Tamar and Amnon

Absalom, the son of David, had a beautiful sister named Tamar, and Amnon, another son of David, loved her.

Amnon became so obsessed with Tamar that he made himself sick because she was off limits to him. Amnon’s friend, who was cunning and shrewd, found out why Amnon was upset and devised a plan for Amnon to get what he wanted.

The friend told him to lie in bed and pretend to be so sick that David would come to check on him. Then he was to ask him to send Tamar to prepare food for him and feed him. 

Amnon did as he suggested and David sent Tamar to take care of him. She prepared the food and served it to him, but he refused to eat. He ordered everyone else to leave the house and asked her to serve him in bed. 

Once they were alone, he grabbed her and ordered her to lie with him. Horrified, she resisted, reminding him that such a thing should not be done in Israel and that it would be disgraceful. She warned him that if he did what he said that he would be like one of the fools of Israel.

But Amnon didn’t care. He was too caught up in his obsession. He overcame her and had his way with her. Then once he was done with her, he hated her with more intensity than he had loved her. 

Tamar was completely unaware of Amnon’s feelings for her. When her father asked her to help take care of him, she honored his wishes. She gently served Amnon, and when he came after her, she resisted. 

In one fatal moment, through no fault of her own, all of Tamar’s dreams and hopes for the future were abolished.

Read about Tamar and Amnon in Scripture: 2 Samuel 13:1-15

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