Liturgy for Sunday PM Confession of Dependence and Divine Greeting Ps.9:1,5,6 Profession of faith Hy.1 Prayer for illumination and blessing Ministry of the Word Reading: 1 Samuel 24; Romans 12:9-21 Ps.119:35,36,39 Text: LD 40 God commands us to love our neighbour as ourselves and to do good even to our enemies. We ll consider: 1. The temptation to get even with those who hurt us. 2. The calling to show love even to our enemies. 3. The blessing God grants to those who honour him. Ps.54 Offering Ps.109:11,12,13 Prayer of thanksgiving Ps.62:4,7 Divine blessing Songs for worship taken from the 2010 version of the Book of Praise See http://www.canrc.org/?page=23 for pdf files of Psalms and Hymns Rev. Joe Poppe 1
Singing: Ps.9:1,5,6; Hy.1; Ps.119:35,36,39; Ps.54; Ps.109:11,12,13; Ps.62:4,7 Reading: 1 Samuel 24; Romans 12:9-21 Text: LD40 Beloved congregation of the Lord Jesus Christ, This afternoon we deal with the sixth commandment: You shall not murder. (Exo.20:13). The news is filled with stories about various murders. About South African sprinter Oscar Pistorius being charged with murdering his girlfriend. About a police officer in Ferguson in the United States shooting an unarmed black man named Michael Brown. About the Islamic State terrorist organization spreading from village to village in Iraq and Syria, beheading those unwilling to convert to radical Muslim beliefs. Not in the public eye, but behind closed doors, we also know of the many unwanted children being aborted in our land. From all these events it is easy to look at the world in which we live, and to bemoan how violent of a place it has become. Yet we need to recognize that the sixth commandment is not directed to the world, but to God s people. Thus when dealing with this command our focus should not be on the crime and violence happening in the world around us, but on rather on the anger, hatred, envy and desire of revenge that so easily arise in our hearts. In a world full of envy, hatred, and anger, we as God s redeemed and renewed children need to live different lives. Out of thankfulness for God s grace in Jesus Christ, we are called to love our neighbour as ourselves. That s not easy. People sin against us every day. Our own family members can be rude, inconsiderate, and hurtful. At times we suffer greatly because of what others have done to us. Yet the Bible teaches us not to repay evil with evil. We are not allowed to take revenge. Instead of being overcome by evil, we are to overcome evil with good. I preach to you the Word of God under the following theme: God commands us to love our neighbour as ourselves and to do good even to our enemies. We ll consider: 1. The temptation to get even with those who hurt us. 2. The calling to show love even to our enemies. 3. The blessing God grants to those who honour him. We read together this afternoon from 1 Samuel 24. It recounts part of the history of how Saul was trying to hunt David down and murder him. It is important for us to understand why. David had risen to prominence in Israel when he as a boy killed Goliath, the champion of the Philistine army. On that occasion the women came out of all the towns of Israel singing and dancing. They sang: Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands. (1Sam.18:7). This made Saul very angry; the refrain of this song galled him. "They have credited David with tens of thousands," he thought, "but me with only thousands. What more can he get but the kingdom?" (1Sam.18:8). Samuel notes that from that time onwards Saul kept a jealous eye on David. When Saul was under the influence of an evil spirit, he hurled his spear at David. But David eluded him twice. Saul made David a commander over a thousand men, and in everything he did he had great success, because the LORD was with him. This made Saul afraid of David; his envy and hatred against him also grew. Saul commanded his son Jonathan and his attendants to kill David, but Jonathan loved David and warned him to go into hiding. Saul sent men to watch David s house, so they could kill him in the morning. His wife Michael let David down through a window, and he fled and escaped. David fled to Samuel at Ramah. Saul sent his men to pursue and capture David. But when they met a group of prophets prophesying, the Spirit of God came on Saul s men and they too prophesied. Saul sent two more groups of men, but they also prophesied. Finally he went himself, but the Spirit of God came even on him, and he prophesied. When David sought help from Ahimelech the priest at Nob, Saul had eighty-five priests along with the whole town of Nob Rev. Joe Poppe 2
killed for aiding and abetting his enemy. The Scriptures tell of how for a while David tried to flee to the Philistines at Gath. Yet that didn t work too well. They recognized him, and he only escaped because he pretended to be crazy. Thus we see that David was under great pressure from Saul. Saul sought to murder him. But David had done him no wrong. David had volunteered to fight against Goliath when no one else in Israel s army was willing to do so. He had played the harp for Saul in his palace whenever an evil spirit came upon him. David had married Saul s daughter; he was his son-in-law. He had served faithfully as army commander, going into battle against the Philistines time and again at the risk of his own life. Yet Saul was envious of the acclaim David received, and the way God blessed him. He was fearful that David might take the kingdom away from him. Thus Saul pursued and harassed David, chasing him through mountains and deserts, seeking to murder him. This brings