FIVE SMOOTH STONES - The Five Ascension Gifts in the Heavenly Shepherds Bag

FIVE SMOOTH STONES — The Five Ascension Gifts in the Heavenly Shepherd’s Bag

While his gifts and attributes were well known, the door to his downfall happened through one of his half-brothers, Amnon. Amnon was David’s first -born son, and he fell in love with his half-sister Tamar, Absalom’s sister. Through a scheme by pretending to be sick he requested permission from his father to have Tamar be sent to care for him in his feigned sickness. Taking the advice of his nephew Jonadab, David sent Tamar to care for Amnon. Amnon raped his sister and then despised her - clearly revealing that he was acting out of lust not love for her. David was clearly not using wisdom when he accepted the advice to send Tamar to Amnon, then he further exacerbated the problem when he did not take any action to reprove or correct this son for his grievous act. No leader is perfect or blameless, and David certainly had his faults as did Saul before him. When David had opportunity to use Saul’s faults for his own benefit, he chose not to, but honored the anointing of God on king Saul. Absalom was no David, and when his brother went unpunished he concocted a plan to assassinate Amnon. After patiently waiting two years he approached his father David to allow Amnon to come to a great sheep shearing in Baal Hazor first inviting his father and all his half-brothers to allay any suspicion, but at a predetermined signal Absalom’s servants murdered Amnon, and Absalom fled to his maternal grandfather east of the Jordan in Geshur. 2 Samuel 13:28 Now Absalom had commanded his servants, saying, " Watch now, when Amnon's heart is merry with wine, and when I say to you, 'Strike Amnon!' then kill him. Do not be afraid. Have I not commanded you? Be courageous and valiant." 29 So the servants of Absalom did to Amnon as Absalom had commanded. Then all the king's sons arose, and each one got on his mule and fled. 30 And it came to pass, while they were on the way, that news came to David, saying, "Absalom has killed all the king's sons, and not one of them is left!" 31 So the king arose and tore his garments and lay on the ground, and all his servants stood by with their clothes torn. 32 Then Jonadab the son of Shimeah, David's brother, answered and said, "Let not my lord suppose they have killed all the young men, the king's sons, for only Amnon is dead. For by the command of Absalom this has been determined from the day that he forced his sister Tamar. 33 Now therefore, let not my lord the king take the thing to his heart, to think that all the king's

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