Unless otherwise indicated, the collection of scriptures found in Food for Thought are quoted from the Tanakh, The Holy Scriptures (The Old Testament) pub. by, the Jewish Publication Society, New York, 1988; and the Jewish New Testament, translated by David H. Stern, pub. by Jewish New Testament Publications, Clarksville, MD, 1994.

~ Meditations ~
~ From the Word of God ~
(Meditations are meant to be
pondered carefully.)

~ No Fences ~
~ And Offenses ~

      "because the punishment decreed for an evil act is not promptly carried out, therefore people who plan to do evil are strengthened in their intentions."
(Eccl. 8:11 CJB*)

It is written:
      "...Absalom son of [King] David had a beautiful sister named Tamar, and Amnon son of David became infatuated with her. Amnon was so distraught because of his [half-]sister Tamar that he became sick; for she was a virgin, and it seemed impossible to Amnon to do anything to her.
(II Sam. 13:1-2)

For it is written:
      "The nakedness of your father’s wife’s daughter, who has born into your father’s household--she is your sister; do not uncover her nakedness." And, "Cursed be he that lies with his sister, whether daughter of his father or of his mother..."
(Lev. 18.11, Deut. 27:22)

      "...He had no way of talking to her, for the girls and young men were kept strictly apart. But Amnon had a crafty friend...
      "‘Well’, Jonadab said, ‘I’ll tell you what to do’...
      So, "Amnon lay down and pretended to be sick. The king came to see him, and Amnon said to the king, ‘Let my sister Tamar come and prepare a couple of cakes in front of me, and let her bring them to me.’ David sent a message to Tamar in the palace, ‘Please go to the house of your brother Amnon and prepare some food for him.’ Tamar went to the house of her brother Amnon, who was in bed. She took dough and kneaded it into cakes in front of him, and cooked the cakes. She took the pan and set out [the cakes], but Amnon refused to eat and ordered everyone to withdraw. After everyone had withdrawn Amnon said to Tamar, ‘Bring the food inside and feed me.’ Tamar took the cakes she had made and brought them to her brother inside. But when she served them to him, he caught hold of her and said to her, ‘Come lie with me, sister.’ But she said to him, ‘Don’t, brother. Don’t force me. Such things are not done in Israel! Don’t do such a vile thing! Where will I carry my shame? And you, you will be like any of the scoundrels in Israel! Please, speak to the king; he will not refuse me to you.’ But he would not listen to her; he overpowered her and lay with her by force.
(II Sam. 13:2-5 LB; 13:6-14)

      "The fool who provokes his family to anger and resentment will finally have nothing worthwhile left...” For,
      "Even the godly shall be rewarded here on earth; how much more the wicked!"
(Prov. 11:29,31 LB)

      "Then Amnon felt a very great loathing for her; indeed, his loathing for her was greater than the passion he had felt for her. And Amnon said to her, ‘Get out!’ She pleaded with him, ‘Please don’t commit this wrong; to send me away would be even worse than the first wrong you committed against me.’ But he would not listen to her. He summoned his young attendant and said, ‘Get that woman out of my presence, and bar the door behind her.’-- She was wearing an ornamented tunic, for maiden princesses were customarily dressed in such garments. --His attendant took her outside and barred the door after her. Tamar put dust on her head and rent the ornamented tunic she was wearing; she put her hands on her head, and walked away, screaming loudly as she went."**
(II Sam. 13:15-19)
[** A gesture of wild grief, as found in Jeremiah 2:36-37.]

      "If a man comes upon a virgin who is not engaged and he seizes her and lies with her, and they are discovered, the man who lay with her shall pay the girl’s father fifty [shekels of] silver, and she shall be his wife. Because he has violated her, he can never have the right to divorce her."
      "But if the man comes upon the engaged girl in the open country, and the man lies with her by force, only the man who lay with her shall die, but you shall do nothing to the girl. The girl did not incur the death penalty, for this case is like that of a man attacking another and murdering him. He came upon her in the open; though the engaged girl cried for help, there was no one to save her."
(Deut. 22:28, 25)

      "Her brother Absalom said to her, ‘Was it your [half-]brother Amnon who did this to you? For the present, sister, keep quiet about it; he is your brother. Don’t brood over the matter.’ And Tamar remained in her brother Absalom’s house, forlorn. When King David heard about all this, he was greatly upset. Absalom didn’t utter a word to Amnon, good or bad; but Absalom hated Amnon because he had violated his sister Tamar."
(II Sam. 13:20-22)

      "To hate is to be a liar..." and "You can be very sure that the evil man will not go unpunished forever." So, "Don't repay evil for evil. Wait far the Lord to handle the matter."
(Prov. 10:18a, 11:21a, 20:22 LB)

