Good morning,
Hatred is as old as Lucifer’s rebellion in heaven, when as a powerful and beautiful angelic guardian, he decided that his beauty and wisdom was far better that the one he was guarding, the Sovereign Lord. He was able to convince a third of the angels that his truth was far better than anything God was saying. He started a war in heaven that cost him and his followers their place in heaven, and they were all thrown out for their sin. Soon after Adam and Eve believed his lies, then their first born son, as an adult, gave into hate and killed his godly brother. The Bible tells us that this story has always been a part of our history, but what do we do with this problem when we find ourselves living in a world that has fallen into love with the lies that always lead to hate? One of the good examples that God has given us comes from the story of a godly man, David. Even though David was anointed to be the next king, he had to live with the anger and resentment of his brothers. When God allowed him to kill a giant enemy, and the king Saul made him his armor bearer, this same king soon hated David so much that he had to run for his life for years before he was made the next king. Many years later his handsome son decided that he could do a much better job then his father, David, so he led a rebellion to kill his father and take over his kingdom.
So when David and his household and his faithful military men set out from Jerusalem to get to a safe place, at one point they were attacked by a member of Saul’s family who was walking a little ways away from them and was cursing David and throwing stones in their direction. He shouted out, "Get out of here, you murderer, you scoundrel! The LORD is paying you back for all the bloodshed in Saul's clan. You stole his throne, and now the LORD has given it to your son Absalom. At last you will taste some of your own medicine, for you are a murderer!”(2Sam.16:7,8) One of David’s officers offered, "Let me go over and cut off his head!”(v.9) David rebuked him by saying, If the LORD has told him to curse me, who are you to stop him?”(v.10) God’s Spirit gave David a whole different perspective than what an angry and frightened man would normally have. He said, "My own son is trying to kill me. Doesn't this relative of Saul have even more reason to do so? Leave him alone and let him curse, for the LORD has told him to do it. And perhaps the LORD will see that I am being wronged and will bless me because of these curses today.”(vs.11,12) David was willing to respond to these lies and threats as part of God’s plan for his life. David knew that he could rely on God to carry out his plans even if it did mean pain and suffering for him and his people. Peter, in the New Testament, wrote this same truth when he wrote, Don't repay evil for evil. Don't retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will grant you his blessing.(1Pet.3:9) May the Lord help us to respond to all the hatred and accusations that we are seeing, and sometimes feeling, by responding by the power of God’s Holy Spirit, not giving hatred for hatred and fear for fear.
2 Samuel 16:11 Then David said to Abishai and to all his servants, "My own son is trying to kill me. Doesn't this relative of Saul have even more reason to do so? Leave him alone and let him curse, for the LORD has told him to do it. 12 And perhaps the LORD will see that I am being wronged and will bless me because of these curses today."
Roy Wisner
