What should a father do when his family is falling apart before his very eyes? One son violates his half-sister. That crime led to the perpetrator of the crime being killed by his own half-brother as revenge. When Absalom murdered Ammon for violating Tamar, Absalom fled as a fugitive, not knowing what his father, King David, would do to him. The next five years were filled with unaddressed dysfunction, silence, grief…and seeds of rebellion being planted in the heart of Absalom toward his father. Unchecked bitterness and fractured fellowship never produce healthy fruit. Things begin to rot. In this season of King David’s life, his negligence as a father to Absalom and Tamar set in motion some things which would eventually cost David even more as a father and king. We should take note of how bitterness and rebellion ultimately march hand in hand as destructive forces. May we learn from David’s costly mistakes.