Read 1 Samuel 25
Storm Calmer
10 Nabal answered
David's servants, “Who is this David? Who is this son of Jesse? Many servants
are breaking away from their masters these days. 11 Why should I take my bread
and water, and the meat I have slaughtered for my shearers, and give it to men
coming from who knows where?” 12 David's men turned around and went back. When
they arrived, they reported every word. 13 David said to his men, “Put on your
swords!”
NABAL refused to offer hospitality to David and his men. Is
that a reason for David to put on his sword in a murderous rage to destroy
Nabal and his entire household?
This kind of
thinking is far beyond what we accept as a cultural norm in the U.S. We would
never ask someone if he could feed us and offer us shelter. And if we did, we
would accept his “Yes.” or “No.” No normal person would “put on his sword” to
kill a person who said, “No.” to the question, “Would you feed and shelter me?”
But certainly
customs were different in 1000 BC – and similar in the Mideast today. Nabal’s
proper response, especially as a rich man, would have been, “Certainly!” He was
obliged by custom to say, “Welcome.” to even 600 men.
But, really, did
Nabal’s, “No.” deserve a sword? No, it did not. David, the man who spared his
enemy Saul now has a passion to destroy a man who acts selfishly.
Here in David is a
display of mankind’s passions—one day forgiving, the next day unforgiving. One
day he is at peace, and the next day he is in a rage. Who will calm the storms
of our emotions?
A Moment’s Thought: Let the peace of Christ rule in your
hearts (Colossians 3:15)
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