us to the events of 1 Samuel 24. David was in the Desert of En Gedi, just west of the Dead Sea. Saul took three thousand chosen men of Israel to hunt David down. He mobilizes Israel s army, taking the best men with him in his campaign against David. Saul s men outnumbered David s men five to one (see 1Sam.23:13; 25:13). David is hunted down as if he is the enemy of Israel. Samuel relates how Saul entered the cave in which David and his men were hiding to relieve himself. The world would say: what a coincidence; what luck! Yet we know that nothing happens by chance. It was God who brought Saul into this cave; this precise cave where David and his band of men were hiding. Saul was now separated from the three thousand men he had brought with him. All alone, relieving himself in the cave. Now at the mercy of David and his band of men! For David this was a prime opportunity to put an end to all his struggles. His enemy, the man who had hunted him like a criminal was in his hands. David had the opportunity to put an end to all his suffering. He could take Saul, and kill him. Wouldn t that be a just reward for all the hardships Saul had caused David? For attacking him, without cause? Or if David was too squeamish to do the dirty deed, all he had to do was let his men go. The result would be that his days of being a fugitive would come to an end; that he could then ascend the throne as God had promised him. In the rest of 1 Samuel 24 we see three main speeches take place. The first is where David s men speak to him, encouraging him to kill Saul; the second where David addresses Saul about how he has spared his life; and the third about Saul s response to David. In each of these speeches, three key words are used. Two nouns: day and hand; and one verb: cut off. They are very significant, for they teach us much about how we are to deal with the different situations that confront us in our lives. In 1 Samuel 23 we see how under the guidance of the LORD, David once more escaped from King Saul. David stayed in the desert strongholds and in the hills of the Desert of Ziph. Day after day Saul searched for him, but God did not give David into his hands. (v.14). But now, God had delivered Saul into David s hand! David s men spur him on to put an end to his and their misery by killing his enemy Saul. They said to him, This is the day the LORD spoke of when he said to you, 'I will give your enemy into your hands for you to deal with as you wish.' (1Sam.24:4). David's men are quick to interpret the events as a set-up by the LORD himself to David's advantage. Behold, this is the day! they cry. They determine God's will by circumstances. Earlier when David asked about whether or not to attack the Philistines the LORD had said, I am giving your enemy into your hand" (1Sam.23:4). So David s men interpret God s providential act of putting Saul into their hands as a justification to do whatever they wanted to their enemy. Humanly speaking, it is not hard to understand their reaction. The men around David were those who had been in distress, in debt, and discontented with life in Israel under the despotic rule of Rev. Joe Poppe 3
King Saul (1Sam.22:2). Since they had joined themselves to David, they had been persecuted and oppressed. Driven from one hiding place to another. The words of Hebrews 11:37-38 apply to them. They were destitute, persecuted and mistreated They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground. To these men, Saul s coming into their cave seemed like a heaven granted opportunity to balance the scales of justice. Yet what these men did was hitch God to their wagon. They made God subordinate to their own desires. They figured that since God had given Saul into David s hands, he should kill his mortal enemy. They argued from out of the providence of God. Yet was that really God s purpose in bringing Saul into the cave inhabited by David and his men? Should David do to Saul what was good in his own eyes? (1Sam.24:4). Wouldn t that be going back to the days of the judges, when every man did what was right in his own eyes (Jud.17:6; 21:25)? The temptation David faced here was great. The way to the throne lies open. David s situation is similar to that of Christ in the wilderness. Before Christ began his ministry among God s covenant people, Satan tempted him three times. In Matthew 4:8-9 we read about the third temptation. Matthew writes, Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendour. "All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me." What was the temptation? To take a short-cut to obtain the glory and power that had been promised him. Jesus too had been promised dominion over all nations and kingdoms. God had promised to make him Lord of lords and King of kings. But the way to glory was through suffering. By walking the pathway to Golgotha. By submitting his will and his desires to the will of his Father in heaven. Beloved, we also can face real temptations in our lives. At times we may be envious of someone else s success. Do we them rejoice when misfortune comes upon him or her? What if there is someone in your life that really has it in for you, and bullies you? He or she has been so mean to you, and given you such a hard time. Saying unkind things, gossipping and slandering your name. And then suddenly you find out something about him or her. He or she has done something bad. You know for sure that it is true. It is just totally by coincidence that you came upon that information. What are you going to do? Stick it to him; get even; get a little of your own back!? See that justice is