1st Samuel 24:1-20; 1st Corinthians 4:9-13
You see this statement right here: “do not pay evil for evil?” It takes someone that is filled with the spirit of God to obey it. In fact, it is humanly impossible not to pay evil for evil in most circumstances. You can imagine the excitement in the whispers of David’s men. They even spoke as if they were quoting scriptures. They said in verse 4 of 1st Samuel chapter 24: “today the Lord is telling you, I will certainly put your enemy into your power, to do with as you wish.” But we know that Scriptures does not record that God made any such statements to David and his men.
I believe that if most of us were in David’s shoes, nothing would have stopped us from dealing with King Saul; that is, if we would not have killed him. If you have been hurt and almost killed before, you would understand. David almost gave in to the promptings of his men. He did something which to most of us was nothing, but later regretted it.
Ha! We really have a lot to learn from this passage. We should all go back, read it, and pray that the Holy Spirit will give us understanding, as it touches the present issue we are facing right now personally.
There is no justification for us to pay evil for evil, especially when it has to do with those in authority; except such authority or person is pressuring us to violate God‘s law. Even at that, we are not expected to pay evil for evil. We can make the statement David made in verse 9-11 of 1st Samuel chapter 24. David said: “…why did you listen to the people who say I am trying to harm you? This very day you can see with your own eyes it isn’t true. For the Lord placed you at my mercy back there in the cave. Some of my men told me to kill you, but I spared you. For I said, ‘I will never harm the king – he is the Lord’s anointed one.’ Look, my father, at what I have in my hand. It is a piece of the hem of your robe! I cut it off, but I didn’t kill you. This proves that I am not trying to harm you and that I have not sinned against you, even though you have been hunting for me to kill me.”
On the other hand, those of us who are in authority should critically look at Saul’s statement in verse 17-19: “and he said to David, “you are a better man than I am, for you have repaid me good for evil. Yes, you have been amazingly kind to me today, for when the Lord put me in a place where you could have killed me, you didn’t do it. Who else would let his enemy get away when he had him in his power? May the Lord reward you well for the kindness you have shown me today.” We all have to ask God for grace to obey Him concerning this passage. There is no need to justify our actions.
I pray that God will help everyone of us when it comes to such a topic as this. May we not repay evil for evil. In Jesus name I pray. Amen. God bless you.
Papa Mbos 