THEOSISJohn Chrysostom
David sought refuge from his son due to his departure from holiness, fleeing because he violated sacred matrimony, and turning away from God’s commandments that declare, ‘Thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not commit adultery’ (Exodus 20:13, 14). He introduced a foreign lamb into his home, having slain its shepherd, while a lamb from his own blood began to confront him; bringing conflict into an unfamiliar place, he incited strife from his own household. This is not my interpretation, but rather the declaration of God, and where God speaks, no one can dispute it. Indeed, his son revolted against him as a consequence of Uriah’s death, and the taking of his wife.
Read more (789 words)
Listen to God’s words relayed through Nathan the prophet: I have chosen you as king over Israel, I have rescued you from Saul’s grasp, granted you the house of your lord, and bestowed upon you the kingdoms of Israel and Judah; and if this were insufficient, I would have given you even more. Why then have you disobeyed the word of the Lord, committing evil in His sight? You struck Uriah the Hittite with the sword, taking his wife for yourself. Therefore, the sword shall remain against your house forever’ (2 Samuel 12:7-10). You have shed blood in another’s house, and so I will raise up violence against you within your own home: ‘Behold, I will bring calamity upon you from your own household.’ Sin originates from within, and that brings forth the affliction of punishment. Hence, he fled from his son, becoming a fugitive and an exile with respect to God’s command. ‘A Psalm of David when he fled from Absalom his son’ (Psalm 3:1). It is more meaningful to examine the root of the conflict rather than recounting the conflict itself, allowing us to recognize the downfall of the righteous, so we can learn from their missteps and avoid similar consequences.
Many frequently face turmoil within their homes: one encounters strife from a wife, another faces hostility from a son, yet another suffers from a brother’s actions, and another from a servant's betrayal. Each person endures torment, anguish, and conflict—and all remain unmindful, failing to reflect that if they had not sown seeds of sin, thorns and thistles would not have arisen within their walls. If unholy sparks had not been ignited, their homes would not have caught fire. The calamities within families are indeed the fruit of sins, with God appointing family members to be the instruments of punishment for the transgressor, as is evident from sacred scripture, which remains the most reliable source. If your wife engages in conflict with you, confronting you as a ferocious beast and wielding her words like a blade, it is lamentable that a helper has become an opponent. Yet, take a moment to self-reflect; consider whether in your youth you plotted against any woman, and now it is your own wife who avenges that insult, turning the wound of another into a retribution for you. Though she may not grasp the underlying reason, the Lord, the ultimate healer, knows the true nature of your suffering. Just as iron may not understand its purpose, yet the physician knows how to utilize it, so too the afflicted may lack awareness of their plight, yet God, in His role as physician, understands what is necessary for healing. Scripture attests that a wicked wife can serve as a torment for sins, indicating that a sinful husband may receive an unfaithful partner as recompense (cf. Sirach, chaps. 25 and 26). Such a wife acts as a bitter remedy, aimed at purging sinful tendencies. Moreover, the challenges posed by children also stand as punishments for misdeeds, as evidenced by David's persecution by Absalom, which is a consequence of his sinful actions.
Similarly, sibling rivalries stem from wrongdoing, as documented in the book of Judges. For example, when certain members of the tribe of Benjamin acted immorally with a traveler’s concubine, who ultimately succumbed to the offense, the other eleven tribes waged war against them. Yet, because these eleven tribes had turned away from God, succumbing to idolatry, they faced numerous defeats at the hands of one tribe, despite achieving but a singular victory—brother against brother, as God purged sin from their midst (Judges 19 and 20). When one tribe engaged in immorality, and the others turned to idols, God brought judgment upon both, as it is written, ‘Thou destroyest every one that departeth from Thee’ (Psalm 77:27). Thus, siblings waged conflict against one another due to their transgressions. When assailed by your brothers, rather than placing blame upon them, take heed to assess your actions and scrutinize the sins that may have caused your brothers to turn against you. However, not every attack from family members stems from your own sins. For instance, Joseph faced hostility from his brothers, yet not due to any wrongdoing on his part; likewise, Job was opposed by his wife, but not for his sins. The majority of individuals encounter familial opposition as a result of their sins. It is common for friends to become adversaries due to wrongdoing, as affection can turn to hatred through divine allowance, stemming from prior corruption of their love. It is recorded in Psalm 104:25, ‘He hath stirred up hatred in their heart against his people,’ and God would not permit such animosity were it not for the deterioration of love that preceded it.