Introduction
Good morning! Let us look at Chapter 13 of 2 Samuel, titled The Sword Will Never Depart from David's House. This is a curse. How did it come about? Because David committed a sin, a very disgraceful act, which turned into a curse.
The Essence of a Curse
What exactly is the essence of a curse? The Bible speaks in many places about what actions bring curses. I like to summarise and ponder these matters. Why did Jesus truly bear our curses? It turns out that the essence of a curse is the legitimate operation of evil spirits in a person, doing corrupting things. Different sins bring different curses, so if a person lives their whole life without understanding curses, they have lived in vain. The most important thing in a person's life is to understand blessings and curses. Our 101 course covers these two topics. Don’t think that committing a sin is no big deal because the blood of Jesus can cover it. In our past ignorance, it could be covered, but now that you have believed in the Lord and still continue to sin, God declares His judgment. We must fear God; those who fear God have wisdom.
The essence of a curse is the legitimate working of evil spirits in a person's life and home, doing corrupting work. It depends on who they find; it depends on your destiny. In David's house, who did they find? They found Amnon, David's eldest son. Why him? Let's look at this person's character. If you have the characteristics of Amnon, the demons will surely find you. If you say, My ancestors had many curses, then it's bad news; the curse legitimately operates in your family line. Even if it has reached your generation, you can still choose to love God.
In fact, Chinese Mingding Destiny, when it speaks of loving God, it is not trying to fool you. I have spoken about it so much that your ears must be calloused by now, haven't they? I am tired of speaking about it, but I cannot stop. Because loving God is the key to solving curses. Don't think that it's enough to have the blood of Jesus; the blood of Jesus cannot stop you if you do not love God! So, those who love God, God will keep His covenant and show them love to a thousand generations; those who hate God, God will punish their sin. What does it mean to punish their sin? It means to execute curses according to their sin. After the curse is completed, the evil spirits can legitimately operate on the person. What I just shared was the theory; now we will begin to tell the story of this chapter, which is very exciting!
Amnon was David's eldest son. Do you all know who David's eldest son was born to? He was born to Ahinoam the Jezreelite. Who is Ahinoam? Ahinoam was not Saul's daughter but one of Saul's concubines. She was not Nabal's wife; Nabal's wife was Abigail. When Ahinoam fled to David, Nabal was still alive. That is why the prophet Nathan came to David and proclaimed the curse, saying, I put your master's wives into your arms, and Abigail, Maacah daughter of Talmai king of Geshur, Haggith, and Eglah. We don't know where Haggith came from.
Why did David have so many wives? For us men, we can't even handle one, and having so many would be troublesome. So, if David wanted Bathsheba, he could have avoided this; he just needed to tell God, God, I really want Bathsheba. God would have given him even more! You all must know that feelings are very corrupting.
Absalom was born to Maacah, the daughter of Talmai king of Geshur. His father was King David, and his mother was Maacah. Maacah's father, Absalom's maternal grandfather, was the king of Geshur. Absalom was from a distinguished family. One day, Amnon fell in love with Absalom's sister, and this love brought about his death. Isn't that interesting? Curses operate in this way, unstoppable. Don't think that people with a pedigree will have a good death; the more distinguished they are, the harder it is to have a good death because curses are powerful!
Carefully review Chinese history; those descendants of famous people seem glamorous, but if you delve a little deeper, you will find many stories of curses in these families. So stories like those from David's house are normal. Why does David's house have stories like this? Amnon raped Absalom's sister, who was also his half-sister, and then Absalom killed him; his life was gone. You raped someone's sister, and two years later, you forgot about it, but they haven't forgotten. When Amnon was drinking and making merry, he was killed by Absalom's men. Absalom fled to his maternal grandfather, the king of Geshur, and continued to live his life. So, the essence of a curse is the legitimate operation of evil spirits in a person.
Previously, All Was God's Protection
How was Amnon okay before? Because God wanted to protect David so that these things would not happen in David's house. We can see a little bit of this from the spiritual realm. Satan wanders to and fro before God and says to God, Your David is pretty good! God says, Yes! My David is pretty good. Satan says, Then allow me to test him and see how he really is. If he is not that good, shouldn't the sword never depart from David's house? It's roughly that kind of process. Satan went before God not to accuse David but to praise him, asking God to test him. As a result, David failed, and the sword never departed from his house; this was something Satan had already agreed upon with God. Before Satan did this, it was all God's protection.
Amnon was not that great before; like son, like mother. How did Ahinoam find David, and how did David marry Ahinoam? We can't say. God was greatly disgraced, giving Satan a great opportunity to blaspheme God, and the result was very shameful. We people must never rely on our own abilities; they are truly unreliable! We must always maintain a heart of reverence for God. How was Absalom okay? It's not that Absalom suddenly became bad or good; he was like that all along. In fact, the demons had been waiting for this opportunity for a long time.
