Natural Consequences

Good morning my friends,

Those of you who have been following the reading may believe that David got away with what he did with Bathsheba and her husband. That is because the consequences to people's actions are not always evident at first. God's love and forgiveness are wonderful but they do not stop the natural consequences of what we have seeded by our sin. Through his sin David introduced a destructive element into his family which we can see in today's reading.

In his sin David saw something he wanted and he took it. It did not matter that the woman had a husband. It was a minor irritant that David took care of very effectively. Do not think this would have escaped the notice of his children. Things rarely escape the notice of our children. In fact Amnon followed in his father's footsteps. He saw what he wanted in the form of his half sister Tamar. He took her, violated her and then cast her out. That act alone would lead to civil war within David's house. That act would lead to murder and produce the seeds of rebellion.

Now look at the ineffectiveness of David as a father. He heard what Amnon had done and he was enraged but he took no action. His inaction lead to one of his sons taking revenge later on. I am sure this inaction caused disgust in Absalom toward his father to the point he tried to take the kingdom from his dad. Why would David not have taken action against Amnon? Could it be that his sin had left him feeling he could not correct because he was no better? Was he afraid of what Amnon would say back to him? Is this why Amnon felt he could get away with such a thing? Except for the revenge of Absalom, Amnon had gotten away with it. David had lost control over his children. He may have been king but he was a king who could not deal with his own family.

David's sin would continue to effect his family and the kingdom. After his sin he remained as king but his leadership and the kingdom were on a downward spiral. He was forgiven but the seeds had been released. No man, no woman and no child is an island. Whatever sin you decide to enter in upon will not only effect you but also everyone who has any connection with you. I think this is one of the great schemes of the enemy, when he convinces people that their actions will effect no one else, but it isn't true. No person is an island and for every action there is a reaction. It is more than a physics statement, it is a spiritual reality.

God's mercy, grace, love and forgiveness are wonderful but avoiding the sin in the first place is the best thing anyone can do. A rebellious teenager effects the whole family, the relationship between the parents and all the children. A drunk driver can cause more harm than just to himself. An abusive dad is sowing seeds of abuse for generations to come. A cheating student is going to seed far more than he can possibly imagine. We need to think these things through. Reflect. Imagine. See the results before you take the action that you will regret for the rest of your life.