Murder

Meditation
2 Samuel 13:28--Now Absalom commanded his young men, “Watch Amnon until he is in a good mood from the wine. When I order you to strike Amnon, then kill him. Don’t be afraid. Am I not the one who has commanded you? Be strong and courageous!”
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He was a king with nineteen sons not counting those born him by concubines.  Amnon was the first.  Absalom was number three.  Amnon fell in love with Tamar the beautiful sister of Absalom to the point that he lost his senses and raped her.  Absalom was so incensed by this disgusting act that he murdered his brother and fled to another kingdom for three years.  King David then allowed his son to return.  But the forgiven young man became a plotting rascal and led a revolt to seize his father’s throne.  Only the grace of God allowed David to prevail, but at the cost of another son. Absalom, the murderer, died hanging by his hair.

​Murder is the unlawful killing of one person by another. It is a crime that commands headlines, an act that germinates terror in the hearts of people.  But there is a much greater crime than murder.  Everyday countless souls head into eternity to face a Judge who went to the nth extreme to prevent this greatest of felonies from happening.

What is truly sad is that so many children of the King live in blatant insouciance towards those who should, but have not yet, become their sisters and brothers.  The apathy is chilling.  Worse yet, hearts full of worship somehow hold no horror for the fate of the perpetrators.  How many fall on their faces in prayer that Almighty God would somehow prevent the heinous misdeed from occurring?  Would we rather be free of hassle than proclaim our treasured conviction?  How dare we set aside the mandate of our Lord who saved us and called us to actively proclaim His good news!  What excuse will we invent to ignore our sacred responsibility?  At what cost do we fail to testify?

The refusal of the human heart to believe and follow King Jesus is the worst crime against God a person can commit.  It is a willful form of regicide—king-killing.  We cannot save souls—only God can do that divine act. But we can obey the Holy Spirit’s leading and speak words that God can use to reach a rebellious heart.  We cannot pardon but we can model grace.  A mob of haters hung the Son of Man while His disciples fled.  Will we flee our responsibility to warn those who are hell-bent on being regicidal?  

Oh God let us not disregard those around us so willing to yell “crucify”.  Give us the cross-carrying, love-infused, blood-shedding passion Your Son has for all people.  Wake us up from our Gethsemane slumber!  Teach us to weep!  Forgive us for forgetting . . . 
 
Inspiration
No man can murder his brother who has not first murdered God in himself.—Oswald Chambers in Not Knowing Where
 
©2000 Daniel York  ARR.  Reveration is the weekly devotional ministry of First Cause.  If you would like to receive these devotionals go to www.firstcause.org and click on the “Click here to receive weekly devotionals” box. Unlimited permission to copy this devotional without altering text or profiteering is allowed subject to inclusion of this copyright notice.      
 
Ecclesiastes 12:10-The Teacher sought to find delightful sayings and to accurately write words of truth.  (Holman CSB)