We will look at the sad events of Amnon raping his half-sister Tamar and her brother Absalom planning a revenge. Amnon’s death leads to anarchy and rebellion in the house and eventual results in the death of Absalom.

— Sin in The House

Soon enough an issue arose in David’s house. One of David’s sons Amnon desired to sleep with his (half)sister Tamar. The thoughts kept persisting to the point where he sought counsel on how to have her. He gets her through a ruse, pretending to be sick and asking Tamar to come wait on him at his room.

— Amnon’s mother is Ahinoam, the daughter of Ahimelech. This is D avid’s firstborn (2 Sam. 3:2).
— Absalom’s (and Tamar’s) mother is Maacah daughter of Talmai, the king of Geshur. Absalom was David’s third child (2 Sam. 3:3). Maacah was won as a result of battle.

2 Sam. 13: 19-20::
Tamar put ashes on her head, and tore her robe of many colors that was on her, and laid her hand on her head and went away crying bitterly. Absalom her brother said to her, “Has Amnon your brother been with you? But now hold your peace, my sister. He is your brother; do not take this thing to heart.” So Tamar remained desolate in her brother Absalom’s house.

However, Absalom did not forget this thing and waited silently, patiently for two years. But secretly he hated his brother Amnon for what he did to his sister (2 Sam. 13:22).

Moses told the tribes of Gad and Reuben ‘if you fail to do this, you will be sinning against the Lord; and you may be sure your sin will find you out’ (Num. 32:23). For these tribes wanted to settle in the lands east of the Jordan and not help their brothers take conquest of all the land of Israel. Obviously Amnon took conquest of his half sister but not in a good way. His sin was soon to be discovered even though Absalom kept quiet for a couple years. Eventually the consequences of sin catch up to us, even if we think we have escaped judgement.

Absalom flees to Geshur for three years after he has Amnon, his brother, murdered.

It is probable this is the same Jonadab who both counseled Amnon and then later King David. Jonadab counseled the king ‘for by the command of Absalom this has been determined from the day that he forced his sister Tamar’. (2 Sam. 13:32)

Know this, there are some people who like to stay close to power and will play both sides of the fence so as to curry favor. The sins of the father are passed upon the children unto the third and fourth generation so it does not really matter if this is the same Jonadab, the weasly people who hang around power will so so for their own avantage. Taking advice from these people is quite dangerous.

Incidently, a false report comes that all of David’s sons were killed (2 Sam. 13:30). This was simply not true. Confusion often comes with iniquity, as most Jewish commentators believe Jonadab was always scheming.

(Jonadab was probably son of Shimea or Shammah so really David’s nephew but some sources say one brother was unnamed, see 1 Sam 16:10 vs. 1 Chr. 2:13-15).

A main point is what was done in secret is proclaimed openly. The death of Amnon is finally announced by Jonadab as what had been determined all along (although David had likely heard the story already). Absalom murdering his brother is not unlike David murdering Uriah. Both were done in secret and both were premeditated. One point relates to repentance: David repented, Absalom did not. Nor do we ever hear of Amnon repenting for raping Tamar.

Absalom soon plans sedition and treachery against his father. For he had set himself up as a wise and just judge in Jerusalem and stole away the hearts of the men (2 Sam. 15:8).

— The case that Amnon ‘putting away’ Tamar and Absolom lying with David’s wives

There is a fulfillment of Nathan the prophet here relating to adversaries being raised up from the house of David and lieng with his wives. The record of this happening is based upon David’s son Absalom lieing with David’s concubines.

2 Sam. 12:11:: Thus says the LORD: ‘Behold, I will raise up adversity against you from your own house; and I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun.

We could say that a concubine is not a wife but that is not how God views these relationships. Hagar was considered a wife.

Gen. 16:3:: Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar her maid, the Egyptian, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan.

Apostle Paul echo’d this belief when he told the Corinthians ‘do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For “the two,” He says, “shall become one flesh’. (1 Cor. 6:16).

Most young people do not realize how God views sexual intercourse. The oneness of uniting in copulation is as the joining a man to a woman. It does not matter if you have a piece of paper or went through a ceremony. You have united the relationship in marriage, maybe not holy matrimony, yet as a husband and wife.

The Torah spells out the consequences of a man lying with a virgin. If a man entices a virgin who is not betrothed, and lies with her, he shall surely pay the bride-price for her to be his wife (Ex. 22:16).

