What Happened to Tamar?

“And Absalom her brother said unto her, Hath Amnon thy brother been with thee? but hold now thy peace, my sister: he [is] thy brother; regard not this thing. So Tamar remained desolate in her brother Absalom’s house.” (2Sa 13:20 AV) 

I wonder what happened to Tamar when Absalom rebelled.  I feel sorry for Tamar.  She was forced and rejected by her half-brother.  Her brother shows compassion by taking her into his home.  Then he rebels against their father, the king.  He must flee to his grandfather and leaves Tamar behind in Jerusalem.  Two men used her.  A half-brother and a brother.  The brother was far more subtle.  He used the injustice toward his sister to commit insurrection which he probably had in his heart already.  If he really cared for Tamar, he would not have tried to take the throne from the duly and divinely anointed king of Israel.  Rebellion fails to see a greater responsibility while pursuing the desires of the heart.  Absalom’s duty was to protect and provide for his sister.  Once banished and eventually dead, he could do neither.  Absalom’s sin was founded on the false idea of a greater good.  He believed exacting justice and fleeing was a greater good than to care for his sister.  In the wake of his rebellion, Absalom left a family and a sister behind.  For what?

Absalom’s fault was not in executing his half-brother for raping his sister.  The bible tells us that David was comforted by the death of his criminal son.  Why Absalom did not return and make it good with his father is not immediately known.  What we do know is that when Absalom returned to Jerusalem, he sat in the gate and judged the people.  We can surmise that Absalom did not return to Jerusalem upon executing justice because, in his heart, he had no respect for his father.  Perhaps he resented his father because he felt that David should have been the one to exercise justice and not leave it to his son.  But that begs a question.  Why does justice need to be as swift as Absalom wanted?  It didn’t.  The law allowed half-siblings to marry as long as they forfeit their inheritance.  Perhaps David was working the situation to that end.  Who knows?  There is a lot of detail missing.  We don’t know what was going on behind the scenes.  Nor can we perfectly discern the hearts of David or Absalom.  What we do know is that Absalom’s rebellion failed to take care of his obligation towards Tamar.  Once David had passed, one has to wonder what ever became of poor Tamar.  A victim of one man’s lust and another’s rebellion.

When man is bent on a course of action, he will justify it with a greater good.  The greater good is not a greater good.  It is an excuse.  Absalom was so bent on rebellion that he did an equal injustice to his sister as his half-brother did.  He abandoned her for his own ambition.  Perhaps he believed he would not be denied the throne and thus could care for Tamar.  But someone who acts in rebellion never considers failure.  He feigns compassion for his sister.  He feigns an elevated sense of justice where it concerns his sister, Tamar.  It is hugely ironic that Absalom sits and judges Israel according to the law, yet commits insurrection contrary to it.  He follows the law as a means of breaking it.  This morning, I was impressed by how calloused Absalom was toward his sister once rebellion was stirred.  He claimed love and compassion for her enough to welcome her into his home and take care of her every need.  Yet, he would not sacrifice his rebellion for the sake of someone he professes to care for.