1 Samuel 25 –September 18th
Samuel dies at the beginning of this chapter. The first verse tells us that all of Israel mourned for him. I imagine this must have been a poignant reminder to Saul that God was done with him. He is still on the hunt for David, by the way. The rest of the chapter has little to do with Saul, but it is important to keep up with the larger narrative of Saul chasing David. In this chapter, we watch David choose not to exact revenge on a man who has disrespected him (not Saul this time). God takes care of that himself. In the same light, we see that God has preserved David for these few years, protecting him from great sin that could bring destruction, and eventually clearing the way for David to become king. All this because David relies on the Lord instead of trying to take things into his own hands.
Mob mentality is a scary thing. People get riled up and dangerous things happen. Think of recent riots in our own country. Mob thought gives rise to actions that an individual would never attempt (destroying police cars, marching in KKK robes, whatever it may be). David gathers an army here to attack Nabal. Nabal is an old man, bitterly stuck in his ways, who staunchly rejects the plea for help from the king. I know they don’t literally have pitchforks, though they did all strap on their swords (1 Sam. 25: 13), but I feel like they were that kind of mob. David is right to be angry, but God gives no permission to destroy Nabal for his insubordination. It is important, even in our anger, that we wait on the Lord’s word. In this scenario, God keeps David from sin by sending Abigail, Nabal’s wife, to calm David down. She is successful! From verse 14 to 44, God uses her to keep him from destroying Nabal’s house. David’s sin could destroy his future. Remember, David is the forefather of Christ. Who knows how the entire lineage could have been disrupted. But we know God is sovereign, and here he preserves His will. Christ is the ultimate goal in all of this.
We must learn to control our anger. We must avoid “mob mentality.” It can, quite literally, destroy our futures. Yesterday, we talked about turning the other cheek. Really, we are viewing that principle in a broader sense. Rage can ruin families. It certainly does not bring anyone closer to or glorify Christ. Those of us who are more susceptible to anger issues must remain unwaveringly vigilant. It helps to rest in the sovereignty of God. When we remember that He is in control, it is much easier to leave vengeance to him (Deut. 32:35). David does that, and this faith helped avoid eternal consequences. Thank God for working through him. In an extremely practical sense, let’s remember the command of Romans 12:21: “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”