Introduction:
A. One day an elderly lady was getting ready to pull her Cadillac into a parking space when a young man whipped into her spot in his red sports car.
1. He got out and she put her window down and said, “Who do you think you are, Sonny?”
2. The young man replied, “I’m young and I’m fast, Old Lady.”
3. He proceeded to go into the store.
4. When he returned to his car, he found the elderly lady ramming her caddy into his sports car over and over again.
5. Horrified, he said to her, “Lady, who do you think you are and what are you doing?”
6. She replied, “I’m old and I’m rich and I’m getting even.”
B. The story is told of a soldier who was fighting over in Iraq who received a letter from his girlfriend that said she was breaking up with him.
1. In the letter she also asked for him to return the picture of herself that she had given him, because she needed it for her bridal announcement.
2. The soldier was heart broken and told his friends about the breakup and about her request.
3. Someone came up with this idea – the whole platoon gave him pictures of all of their girlfriends and told him to send them to his ex-girlfriend with this note – “For the life of me, I can’t remember which picture is yours, so please remove your picture from all of these pictures I’m sending and return the rest of them to me!”
C. What these two stories have in common is that they both involve vengeance.
1. Our natural inclination when someone hurts us is to try to get revenge by hurting them back.
2. Some people hold to the philosophy, “I don’t get mad, I get even!”
3. Many people believe that revenge is sweet, but is it really?
D. The truth that I want to emphasize today is that the people of God do not retaliate.
1. The people of God do not seek vengeance and do not take revenge into their own hands.
2. The people of God experience something better than revenge – they experience the blessing and justice of the Lord.
3. In the midst of their righteous behavior, they experience the peace that passes understanding.
E. If ever there was someone who had a right to take vengeance into his own hands, it was David.
1. As we have been seeing in our recent sermons, David has been conducting himself with humility, and integrity.
2. But Saul is no longer walking with God and is obsessed with jealousy and a determination to eliminate David.
3. So, as we have seen, David is on the run, and Saul is in close pursuit.
The Story
A. And so we pick up the story at the end of 1 Samuel 23.
1. The Bible says, “Saul and his men began the search, and when David was told about it, he went down to the rock and stayed in the Desert of Maon. When Saul heard this, he went into the Desert of Maon in pursuit of David. Saul was going along one side of the mountain, and David and his men were on the other side, hurrying to get away from Saul. As Saul and his forces were closing in on David and his men to capture them, a messenger came to Saul, saying, ‘Come quickly! The Philistines are raiding the land.’ Then Saul broke off his pursuit of David and went to meet the Philistines. That is why they call this place Sela Hammahlekoth (which means rock of parting). And David went up from there and lived in the strongholds of En Gedi.” (1 Sam. 23:25-29)
2. You will notice on this map that the location of En Gedi is on the west shore of the Dead Sea.
3. The name “Engedi” means “spring of the goat.”
4. It was an oasis in the desert wilderness, where there were fresh water springs, waterfalls, lush vegetation, and countless caves in the rockly limestone cliffs.
5. It was a perfect hideout for David with its supply of water and being a high place provided a natural lookout where he could see the enemy coming from miles around.
B. Let’s continue the story.
1. The Bible says, “After Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, he was told, ‘David is in the Desert of En Gedi.’ So Saul took three thousand chosen men from all Israel and set out to look for David and his men near the Crags of the Wild Goats. He came to the sheep pens along the way; a cave was there, and Saul went in to relieve himself. David and his men were far back in the cave.” (1 Samuel 24:1-3)
2. Could any author come up with a better story than this? I don’t think so!
3. In the midst of Saul’s mad rush to find David and destroy him, he must answer the call of nature.
4. Keep in mind there were no rest stops on the Thruway; there were no “port-a-pottys.”
5. In that day, if you needed to go while you were on the road, you found the nearest cave or tree.
6. And of all the caves he could have chosen…he chooses the one that David and his men are hiding in. I don’t think this was just a coincidence!
C. One of the greatest tests of character comes at moments just like these, when our enemy is in a most vulnerable situation.
1. The Bible says, “The men said, ‘This is the day the LORD spoke of when he said to you, “I will give your enemy into your hands for you to deal with as you wish.”’” (1 Samuel 24:4)
2. I don’t know where they were quoting this verse of the Lord, maybe 2 Opinions 2.
3. So David’s men tempted David with revenge.
4. Remember these are David’s men who have been trained to fight the enemy, and here he is his enemy in a very vulnerable position.
4. They said, “Here’s your opportunity. God is the one who is giving you this opportunity. Saul would certainly kill you if the situation were reversed, right?”
