sin as a cancer

Sin as a Cancer

First David, then his family, then nation

“O my son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you – O Absalom, my son,” I Sam 18”33

Sins: many people think of them as minor wrong activities.

If you commit too many, you may get caught and punished.

However, one or two here and there won’t make a big difference.

The Bible views sins more as cancer cells.

One or two here and there make a difference – often the difference between life and death

. Because cancer cells grow, multiply, and take over, major surgery may be needed to save your life.

Second Samuel 11-20 reads like a history of a spreading cancer.

In the beginning, David was on top of the world- and so was Israel.

The civil war was over, the land was at peace, and Israel was entering unprecedented prosperity.

God had promised to ensure David’s descendants a continuous reign forever.

What more could David hope for?

The rest of life appeared as one long celebration.

The Cancer Grows

That celebration never began. One night David caught a glimpse of Bathsheba’s naked body, and impulsively sent for her. The cover up required a murder.

Nobody could deny it was an ugly business: even David admitted it when Nathan conformed him.

However, it was soon over. He repented. He married Bathsheba. He did not intend to fall to that temptation again.

But consequences of the sin were far from over. Unknown to David, cancer was growing in his own household.

 David’s oldest son Amnon had an eye for a woman too

 He tricked his half-sister Tamar into his bedroom, then raped her. Afterwards, filled with disgust, he threw her out.

David was furious. But, maybe because he felt his own sin had robbed him of moral authority, he did nothing to punish his son.

 According to the law (Lev 18:9,29 Do not have sexual relations with your sister. Everyone who does any of these detestable things – such persons must be cut off from their people).

Amnon deserved exile, but he got off free. David apparently wanted the matter forgotten.

A Cold- Blooded Character

It merely disappeared from view. Absalom waited two full years to avenge his sister’s rap.

Then ,he murdered Amnon in cold blood. Again David was long on regret, short on punishment.

Again the cancer disappeared from view.

. But was not gone; it grew.

 Now an arrogant Absalom started a program of public relations designed to make him look better than his aging father.

The shock seemed to awaken David. 

Through dazed and weeping as he left the city, he had enough sense to make some clever plan.

 When the battle came at last, David’s army won, and Absalom was captured and killed.

Weeping for his son

For David the king, Absalom’s defeat was a great triumph.

 For David the father, it was a horrible tragedy..

 Such may be the consequences when a leader sins.

 His cancer not only poisons him, it grows to affect all those he leads – and it undermines his work.