Morning

June 5

2 Samuel 13:13-15 ¹³What 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." ¹⁴But he refused to listen to her, and since he was stronger than she, he raped her. ¹⁵Then Amnon hated her with intense hatred. In fact, he hated her more than he had loved her. Amnon said to her, "Get up and get out!"

One of David's sons, Amnon, was lustfully desirous of his half-sister, Tamar. His friend helped him hatch a plot to be alone with her. While Amnon pretended to be sick, he asked for Tamar to come prepare a meal and feed him. Once she brought the food to his bed, he showed what he was really after. Tamar responded wisely with verse 13. If he would act honorably, she would have married him. She asked him the question we should ask ourselves when faced with lust of any kind. What about the people affected? What will be the consequences in their lives? What about ourselves? What will be the full consequences in our own life if we give in to that desire? They had seen their father make this mistake with Bathsheba and saw the consequences. Now Amnon needed to face the truth of what might happen if he went through with his plan, but he would not consider it. He had already determined what he would do.

After raping her, he despised her. The carnal desires will paint a picture of fulfillment that isn't even close to reality. Tamar's honorable questions showed how wicked his heart was. He wanted to be as far away from the truth as he could get. The end of the matter will be consequences no one could have imagined.

Consider: Is some desire capturing your imagination? What about the persons involved? What about you? Stop sin before it moves from thoughts to actions!