Why Is This Sordid Story in the Bible?: Four Reasons to Read About the Rape of Tamar.

This forenoon, nosotros continue in the Old Testament book of Second Samuel as nosotros come to this infamous story in chapter 13 well-nigh the rape of David's daughter Tamar, past David's oldest son, Amnon.  With this story, what hits the reader in the confront is how the writer makes no attempts to sanitize this truly awful serial of events.  He pulls no punches in revealing the wickedness of some of the members of David's family.  Even in our sexually depraved world where very few things are considered morally evil, most people would say, even today, that rape and incest are both great and destructive evils.

In this story, rape and incest are NOT only briefly mentioned or alluded to.  No.  This story in chilling detail spotlights a particular case of rape and incest.  It takes us direct into the sin-blackened center of the king's nephew and David's beginning-born son.  We're given a clear flick of Amnon's perverse heart and the icky desires and actions that flow from it.  All this is painful to read, much less unpack in whatever item.

Most painfully, the story draws united states into the great pain and trauma of a young woman who the author reveals to be pure and virtuous and whose only "error" seems to exist that she is beautiful which has attracted the attention of her perverse, older half-brother.  It is grievous to run across this young woman—this princess have her dignity and whatsoever hope of a fulfilling life irretrievably destroyed.  Tamar will never be able to recover what has been and so brutally taken from her.

In light of all those terrible truths, why would God include this story in the bible, anyway?  The most obvious reason is because this actually happened in history.  If God chose to include only uplifting stories virtually his people, that would not be the truth and God can't help merely tell the truth because he IS the truth.  Likewise, the bible would non ring true to our own understanding of this dark world if it did not comprise stories like this.  It would read more than like a legend or fairy tale than an inspired account of real people's lives.

Some other reason in that location are stories like this one in the Bible is that God doesn't consider our discomfort over a sordid story his superlative priority.  As we saw in Judges where he reveals the business relationship of a concubine who was gang raped and whose body is chopped up into pieces and sent out to the twelve tribes of State of israel, God is clearly not concerned about offending our sensibilities.  Finally, and most importantly, the author wants united states of america to see here and in the next chapter his primary point.  That is that though king David has been forgiven of his sin and restored to fellowship with God, the consequences of his sin remain, and they are horrible.

The prophetic curse the prophet Nathan gives to David in affiliate 12 is, "¹⁰ Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, considering you have despised me and accept taken the married woman of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.' ^xi Thus says the LORD, 'Behold, I will raise up evil against yous out of your own house…"  As nosotros'll see, the way the author reveals these sins in David'due south family forces us to draw an unmistakable connection between them David's sin with Bathsheba.  Now, let's unpack the specific details of the narrative.

This function of chapter 13 breaks down into four sections.  The first section is Setting the Stage for the rest of the story.  In verses i to iv the author introduces all the major human players in this drama and reveals the necessary background elements required for this disastrous story to unfold.  The story begins past mentioning Absalom and that seems out of identify hither because Absalom has no function in this story except a modest one at the very finish.  Yet verse one says, "¹ Now Absalom, David's son, had a beautiful sis, whose proper noun was Tamar. And afterward a time Amnon, David'due south son, loved her."

The reason the writer leads this story with Absalom and even defines who Tamar is past relating her to Absalom (she is called his "beautiful sister) is because this story marks the get-go of a new section of Second Samuel that will run for the next eight chapters and almost all of information technology centers around Absalom.  This larger section unfolds the most painful judgment of God on David for his sin.  That is– Absalom's rebellion against his male parent, the rex.  The author uses these early verses to set the table for the next eight capacity.  Absalom was David's third son and both he and his sister Tamar were born to Maacah, who David married to grade a political alliance with her father, the king of Geshur.

Because Absalom was the full brother of Tamar (sharing both parents in common), he obviously takes up her cause against his half-blood brother Amnon who was built-in to David'southward second wife, Ahinoam of Jezreel.  One of the many problems caused by a human having multiple wives is the extreme level of sibling rivalry that frequently exists between half siblings who share but one parent together. Amnon was the firstborn son of David and as the "crown prince," was expected to succeed David to the throne.  This story, however, reveals Amnon to exist a immature human being with absolutely nothing to commend him as the next king of State of israel.

