Special Saturday Edition
Ethan Barton, Pastoral Resident, Tallowood Baptist Church
Let’s be honest: most of us would not show the same restraint if we were in David’s position. Saul, the deranged king who had departed from God, who had been pursuing David trying to kill him for the second time now, who had forced him to flee from his loved ones and hide in caves, and who had sinned against God in doing so, was lying here asleep. And what’s more, David’s mighty right-hand man was offering to make a quick job of his death—David only had to nod!
Maybe it’s just me, but if I were David in that situation, Saul would have died that night. Praise God I’m not David. He chose to do what was wise instead. He could have easily convinced himself that the deed would have been just, but instead he acknowledged that he had no authority over Saul’s life. Only the Lord did, who had placed Saul on the throne for a reason, even if that reason was a mystery to David. Only the Lord had the authority to exact justice on Saul’s life when the Lord in his perfect wisdom said it was right.
We often feel the need to dish out, or at least wish, holy punishment onto others. Maybe it’s that one politician, or that one family member, or that one group of people, or that one person whose sin we pretend is worse than our own. But only the Lord has authority over their lives. If we trust that the Lord will provide for us everything we need, and that he is just to punish evil but also to forgive it as he pleases, what reason have we to worry? What reason have we to get impatient and try to do what he has promised to do?
Gandalf the Grey said it well: “many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgement.” Yahweh Almighty said it better: “vengeance is mine, and I will repay. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” Christ has called us to be not vessels of his wrath, but of his mercy. The day of wrath will come. But for now, our responsibility is to shine the light of Jesus’ wonderful grace and love.
