2 Samuel 13:11-14 – Lust always takes us into a lowlife

Amnon managed to isolate Tamar by first ordering all the people out of his chamber and then had her brought the cakes she had baked for him into the room. So now both he and the half-sister were all alone in a room with no one else present. He then seized Tamar and insisted that she should sleep with him. Of course, she refused and tried to persuade him out of his despicable intention. She gave him many desperate reasons for why he should not do what he intended to do.  

Firstly, she told him that to violate her would be a horrendous deed.  Secondly, she told him that such an act had hardly been seen in Israel. Thirdly, what he was about to do was a disgraceful act. Fourthly, she tried to make him see how others would view them. She would have to bear the shame and reproach of his violation and he would be deemed a godless fool. And Tamar even went on to suggest that Amnon should peak to their father, David, for her hand in marriage. She reckoned that David would surely accede to his request if he asked him to. But Amnon could not stand to reason, for lust had gotten the better of him. And lust. we know, is a difficult thing to control because it is an inordinate urge that almost always demands to be fulfilled instantly. So Amnon could not be persuaded. Since he was stronger, he overpowered Tamar and raped and violated her.  

This account reveals to us what lust is and what it can do to a person. Lust is a wrong sexual desire. It is an inordinate appetite that is hard to control and always demands instant gratification. Lust has no regard for God as well as the person who one sets one desire on. one places one's eyes upon. Unlike true love, lust renders one incapable of rational thoughts and causes one to act wantonly. Catering to one’s lust will make one a slave to one’s disproportionate passion and carnality. The best way to overcome lust is to cultivate a deep love for God. The purity of the heart is one thing every Christian must make it his or her goal in life to develop. Only as we seek to purify our heart then can we experience God in all His entirety and fullness.

Just one closing thought to consider before we leave this discussion on the harm of being lustful. Lust as a wrongful desire does not come about in an instant of a moment. It is always the result of constant ogling of one’s eyes on undesirable objects such as pornographic materials and feeding of one’s mind with unwholesome thoughts. If we desire to be godly and pure, we need to be careful with what we see and what we think about in life. Put Philippians 4:8 into practice daily. Paul said, “...whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.” When we practice the exhortation of this verse, we are on the way to a balanced and God-glorifying life. Be sure to do it daily for His glory!