Word of Encouragement (10/04/2023)

“God do so to the enemies of David and more also, if by morning I leave so much as one male of all who belong to him.” (1 Sam. 25:22)

This was somewhat of a rash vow David made when he heard from his envoys that Nabal rejected his request for some provision. (The wording is difficult but, given the context, it must have been a self-maledictory oath.) We can sense how enraged he was.

We can understand David’s anger. He and his men had been protecting Nabal’s shepherds. It was only right that Nabal should share with David and his men the feast he had prepared for his shearers. But Nabal, being a foolish man, refused to do so with an insult directed at David. He repaid David’s kindness with evil. No wonder David was deeply offended. He commanded his men (400 of them) to strap on their swords and follow him. He was about to wipe out all the males of Nabal’s household.

While we can understand David’s rage, it was still wrong. It is not insignificant that this incident comes right after David spared Saul’s life in a cave. He knew that it was wrong to strike God’s anointed. Though difficult to abide by, he managed to keep himself and his men from it. But what about killing a layperson? And not just a lay person but an insolent, foolish, and ungrateful man, who repaid his kindness with an insult. Why didn't David ask the LORD as he did when he went to protect Keilah? Maybe he was consumed by anger and didn't even think about asking God. Or he thought that he had all the right to punish Nabal.

But he was not justified in exacting vengeance on Nabal. Yes, Nabal insulted him. But did he deserve capital punishment for that? Let us not forget that David was not king yet. And Nabal was being foolish. Foolishness may be infuriating and even despicable, but it is no crime. But David treated Nabal’s foolishness as an unforgivable sin. This is an easy mistake to make, isn’t it? We get so mad at the mistakes that our children or loved ones make, like spilling milk or breaking a dish; yet mistakes are not sins. But as long as they don’t inconvenience or hurt us, we don’t really care much about their sins. Often, we act like other people’s mistakes that exasperate us are far worse than a sin against God’s Law. For David to exterminate Nabal’s family when he was not yet king would have been a horrible mistake and sin.

God used the wise intervention of Abigail, who was Nabal’s wife, to stop David from carrying out his hasty and terrible plan against Nabal. Here we see that, while we must keep our oaths to God, following through with a sinful oath can only add more fuel to the fire of sinfulness. That is why Jesus told us not to make rash vows (Matt. 5:37).

Are you susceptible to angry outbursts, which lead to all kinds of foolish decisions and sinful actions? One critical mistake David made was not asking the LORD (as he did in the case of Keilah). May God give us the wisdom to pause in prayer and seek His guidance in dealing with our anger, especially our self-righteous anger.

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