Throwaways
2 Samuel 13-15
Amnon deceived her, used her, and then threw her away like last week's garbage.
Tamar was ruined, raped by her half-brother and condemned to a life of disgrace. Such was the society of King David's day. Even her father did nothing to right the wrong done to her. "When King David heard all this, he was furious" —2 Samuel 13:21.
Sorry, David, fury doesn't cut it.
But David's reaction, and lack of action, is typical. We often get angry at injustice, but never get beyond the anger to the action, to righting the wrongs. The Scriptures tell us that Tamar's brother, Absalom, finally took matters into his hands and killed Amnon. That wasn't exactly the right solution to the problem and could have been avoided if David had done his duty on behalf of his daughter.
So the children with the hollow eyes and the swollen bellies in some faraway land, die.
So the homeless freeze to death on the cold, wintery streets of our cities.
So we don't face the problems within our own family circles, preferring to hope that they will go away all on their own.
So a thousand and one things happen and we get angry—but do nothing, not even a token response to defend those who are throwaways in our society.
David got angry. Absalom became a murderer. Amnon died. And Tamar? "And Tamar lived in her brother's house, a desolate woman" —2 Samuel 13:20.
Thrown away.
Amnon deceived her, used her, and then threw her away like last week's garbage.
Tamar was ruined, raped by her half-brother and condemned to a life of disgrace. Such was the society of King David's day. Even her father did nothing to right the wrong done to her. "When King David heard all this, he was furious" —2 Samuel 13:21.
Sorry, David, fury doesn't cut it.
But David's reaction, and lack of action, is typical. We often get angry at injustice, but never get beyond the anger to the action, to righting the wrongs. The Scriptures tell us that Tamar's brother, Absalom, finally took matters into his hands and killed Amnon. That wasn't exactly the right solution to the problem and could have been avoided if David had done his duty on behalf of his daughter.
So the children with the hollow eyes and the swollen bellies in some faraway land, die.
So the homeless freeze to death on the cold, wintery streets of our cities.
So we don't face the problems within our own family circles, preferring to hope that they will go away all on their own.
So a thousand and one things happen and we get angry—but do nothing, not even a token response to defend those who are throwaways in our society.
David got angry. Absalom became a murderer. Amnon died. And Tamar? "And Tamar lived in her brother's house, a desolate woman" —2 Samuel 13:20.
Thrown away.
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