Ethan: Welcome to Immerse: the daily bible reading experience.
Day 200 and 3
now, David's son, Absalom had a beautiful sister named Tamar
and Nan, her half-brother, fell desperately in love with her.
Nan became so obsessed with Tamar that he became ill.
She was a virgin, and Amnon thought he could never have her.
But Amnon had a very crafty friend, his cousin Jonadab.
He was the son of David's brother Shimea.
One day Jonadab said to Amnon, What's the trouble?
Why should the son of a king look so dejected morning after morning?
So Amnon told him, I am in love with Tamar, my brother Absalom's sister.
Well, Jonadab said, I'll tell you what to do.
Go back to bed and pretend you are ill.
When your father comes to see you, ask him to let Tamar come
and prepare some food for you.
Tell him you'll feel better if she prepares it as you watch and
feeds you with her own hands.
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.
So David agreed and sent Tamar to Amnon's house to prepare some food for him.
When Tamar arrived at Amnon's house, she went to the place where he was lying down
so he could watch her mix some dough.
Then she baked his favorite dish for him.
But when she set the serving tray before him, he refused to eat.
Everyone get out of here, Amnon told his servants.
So they all left 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.
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, Temar 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.
So the servant put her out and locked the door behind her.
She was wearing a long, beautiful robe, as was the custom in those
days for the king's virgin daughters.
But now Tamar tore her robe and put ashes on her head.
And then, with her face in her hands, she went away crying.
Her brother Absalom saw her and asked, Is it true that Amnon has been with you?
Well, my sister, keep quiet for now, since he's your brother.
Don't you worry about it.
So Tamar lived as a desolate woman in her brother Absalom's house.
When King David heard what had happened, he was very angry.
And though Absalom never spoke to Amnon about this, He hated Amnon deeply because
of what he had done to his sister.
Two years later, when Absalom's sheep were being sheared at Baal Hazor
near Ephraim, Absalom invited all the king's sons to come to a feast.
He went to the king and said, My sheep shearers are now at work.
Would the king and his servants please come to celebrate the occasion with me?
The king replied, No, my son.
If we all came, we would be too much of a burden on you.
Absalom pressed him, but the king would not come, though
he gave Absalom his blessing.
Well then, Absalom said, if you can't come, how about sending
my brother Amnon with us?
Why Amnon?
the king asked.
But Absalom kept on pressing the king until he finally agreed to let all
his sons attend, including Amnon.
So Absalom prepared a feast fit for a king.
Absalom told his men, Wait until Amnon gets drunk.
Then at my signal, kill him.
Don't be afraid.
I'm the one who has given the command.
Take courage and do it.
So, at Absalom's signal, they murdered Amnon.
Then the other sons of the king jumped on their mules and fled.
As they were on the way back to Jerusalem, this report reached David.
Absalom has killed all the king's sons, not one is left alive.
The king got up, tore his robe, and threw himself on the ground.
His advisors also tore their clothes in horror and sorrow.
But just then, Jonadab, the son of David's brother Shemiah, arrived
and said, No, don't believe that all the king's sons have been killed.
It was only Amnon.
Absalom has been plotting this ever since Amnon raped his sister Tamar.
No, my lord the king, your sons aren't all dead.
It was only Amnon.
Meanwhile, Absalom escaped.
Then the watchmen on the Jerusalem wall saw a great crowd coming down
the hill on the road from the west.
He ran to tell the king, I see a crowd of people coming from the Horenayim
road along the side of the hill.
Look, Jonadab told the king, there they are now.
The king's sons are coming, just as I said.
They soon arrived, weeping and sobbing, and the king and all his
servants wept bitterly with them.
And David mourned many days for his son Amnon.
Absalom fled to his grandfather, Talmai, son of Amihud, the king of Gesher.
He stayed there in Gesher for three years.
And King David, now reconciled to Amnon's death, longed to be
reunited with his son Absalom.
Joab realized how much the king longed to see Absalom.
So he sent for a woman from Tekoa who had a reputation for great wisdom.
He said to her, Pretend you are in mourning.
Wear mourning clothes and don't put on lotions.
Act like a woman who has been mourning for the dead for a long time.
Then go to the king and tell him the story I am about to tell you.
Then Joab told her what to say.
When the woman from Tekoa approached the king, she bowed with her face
to the ground in deep respect, and cried out, O king, help me.
What's the trouble?
the king asked.
Alas, I am a widow, she replied.
My husband is dead.
My two sons had a fight out in the field.
And since no one was there to stop it, one of them was killed.
Now the rest of the family is demanding Let us have your son.
We will execute him for murdering his brother.
He doesn't deserve to inherit his family's property.
They want to extinguish the only coal I have left.
And my husband's name and family will disappear from the face of the earth.
Leave it to me, the king told her.
Go home, and I'll see to it that no one touches him.
Oh, thank you, my lord the king, the woman from Tekoa replied.
If you are criticized for helping me, let the blame fall on me and
on my father's house, and let the king and his throne be innocent.
If anyone objects, the king said, bring him to me.
I can assure you he will never harm you again.
Then she said, Please swear to me by the Lord your God that you won't let
anyone take vengeance against my son.
I want no more bloodshed.
As surely as the Lord lives, he replied.
Not a hair on your son's head will be disturbed.
Please allow me to ask one more thing of my Lord the King, she said.
Go ahead and speak, he responded.
She replied.
Why don't you do as much for the people of God as you have promised to do for me?
You have convicted yourself in making this decision, because you have refused
to bring home your own banished son.
All of us must die eventually.
Our lives are like water spilled out on the ground, which
cannot be gathered up again.
But God does not just sweep life away.
Instead, He devises ways to bring us back when we have been separated from Him.
I have come to plead with my Lord the King, because people have threatened me.
I said to myself, perhaps the King will listen to me and rescue us
from those who would cut us off from the inheritance God has given us.
Yes, my Lord the King will give us peace of mind again.
I know that you are like an angel of God in discerning good from evil.
May the Lord your God be with you.
I must know one thing, the King replied.
And tell me the truth.
Yes, my lord the king.
She responded, Did Joab put you up to this?
And the woman replied, My lord the king, how can I deny it?
Nobody can hide anything from you.
Yes, Joab sent me and told me what to say.
He did it to place the matter before you in a different light.
But you are as wise as an angel of God, and you understand
everything that happens among us.
So the king sent for Joab and told him, All right, go and
bring back the young man Absalom.
Joab bowed with his face to the ground in deep respect and said,
At last I know that I have gained your approval, my Lord the King, for
you have granted me this request.
Then Joab went to Geshur and brought Absalom back to Jerusalem.
But the king gave this order, Absalom may go to his own house, but he
must never come into my presence.
So Absalom did not see the king.
This concludes today's Immerse Reading Experience.
Thank you for joining us.