We must have some understanding of the spiritual realm; don't say, God, why is this happening? God wants to ask you, Why are you like this? Never put curses on people's heads, coveting people's houses, possessions, wives, murdering, seeking wealth and harming lives, not honouring parents, etc.; these are all deadly. God is absolutely a faithful and righteous God; we must have a heart of reverence for God. Previously, things were okay not because you were doing well, but because of God's protection. These people are not great! Amnon is not great; Absalom is not great; they both carry many very evil habits.
There is also a person here named Jonadab. He is the son of David’s older brother Shimeah, David's nephew. David's older brother should be much older than David, with a difference of ten or twenty years being normal because David was the youngest. If there is a difference of twenty years, David's nephew, the son of his oldest brother, Jonadab, is not much younger than David. This person is extremely cunning and has a good relationship with David. The sword not departing from David's house is closely related to this Jonadab.
Brothers and sisters, in our lives, we are not afraid of having cunning people around us, nor are we afraid of having a foolish son like Amnon or someone like Absalom. What we fear is that the curse is placed upon ourselves, then we are completely finished and used by demons. So we must always remain reverent and vigilant and not sin. If you sin, if you confess your sins well, you can escape the death penalty, but you cannot escape the living penalty. Pastors are a high-risk profession; serving God without a heart of reverence and treating serving God as a joke is just courting death, isn't it?
Sin fermented in David's house, and the sword never departed from his house. Do you think the sword can depart from your house? You must be careful. If you say, Pastor, when you say this, I feel scared, you should be scared! Being scared doesn't necessarily ensure you do things right, but if you are not scared, wouldn't you be capable of anything? You must be a little scared; if you are not scared, you will completely let yourself go, and that will be the end! If you say, Pastor, I always have some accusing voices inside me, then you must repent well; perhaps you can avoid the death penalty, but the living penalty will be hard to escape; slowly endure, and you will get through it.
In this chapter, David clearly knows what is happening in his house. Are you able to understand what is happening in your own life? If you don't understand, then you are an Amnon. People invited him to drink, and he went, but he didn't know he was going to die; that's foolish!
Demons Specialize in Using Cunning People
Demons also choose people; demons specialize in choosing cunning people to use for corrupting work. Amnon had a good friend named Jonadab, the son of David's older brother Shimeah. This Jonadab was extremely cunning, full of schemes, and could accomplish anything. You must know that Jezebel was also a very clever and cunning person; demons especially like to find such people. The Bible does not even bother to record what sins these people will suffer in the future. But we must know, can the end of those who are used by demons be good? Impossible! Even if the demons don't come after you, God will send demons to punish you because this person is too cunning.
Now Amnon had a friend named Jonadab, the son of David’s brother Shimeah, and Jonadab was a very crafty man. He asked Amnon, “Why are you, the king’s son, so haggard morning after morning? Won’t you tell me?” Amnon said to him, “I’m in love with Tamar, my brother Absalom’s sister.” Jonadab said to him, “Go to bed and pretend to be ill. When your father comes to see you, say to him, ‘I would like my sister Tamar to come and give me something to eat. Let her prepare the food in my sight so I may watch her, and then I will eat it from her hand.’ ” So Amnon lay down and pretended to be ill. When the king came to see him, Amnon said to him, “I would like my sister Tamar to come and make a couple of cakes in my sight so I may eat from her hand.” (2 Samuel 13:3-6)
Look at how Jonadab speaks: Why are you, the king’s son, so haggard morning after morning? Won’t you tell me?” Amnon answered, I’m in love with Tamar, my brother Absalom’s sister. When Jonadab heard this, he saw the problem and then gave Amnon an idea. Because of Jonadab's idea, Amnon was killed. Jonadab is very capable of solving problems, but after solving the problem, he killed the person. Jonadab is full of bad ideas; he said, “Lie in bed and pretend to be ill. When your father comes to see you, ask him to let your sister Tamar come and take care of you, and then, while she is taking care of you, you can rape her. What problem was solved? The problem of sexual desire. This is the son of David's older brother, his nephew.
You might ask, When did David have these people around him? In fact, they are always there; what is feared is a person's curse fermenting in his house. If a curse comes upon his house, even if there is no such person, God can raise up such a person because God can raise up children for Abraham from stones, so the devil can also raise up cunning people like Jonadab from stones. Someone who used to be quite honest suddenly becomes cunning; how did they become cunning? Because the spirit descended upon them. I am very clear about this because I grew up in a very spiritual environment.
