2 SAMUEL 13:10-14
10 Then Amnon said to Tamar, “Bring the food here into my bedroom so I may eat from your hand.” And Tamar took the bread she had prepared and brought it to her brother Amnon in his bedroom. 11 But when she took it to him to eat, he grabbed her and said, “Come to bed with me, my sister.”
12 “No, my brother!” she said to him. “Don’t force me! Such a thing should not be done in Israel! Don’t do this wicked thing. 13 What about me? Where could I get rid of my disgrace? And what about you? You would be like one of the wicked fools in Israel. Please speak to the king; he will not keep me from being married to you.” 14 But he refused to listen to her, and since he was stronger than she, he raped her.
CHILD OF GOD, I STARTED YESTERDAY AND I PROMISED TO CONTINUE WITH SOMETHING THAT DISTURBS US.
THE TEXT THIS MORNING IS ABOUT DAVID, THE MAN AFTER GOD’S HEART. HE HAD MANY WIVES AND MANY CHILDREN. ONE OF THE SONS FELT IN LOVE WITH HIS SISTER FROM ANOTHER WOMAN. HE WAS SO MUCH IN LOVE WITH HER THAT HE BECAME LOVESICK. HE CONFIDED IN A FRIEND WHO DEVICED AN EVIL TRICK AND ASKED HIM TO PRETEND TO BE SICK AND INVITE HIS STEP SISTER HOME SO HE COULD SLEEP WITH HER. CHILD OF GOD, BAD FRIENDS RUIN GOOD MORALS. AMNON LISTENED TO THE ADVICE OF HIS BAD FRIEND AND ACTED ON IT. HE RAPED HIS SISTER, A VIRGIN DAUGHTER OF A KING. THE SISTER PLEADED WITH HIM AND EVEN PROPOSED THAT HE SHOULD ASK HER HAND TO THEIR FATHER BUT HE WOULD NOT LISTEN. HE CHOSE TO RAPE HER. THE BIBLE SAYS AFTER RAPING HER HE DEVELOPED INTENSE HATRED FOR HER MORE THAN THE LOVE HE FELT FOR HER. HE ASKED THE SERVANTS TO EXPEL HER OUT OF HIS PRESENCE. AS SHE WAS GOING OUT DESPERATE AND CRYING, HER OWN BROTHER ABSALOM SAW HER AND INQUIRED IF HER BROTHER HAD RAPED HER. ABSALOM CALMED HER DOWN AND DIDN’T SAY A WORD. DAVID TOO HEARD ABOUT THE STORY AND DIDN’T SAY A WORD. SO ABSALOM TOOK HIS SISTER TO HIS HOUSE AND KEPT HER BECAUSE OF THE SHAME. DAVID THE FATHER DIDN’T SIT TO TALK TO THE CHILDREN. HE DIDN’T REPRIMAND AMNON. HE DID NOTHING.
CHILD OF GOD, THAT IS HOW MANY PARENTS BEHAVE. WE HAVE TWO CHILDREN WHO ARE BREAKING THEMSELVES AND YOU DON’T TALK. SOME PARENTS ARE AFRAID OF THEIR CHILDREN. THEY ALWAYS LOOK FOR A WAY TO COVER THEIR CHILDREN. YOU SEE YOUR CHILD MISBEHAVING BUT YOU KEPT QUIET. DAVID DIDN’T TALK SO ABSALOM STARTED NURSING BITTERNESS AGAINST HIS BROTHER. THE BIBLE SAYS FOR TWO FULL YEARS ABSALOM DIDN’T SAY A WORD ABOUT THE WHOLE ISSUE. THE OFFENSE WASN’T COMMITTED ON HIM BUT HE NURSED THE BITTERNESS AND DECIDED TO AVENGE. IT MEANS ALL THIS WHILE ABSALOM DIDN’T HAVE PEACE AND HE WAS LOOKING FOR AN OPPORTUNITY TO HIT. THAT IS HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE. THEY HAVE DECIDED NOT TO LET GO THINGS THAT HAPPENED TEN YEARS, FIVE YEARS, TWO YEARS AGO OR LAST YEAR. THEY ARE WAITING FOR AN OPPORTUNE TIME TO AVENGE. REMEMBER THE STORY I TOLD YOU YESTERDAY ABOUT THE OFFENDED PUPIL WHO WAS AVENGING ON THE HEAD TEACHER’S CHILD WHEREAS IT IS NOT THAT CHILD WHO OFFENDED HIM.
CHILD OF GOD, WHEN YOU NURSE HATRED AND BITTERNESS IT DEFILES YOUR SOUL. THE DEVIL IS SITTING IN YOUR SOUL AND WORKING. NO MATTER HOW MUCH YOU PRAY FOR BREAKTHROUGHS, THE PRAYERS DON’T COME FROM YOUR HEART. THERE ARE OBSTACLES. YOUR HEART IS THE FIRST OBSTACLE AND YOUR SOUL IS THE NEXT OBSTACLE BECAUSE YOU HAVE DECIDED TO REVENGE.