The author instead reveals him to exist a homo absolutely driven, not by his honey for God or state, but by his uncontrolled sexual lust.  Poesy 2 says this nearly him.  "And Amnon was so tormented that he made himself ill considering of his sister Tamar considering she was a virgin, and information technology seemed impossible to Amnon to do anything to her."   Here's an early clue into the type of passion Amnon has for Tamar.  We shouldn't exist surprised later when Amnon rejects Tamar after he assaults her because we see here that his root motivation was never love, as he claimed, but was instead "to do 'anything' to her."  Amnon doesn't intendance a wit near Tamar as a sis or even equally a human existence.  He relates to her purely on a glandular level.

Because the Mosaic constabulary forbade him from establishing a legitimate sexual relationship by marriage to Tamar, rather than take a common cold shower or move past Tamar and seek out one of a 1000 other cute women he could have had, he instead feverishly focuses on a adult female he knows he cannot legitimately have.  This is the marker of an intensely young and impulsive man.  This frenzy he works himself upwardly into reveals him to be completely held earnest to his sexual desires.

The last main graphic symbol this section introduces to us is Jonadab.  In poetry 3 he is literally chosen "a companion" of Amnon, but he's also the son of David's brother, which make him Amnon's cousin.  The writer reveals Jonadab to exist a very wise human being.  The ESV translates the word, "crafty" to describe him in poetry three.  Of all the other characters, Jonadab is perceptive plenty to ask Amnon why he looks and so "haggard" every day.  When Amnon confesses his desires for Tamar, Amnon conceives an evil but effective plan.  Its effective because it successfully creates a pretext where Amnon could practice what he wanted with Tamar with no witnesses.  Only it's too constructive considering it actually makes the rex role of the plan.  Jonadab plays David like a cheap fiddle hither and makes him an unknowing accompaniment to the offense.

The second section of the story runs from poesy five to verse 14 and reveals The Evil Trap sprung on Tamar.  David visited his allegedly ill son and heard his request to eat from the hand of his sister and asked Tamar to visit her blood brother.  As an obedient daughter, Tamar faithfully complied.  Co-ordinate to verse eight, she went to Amnon'south firm "…And she took dough and kneaded it and made cakes in his sight and broiled the cakes."  Amnon had actually requested of David that Tamar come up and prepare (what nosotros learn from the original language were) middle-shaped cakes.   David, however, didn't option upwardly on this clue that Amnon had more than than platonic intentions for Tamar.

At Amnon's prompting, everyone but Tamar is sent away, and she obediently moves to his bedside so he could "eat the cakes from [her] hand."   Verse nine reveals that, initially, Tamar "took the pan and emptied it out before him…"  It plain wasn't clear to Tamar that Amnon was so sick that he required feeding by paw.  But he coaxes her, and she obeys, sealing her fate.

We know the rest of the story and the set on is rightly told with little detail given except this series of desperate attempts past Tamar to dissuade her blood brother.  In three verses, she spontaneously produces 4 splendid and godly reasons for Amnon Non to practice this terrible thing.  Beginning with poetry 12, she says, " ¹² She answered him, "No, my brother, do not violate me, for such a thing is not washed in Israel; do not do this outrageous thing.   The beginning point Tamar makes is that in Israel—a nation governed by God, rape, and incest, different their heathen neighbors, was sinful and totally inconsistent with who they were as God'due south people.  She highlights the unique character of God's nation in the hope of causing Amnon to see just how wrong his intentions were.  She continues in verse 13. " ^xiii Equally for me, where could I comport my shame?"

She appeals to what she hoped might exist some compassion Amnon might have for his sister past reminding him of the irreversible harm he would be bringing on her.  She continues in poesy 13, "And as for you, you lot would be as one of the outrageous fools in Israel."  She next appeals to Amnon's ain best interests.  She rightly predicts that Amnon would, through his assault of her, be considered a fool who, by implication, no one would want as their king.

