| SIN AS A CANCER |
| First David, then his family, then a nation. |
| "O my son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you - O Absalom, my son, my son!" 18:33 |
| Sins: many people think of them as parking tickets. If you get too many, you may be hauled into jail. However, one or two here and there won't make a big difference. The Bible views sins more as cancer cells. One or two here and there do make a difference - often the difference between life and death. Because cancer cells grow, multiply, and take over, major surgery may be needed to save your life. Second Samuel 11-20 reads like a history of a spreading cancer. In the beginning, David was on top of the world - and so was Israel. The civil war was over, the land was at peace, and Israel was entering unprecendented prosperity. God had promised to ensure David's descendants a continuous reign forever. What more could David hope for? The rest of life appeared as one long celebration. The Cancer Grows That celebration never began. One night David caught a glimpse of Bathsheba's beautiful, naked body, and impulsively sent for her. The coverup required a murder. Nobody could deny it was an ugly business: even David admitted it when Nathan confronted him. However, it was soon over. He repented. He married Bathsheba. He did not intent to fall to that temptation again. But the consequences of the sin were far from over. Unknown to David, cancer was growing in his own household. David's oldest son Amnon had an eye for women too. He tricked his half-sister Tamar into his bedroom, then raped her. Afterwards, filled with disgust, he threw her out. |
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