September 30 – 2 Samuel 13:30-39
September 30 – 2 Samuel 13:30-39
30 While they were on the way, news
came to David, “Absalom has struck down all the king's sons, and not one of
them is left.” 31 Then the king arose and tore
his garments and lay on the earth. And all his servants who were standing
by tore their garments. 32 But Jonadab the son
of Shimeah, David's brother, said, “Let not my lord suppose that they have
killed all the young men, the king's sons, for Amnon alone is dead. For by the
command of Absalom this has been determined from the day he violated his sister
Tamar. 33 Now therefore let not my lord the king
so take it to heart as to suppose that all the king's sons are dead, for
Amnon alone is dead.”
34 But Absalom fled. And the young
man who kept the watch lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, many people
were coming from the road behind him by the side of the mountain. 35 And
Jonadab said to the king, “Behold, the king's sons have come; as your servant
said, so it has come about.” 36 And as soon as he
had finished speaking, behold, the king's sons came and lifted up their voice
and wept. And the king also and all his servants wept very bitterly.
37 But Absalom fled and went
to Talmai the son of Ammihud, king of Geshur. And David mourned for
his son day after day. 38 So Absalom fled and went
to Geshur, and was there three years. 39 And the
spirit of the king longed to go out to Absalom, because he was
comforted about Amnon, since he was dead.
This story reminds me of an old youth group game called
gossip. It shows how quickly stories can
get changed and the truth gets either watered down, or exaggerated. Whatever makes the story more dramatic. Whoever brought the original news to David
that all his sons were dead certainly exaggerated the situation. Don’t you wonder how the truth gets so
twisted? Sometimes it is truly a genuine
error, but it seems more often than not the embellishment of the truth just
seems better to the story teller.
Why is the truth not enough? Think about the truth of the gospel. People try to change who Jesus is rather than
believe the truth. They will say he was
a good man, or a teacher, rather than the truth that He is the Son of God, our
Savior, the Lamb, the One who saves us from ourselves. This is
one time the truth is much more dramatic than the lies they tell.
Who do you know that needs to hear the truth today?
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