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2 Samuel 13:1-4 Can you say "dysfunctional family" - Day 260

You may have heard the expression, "the apple doesn't fall far from the tree" in relation to the fact that children pick up the good or bad traits of their parents.  

There are two examples in this passage

1) David committed adultery with Bathsheba.  Now his son Amnon wants to commit incest with his half sister Tamar.

2) David's nephew Joab is ruthless killer of other military leaders who pose a threat to him.  Here, David's brother Shimeah, plots with Amnon to enable him to commit incest.

In a way, God goes out of his way to point out how sinful the chosen line of David is.  Warts and all does not begin to describe the way David and his family are portrayed.

 God tells Cain: If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.” Genesis 4:7

Each of us needs to think of sin crouching at the door.  By the power of the Spirit, we are enabled to rule over it.  But it does not come without a struggle.  In this story, all the players have a very low view of sin and sin devours them as they walk out the door.  Brothers and sisters, let us take sin seriously and rule over it.

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