done!? It would be so easy to justify ourselves. God wouldn t have given you this information if he didn t want you to act on it, would he? When we are jealous or hurt or angry, there is a great temptation for us to take matters into our own hands. We can even feel justified in repaying someone a little for the misery he or she brought into our life. Yet, beloved, if we do that, are we doing right? Or are we giving in to the sinful desires of the flesh? In the sixth commandment God does not just forbid murder. He teaches us that he hates the root of murder: envy, hatred, anger, and desire of revenge. As sinful beings these emotions quickly rise in our hearts. Yet we should never give in to the temptation to get even with those who have hurt us. This brings us to our second point. In it we ll see the calling to show love even to our enemies. David did not give in to the temptation that faced him. Although he had opportunity to kill his rival Saul, he did not do it. All David did was cut off the corner of his robe. Even that was enough to cause David to be conscience-stricken. As a result David restrained his men, and did not allow them to attack Saul. In 1 Samuel 24-26 the central issue is whether or not David would incur blood-guilt on the way to the throne. 1 Samuel 24 presents David with the first opportunity to take vengeance on Saul. 1 Samuel 25 tells the story about the rich fool, Nabal, who abused David s friendship, and whom David would have killed had not Abigail restrained him. 1 Samuel 26 again presents David with another opportunity to take Saul s life when he again hounds David, seeking to capture and murder him. Rev. Joe Poppe 4
What is striking is that almost a third of the uses of the words good and evil in 1 Samuel are found in these three chapters. There is a link back to Paradise to the tree of knowledge of good and evil. The point is that David serves as the second Adam. He was faced with a choice; an ethical decision. To do what was good, or what was evil. To choose the high road of obedience, or the low road of expedience. In faith David withstands the temptation! Even though the cost was high. Even though it meant more suffering, a longer time in the wilderness. David was a man after God s own heart (1Sam.13:14; 16:7f). He was compelled by love and conscience to live for the glory of God. David loved God with all his heart. He loved even his enemies. Being true to God and to himself was more important to David than finding relief from hard times. It was more important that securing the throne for himself. How did David know what to do? He was guided by the principles of God s Word. Note carefully what David said in response to the temptation placed before him. He said, The LORD forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the LORD's anointed, or lift my hand against him; for he is the anointed of the LORD. (1Sam.24:6). David had respect for Saul s office; he had respect for Saul s life. That is why he could not raise a hand against Saul! David knew the commandments of his God. They were written on his heart. He knew the fifth commandment, Honour your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you. Saul was his father-in-law. But more importantly, he was the king! The anointed of the LORD. God had called Saul to office. David respected Saul s God-given authority. Even though Saul was a despotic ruler who abused his power David still recognised him as the LORD s anointed king. David knew the sixth commandment, You shall not murder. If anyone deserved to die, it was Saul. Yet David respects the life of his neighbour. What right did he have to take it from him? Had anyone made him judge and jury and executioner? God had made Saul king. David recognised that only God could take the kingship from him! David also honoured the ninth commandment. We see this in how he addressed Saul. He calls Saul, my lord the king, the LORD s anointed, and my father. David gives Saul kingly honour by bowing down and prostrating himself with his face to the ground. After all the oppression David suffered at the hands of King Saul, he does not even utter an abusive word against him! Note how in David s speech he also uses the words: day, hand, and cut off. David says to Saul, This day you have seen with your own eyes how the LORD delivered you into my hands in the cave. Some urged me to kill you See, my father, look at this piece of your robe in my hand! I cut off the corner of your robe but did not kill you. Now understand and recognize that I am not guilty of wrongdoing or rebellion. I have not wronged you. (1Sam.24:10-11). David again proves to Saul that his heart did not harbour evil against him, and that he was not trying to take the throne from him. How could David show forth this kind of mercy and love towards his enemy? What about all the injustice Saul had done to him? David leaves that over to God. He says to Saul, May the LORD judge between you and me. And may the LORD avenge the wrongs you have done to me, but my hand will not touch you. As the old saying goes, 'From evildoers come evil deeds,' so my hand will not touch you. (1Sam.24:12-13). In this, David served as a forerunner of the Christ. Christ gave himself into the hands of sinful men, and allowed them to do what they pleased with him. When the Jewish leaders came to arrest Jesus in the garden, he knew that he could call on twelve legions of angels to save him (Mat.26:53). Before Pontius Pilate Jesus made it clear that Pilate would not have power to release or crucify him if it had not been given him from above (Joh.19:11). Yet Jesus submitted himself to the judgment of God for our sake. He walked the way of suffering, to atone for our sins. So that we could attain glory with Christ forevermore. What about us, beloved? What are we to do with someone who hates us, who is mean to us, who always gives us a hard time? How are we to deal with conflict, with confrontation in our Rev. Joe Poppe 5
