Sermon Audio: Absalom Murders Amnon
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: II Samuel 13:23-39
Duration: 28:08
Size: 19.3 MB
The Life of David
Absalom Murders Amnon
II Samuel 13:23-39
Hatred, revenge, and vengeance are incredibly destructive attitudes.
Vengeance is defined as “punishment inflicted or retribution exacted for an injury or wrong.”
I. The Activity in the Vengeance (II Samuel 13:23-29)
Upon a first reading, one may get the impression that Absalom was putting the event of two years earlier behind him, and that he wanted the family to all get along.
Of course, Absalom was not concerned about the other princes. His only concern was to get at Amnon.
If we were first-time readers of this narrative, we might ask ourselves, what is happening to the future of the house of David?
II. The Passivity following the Vengeance (II Samuel 13:30-39)
How did Jonadab know what had really happened? Clearly, he was fully aware of Absalom’s plan.
David’s firstborn son was dead, at the hand of his third son. David’s house had become a house deeply and bitterly divided against itself.
Richard Phillips notes three points about the biblical doctrine of vengeance, which is summed up by Paul, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord”.
1st, God takes vengeance on sins that have been committed.
2nd, since God takes vengeance on all sin, individuals are not allowed to take justice into their own hands.
3rd, since God takes vengeance on all sin, and individuals are not allowed to take justice into their own hands, the proper Christian response to sin is to do good.