5. The carnal, unspiritual voice can be so strong, and sometimes can even make a lot of sense.
D. So what did David do?
1. He quietly crept forward unnoticed…and raised his sword…and cut off the corner of Saul’s robe.
2. What happened after that? The Bible says, “Afterward, David was conscience-stricken for having cut off a corner of his robe. He said to his men, ‘The LORD forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the LORD’s anointed, or lift my hand against him; for he is the anointed of the LORD.’ With these words David rebuked his men and did not allow them to attack Saul. And Saul left the cave and went his way.” (1 Sam. 24:5-7)
3. Instead of gloating and glorying over what he had done, David became very troubled.
4. The Bible says that his conscience bothered him.
5. Why this reaction from David? What he did seems so innocent compared to what he could have done, right?
E. What we need to understand is that touching Saul’s clothing was tantamount to touching Saul’s person.
1. This was considered an act of utter contempt for the one who wore the robe.
2. It was an expression of the utmost disdain and disrespect that David could show Saul.
3. This was a moment of truth for David – His heart was tender enough to know that he might not have done all the wrong that could have been done, but he had done something wrong nonetheless.
4. The Bible says, “Then David went out of the cave and called out to Saul, ‘My lord the king!’ When Saul looked behind him, David bowed down and prostrated himself with his face to the ground. He said to Saul, ‘Why do you listen when men say, “David is bent on harming you”? This day you have seen with your own eyes how the LORD delivered you into my hands in the cave. Some urged me to kill you, but I spared you; I said, “I will not lift my hand against my master, because he is the LORD’s anointed.” See, my father, look at this piece of your robe in my hand! I cut off the corner of your robe but did not kill you. Now understand and recognize that I am not guilty of wrongdoing or rebellion. I have not wronged you, but you are hunting me down to take my life. May the LORD judge between you and me. And may the LORD avenge the wrongs you have done to me, but my hand will not touch you. As the old saying goes, “From evildoers come evil deeds,” so my hand will not touch you. ‘Against whom has the king of Israel come out? Whom are you pursuing? A dead dog? A flea? May the LORD be our judge and decide between us. May he consider my cause and uphold it; may he vindicate me by delivering me from your hand.’” (1 Sam. 24:8-15)
F. Upon hearing David’s testimony of non-aggression, Saul was moved with emotion and acknowledged that David was more righteous than himself.
1. The Bible says, “When David finished saying this, Saul asked, ‘Is that your voice, David my son?’ And he wept aloud. ‘You are more righteous than I,’ he said. ‘You have treated me well, but I have treated you badly. You have just now told me of the good you did to me; the LORD delivered me into your hands, but you did not kill me. When a man finds his enemy, does he let him get away unharmed? May the LORD reward you well for the way you treated me today. I know that you will surely be king and that the kingdom of Israel will be established in your hands. Now swear to me by the LORD that you will not cut off my descendants or wipe out my name from my father’s family.’ So David gave his oath to Saul. Then Saul returned home, but David and his men went up to the stronghold.” (1 Sam. 24:16-22)
2. In Saul’s rational moments, he knows the truth. He knows that David is not a usurper, and that David is righteous, and that David will be the next king.
3. And so Saul asks for a little favor, even though he doesn’t deserve one.
4. In those days, when a dynasty was replaced by another, the new regime would exterminate everyone in the old regime.
5. So Saul pled for the life of his family, that they might be spared.
6. Later we will see how David keeps that promise.
G. For now, David does not return with Saul, he knew Saul far too well to trust him.
1. So David and his men went back up into the stronghold, and they were wise to do so.
2. Two chapters later we see that Saul is once again in pursuit of David.
3. Chapter 26 begins, “The Ziphites went to Saul at Gibeah and said, ‘Is not David hiding on the hill of Hakilah, which faces Jeshimon?’ So Saul went down to the Desert of Ziph, with his three thousand chosen men of Israel, to search there for David. Saul made his camp beside the road on the hill of Hakilah facing Jeshimon, but David stayed in the desert. When he saw that Saul had followed him there, he sent out scouts and learned that Saul had definitely arrived.” (1 Sam. 26:1-4)
H. Saul again is in hot pursuit of David with 3000 men.
1. However, rather than running from Saul, David decides to aggressively step forward and surprise Saul.
2. The Bible says, “Then David set out and went to the place where Saul had camped. He saw where Saul and Abner son of Ner, the commander of the army, had lain down. Saul was lying inside the camp, with the army encamped around him. David then asked Ahimelech the Hittite and Abishai son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother, ‘Who will go down into the camp with me to Saul?’ ‘I’ll go with you,’ said Abishai. So David and Abishai went to the army by night, and there was Saul, lying asleep inside the camp with his spear stuck in the ground near his head. Abner and the soldiers were lying around him. Abishai said to David, ‘Today God has delivered your enemy into your hands. Now let me pin him to the ground with one thrust of my spear; I won’t strike him twice.’ But David said to Abishai, ‘Don’t destroy him! Who can lay a hand on the LORD’s anointed and be guiltless? As surely as the LORD lives,’ he said, ‘the LORD himself will strike him; either his time will come and he will die, or he will go into battle and perish. But the LORD forbid that I should lay a hand on the LORD’s anointed. Now get the spear and water jug that are near his head, and let’s go.’ So David took the spear and water jug near Saul’s head, and they left. No one saw or knew about it, nor did anyone wake up. They were all sleeping, because the LORD had put them into a deep sleep.” (1 Sam. 26:5-12)
3. So again we see that David has a chance to take Saul’s life, and is prompted to do so by his comrad.
4. But David refuses to be a usurper. He would not assassinate Israel’s anointed king.
5. David knew that God would remove Saul from office by His own mean and according to His own perfect timing.
6. Instead of taking Saul’s life, David took his spear and water jug to be used as proof that he had again been close enough to kill Saul.
