This is the Bible Book Club.

I'm Susan.

And I'm Heather.

And we're in the book of Second Samuel.

Welcome to the club.

Last time on Bible Book Club in Second Samuel, Chapter 13, we learned that David and his sons,

who were following in his ways, like father like son,

Amnon is distracted by women, and in particular, women he cannot and should not desire to have.

In this case, it's his half-sister Tamar that he wants.

Amnon uses David to get what he wants.

He rapes Tamar and throws her out in humiliation. Well, David is

furious, but he still does nothing. While Absalom, Tamar's brother plots revenge. Two years later,

Absalom murders Amnon. Again, like father, like son. Amnon's sin was sexual as David's with Bashiba.

Absalom's sin was murder as David's with Uriah. Nathan had warned David about the consequences

of his sin. The sword would not depart from his household and David is living that reality.

And unfortunately for David, the fulfillment of Nathan's

prophecy is not over but just begun. Scene one, Joab interferes. If it appears to us that David

is incapable of managing relationships with his children, it must have been painfully apparent to

Joab who's living with this reality.

Joab, you will recall, is David's nephew and the commander-in-chief of his army.

He's an intriguing Bible character because, while extremely loyal to David, he was also very

ruthless. Now, remember in 2 Samuel, Chapter 3 3 how he went behind David's back and killed

...