Day1
Week30
2 Samuel
“When the king came to his house in Jerusalem, he took the ten women, the concubines whom he had left to keep watch over the house, and he placed them in custody. He provided for them but did not go in to them. They were shut up until the day of their deaths, living as in widowhood.”
2 Samuel 20:3 MEV
Cross references
2 Samuel 15:16;
2 Samuel 16:21-22
2 Samuel 12:11-12
Equal And Opposite
Equal and opposite reaction" refers to Newton's Third Law of Motion, which states that for every action (force) there is an equal and opposite reaction, meaning when one object exerts a force on another, the second object exerts a force back on the first that is equal in strength but in the opposite direction; essentially, forces always come in pairs.
Sin is a force. There is always an equal and opposite reaction. (A consequence for every action that affects others around you.
David followed the lust of his flesh and took another man’s wife and ultimately life. He also conformed to the surrounding culture and took many women for wives and concubines.
The above verse has caused me to wrestle over the injustice I felt for the women whose lives were ruined. After much prayer and study, I have come to realize that David’s actions towards the 10 women was actually a flawed attempt at mercy. By confinement, he was protecting them from the shame and possibly abuse they would have suffered had he sent them away (freed them)to fend for themselves.
I don’t understand completely why he never visited them except that his political career would have suffered greatly.
My conclusion is that David attempted to cover up his own sin and shame while also providing protection for the women. This was a miserable, human attempt at redemption.
Jesus Christ stopped what sin had set in motion from Adam’s choice. True mercy for all mankind was delivered by a deliberate equal and opposite choice to become the ultimate sacrifice for all mankind.
The consequence for sin is death and the consequence for Jesus sacrifice is life.
What we do affects others.
What Jesus did affects everyone who will receive it! True mercy and redemption for all.
Action Step
What have you set in motion by your actions of indecision or poor choices?
Bring it all to Jesus and let Him wash you clean and show you how to set things right.
Your decision to follow Jesus will create an equal and opposite reaction that cannot be reversed.
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