MANY PEOPLE HAVE RECORDS OF WRONGS. THEY HAVE BOOKS IN WHICH THEY HAVE WRITTEN ALL THE OFFENCES THEY RECEIVE FROM PEOPLE. NO MATTER HOW PEOPLE ADVICE YOU TO LET GO YOU TELL THEM THAT THEY ARE ASKING YOU TO LET GO BECAUSE THEY DON’T UNDERSTAND.THEY AREN’T THE ONES WEARING YOUR SHOES SO THEY CAN’T UNDERSTAND. CHILD OF GOD, BY DOING THIS YOU ARE POISONING YOUR OWN SELF. DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU DID TO GOD? DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU HAVE DONE TO OTHER PEOPLE AND THEY HAVE FORGIVEN YOU? CHILD OF GOD, STOP BEING SELF RIGHTEOUS. OTHERS FORGIVE YOU NOT BECAUSE THEY ARE WEAK OR BECAUSE THEY DIDN’T FEEL THE OFFENSE.
CHILD OF GOD, HEBREWS 12:15 SAYS WE SHOULD BE AT PEACE WITH EVERYBODY. ABSALOM WAITED FOR TWO YEARS BEFORE TAKING ACTION AGAINST THE BROTHER FOR RAPING HIS SISTER. HE OFFERED A FEAST AND INVITED HIS BROTHERS. HE ASKED HIS SERVANTS TO GIVE MUCH DRINK TO AMNON. CHILD OF GOD, DID YOU READ THE BOOK OF PROVERBS AS I SAID? THE BOOK OF PROVERBS SAYS WINE IS A DESTROYER, IT GLADDENS YOUR HEART A BIT BUT IT EXPOSES YOU TO DESTRUCTION. CHILD OF GOD, FOOD IS ALSO DANGEROUS. AMNON WAS INVITED TO GO AND EAT, DRINK AND MAKE MERRY AND IT ENDED IN HIS DESTRUCTION. THAT IS HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE INVITED TO GO AND EAT, AND THEY GET TO THE PARTY AND FIGHT OVER FOOD AS IF THEY HAVE NEVER SEEN OR EATEN THAT PARTICULAR KIND OF FOOD. AFTER ALL IT IS NOT YOUR MONEY THAT BUYS SO YOU CAN EAT AND DRINK AND EVEN VOMIT. YOU DRINK AND KEEP PEOPLE UNCOMFORTABLE IN YOUR HOUSE WITH SNORING AND VOMITING.
WINE AND FOOD EXPOSED AMNON TO DESTRUCTION. HE ACCEPTED THE INVITATION, WENT TO THE BROTHER’S HOUSE AND WAS FOOLISHLY EATING AND DRINKING. AFTER AMNON GOT DRUNK, ABSALOM GOT HIM EXECUTED. A BROTHER EXECUTED HIS BROTHER OUT OF BITTERNESS AND UNFORGIVENESS.
CHILD OF GOD, UNFORGIVENESS LEADS TO DESTRUCTION. UNFORGIVENESS LEADS TO DEFAMATION. CHILD OF GOD, WHAT IS THAT THING THAT SOMEBODY HAS DONE TO YOU THAT YOU CAN’T FORGIVE? PLEASE FORGIVE. I KNOW ITS NOT EASY TO FORGET BECAUSE THE MEMORIES WILL KEEP COMING BUT YOU HAVE TO FORGIVE CHILD OF GOD. YOU MAY DECIDE TO KEEP A DISTANCE FROM THE PERSON IF THEY ATTEMPTED ON YOUR LIFE BUT YOU MUST FORGIVE. FORGIVENESS GIVES YOU ELEVATION. CHILD OF GOD, IF YOU DON’T FORGIVE YOU CAN’T PROGRESS. THE TRUTH IS THAT MOST OFFENDERS QUICKLY FORGET THEIR OFFENSES. CHILD OF GOD, DO YOU THINK THAT IF THIS AMNON STILL REMEMBERED WHAT HE HAD DONE TO ABSALOM’S SISTER HE WOULD HAVE ATTENDED THAT OCCASION? HE WOULDN’T. SO HE HAD FORGOTTEN WHAT HE DID.
CHILD OF GOD, AS YOU PRACTICE BITTERNESS, IT WILL ALSO LEAD TO YOUR DESTRUCTION. TAKE NOTE. IF YOU DON’T LET GO, THAT BITTERNESS WILL LEAD TO YOUR DESTRUCTION.
THE BIBLE SAYS VENGEANCE BELONGS TO GOD. SO CHILD OF GOD, LET GO. LET THAT BITTERNESS IN YOUR HEART DISSOLVE. LET IT MELT. LET IT BE EXCRETED FROM YOU. AS YOU PLAN AGAINST PEOPLE, REMEMBER THAT GOD IS SEEING YOU. IF YOU CONTINUE IN BITTERNESS YOU WILL NOT END WELL SO CHANGE CHILD OF GOD. EXAMINE YOURSELF AND MOVE IN THE WAY OF THE LORD WHICH IS THE LIGHT, THE TRUTH, MERCY AND LOVE.
HALLELUJAH
