Good for Evil
How many of us have seen our heart set out on a campaign to set right the wrong-doing of those who have mistreated us? We've served, we've given, we've acted with integrity and treated kindly. We've laid down our lives. And yet, in return for our acts of kindness, we've received hurt. Let justice reign! Let it reign through me! David may have felt the same way.
After offering protection to a group of shepherds tending their flocks in an area where David and his army were temporarily staying, David sent for refreshments to the man (Nabal) who the shepherds worked for. "Please give whatever you can afford to your servants and to your son David." This seems like a reasonable request for the protection and good treatment of Nabal's men. But instead of returning the favor, instead of showing appreciation, Nabal disregards David's request and responds with a resounding, "No!" And so David, feeling the sting of dismissal and lack of appreciation, sets out on a mission of rage and revenge. He was determined to bring about what he saw as justice.
But this was not God's justice that David was seeking. It lacked trust and exposed the mixed motives of David's heart. Yet in His mercy, the Lord sent Abigail, Nabal's wife, to appease David. And David, after his rage had cooled, came to his senses and was grateful for it,
Then David said to Abigail, “Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who sent you to meet me this day! Blessed is your discernment, and blessed are you, because today you kept me from bloodshed and from avenging myself by my own hand." (1 Samuel 25:32,33 BSB)
Like David, I am glad for words of reason spoken to me by my wife; words that have kept me from pious harsh pontifications that would have caused harm and not good. How grateful we can all be for the Abigails in our lives. God has not called us to be avengers. We are not cosmic judges. God alone is judge. Revenge is an act of one's own hand that disregards God's ability to bring due justice in due time. Jesus helps us to understand the correct attitude of heart that we should have in our kindness towards others when He says,
If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? (Matt 5:46 NIV)
As we see this story play out before David, we see the hand of God's justice. Nabal's heart failed him after hearing about David’s plan and about ten days later the Lord struck him dead. And David learns his lesson well, for we read that a short time later he had opportunity to take things into his own hands again and bring due punishment to his great adversary king Saul. But he would not take matters into his own hands. Instead, he left them in God's hands. Showing his trust in the timely justice of God to deal with his enemy Saul, David speaks,
David added, “As surely as the LORD lives, the LORD Himself will strike him down; either his day will come and he will die, or he will go into battle and perish." (1 Samuel 26:10 BSB)
What a lesson we can learn from this story! What hope it gives to us in adversity. And what a lesson we can learn in trust, just as David did; for we see many psalms written by David at this time. God became solidified as his refuge, the One He trusted with all situations. You can do the same.
I'll close with a somewhat famous prayer. While God does require us to trust Him in matters of justice and vengeance, we must never seek or rejoice in the downfall of others. Instead, as we open our hearts to doing good to those who may bring us harm, let us pray, as Jabez did, that God would protect us from the effects of harm that can come from having the territory of our hearts stretched and increased for those around us,
Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, "Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain." And God granted his request. (1 Chronicles 4:10 NIV)
May God grant your request as well.
Scripture References
Now David had said, “Surely in vain have I guarded all that this fellow has in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that belonged to him, and he has returned me evil for good. May God punish David, and ever so severely, if I let one of Nabal’s men survive until morning.” (1 Samuel 25:21,22)
After offering protection to a group of shepherds tending their flocks in an area where David and his army were temporarily staying, David sent for refreshments to the man (Nabal) who the shepherds worked for. "Please give whatever you can afford to your servants and to your son David." This seems like a reasonable request for the protection and good treatment of Nabal's men. But instead of returning the favor, instead of showing appreciation, Nabal disregards David's request and responds with a resounding, "No!" And so David, feeling the sting of dismissal and lack of appreciation, sets out on a mission of rage and revenge. He was determined to bring about what he saw as justice.
But this was not God's justice that David was seeking. It lacked trust and exposed the mixed motives of David's heart. Yet in His mercy, the Lord sent Abigail, Nabal's wife, to appease David. And David, after his rage had cooled, came to his senses and was grateful for it,
Then David said to Abigail, “Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who sent you to meet me this day! Blessed is your discernment, and blessed are you, because today you kept me from bloodshed and from avenging myself by my own hand." (1 Samuel 25:32,33 BSB)
Like David, I am glad for words of reason spoken to me by my wife; words that have kept me from pious harsh pontifications that would have caused harm and not good. How grateful we can all be for the Abigails in our lives. God has not called us to be avengers. We are not cosmic judges. God alone is judge. Revenge is an act of one's own hand that disregards God's ability to bring due justice in due time. Jesus helps us to understand the correct attitude of heart that we should have in our kindness towards others when He says,
If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? (Matt 5:46 NIV)
Such an attitude is impossible without the help of the Holy Spirit renewing our minds by His word. Only He can change the motives of our hearts. This is good news. God works the impossible in us!
As we see this story play out before David, we see the hand of God's justice. Nabal's heart failed him after hearing about David’s plan and about ten days later the Lord struck him dead. And David learns his lesson well, for we read that a short time later he had opportunity to take things into his own hands again and bring due punishment to his great adversary king Saul. But he would not take matters into his own hands. Instead, he left them in God's hands. Showing his trust in the timely justice of God to deal with his enemy Saul, David speaks,
David added, “As surely as the LORD lives, the LORD Himself will strike him down; either his day will come and he will die, or he will go into battle and perish." (1 Samuel 26:10 BSB)
What a lesson we can learn from this story! What hope it gives to us in adversity. And what a lesson we can learn in trust, just as David did; for we see many psalms written by David at this time. God became solidified as his refuge, the One He trusted with all situations. You can do the same.
I'll close with a somewhat famous prayer. While God does require us to trust Him in matters of justice and vengeance, we must never seek or rejoice in the downfall of others. Instead, as we open our hearts to doing good to those who may bring us harm, let us pray, as Jabez did, that God would protect us from the effects of harm that can come from having the territory of our hearts stretched and increased for those around us,
Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, "Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain." And God granted his request. (1 Chronicles 4:10 NIV)
May God grant your request as well.
Scripture References
For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12 NIV)
For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope. (Romans 15:4 NIV)
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16 ESV)
For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope. (Romans 15:4 NIV)
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16 ESV)
Ah, Joseph, you know my weakness ! Yes there is only One just, the Lord !
ReplyDeleteThink I'll hang onto this for review :)