Have you ever had an enemy? Have you ever had someone who attacked you at every opportunity? Have you ever had someone who hated you? ...who spread lies about you? ...who wanted you dead? What would you do if you had a chance to get them off your back? What would you do if you had a chance to say something bad about them or have someone beat them up or get them arrested or get them banned from some place? Would you let it pass? This is David’s situation and more.
In Samuel 24, David’s friends are telling David to be done with King Saul. Like the devil in the Gospels, they even quote Scripture to pressure him into it (cf. Matthew 4, Luke 4). Saul, after all, has done a lot: not only turning people against David and choosing 3000 people to attack him but he has actually tried to kill David more than once and is trying to kill him right now. All those who have an axe to grind with Saul are surrounding David (1 Samuel 22:2). They point out that God has delivered Saul into David's hands. They surround David; he becomes their leader and they attempt to tempt David with the poison chalice of self-righteousness, spite and revenge. David’s friends in Chapter 24 encourage David to betray and even kill King Saul. And in Chapter 26, they even volunteer to finish off King Saul for him but David says, “But the Lord forbid that I should lay a hand on the [him].”
This response reminds us of Arc Angel Michael's response to Satan when the devil tries to draw him into an argument. Michael refuses to engage but rather leaves the rebuking to the Lord (Jude); remember too how our Lord Jesus Christ responds when Peter chops the ear off a soldier who is coming to arrest Jesus in order that Jesus can be killed. How does Jesus respond? He heals the soldier's ear and goes with him willingly (John 18). These responses: David's, Michael's, Jesus' should be ours; but have you -like David- ever had a friend who offered revenge on your behalf?
Have you ever had someone offer to get someone back for you? Have you ever had someone, out of misplaced loyalty, gang up on someone else? Have you ever acted out towards someone because of what you THINK they have done to someone else? As they do, we are in the spot of David. Then we need to remember, like David, that the Lord will deal with everyone in His time and His way. David eventually became king. Saul’s reign didn’t end until he was 72. David didn’t rush it or exact revenge when he had the chance. Instead he trusted God to take care of things.
This is what I would encourage us to do today. When the devil tries to trick us into getting someone back or helping them to their perceived ‘just desserts’ that we would instead trust in God, for indeed He loves us and He will take care of them as well.
In Samuel 24, David’s friends are telling David to be done with King Saul. Like the devil in the Gospels, they even quote Scripture to pressure him into it (cf. Matthew 4, Luke 4). Saul, after all, has done a lot: not only turning people against David and choosing 3000 people to attack him but he has actually tried to kill David more than once and is trying to kill him right now. All those who have an axe to grind with Saul are surrounding David (1 Samuel 22:2). They point out that God has delivered Saul into David's hands. They surround David; he becomes their leader and they attempt to tempt David with the poison chalice of self-righteousness, spite and revenge. David’s friends in Chapter 24 encourage David to betray and even kill King Saul. And in Chapter 26, they even volunteer to finish off King Saul for him but David says, “But the Lord forbid that I should lay a hand on the [him].”
This response reminds us of Arc Angel Michael's response to Satan when the devil tries to draw him into an argument. Michael refuses to engage but rather leaves the rebuking to the Lord (Jude); remember too how our Lord Jesus Christ responds when Peter chops the ear off a soldier who is coming to arrest Jesus in order that Jesus can be killed. How does Jesus respond? He heals the soldier's ear and goes with him willingly (John 18). These responses: David's, Michael's, Jesus' should be ours; but have you -like David- ever had a friend who offered revenge on your behalf?
Have you ever had someone offer to get someone back for you? Have you ever had someone, out of misplaced loyalty, gang up on someone else? Have you ever acted out towards someone because of what you THINK they have done to someone else? As they do, we are in the spot of David. Then we need to remember, like David, that the Lord will deal with everyone in His time and His way. David eventually became king. Saul’s reign didn’t end until he was 72. David didn’t rush it or exact revenge when he had the chance. Instead he trusted God to take care of things.
This is what I would encourage us to do today. When the devil tries to trick us into getting someone back or helping them to their perceived ‘just desserts’ that we would instead trust in God, for indeed He loves us and He will take care of them as well.
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