      "Two years later, when Absalom was having his flocks sheared at Baalhazor near Ephraim, Absalom invited all the king’s sons. And Absalom came to the king and said, ‘Your servant is having his flocks sheared. Would Your Majesty and your retinue accompany your servant? But the king answered Absalom, ‘No, no son. We must not all come, or we’ll be a burden to you.’ He urged him, but he would not go, and he said good-bye to him. Thereupon Absalom said, ‘In that case, let my brother Amnon come with us,’ to which the king replied, ‘He shall not go with you.’ But Absalom urged him, and he sent with him Amnon and all the other princes.***
"Now Absalom gave his attendants these orders: ‘Watch, and when Amnon is merry with wine and I tell you to strike down Amnon, kill him! Don’t be afraid, for it is I who give you the order. Act with determination, like brave men!’ Absalom’s attendants did to Amnon as Absalom had ordered..."
(II Sam. 13:23-29)
[*** Septuagint (The Greek translation of (he Hebrew Scriptures) adds: "and Absalom made a feast fit for a king"]

      "Absalom, who had fled to Geshur, remained there three years. And King David was pining away for Absalom, for (the king] had gotten over Amnon’s death."
(II Sam. 13:38-39)

      "Then the king said to Joab, ... ‘Go and bring back my boy Absalom.’"
(II Sam. 14:21)

      "Then Joab went to Geshur and brought Absalom back to Jerusalem.
      "‘He may go to his own quarters,’ the king ordered, ‘but he must never come here. I refuse to see him.’"
(II Sam. 14:23-24 LB)

      "Fathers. don’t irritate your children and make them resentful, or they will become discouraged. . .. instead, raise them with the Lord’s kind of discipline and guidance.
(Col. 3:21, Eph. 6:4)

      "Absalom lived in Jerusalem two years without appearing before the king (his father). Then Absalom sent for Joab, in order to send him to the king; but Joab would not come to him. He sent for him a second time, but he would not come. So [Absalom] said to his servants, ‘Look, Joab’s field is next to mine, and he has barley there. Go and set it on fire.’ And Absalom’s servants set the field on fire."
(II Sam. 14:28-30)

      "Surely those who plan evil go astray..."
(Prov 14:22a)

      "Then Joab came to Absalom and demanded, ‘Why did your servants set my field on fire?’
      "And Absalom replied, ‘Because I wanted you to ask the king why he brought me back from Geshur if he didn’t intend to see me. I might as well have stayed there. Let me have an interview with the king; then if he finds that I am guilty of murder, let him execute me.’"
(II Sam. 14:31-32 LB)

      "The heart alone knows its bitterness..."
(Prov. 14:10a)

      "Joab went to the king and reported to him; whereupon he summoned Absalom. He came to the king and flung himself face down to the ground before the king. And the king kissed Absalom.
      "After a period of forty years had gone by Absalom sent agents to all the tribes of Israel to say, ‘When you hear the blast of the horn, announce that Absalom has become king in Hebron.’...
      "Someone came and told David, ‘The loyalty of the men of Israel has veered toward Absalom.’ Whereupon David said to all the courtiers who were with him in Jerusalem, ‘Let us flee at once, or none of us will escape from Absalom.’"
(II Sam. 14:33, 15:7, 10, 13-14)

      "The king left, followed by all the people...
      "The whole countryside wept aloud as the troops marched by. The king crossed the Kidron Valley, and all the troops crossed by the road to the wilderness. .. the king said to Zadok, ‘Take the Ark of God back to the city. If I find favor with the LORD, He will bring me back and let me see it and its abode. And if He should say, "I do not want you," I am ready; let Him do with me as He pleases.’"
      Meanwhile, "David [was] told that Ahithophel was among the conspirators with Absalom, and he prayed, ‘Please, O LORD, frustrate Ahithophel’s counsel!’"
(II Sam. 15:17, 23, 25-26,31)

      "...Absalom and all the people, the men of Israel, arrived in Jerusalem, together with Ahithophel...
      "Absalom then said to Ahithophel, ‘What do you advise us to do?’ And Ahithophel said to Absalom, ‘Have intercourse with your father’s concubines, whom he left to mind the palace...’ and Absalom lay with his father’s concubines with the full knowledge of all Israel."
(II Sam. 16:15, 20-22)

      "Cursed be lie who lies with his father’s wife, for he has removed his father’s garment. ..."
(Deut. 27:20)

      "David mustered the troops who were with him and... gave orders to... ‘Deal gently with my boy Absalom, for my sake’...
      "But Absalom... died in battle...
(II Sam. 18:1,5,19:11)

      For, "God puts out the light of the man who curses his father or mother."
(Prov. 20:20 LB)

As it is written:
The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous,
His ears attentive to their cry."
But,
"The face of the LORD is set against evildoers,
to erase their names from the earth."
(Psalms 34:16-17)

      So, "Don't repay evil for evil. Wait for the Lord to handle the matter."
(Prov. 20:22 LB)

      For, "You can be very sure that the evil man will not go unpunished forever."
(Prov. 11:21a LB)

      However brethren, "... if one of you wanders from the truth, and someone causes him to return, you should know that whoever turns a sinner from his wandering path will save him from death and cover many sins."
(James 5:19)

      So, "Don’t fail to correct your children; discipline won’t hurt them!... Punishment will keep them out of hell.
(Prov. 23:13,14 LB)

SAW