Earlier this week we took a look at the spirit of Amnon. I promised to get back to you on this topic because of the great degree of relevance it has for us in this day and time. Remember, Amnon was a son of King David. In fact he was the heir to the throne. He fell in love with his half-sister Tamar. Amnon’s love quickly turned to lust, he is somewhat admirable because the scriptures say, “he thought hard to try to do anything” with Tamar. His conscious would not allow him to cross that line (Lev. 18:9). So he is stuck on “fantasy island”. Although Amnon lost the battle in his mind, he managed to restrain himself. He held on to his integrity while he struggled in his thoughts. It is possible to lose a battle and still win the war! The Bible says, “But Amnon had a friend”- Jonadab. This friend was the son of one of David’s rejected brothers. Amon trusted his friend. When Jonadab asked what was wrong , Amnon just poured out his heart. Jonadab says, “Man, you are David’s son, heir to the throne. You don’t have to restrain yourself. If I were you, I would be doing this and that. Just go for it.” Jonadab commences to devise a wicked plan for Amnon to force himself on Tamar. Once Amnon had his way with Tamar his feelings changed. He hated her more than he had loved her. Truth is he actually hated himself and what he had become.
Tamar was disgraced and shut herself away from the rest of the world. For two years, nothing happened. Until her full brother, Absalom threw a party and all the king’s sons attended. In the midst of the party, Absalom signaled his servants and they killed Amnon. Absalom indicated that he was mere avenging Tamar. The truth is that it eliminated the only person standing between Absalom and the throne. Someone in all the commotion run from the banquet hall to another room where David and some other people are meeting. He didn’t stay to see the whole thing and he tells the King, “Absalom has slain all your sons!” Before David can finish tearing his clothes, someone, who was not in the banquet hall, tells David only Amnon was dead. Guess who? Jonadab. How did he know what happened in the banquet hall if he was in the other room?
The scriptures suggest that Jonadab was never Amnon’s friend, he was really Absalom’s friend. He influenced Amnon to do wrong, giving Absalom the excuse he needed to eliminate his rival and inherit the throne. It’s an old saying but it rings true: With friends like that, who needs enemies. The Bible says, “Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.” Choosing the wrong friend can really diminish your chances of pleasing God with your life. Beware when you say, “He’s just a friend”. Always remember there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. It is no wonder the hymnologist wrote:
What a Friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear! What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer! O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear, All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.
Prayer
Father, you know me inside and out. Surround me with the right voices and help me to make the right choices. In Jesus Name, Amen.
Go Deeper?
1Samuel 16:9; 2 Samuel 12:1-24; 2 Samuel 13; Ps.35:14; Prov. 18:24; Prov. 27:6; John 15:15; Acts 10:24