I. The story continues, “Then David crossed over to the other side and stood on top of the hill some distance away; there was a wide space between them. He called out to the army and to Abner son of Ner, ‘Aren’t you going to answer me, Abner?’ Abner replied, ‘Who are you who calls to the king?’
David said, ‘You’re a man, aren’t you? And who is like you in Israel? Why didn’t you guard your lord the king? Someone came to destroy your lord the king. What you have done is not good. As surely as the LORD lives, you and your men deserve to die, because you did not guard your master, the LORD’s anointed. Look around you. Where are the king’s spear and water jug that were near his head?’ Saul recognized David’s voice and said, ‘Is that your voice, David my son?’” (1 Sam. 26:13-17)
1. Saul is again cut to the heart and said, “Then Saul said, ‘I have sinned. Come back, David my son. Because you considered my life precious today, I will not try to harm you again. Surely I have acted like a fool and have erred greatly.’” (1 Sam. 26:21)
2. So David returned the spear and water jug and said, “The LORD rewards every man for his righteousness and faithfulness. The LORD delivered you into my hands today, but I would not lay a hand on the LORD’s anointed. As surely as I valued your life today, so may the LORD value my life and deliver me from all trouble.” (1 Sam. 26:23-24)
a. There’s the key – David trusted the Lord.
3. The story ends, “Then Saul said to David, ‘May you be blessed, my son David; you will do great things and surely triumph.’ So David went on his way, and Saul returned home.” (1 Sam. 26:25)
4. This was the last encounter between King Saul and David.
The Application:
A. Today we have witnessed two perfect opportunities for David to enact revenge upon Saul for the misery that he is putting David through, but both times David did not retaliate.
B. How can we, like David, leave the revenge to the Lord?
1. How can we put into practice the practical words of the apostle Paul that we had read as the Scripture Reading?
2. Look at those words again with me, “Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord. On the contrary: ‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:17-21)
3. Let me suggest that we can put this into practice by coming to grips with the following things.
C. First of all, we have to expect that we are going to be mistreated.
1. We are all sinners and none of us are always going to do what is right.
2. In addition to that, we have to realize that there are some people who are not trying to do what is right, and who may very much seek to harm us, for one reason or another.
3. Let me ask you, have you been greatly harmed by someone in your life?
a. Has someone at work manipulated things to make himself or herself look good at your expense?
b. Has some employer promised you something and didn’t come through?
c. Has someone you thought was a friend, turned out to be anything but a friend?
d. Has your mate failed you when you needed them most?
e. Has your mom or dad, or some other relative left you with physical, verbal, emotional, or sexual scars?
f. And the list could go on and on.
4. Tragically many people are going to let us down, and some of them are going to inflict great pain upon us – so we should not be surprised – to some degree we have to expect it.
D. Second, I would suggest that we should anticipate feelings of revenge.
1. When we have been hurt so deeply, we should expect that the temptation to retaliate will be very strong.
2. But it is a temptation that we must overcome. We must take our pain to the Lord, and ask for healing and help so that we won’t compound the problem through vengeance.
3. Seeking revenge sets up an ongoing cycle of evil that has no end – just look at the classic ongoing feuds – like the Hatfields and McCoys, or the Israelis and Palestinians, or the gangs of NYC.
4. For some people seeking revenge becomes their whole mission in life.
5. But Walter Weckler was right when he wrote this statement in Newsweek, “Revenge has no more quenching effect on emotions than salt water has on thirst.”
6. So we should anticipate the feelings of revenge, and take those feelings to the Lord.
E. Lastly, I would suggest that we leave the matter in the hands of God.
1. Someone has said that “Revenge gets you even with your enemy; forgiveness puts you above him.”
2. Can we trust God to be the judge? Can we leave room for God’s wrath?
3. Can we trust God to work all things out in His own time?
4. Rather than take revenge, Jesus gave us the awesome challenge of loving our enemies by treating them in loving and righteous ways.
5. In so doing we will overcome evil with good.
6. And in so doing we will experience something far better than revenge – we will experience the peace of God.
7. We will know that we are right with God, and that God will bless us in the end.
Resources:
David – A Man of Passion and Destiny, by Charles R. Swindoll, Word Publishing, 1997.
David I, by W. Phillip Keller, Word Books, 1985.
The Making of a Man of God, by Alan Redpath, Fleming H. Revell Company, 1962.
I and II Samuel, David F. Payne, The Daily Study Bible Series, Westminster Press, 1982
First and Second Samuel, J. Carl Laney, Everyman’s Bible Commentary, Moody Bible Institute, 1982.
“How To Deal With People Who Hurt You” Sermon by Michael Cassara, SermonCentral.com
