Tag: revenge

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Proverbs

Revenge

I once heard Bill Cosby give a comedy routine on Revenge. And he told a story of how when he was a kid, he plotted revenge against a kid that threw a slushball at him, and how his plan went humorously awry.

But how many times do people hurt us, and we plot how to hurt them back? To somehow make them pay for what they did?

Or how many times do we rejoice when they take a fall?

Solomon warns us against both kinds of attitudes.

He writes,

Do not gloat when your enemy falls;
when he stumbles, do not let your heart rejoice,
or the LORD will see and disapprove
and turn his wrath away from him. (Proverbs 24:17–18)

The thing we need to remember is that no matter how bad the other person may be, they were created in God’s image.

It may be an image that is extremely distorted, but God still cares greatly about them. And he hates it when anyone rejoices in their suffering. Because God doesn’t.

When a person goes to hell, no matter how bad they are, God doesn’t rejoice. He weeps.

We are never to devalue a person made in God’s image, no matter how bad they may be. And God looks dimly on those who do.

Solomon goes on to say,

Do not say, “I’ll do to him as he has done to me;
I’ll pay that man back for what he did.” (Proverbs 24:29)

And again,

If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat;
if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.

In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head,
and the LORD will reward you. (Proverbs 25:21–22)

In other words, we are more likely to cause a person to feel guilty for his actions by showing kindness to them than by retaliating against them. Even if they never repent, God will reward you.

On the other hand,

Like a muddied spring or a polluted well
is a righteous man who gives way to the wicked. (Proverbs 25:26)

When we let the wicked influence our actions, it muddies and pollutes our witness. Instead of influencing the world, we become like the world.

Solomon adds,

Like a city whose walls are broken down
is a man who lacks self-control. (25:28)

If we can’t control our anger and our actions when people wrong us, the walls of our very lives break down. And Satan will send all he can against us to get us to sin again and cause us to drift even further apart from God.

But if we show kindness to those who hurt us, no matter what Satan throws at us, he will not be able to break us down.

And ultimately, we may start turning those very people Satan sends against us into friends, turning his own plots against himself.

Some people think that by taking revenge, it strengthens their walls. Actually, it is the person who shows restraint and forgiveness that is truly strong.

How about you? How do you treat those who ill-treat you?

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Psalms

Refusing to give in to evil

Psalms

And so we come to the close of Psalm 119.

As I’ve said before, it’s an anonymous psalm, but I wouldn’t be surprised if David was the author. One reason is how this psalm ends and the experiences of the psalmist.

Namely, he was pursued and persecuted by his enemies, and yet he refused to give in to feelings of revenge and repay evil with evil.

The psalmist starts this section with a cry for help against his enemies.

I call out to you; save me and I will keep your statutes.

I rise before dawn and cry for help (Psalm 119:146–147).

Yet despite all his troubles, we see time and again his commitment to doing things God’s way.

Instead of plotting on his bed ways to get back at his enemies, he said,

My eyes stay open through the watches of the night
that I may meditate on your promises. (148)

He then places himself in God’s hands, refusing to turn aside from God’s word, even though his enemies had done so in seeking his life.

Look upon my suffering and deliver me,
for I have not forgotten your law.
Defend my cause and redeem me;
preserve my life according to your promise. (153–154)

and,

See how I love your precepts;
preserve my life, O LORD, according to your love. (159)

and again,

Rulers persecute me without cause,
but my heart trembles at your word. (161)

Why did he live this way? Because he truly believed God’s way was best. He wrote,

Great peace have they who love your law,
and nothing can make them stumble. (165)

And as he closes the psalm, he once again puts himself in God’s hands, humbling himself before God, asking for his direction, committing himself to doing things God’s way no matter what, and waiting for God’s salvation.

How about you? How do you react when others hurt you? When others attack you?

Do you give in to your anger, repaying evil for evil?

Do you say to yourself, “I can’t just let them do this to me. I know it’s not God’s way, but I’ve got to get back at them.”

If that’s you, remember the attitude of this psalmist.

More than that, remember the attitude of our Lord on the cross. That though people nailed him to the cross, nevertheless, he didn’t seek revenge. Rather, he forgave them. And us.

Finally, remember the words of the apostle Paul who wrote,

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 12:19–21)

Categories
Psalms

Letting God be the judge

Psalms

One thing that we generally see in David’s life is that he let God be the judge. He rarely went out to take things into his own hands. (The lone exception being when Abigail had to stop him from taking revenge on her husband Nabal).

And here we see this same attitude. Though people were pursuing him to kill him, yet he placed himself and his enemies in God’s hands, letting him be the judge between them.

David wrote,

Awake, my God; decree justice.

Let the assembled peoples gather around you, while you sit enthroned over them on high.

Let the Lord judge the peoples.

Vindicate me, Lord, according to my righteousness, according to my integrity, O Most High. (Psalm 7:6–8)

He then expresses his confidence that God, “who probes minds and hearts” (9) would judge justly, bringing the evil people plan back upon themselves. He then finishes with praise, singing,

I will give thanks to the Lord because of his righteousness; I will sing the praises of the name of the Lord Most High. (Psalm 7:17)

Let us be like David, trusting in the one who searches hearts and minds, and leaving judgment to him.

Thoughts of revenge will only consume us and take away our joy. But when we leave things in the hands of the One who judges justly, we can find peace and joy through the most difficult of circumstances.

Categories
2 Kings

Returning good for evil

2 Kings

“If I ever get my hands on him…”

“You won’t know when. You won’t know where. But someday…”

Have you ever said these things?

When we’ve been hurt, these are common thoughts to have.

But they’re not the way God would have us live.

In this story, with the Aramean army surrounding the city Elisha was in, God struck them with blindness.

I’m not sure whether it was complete blindness or if it was a situation where God simply caused them to be unable to recognize what they were seeing.

They may have been very much like Mary Magdalene and the two men on the road to Emmaus who could look right at Jesus and not recognize him.

I kind of guess it was the latter, considering an entire army had to be escorted to Samaria. That would’ve been tough if they were completely blind.

Then again, maybe the men of the city did escort the army down.

Whatever the situation, King Joram had the Arameans in his hands.

And with the Aramean army surrounded by his own, Joram asked Elisha, “Shall I kill them?”

Perhaps he was thinking, “This is my chance to strike a huge blow against the Arameans, taking out a large part of the army.”

Or, “It would only serve them right. They attacked us; we didn’t attack them.”

But Elisha instead had them treat the Aramean army to a giant feast, and then sent them on their way.

Apparently, this so shamed the Arameans that they actually stopped their attacks for a time.

When people ill-treat you, how do you respond?

God doesn’t call us to act as the world does. Rather, he calls us to respond as his Son did.

When Jesus was mocked, beaten, and put on a cross, he forgave his enemies.

Not only that, he returned good for evil by paying the price for their sins by dying on the cross.

Remember the words of Paul who wrote,

Do not repay anyone evil for evil…

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)