[394 words]
“And it came to pass after this, that Absalom the son of David had a fair sister, whose name was Tamar; and Amnon the son of David loved her. And Amnon was so vexed, that he fell sick for his sister Tamar; for she was a virgin; and Amnon thought it hard for him to do anything to her. But Amnon had a friend, whose name was Jonadab, the son of Shimeah David’s brother: and Jonadab was a very subtil” (2 Sam. 13:1-3).
The choices we make relative to relationships can have eternal consequences (positive-negative). This was certainly true for Amnon, King David’s eldest son (2 Sam. 13:1ff). David’s sin with Bathsheba is now a distant memory (2 Sam. 11), but the consequences of that sin continue to reap havoc on he and those he loves just as Nathan had said (2 Sam. 12:8ff). Second Samuel 13 gives us a glimpse into the struggles David faced within the walls of the royal palace. Amnon had sexual desires for his half-sister Tamar, which ultimately led to rape (13:6). Tamar’s full-brother Absalom learned of what had transpired and later, out of hatred, killed Amnon (13:28-29).
Rape and incest were committed, innocence lost, blood was shed, and a family was left divided! But this may not have happened had Amnon chosen better his friends. Jonadab, Amnon’s friend and cousin, learns of his obsession and encourages him to act upon his fleshly desires (13:2-5). There are some valuable truths revealed in these verses that would do us well to consider, truths relative to the associational choices we make in life.
1. We generally gravitate toward people who think and act as we do (13:1-3; cf. Acts 18:1ff).
2. Some we may associate with have no concern for our well-being (13:5; cf. Luke 15:11ff; Acts 13:4-12; Pro.27:6).
3. Evil associations can lead to disaster (13:6ff; cf. 1 Kings 16:31; Jug. 16:4ff; 1 Cor. 15:33; Jam. 4:4).
“But Amnon had a friend…” and unfortunately his friend contributed to his demise. What about your choice of friends? Do they help you or hurt you spiritually?
“The righteous should choose his friends carefully, For the way of the wicked leads them astray” (Pro.12:26).
Terry R. Townsend
Curry Church of Christ
Jasper, AL