Amnon is David’s firstborn son. But this chapter is the only record we have of what Amnon actually does with his life. It’s a record of sin and death. Amnon is clearly a man driven by his passions. He’s not particularly gifted in the brains department. For that he relies on his scheming cousin Jonadab. Instead, he’s driven by lust. […]

God tells David that his child will die. But even so, when the child becomes sick, David fasts and prays. Does David not believe God, we might wonder? The answer is that David has encountered God’s grace. As a result he now can’t help thinking that God might show grace to his son as well? Perhaps God has told him […]

If the boy’s death isn’t atonement for David’s sin – is it punishment for his sin? No. Certainly, the boy’s death is a result of David’s sin. But it’s not a punishment for it. Charles Spurgeon once began a sermon with these words: ‘God’s people can never by any possibility be punished for their sins’. Spurgeon goes on: ‘God has […]