A person with a powerful spirit came to find my sister-in-law, asking her to set up a sign to treat people. My sister-in-law said, “I don't want to do that.” As a result, this spirit behind her caused her to have many illnesses; she endured for several years and couldn't bear it anymore. My sister-in-law agreed to set up a sign to see patients. What does setting up a sign to see patients mean? It means shamanistic practices; many people came to give her money, wine, offerings, and light incense. The spirit behind this is called the wolf spirit. When the wolf spirit descended upon her, she could drink two quarts of white wine, even though she usually never touched a drop of alcohol, and then she would take a large bundle of incense to burn and eat two pounds of raw pork. Because at that time, she was possessed by the wolf spirit, not herself. Don't say, That's not real. It is absolutely real because the demon possessed her.
Jonadab had a spirit upon him, and he was transformed, becoming extremely cunning; at this time, his body was merely a shell. He had been somewhat sly before, but now he became exceedingly crafty, his words seamless. If you see some people suddenly become eloquent and adept at wrongdoing, it is because a demon has entered their body. Some people are at work, and others get promoted, but they do not; others get professional titles, but they are not conferred upon them. Then a good friend like Amnon appears and says, Oh, old friend, how did you not get promoted? It's so unfair. Where can you even reason this out?” He was already a little upset, and after hearing what his friend said, it was over! He became even more upset, and behind that upset is a demon!
You must know that these cunning people carry demons that specialize in ruining people. Some couples are doing fine, but then a very clever person appears and says to the wife, Let me tell you, don't trust your husband, because I saw him drinking tea with a woman in a small shop the other day. The wife asks, Do you have a photo? The woman says, No, I couldn't take one. But you have to believe what I'm saying, you need to be careful! As a result, the wife goes home and has a big fight with her husband. Everyone must understand that this is the devil at work, and if you can't distinguish it, you will be deceived by the devil, and then the devil will control your family. If you don't have many curses on you, that's fine! But if you have more curses, then it's troublesome! So be careful! Know that this is how the devil works.
If you are already cunning, then the devil finding you is just right. You don't need anyone to tell you; you will have many voices coming from within, and you will particularly trust your sixth sense. Among our sisters, are there any who believe in their sixth sense? Surely there are. Some people dangle you, they only tell you half the story, and then they say, I won't tell you anymore! Then you become even more interested: Tell me! But after they tell you, you are ruined! Jonadab, the son of David's brother, is just like that person who ruins people. Generally speaking, people who have no relationship with you cannot ruin you; often, those who can ruin you are those who have a good relationship with you. Jonadab not only spoke here with Amnon, but also with David, which is beneficial on both sides.
How impressive is this Absalom? Very impressive! How cunning? Cunning! His sister was raped, but he said, It's okay, he's your brother, you just live well. Don't worry. He didn't say anything good or bad to Amnon, he spoke when he needed to speak, drank when he needed to drink, and on the surface, they were still good brothers. In fact, Absalom was very cunning and thought every day about how to kill that little Amnon. Absalom was very clever and also very cunning. His genes came from somewhere: first, his mother was a princess, the daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur; the genes were passed on well, and he was very handsome, a man of striking appearance; second, his language skills were absolutely top-notch!
If the devil doesn't look for him, who else would he look for? How is it such a coincidence? The devil chose the fool Amnon and also found the extremely clever Absalom? Amnon raped Absalom's sister. It turns out that this was all directed by the devil behind their lives. Brothers and sisters, if you encounter someone who is eloquent and extremely cunning, then you must be careful to guard against what he says. You must often speak the word of God, because it is not cunning that makes people live, but everything that comes from the mouth of God. If God does not protect you, and the devil comes to mess with you again, what can you do?
The Devil Specializes in Ruining People With Sensations
Everyone should not think that the curse is just that the sword will never depart from David's house; it depends on what people choose to live by. If you are a person who acts according to feelings, then the devil will choose you. Amnon died in his own feelings; why did he suddenly love Tamar so much? No one knows. Have you ever seen someone with unrequited love? That is love. You ask him why he loves so much? He doesn't know either, he just has a strong feeling. I have seen couples like this who had a very strong feeling at the beginning. I asked them, Why do you like being together? They said, We have such a strong feeling. I said, Do you know what kind of man this is? What kind of woman is this? He said, I don't know, I just have a strong feeling.”
Our church trains people not to have strong feelings, but to have understanding, to be able to understand. You must know that without understanding, only feelings, that is very dangerous. If you get married, have children after a few years, and there is no feeling, what should you do? If you buy something on Taobao, you can return it within seven days if you're not satisfied; if it's on Pinduoduo, it's even better, you can return it for no reason, but if you marry a person, how can you return them? After having children, you can't put the children back in your stomach, right? If the feeling is gone, how much trouble! But many people live by feelings.
If you meet a Gen Z who gives you a strong feeling, then you are not far from being ruined, because that feeling comes from the devil. The devil wants to ruin people, starting from feelings. Amnon liked Tamar. You ask him, Why do you like her? He doesn't know either; he just has unrequited love. As a result, the devil directed this matter on him. Jonadab came up with a trick for Amnon, calling Tamar over.
