2 Samuel 18:31-19:8 – Misguided Loyalty
It’s hard to even call David’s affections for his son love. If David had really loved him, he would have said hard things to him. He would have made sure Absalom had faced the consequences for the cold-blooded murder he carried out. Sadly this is a theme in the books of Samuel. We’ve seen it with Eli. We’ve seen it with Samuel himself. And we see it with David. Wicked sons – and yet their fathers don’t take the actions they should have taken.
How does this passage apply to our own day? If we fail to rebuke a family member or close friend no matter what they do, then that’s the sin of partiality – siding with people because of who they are, whether they’re on the right side or not. Or to apply it in a wider sense, the Puritans often used David’s disproportionate love for Absalom as an example of how there can be some sins we aren’t willing to kill. But kill them we must. Sparing Absalom’s life here would only have risked another rebellion, an extended civil war, and more death. As long as Absalom is alive, David’s life – and his kingdom – is under threat. And if we leave any sin alive, our spiritual lives are at risk. As it has been so rightly said: ‘Be killing sin, or it will be killing you’. The sin that you aren’t willing to kill is the sin that one day will kill you.
Questions
- What pattern do we see in 1st and 2nd Samuel of fathers and sons?
- What is the danger of not killing sin?
Prayer Points
- Pray that we would put sin to death in our life.
- Use prayer points from your congregation.
- Pray for family matters.