Finally, she says, "Now therefore, please speak to the king, for he will not withhold me from yous."  Whether or not Tamar would take been genuinely willing to marry Amnon nosotros can never know.  It may be that she's grasping at whatever harbinger in her agony.  As we said, although this marriage between half siblings was against Mosaic constabulary, David could have granted this. Abraham and Sarah were half siblings and God blessed their marriage.  Amnon is obviously not interested in marriage or any kind or human relationship with Tamar, so he commits this heinous sin confronting his sister.  Even though Tamar's arguments are all potent, Amnon is well past beingness convinced by reason.  He was in the grip sexual animalism and, tragically for Tamar, Amnon follows his lust where it took him.

Even worse in Tamar'due south eyes than Amnon's evil trap is The Cruel Aftermath .  When Amnon forces her out of his house after the rape, verse xvi reveals, " ^xvi Only she said to him, "No, my brother, for this wrong in sending me abroad is greater than the other that you did to me." Only he would non listen to her."  At present that the evil deed is done, the merely remaining hope Tamar has for not having the residual of her life stop up being a complete disaster is that Amnon, who has stolen her virginity, would now consent to marry her.  Given the circumstances, David would almost certainly accept immune them to marry because it was Tamar's only run a risk at non living in life-long disgrace.  It was too the just fashion she could take children because, as we meet, in that culture, a defiled royal princess was destined to be a spinster.  That was horribly unjust, just it was the way things were and Tamar knew information technology.  Hence her final desperate pleas for Amnon non to throw her out.

If nosotros had any dubiety about where Amnon'southward centre was before the rape, he erases it past immediately kicking Tamar to the curb.  Verse 15 says, "^fifteen And so Amnon hated her with very not bad hatred, so that the hatred with which he hated her was greater than the love with which he had loved her. And Amnon said to her, "Get up! Go!"  Before the encounter, in Amnon's eyes, Tamar represented the fulfillment of his evil desires and he profoundly coveted her.  After the encounter, Tamar was simply an unwelcome reminder of his sin and of the fact that he had just ruined both of their lives.  Wanting to be rid of this constant reminder of his own depravity, his heart completely hardens against Tamar.  He tin't stand the sight of her.

In verse 17 he says to his servant, "…Put this woman out of my presence and commodities the door after her."  He tin can't fifty-fifty bring himself to use her proper noun.  Here, Amnon affirms that he had completely dehumanized his sister.  Tamar understandably goes into an intense time of agonized mourning. She tears her expensive garment that formerly signified her status as a virgin princess.  She too put ashes on her head and "…laid her paw on her caput and went away, crying aloud every bit she went."  Ashes were another expression of mourning and placing your hand on your head was probably a sign that Tamar had been exiled and abandoned.

Information technology's of import for united states to see that the author goes into this kind of item in revealing the personal trauma and tragedy this was for Tamar.  The writer concludes in poetry 20, "…So Tamar lived, a desolate woman, in her brother Absalom'south business firm."  That means that she would accept been largely isolated from society as a woman covered with shame and having no risk of ever being married and having children.   In this culture, what happened to Tamar was almost equally bad equally anything that could happen to a woman, especially a princess.

The fourth and final department of the story is the author's way of preparing the reader for what is to come in the residue of this Absalom section of Second Samuel.  This section is really the Prelude to the Next Affiliate.   In verse 20 Absalom knowingly asks Tamar, "Has Amnon your blood brother been with you lot?"  Of the endless men who could have possibly assaulted Tamar, Absalom immediately suspects Amnon.  There was something nigh Amnon or how he related to Tamar that Absalom had observed or heard about to cause him to rightly jump to this conclusion.

