Overview of 2 Sam 13-19

Overview of 2 Sam 13-19

1.       Amnon’s lust for his half sister, Tamar [13:1-19]

a.       Amnon the first son, the rightful heir of the kingship: pride and power controlled by lust

b.      Desire for control and justice in his own eyes ;sin committed; unrepentant

2.       Absalom’s justice [13:20-30]

a.       Why did David not do anything? –waiting for God’s justice ; not his own

b.      I will take justice with my own hand—I am righteous and good than King David: he is unable to deliver godly rule.

3.       David’s longing for restoration [13:31-39]

a.       David was furious over the sin of Amnon but..

b.      David waited for Absalom’s repentance but..

c.       Here the silence of the king is important theme—This theme continues to ch 19 until he was restored to the king of Israel again.

4.       Restoration without repentance and trust [14:1-33]

a.       Joab’s way of restoration—not by repentance but by political reasons—for the sake of power

b.      Distrust of king deepens and Absalom’s political future becomes uncertain

5.       Absalom, aspiration to be king by power—human justice [15:1-12]

a.       Absalom make himself a king—power in and among people—goodness in himself; forms of godliness

b.      The nation follows—accepts Absalom’s way of justice in killing Amnon and his human goodness. But the nation fails to see God’s grace and mercy in and through David.

6.        David awaits for God’s justice [15:13-16:14]

a.       David escapes to avoid bloodshed.

b.      David releases Ittai

c.       David returns the ark of God and prays

d.      David sends Hushai to Jerusalem

e.      Mephibosheth fails to honor David and Shimei curses David

7.       God hears David’s pray and brings his justice on David and Absalom [16:15-18:18]

a.       God frustrates Ahithopel’s advice and uphold Hushai’s advice [16:15-17:29]

b.      Absalom dies [18:1-18]

8.       David’s shepherd heart for his sons and reveals the heart of his shepherd-king [18;19-19:8]

a.       David reveals true shepherd heart for his son Absalom.

b.      Amnon and Absalom failed to see God’s grace and God’s justice in and through the life of his father David. They perished in their own sin.

In these chapters we see Amnon and Absalom sin and die. But David, though he committed sins that are as bad as or even worse than the sins of both of these two sons, survived. He survived not because of his ability or wisdom of life but because his repentance that led him to restoration with God. What they did must be viewed in what David did in sin as well as in repentance.  Amnon mirrors the lust of David. Absalom mirrors David’s lust for power and control. Also what Amnon and Absalom failed to do stands as the antithesis for what David did through repentance.  In this regard, what David did during this time reveals what is the life in godliness of sinners in repentance.

A.      David is the true model of life in repentance—Seeing offenses of others as God’s justice for my sin, leave all judgment to God, willing to take upon all with submission to God in peace.

B.      David is the new way of looking at sinners that committed sin against us and against people [deep empathy for sinners]

C.      David is the model for the life of 'renewed sinners': endure sins of others and pray for them and await for their repentance: not taking justice in his own hand.

In these three ways, David in repentance became the king of Kingdom of God, a shadow of coming Christ, the shepherd king for sinners.