Maybe what we should be asking is, “Has anyone sought the Lord for comfort, council, cleansing, and conciliation?” The Psalmist said, “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord , which made heaven and earth. He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber” (Psalm 121: 1-3). May we never be guilty of neglecting to the Lord in the time of tragedy. 

There will be a day when tragedy knocks on our door for no other reason than we are the inhabitants of an world staggering under the curse of sin. Unlike the others, those that have been redeemed by the precious blood of Christ have hope and help from above. May we glean divine truth from the lives of those that have proceeded us in life’s similar tragedies. 

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