I believe this includes the idea of even marying a woman who is a widow or divorces. The bottom line is if you (men) are going to have sex before marriage you should also be thinking of marrying that woman. This is not optimum but it often happens. What happened to Amnon after he enticed and raped Tamar? He then despised her! This was worse

2 Sam. 13:15-16:: Then Amnon hated her exceedingly, so that the hatred with which he hated her was greater than the love with which he had loved her. And Amnon said to her, “Arise, be gone! So she said to him, “No, indeed! This evil of sending me away is worse than the other that you did to me.” But he would not listen to her.

For now he had uncovered her nakedness and had lied with her.

Lev. 18:9:: The nakedness of your sister, the daughter of your father, or the daughter of your mother, whether born at home or elsewhere, their nakedness you shall not uncover.

In essence it was like putting away your wife for any uncleanness.

Free sex and marying multiple women is forbidden of elders and deacons in the church despite the patriarchs and kings of old having many wives. The point the apostle makes in 1 Corinthians is the mating of Christ with a harlot.

Going back to David and his ten concubines. In reality Nathan’s prophesy came true, it might not involved his 7 or so legitimate wives but in essence did come true in the sense of concubine wives. We read in:

2 Sam. 16:21-22:: Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Go in to your father’s concubines, whom he has left to keep the house; and all Israel will hear that you are abhorred by your father. Then the hands of all who are with you will be strong.” So they pitched a tent for Absalom on the top of the house, and Absalom went in to his father’s concubines in the sight of all Israel.

— Absalom’s Legacy

The situation between Absalom and his father got so bad that David and his servants had to flee Jerusalem. Eventually Absalom met his end at the hands of Joab and his men for the king could not kill his own son, as he could not kill the children of Saul.

the king had commanded Joab, Abishai, and Ittai, saying, “Deal gently for my sake with the young man Absalom (2 Sam. 18:5). He loved his son, like the father of the prodigal son. But in this case his son never came to his senses and returned to his father. We have no record of him ever repenting for the rebellion against his father.

2 Sam. 18:14-15:: Joab said, “I cannot linger with you.” And he took three spears in his hand and thrust them through Absalom’s heart, while he was still alive in the midst of the terebinth tree. And ten young men who bore Joab’s armor surrounded Absalom, and struck and killed him.

The idea of Joab’s words ‘I connot linger with you’ suggests his patience was up with this rebellious son. David was not going to take action against his rebellious son so Joab had to do it.

2 Sam. 18:18:: Absalom in his lifetime had taken and set up a pillar for himself, which is in the King’s Valley. For he said, “I have no son to keep my name in remembrance.” He called the pillar after his own name. And to this day it is called Absalom’s Monument.

It is traditional to throw rocks at Absalom’s Monument unto this day. For he was a rebellious son and parents want to teach their children a lesson on what happens to rebellious children.

Absalom did have three sons and a daughter.
2 Sam. 14:27:: To Absalom were born three sons, and one daughter whose name was Tamar. She was a woman of beautiful appearance.

Did all of his sons die? Were they not considered worthy of his kingdom? Were the sons illegitamite? He does have relations with his father’s concubines (2 Sam. 16:21) so they could have been children of promiscuity. Why did he name his daughter Tamar? She was beautiful like his sister Tamar.

Despite leaving children, Absalom left us another legacy. That of a rebellious and murderous son. I would be remiss to not compare Absalom to the parable of the prodigal son. One main difference is that the prodigal son got to the point of seeing his desperation and poverty. He repented and came back to his father. In the case of Absalom there was no repentance and no returning to his father. Yet we can see in the life of King David he never lost his love for Absalom. He would have gladly received back Absolom and showered gifts and affection upon him. It is a sad story of what can happen to the prodigals — they never return and die in their sins.

You do not want to be branded a prodigal and have people throw stones at a monument to your name. Return to your heavenly father and seek reconciliation with your brothers and sisters. Absalom’s murder of his brother Amnon is an example of those destined for eternal judgement.

Matt. 5:21-22:: You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause [Ex. 20:13; Deut. 5:17] shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire.

1 John 3:15:: Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.

Don’t be like Absalom. He hated his brother and murdered him.

Sources:
https://hermeneutics.stackexchange.com/questions/35159/did-absalom-have-3-sons-2-samuel-1427-or-none-2-samuel-1818
https://bible.org/question/2-sam-1427-bible-says-absalom-had-sons-and-1818-absolom-says-i-have-no-son-who-will-carry-m
https://www.gotquestions.org/David-brothers.html
https://jbqnew.jewishbible.org/assets/Uploads/432/jbq_432_bakonyonadav.pdf