| My Cleansing Stream journal [Final - Part 1] |
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CS finished more than a fortnight ago, God has been faithful to deliver His cleansing and healing to those who sought diligently. Nonetheless, cleansing is an ongoing process on the way of sanctification till I return home to see my God.
The ultimate offense
I have also finished the book The Bait of Satan, but have been pondering on the last few chapters because I don't understand; I can't swallow the teaching. So I read the Bible on this part of the history again and again, and dug out some articles about David and Absalom. Why would God side with David and not Absalom? What's wrong with Absalom?
The offense I find is God still chose David, a murderer, an adulterous, an unfaithful husband, a weak father. What's wrong with taking things in our own hands?
Who's the hero
David was obviously unjust in not punishing Amnon, yes he was furious about the crime, but he left him off the hook unpunished. Poor Tamar, what about her life? where is justice for her? David's lack of action as a father and a king led to further destruction in the family and in the nation; the more I read the more he appeared not a "great man" at all, but a coward who messed up his own family, and almost lost his throne.
On the other hand, Absalom seemed to be doing what a "hero" would do, he covered his sister, took revenge, and later he cleverly took over the kingdom as a strong king. But ironically his death told us God hated his way. The Bible didn't give much clue to why so as it just plainly recorded the incidents.
David vs Absalom
Among my reading there is a view that Absalom conspired Tamar's rape for his own advantage, as Amnon was the first born who would have inherited the throne, the evidence was Absalom's association with Jonadab, who devised the wicked trap for Amnon to get Tamar. This view is a speculation base on the theory of power struggle.
Another view was that David's lack of action was due to his own shame from his adultery with Bathsheba and murder of Uriah, and so he's somewhat paralyzed and accepting it as his own punishment from God, as prophecied by Nathan. I think this view is because the two incidents were recorded back to back (Ch.12 and 13 in 2 Samuel) and David himself said so as he fleed, it could very well be the consequential curse of David's sin.
Both views are logical, but it's people's life we're talking about. Either one is unfair to Tamar. Absalom acted just as any smart courageous man would have done, he couldn't bear with his father's lack of action, so he took things into his own hands. How he paved his way to the throne could very well be what a successful entrepreneur would do today, no one would blame him. So why wasn't he acceptable to God and deserve such a disgraceful death?
Now, therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because [you have not only despised My command, but] you have despised Me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife. 2 Samuel 12:10 AMP
And they took Absalom, and cast him into the great pit in the forest, and raised over him a very great heap of stones: and all Israel fled every one to his tent. 2 Samuel 18:17 ASV
(continued in Part 2) |
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