How does 2 Samuel 13:4 connect with Proverbs 12:5 on the plans of the wicked? The Scene in 2 Samuel 13:4 • “He asked Amnon, ‘Why are you, the son of the king, so dejected morning after morning? Will you not tell me?’ ‘Because I love Tamar, my brother Absalom’s sister,’ he replied.” • Jonadab, described in v. 3 as “a very shrewd man,” probes Amnon’s troubled heart. • In the next verse Jonadab hatches a deceptive scheme (v. 5) that will culminate in Tamar’s violation, Absalom’s vengeance, and national turmoil. • The seed of wicked counsel is planted here—private, persuasive, seemingly harmless, yet aimed at sin. Linking to Proverbs 12:5 • “The thoughts of the righteous are just, but the counsel of the wicked leads to deceit.” • 2 Samuel 13 shows a live illustration of this proverb: – Righteous thoughts produce upright plans; Jonadab’s counsel produces fraudulent plotting. – The proverb states a principle; Jonadab and Amnon act it out in history. • “Leads to deceit” is precisely what occurs: Amnon feigns illness, David is misled, Tamar is lured, and the royal family is engulfed in lies. Patterns of Wicked Counsel in Scripture • Genesis 3:1–6 – The serpent counsels Eve, twisting God’s word, leading to death. • Psalm 1:1 – Blessing comes to the one “who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked.” • 2 Samuel 15:31 – Ahithophel’s advice to Absalom mirrors Jonadab’s craftiness. • Matthew 26:3–4 – Chief priests plot Jesus’ arrest “by stealth and kill Him.” • 1 Corinthians 15:33 – “Bad company corrupts good character,” a New-Testament echo of Proverbs 12:5’s warning. Consequences Spotlighted • Personal—Amnon’s life ends violently (2 Samuel 13:28–29). • Familial—David’s household is fractured, fulfilling Nathan’s word (2 Samuel 12:10–12). • National—Absalom’s rebellion grows out of the same soil of deceit (2 Samuel 15–18). • Spiritual—Sin conceived through wicked counsel brings death (James 1:14–15). Takeaways for Today • Evaluate advice by its alignment with Scripture; righteous counsel uplifts, wicked counsel manipulates. • Guard the heart at the point of desire; Amnon’s unchecked lust made him easy prey. • Seek companions whose “thoughts are just” (Proverbs 12:5); avoid the Jonadabs who normalize sin. • Remember God ultimately exposes and judges deceit (Hebrews 4:13; Ecclesiastes 12:14). In Summary Jonadab’s question in 2 Samuel 13:4 opens the door to the very “counsel of the wicked” Proverbs 12:5 condemns. The episode demonstrates, in vivid narrative, how wicked plans originate, operate, and devastate—underscoring the timeless wisdom of fleeing deceptive counsel and clinging to righteous, Scripture-shaped thinking. |
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