Absalom then gives some counsel to Tamar that feels very cold to us.  "Now hold your peace, my sis.  He is your brother, practise not take this to eye."  Scholars disagree nearly what Absalom means here.  It could be that he is merely telling Tamar, "this is as well terrible for you lot to spend any fourth dimension thinking about—try to put information technology out of your listen."  That would be horribly naïve on his part, but it might have been the all-time he could practice.  He might be telling Tamar, "Don't mention this to anyone considering I don't want anyone other than myself to avenge this great evil."

Or information technology might hateful that Absalom knows that David wouldn't do anything and that information technology was better for Tamar to simply say cypher because David'due south failure to act would be even more painful to Tamar.  Or it could be any combination of those.  Suffice it to say, he is Not doing a very good job of what he should have been about which is comforting his sis who has just gone through a horribly traumatic feel.  Only it'due south also true that in her grievous situation, there actually WERE NO WORDS of comfort that could make her hopeless plight any better.

David appears once more in the story in poetry 21. "When King David heard of all these things, he was very aroused."  The fact that David does nix except get very aroused does not speak well of him.  This is an uncharacteristically weak response from this king who had ever been a very proactive decisive leader earlier his sin with Bathsheba.  At the very least, David could have told Amnon that his sin against Tamar disqualified him to succeed him equally male monarch.  He doesn't even practise that much.  Past constabulary, he could have had Amnon executed for this crime.  Even though that would take been excruciating for him also as the nation, information technology would have been improve than doing aught.  When the author reveals David'due south great anger with no accompanying activity, he probably wants united states to meet the connection between his response and his sin with Bathsheba.  David surely would have felt hypocritical for punishing his son for a sexual sin when he himself had sinned sexually with Bathsheba.  That is surely part of what is going on here.

One commentator says this about David and this incident. "Whether David should be faulted for cooperating with Amnon'due south suspicious scheme is debatable, but that he becomes furious and does non execute his… unrepentant son, who by his rape violated his sis'south person and by his incest violated parental authorisation, is incontrovertibly inexcusable."[1] Although David is forgiven of his sin with Bathsheba, he is non the man he was before his fall from grace.  And and so, the author prepares us for the next part of the story when Absalom waits patiently for the correct moment to exact vengeance on Amnon.  That'southward the story, such as information technology is.

Before we close, allow's think about three points of application for u.s. from this story.  Offset, God is willing to cause significant short-term pain in order to prevent greater pain in the hereafter.  Although much of this story is about God's judgment on David and his family, his mercy is seen here too.  We know from concluding calendar week that the next king would exist Solomon.  Equally a son born much later than older sons like Amnon and Absalom, for Solomon to presume the throne with the ii of them still live would have thrown the family and perhaps the nation into ceremonious war.

Many certainly would have expected Amnon as the crown prince to exist king and some would surely accept taken up his cause.  Just as God had to get Saul'southward sons out of the manner to make room for David, God had to get any unworthy potential rivals to the throne out of the mode in society to make room for his choice, Solomon.  Through this series of events, even if he would have lived, Amnon is no longer in the running for the throne.

Just Absalom, the 3rd born was also a potent candidate to be David's successor.  He was very gifted and, as we'll meet, could attract a loyal following.  So, Absalom must besides be taken out of the way to make room for Solomon and this story marks the start of his downfall.  The second born, Chileab, Abigail's son, we have no record of, and he was never in the picture to succeed David.  The just other potential threat, Adonijah is rapidly eliminated when he tries to usurp a throne that, by that fourth dimension, had been formally promised to Solomon.

The bespeak is that in this terrible, horrific story, the death of Amnon and the kickoff of the terminate of Absalom ultimately served to forbid what surely would have been a broader catastrophe. That is, a bitter division when Solomon was put forwards to succeed his father.  God does this in our lives too.  He allows us to get through great pain at times in order to spare the states even greater pain after in life.  You lot are dumped by a person you thought would exist the perfect spouse only to discover later on that God had something much ameliorate for yous.  If y'all are experiencing the hurting from this kind of loss, information technology's almost certainly because God has something better for you.

