“After
this (the capture of Rabbah) Absalom the son of David had a lovely sister,
whose name was Tamar; and Amnon the son of David loved her.” (v.1)
In 1974, the song “Cats in the Cradle” was a #1 Billboard hit.
It spoke of a young boy who grew up vowing to be like his father.
Unfortunately, the father never had time for his young son, and eventually the
roles are reversed. The grown son now has no time for his father and the song
ends with the haunting words: “And as I hung up the phone it occurred to me /
He’d grown up just like me / My boy was just like me.”
This theme of the son becoming like the father is portrayed
vividly in today’s reading, as David’s sins of lust, adultery, deceit, and
murder are now played out in even darker ways by his own sons. David himself is
portrayed as a weak and ineffective father who saw sin but did nothing about
it, despite his apparent fury.
As a parent or grandparent, understand that your actions, or the
lack of them, have consequences. Therefore, seek the LORD’s guidance for how to
leave a legacy of godliness to your family, as we do not want to instill
expectations that seem to excuse sin. We can not say one thing and yet do
another. Be that life example and walk your talk.
For David, all this can be laid at his feet as a consequence of
his sin with Bathsheba and reveals the outward manifestation of God’s promised
judgment on David and his house (2 Samuel 12:10). If patterns of generational
sin have plagued your house, ask the LORD for His grace and deliverance.
The Truth
“I will lift up my eyes to the hills. From whence comes my help?
My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.” (Psalm 121:1-2)
