Don't Sweat Your Enemies
Psalm 54 doesn't sound very "Christian." In it, David prays for God to destroy his enemies. What could be Christian about that?
Psalm 54:4–5 (ESV) Behold, God is my helper; the Lord is the upholder of my life. 5 He will return the evil to my enemies; in your faithfulness put an end to them.
But context matters. This Psalm is in response to the two separate occasions in which the Ziphites betrayed David by letting Saul know where he was while Saul was out to kill him. They told Saul in 1 Samuel 23 and then 1 Samuel 26 that they would betray David to him if they would simply go get him.
How would you feel?
The interesting thing about both instances of betrayal is that David has opportunity to kill Saul. Both times David doesn't do it. He instead honors the King by not laying a hand on him. He refuses to take out the Lord's anointed.
Taking that into account, swe see the Psalm from the original context. David who could have taken his enemies out by his own hand did not. He instead entrusted God to fight his battles with those who came against him.
Shouldn't we do the same? When those who hate Christianity, (and there are many) attack and accuse and marginalize and criticize... should we not keep ourselves from going after them and instead take our case to the Lord who keeps and who guides.
This is what David did. When faced with betrayers, and given the opportunity for vengeance, he instead entrusted his future to the Lord who had called him.
Psalm 54:4–5 (ESV) Behold, God is my helper; the Lord is the upholder of my life. 5 He will return the evil to my enemies; in your faithfulness put an end to them.
But context matters. This Psalm is in response to the two separate occasions in which the Ziphites betrayed David by letting Saul know where he was while Saul was out to kill him. They told Saul in 1 Samuel 23 and then 1 Samuel 26 that they would betray David to him if they would simply go get him.
How would you feel?
The interesting thing about both instances of betrayal is that David has opportunity to kill Saul. Both times David doesn't do it. He instead honors the King by not laying a hand on him. He refuses to take out the Lord's anointed.
Taking that into account, swe see the Psalm from the original context. David who could have taken his enemies out by his own hand did not. He instead entrusted God to fight his battles with those who came against him.
Shouldn't we do the same? When those who hate Christianity, (and there are many) attack and accuse and marginalize and criticize... should we not keep ourselves from going after them and instead take our case to the Lord who keeps and who guides.
This is what David did. When faced with betrayers, and given the opportunity for vengeance, he instead entrusted his future to the Lord who had called him.
Comments
Post a Comment