Some other point of application is—our sin, especially sexual sin tin can have a devastating impact on those we beloved.  This is 1 reason the writer takes pains to reveal, every bit much as is possible, the incredible anguish of eye Tamar experiences here.  Call up about Tamar.  She had done nix wrong.  She was born probably fifteen years earlier David even met Bathsheba.  She was just minding her own concern, doing the things that any princess would exercise in her position.  But she spends the residuum of her life in isolation and disgrace, robbed of the great blessings she should have had as a daughter of the king.

In a matter of minutes, she went from having an incredibly privileged condition to what would accept been seen as a wretched existence for any woman in the Ancient Near East. And the writer wants us to make the connectedness that Tamar suffers every bit she did considering, in a moment of insanity, David, driven by his own lust, opens Pandora's box for his family.  David wasn't thinking at all about Tamar when he sinned with Bathsheba, but the author wants us to encounter that what he did with Bathsheba in a seemingly asunder incident, had profound and horrific consequences for David's daughter.

This is what sexual sin does.  It'south like stepping on a spiritual country mine that sends out shrapnel to all those within close distance.  If you are contemplating sexual sin—if you are playing around with it, flirting with someone non your spouse or forming inappropriate emotional attachments, God has given you this story as a alert that y'all are literally playing with fire that will burn, not merely you, but those who are closest to you.  That's one of the sobering truths we must describe from the tragic example of David and Amnon and Tamar.

Finally, surely a primary point of awarding for u.s. is—God can be trusted to fulfill his words of judgment. This is an important purpose of this ugly story—to show God's integrity to fulfill his promised judgment on David and his family for his sin.  Equally we mentioned earlier, the author reveals this story in such a mode as to arrive easy for us to run into the connection between David's sin with Bathsheba and this sin of his offspring.  Information technology'southward fitting that office of the judgment on David for his sexual sin is for him to witness how devastating sexual sin is within the lives of his children.

David is doubtless reminded that he had no more than right to take from Bathsheba what Amnon took from his own daughter.  If David failed to perceive the devastating effects his sexual sin had on Bathsheba, he could non accept missed the disaster it spelled for his daughter who, dissimilar Bathsheba, was a virgin.  No one can doubtfulness that every bit David processed this sin of Amnon confronting his daughter, he was doing some further reflection on his own sexual sin.

He was surely seeing what was happening in his family as a fulfillment of God'south judgment on him as prophesied through Nathan.  Numerous times in the psalms David composed, he testifies to God's faithfulness to bring judgment on all those who oppose him.  Psalm 9:15-17 is typical when David says, "¹⁵The nations have sunk in the pit that they made; in the net that they hid, their own human foot has been caught. ¹⁶ The LORD has made himself known; he has executed judgment; the wicked are snared in the piece of work of their ain hands. ¹⁷ The wicked shall render to Sheol, all the nations that forget God."

God will fulfill his promised judgment on all sinners and one of those promises in the New Attestation is in John iii:36. "³⁶ Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not meet life, but the wrath of God remains on him."  The truth is—every bit horrific equally it was for David to suffer the judgment of God on his sin, what he experienced was a walk in the park compared to those who exercise not place their trust in Jesus.  If you don't renounce trusting in your own works to earn you a place in heaven.  If you don't plow from living a life that is all virtually doing what your fallen desires bulldoze yous to do.  If you don't apologize of your sins and accept Jesus' expiry on the cross equally the payment for your sin, the wrath of God that now remains on you will never leave yous.

Finally, as an addendum, because this story reminds usa of the horrendous harm done to a woman who has been sexually assaulted, if y'all have gone through something similar this, delight don't proceed it in.  Tell a sis in Christ or get some counseling.  What happened to y'all is not your mistake and you need to hear someone y'all trust make clinch you of that.  May God give all of usa the grace to live in purity for his glory and our eternal joy.

[1] Gordon, Robert, i and 2 Samuel, 1984 as quoted in Waltke, Onetime Testament Theology, Zondervan, pp. 666-667, (2007).

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Source: http://www.nshorechurch.com/2021/05/25/the-life-of-david-the-consequences-begin-5-23-21/

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