Nathan warns David of consequences to follow for his shameful acts of adultery and murder, among the consequences:

I’ll make trouble for you out of your own family. (2 Samuel 12.11, MSG)

And it starts:

Some time later, this happened: Absalom, David’s son, had a sister who was very attractive. Her name was Tamar. Amnon, also David’s son, was in love with her. (2 Samuel 13.1, MSG)

Another sordid story, in which Amnon, egged on by a cousin, rapes Tamar when she refuses his advances. (2 Samuel 13.1 – 20)

David’s reaction is odd:

King David heard the whole story and was enraged, but he didn’t discipline Amnon. David doted on him because he was his firstborn. (2 Samuel 13.21 – 22, MSG)

I think David had lost moral authority because of his own affair. The Message includes the phrase “he doted on him…” That phrase is in the Dead Sea Scroll:

(ESV) Dead Sea Scroll, Septuagint add But he would not punish his son Amnon, because he loved him, since he was his firstborn

Without that insertion, the text just reads, “David was very angry.”

“Very angry” is not the same as “took action.”

David doesn’t act, but Tamar’s brother Absalom does…two years later. Absalom has his servants kill Amnon, and Absalom flees to Geshur. Three years pass. (2 Samuel 13.23 – 39)

2 Samuel 14 describes the process where Joab, using a woman to tell David (another) story, persuades David to allow Absalom to return to Jerusalem. (2 Samuel 14.1 – 22) But then, we have another “David-error.”

Joab got up, went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem. The king said, “He may return to his house, but he is not to see me face to face.” So Absalom returned home, but was not permitted to see the king. (2 Samuel 14.23, 24, MSG)

Seriously? God forgave David for adultery and murder. Absalom simply executed Amnon for raping his sister. And David can’t forgive Absalom? For something that was probably David’s fault? After all, David didn’t confront Amnon. And it’s all part of the consequences that God promised through Nathan in chapter 12.

David and Absalom reconcile by the end of the chapter (2 Samuel 14.28 – 33), but it will be short-lived. Stay tuned.

But God does not take away life. He works out ways to get the exile back. (2 Samuel 14.14, MSG)

Then his master summoned him and said to him, “You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?” (Matthew 18.32, 33, ESV)