As I read the account of David and Absalom, I thought of how Absalom’s hostility for his father, King David was in a sense justified.
David was a great King who did justice and judgment for all of Israel, but not for Absalom’ s sister Tamar. How is that possible? Well, it was complicated.
Addressing the rape of Tamar meant applying the capital punishment to his son, so David thought it was best to leave that case alone. For a minute, I saw how easy it would have been for David’s early history with Bathsheba to affect how He handled this situation with Absalom sister Tamar.
Strangely, this rapist son of David was never disciplined, nor was there any record of David showing compassion to Tamar the victim, and her brother/family. The whole thing was treated like a non-issue for years before it escalated, and when Absalom killed his rapist brother, then fled. Even after all this, David was silent on the issue, shunning Absalom after he returned. Can u see how devastating this was to the victims?
I walked a mile in Absalom’s shoes today, and saw how real hate could begin, and how it could intensify from hurt, disappointment and rejection.
This world is getting increasingly evil, and it is easy to become a victim like Absalom if we don’t trust God to do what he has promised. Despite the crime, God’s judgment is the only prescribed solution for justice and wrongdoing.
Stay encouraged and remember sometimes behind some people’s behavior is a lot of pain.