Stop Sin Before It Moves From Thoughts To Actions!

2 Samuel 13:13-15---And I, whither shall I cause my shame to go? and as for thee, thou shalt be as one of the fools in Israel. Now therefore, I pray thee, speak unto the king; for he will not withhold me from thee. Howbeit he would not hearken unto her voice: but, being stronger than she, forced her, and lay with her. Then Amnon hated her exceedingly; so that the hatred wherewith he hated her was greater than the love wherewith he had loved her. And Amnon said unto her, Arise, be gone.

One of David's sons, Amnon, was lustfully desirous of his half-sister, Tamar. His friend helped him hatch a plot to be alone with her. While he pretended to be sick, he asked for Tamar to come prepare a meal and feed him. Once she brought the food to his bed he showed what he was really after. Tamar responded wisely with verse 13. If he would act honorably, she would have married him. She asked him the question we should ask ourselves when faced with lust of any kind. What about the persons affected? What will be the consequences in their lives? What about ourselves? What will be the full consequences in our own life if we give in to that desire? They had seen their father make this mistake with Bathsheba and saw the consequences. Now Amnon needed to face the truth of what might happen if he went through with his plan, but he would not consider it. He had already determined what he would do. After raping her, he despised her. The carnal desires will paint a picture of fulfillment that is never even close to reality. Tamar's honorable questions showed how wicked his heart truly was. He wanted to be as far away from the truth as he could get. The end of the matter will be death and hatred within the family.