The key to avoidingtemptation, Ortlund says, is to recognize that the person you aretempted to lust after is an image-bearer of the living God.
- P31
Ortlund writes, "that precious woman has hopes and feelings andlongings and sorrows, just like you. She is as human as you are, as wor-thy as you are, as royal as you are." He goes on to talk about how Gen-esis 1:27 tells us that God created mankind in His own image: bothmale and female. - P31
This claim was truly countercultural and bestoweda dignity upon women that was not assumed at the time. However,
when we engage in any form of lust or sexual immorality, we denythis truth and treat the other person merely as an object of our desires.
- P31
Sin is ultimately dehumanizing. Whether it is lust, envy, or judgingothers, sin causes us to look at another human as nothing more thana way for us to indulge our own desires. - P31
Therefore, when we findourselves feeling any kind of sinful desire toward someone, let us takea moment to remember that he or she is created in the image of God.
- P31
Like you and me, that person is royalty and should be treated as such. - P31
32 But Jonadab son of Shimeah, David‘s brother, said,
"My lord should not think that they killed all the princ-es; only Amnon is dead. This has been Absalom‘s ex-press intention ever since the day Amnon raped his sisterTamar. - P32
37 Absalom fled and went to Talmai son of Ammihud,
the king of Geshur. But King David mourned manydays for his son.
38 After Absalom fled and went to Geshur, he stayedthere three years. - P33
News reaches David that Absalom killed all the king‘s sons. But Jonadab tellshim it is only Amnon who is dead and that Absalom had planned on killinghim because of what he did to Tamar. Soon, the king‘s sons come in wailing.
- P33
Meanwhile, Absalom flees to Geshur, where he stays for three years. Davidmourns for Amnon and misses Absalom. - P33
David receives the awful news that his son, Amnon, is dead-struckdown by his own brother, Absalom. - P34
It is worth noting that Amnon‘ssin against his sister shared the same root cause as his father‘s sin withBathsheba and that Absalom‘s violent revenge mirrors David‘s crimeof murdering Uriah, Bathsheba‘s husband. - P34
While David repented ofhis sin and received God‘s forgiveness, once committed, his actionsgave rise to consequences that could not be reversed or undone. - P34
Wemust never treat the forgiveness we have received through the cross asan excuse to treat sin lightly. - P34
Rather, as we rejoice in God‘s mercy, letus willingly obey His commands because we know that all other alternatives
will not satisfy. - P34
Indeed, following Jesus is the best way to live. - P34
Absalom flees and becomes estranged from his family, présumably outof fear that his father will punish him for killing Amnon. - P34
David hasnow lost three sons: the first child he bore with Bathsheba, then Am-non, and now Absalom. - P34
Grief and despair-from Tamar‘s disgrace toDavid‘s mourning-have overwhelmed the king‘s household. - P34
The sin-cere faith that David displayed in his youth has clearly not been passeddown to his children, and they have only inherited their father‘s flaws.
- P34
This is a warning to us to always be wary of the influence we have onthose around us especially the next generation. - P34
Rather than passingdown bad habits or sinful patterns, let us be models of godliness tothose who look up to us. - P34
Dear God, I have witnessed the pain that sin causes, in my own experience andin others‘ lives. May I live as one who is joyfully obedient to You, encouragingothers around me to live the same way. In Jesus‘ name, amen. - P35
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