30 And it came to pass, while they were on the way, that news came to David, saying, “Absalom has killed all the king’s sons, and not one of them is left!” 31 So the king arose and tore his garments and lay on the ground, and all his servants stood by with their clothes torn. 32 Then Jonadab the son of Shimeah, David’s brother, answered and said, “Let not my lord suppose they have killed all the young men, the king’s sons, for only Amnon is dead. For by the command of Absalom this has been determined from the day that he forced his sister Tamar.33 Now therefore, let not my lord the king take the thing to his heart, to think that all the king’s sons are dead. For only Amnon is dead.”
Tragedies are heart-breaking, but perhaps none as much as those that could have been prevented. Here, David’s failure to deal with Amnon’s sin opened the way for Absalom to take matters into his own hands. The result is more than Amnon’s death. A much longer story of brokenness is just ahead.
Here’s the truth. If you don’t do what is right, you sow seeds that bring a seemingly never-ending harvest of pain and hurt. While the sins in this story as surely the responsibility of Amnon and Absalom—no one is trying to let them off the hook—it’s David’s failure to act with righteousness that tills the ground so such horrifically evil seeds can be planted.
Doing what’s right always matters—even if it costs us something in the short-term. The right decisions—the ones that leave a legacy of goodness—always require a short-term price. But, they end up bringing blessings for generations.
– Dr. Mike Clarensau serves as Senior Director of the Healthy Church Network of the Assemblies of God.
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