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Thursday, April 13, 2017

Pass it On

I struggle when I see David failing in his marriage and self-control.  Perhaps this is because marriage, faithfulness, and family are so important to God.  David gave in to the classic lie, “Nobody will know what you did.”  David bought it hook, line, and sinker.  Now, even thousands of years later, we all know about his failure.  Perhaps the most difficult part of all this is seeing the effect it had on the next generation of David’s family.

Now David's son Absalom had a beautiful sister named Tamar. And Amnon, her half brother, fell desperately in love with her. (2 Samuel 13:1 NLT)

David’s sexual drive, lack of self-control, and resulting immorality got passed down from generation to generation.  David’s own children would suffer as a result.

So Amnon lay down and pretended to be sick. And when the king came to see him, Amnon asked him, "Please let my sister Tamar come and cook my favorite dish as I watch. Then I can eat it from her own hands." (2 Samuel 13:6 NLT)

David’s firstborn son, Amnon, was becoming a chip off the old block.  The apple wasn’t falling far from the tree.  He was following the thoughts, the words, and the actions that drove his father, David.

Then he said to Tamar, "Now bring the food into my bedroom and feed it to me here." So Tamar took his favorite dish to him. But as she was feeding him, he grabbed her and demanded, "Come to bed with me, my darling sister." "No, my brother!" she cried. "Don't be foolish! Don't do this to me! Such wicked things aren't done in Israel. Where could I go in my shame? And you would be called one of the greatest fools in Israel. Please, just speak to the king about it, and he will let you marry me." But Amnon wouldn't listen to her, and since he was stronger than she was, he raped her. (2 Samuel 13:10-14 NLT)

In this life, the worst part of our rebellion against God is not getting caught.  It isn’t even the punishment we receive as a result of our own actions.  I’ve watched far too many people come to terms with the penalty they need to pay for the sin they have done.  No, the worst part is seeing how our sin affects others and, even worse still, seeing how our worse qualities get passed down to our children and our children’s children.  This, if nothing else, should inspire us to stop doing wrong and begin walking together with God.

Then suddenly Amnon's love turned to hate, and he hated her even more than he had loved her. "Get out of here!" he snarled at her. "No, no!" Tamar cried. "Sending me away now is worse than what you've already done to me." But Amnon wouldn't listen to her. He shouted for his servant and demanded, "Throw this woman out, and lock the door behind her!" (2 Samuel 13:15-17 NLT)

How about you?  What good qualities of yourself do you see being passed on to the next generation?  What rebellion or sin?  What do you pass on?

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