relationships? What about when injustice is done against us? Paul instructs us in Romans 12 about the right way to deal with those who mistreat us. We are to hate what is evil, and cling to what is good. We are not to repay anyone evil for evil. Instead, as far as it depends on us, we are to live at peace with everyone. We are not to get even; to get revenge on those who have wronged us. Instead we are to leave that to God, who will avenge the wrongs done to his children. What does God really want of us? Paul writes, If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head. (Rom.12:20). The precise metaphor of heaping burning coals on someone s head is not well understood. It seems to suggest that by repaying evil with good, we might cause our enemy s conscience to burn, so that he might refrain from further evil. Whatever the case may be, the principle Paul is teaching is restated plainly in the final verse of Romans 12. He says, Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Rom.12:21). Why and how are we to do this? That is explained beautifully for us in 1 John 5:4. John is writing about how God s commands are not burdensome. He explains, saying, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. It is by the power of God worked in us by the Spirit that we can overcome the unfruitful works of darkness. Our faith in God, and in his Son Jesus Christ is what makes us victors! By God s power and the might of his Spirit we can overcome the temptations we face. God is faithful, with every temptation he provides a way of escape (1Cor.10:13). It is through faith in God that we can fulfil the calling to show love, even to our enemies. This brings us to our final point. In it we ll consider the blessing that God grants to those who honour him. The end of 1 Samuel 24 seems somewhat anti-climatic. Has anything really changed in David s life? Did any good come upon him, because he acted uprightly when faced with temptation? If you look at David s outward circumstances it makes you wonder if it was all worth it. Our text ends with Saul going home; and David and his men going back to the stronghold. Chapter 25 shows us the abuse David suffered at Nabal s hands. And in chapter 26 Saul again pursues David, seeking his life. There was no immediate pay-off, for doing what was right. Often there isn t! But God knows; he sees! And he will reward each man according to his deeds (Rom.2:6f; Gal.6:7f; Eph.6:8; Rev.22:12). The Lord reassures David of his promises; he confirms David s kingship. This time through the mouth of his enemy Saul. Please note how in Saul s speech he also uses the words: day, hand, and cut off. Saul says to David, You have just now told me of the good you did to me; the LORD delivered me into your hands, but you did not kill me. (2Sam.24:18). Because David has rewarded his evil with good (v.17), Saul says, May the LORD reward you well for the way you treated me today. (v.19). He states, I know that you will surely be king and that the kingdom of Israel will be established in your hands. (v.20). Saul pleads with David to swear an oath to him not to cut off his descendants or wipe out his name from his father s family (v.21). From Saul s own mouth the LORD reaffirms the blessings that David will receive for honouring him! Beloved, we are Christians. We have been anointed with the Spirit of God to serve as his representatives on this earth. God expects us to live our lives differently than the people of this world. To be devoted to one another in brotherly love. To live in harmony with one another. To love our neighbour as ourselves. To do to others as you would have them do to you. Never to repay evil with evil, but rather to overcome evil with good. God calls us to live righteously, out of thankfulness for what Christ has done for us. With this calling God has given us rich promises. He will balance the scales of justice. He will repay evildoers for every hurtful thing they have done against his children. If not in this life, then certainly in the life to come! But even more important, God will bless us for the good we do. He has promised to reward each person according to his deeds. Rev. Joe Poppe 6
Envy, anger, hatred, and the desire of revenge are powerful forces of evil. When they live in us, they can cause us to do great harm to others around us. Yet these forces also eat us up from the inside out. Someone whose life is governed by such things is under the mastery of Satan and his sinful flesh. He is not at peace with God, and cannot share in the joy of salvation. Saul s life is a powerful testament to this. In the end he was utterly rejected by God, and cut off from him. Yet if our hearts are filled with love for our neighbour, the opposite is true. When we show patience, peace, gentleness, mercy, and friendliness to those around us, we are blessed. These things show that Christ lives in us, and we in him. They are a testimony to ourselves, and others, that the Spirit lives in us. Then we are under God s blessing. When there is peace and joy in our relationship with our neighbour, it shows that we are at peace with God, and living in the joy of faith. What a blessing it is to live that way! A small foretaste of the life to come! Amen. Rev. Joe Poppe 7