Amnon said to Tamar, “Bring the food into the bedroom so I may eat from your hand.” So Tamar took the bread she had prepared and brought it into the bedroom to her brother Amnon. As she brought it to him to eat, he took hold of her and said, “Come to bed with me, my sister.” “No, my brother!” she said to him. “Do not violate me! Such a thing should never be done in Israel. You must not do this outrageous thing! Where could I get rid of my shame? And you would be like one of the wicked fools in Israel. Please speak to the king; he will not refuse to let me marry you.” But he refused to listen to her, and since he was stronger than she, he raped her, and lay with her (2 Samuel 13:10-14).
Amnon couldn't hear Tamar's words at all, because at this time, Amnon was backed by a devil, insisting on messing around, unable to stop him. Everyone must know that that energy is an evil energy, and as a result, he raped Tamar. It would be okay to marry Tamar after the rape, but another feeling suddenly came, a feeling of great disgust, which made him hate Tamar. Amnon was a fool, without a brain. Like some people say: thinking with the lower body, the brain is on the genitals, then it's destroyed. If a person doesn't have a brain, it's no wonder they’re ruined! As a result, he was killed by Absalom two years later. Because he didn't grow a brain, he forgot everything after drinking.
Amnon felt that he had the capital to brag: he felt that he was David's eldest son, the heir to the throne, getting whatever he wanted. He bragged more than anyone else, but without a brain, he was just a mouth liar. As a result, when he was killed, he didn't even have the chance to hiccup or fart, and he died. The feelings inside a person are deadly; people die in their own feelings. Amnon had a strong feeling when he raped Tamar, also had a strong feeling when he hated Tamar, and also had a strong feeling when he drank at Absalom's house, and as a result, he was finished.
If you are a person who likes to rely on feelings very much, then you must be especially careful, the devil likes to pick people with feelings to ruin, those who have strong sexual impulses. Because people with strong sexual impulses are often people without brains; eating and drinking also have strong feelings; born as a representative of feelings. Who doesn't have feelings? In the Bible, there is an insignificant person named Chileab, born to Abigail, who was Nabal's wife. Chileab does not participate in anything here at all; he does not compete nor grab, which is what Abigail taught him. Abigail was a person with very clear understanding; she taught her children to stay away from disasters, away from the curse of David's family; and told him: The throne has nothing to do with us, do not compete with anyone.
There was also the self-sentimental fourth son, Adonijah, who insisted on competing and grabbing. After calculating, he felt good; the eldest brother Amnon died, the second brother Chileab did not want the throne, the third brother Absalom was killed for usurping the throne, and he thought that the throne was his; he felt that his ancestor Judah was the fourth son, the twelve sons of Jacob's family, the eldest, second, and third sons all lost the birthright, and as a result, the birthright fell on the fourth son Judah, and I am also the fourth son, now it should be my turn! As a result, he also died. So feeling is particularly ruinous to people.
After Amnon died, King David was comforted and longed for Absalom (2 Samuel 13:39).
Amnon died, David was comforted, and he longed for Absalom, and as a result, his mind was not working well, which is also a feeling. Why did David miss him? He didn't know either, he just missed him very much. Later, after Absalom returned, he usurped his throne. Later, when Absalom was chasing David, his hair was hung on a tree branch and killed by Joab. The sword never leaves David's house; the devil specializes in finding these people with feelings to ruin. Do we want to train people to be filled with the knowledge of God in understanding? Definitely! David's second son, Chileab, was born to Abigail, who was Nabal's wife. Later, Chileab did not appear in the Bible again, but he had no connection with the curse of David's family.
Don't Blame God, You Reap What You Sow
We must never ask God: God! Why is this happening? You sowed it yourself, you have to ask yourself. We must begin to come out of that strange logic system. David's heart was clear; he regretted very much letting the devil have the opportunity to blaspheme God, regretting that he followed the feelings at the time. So he tore his clothes, lay on the ground, and felt particularly uncomfortable in his heart. Did David blame God? You can't blame God. What comes upon us is that you reap what you sow; the curse will never be late, so learn to fear God!
When we believe in the Lord, our sins have been washed away by the precious blood of Jesus, but when we walk this path, we must know God in understanding and have a very clear understanding of the spiritual realm; we must know when the devil has set a trap and when we must know God in understanding. If your understanding is not good, but your feelings are very strong, then the devil thinks it's very good, just right.
There is a price to pay for sin; how to solve the problem? Just simply choose to love God. If a person loves anything in the world, they will be controlled by anything in this world, fall into the devil's trap, and reap the result of the curse. If you don't love money, houses, cars, and food, how can these things tempt you? Don't eat what you can't afford, don't buy what you can't afford, don't control what you can't control, just simply love God, and life will be simple! How can the devil control you? He can't control you.
May God bless you all!