Restoring the Neglected Virtue, Part 3B

We've been studying the whole topic of forgiveness, mainly because Joseph, the man we've been studying in the book of Genesis, is known for his desire, his willingness to forgive his brothers. All of their sin. We saw where this is a pattern that we are commanded to follow. That somehow the Bible says very clearly, Ephesians 4:3, that we are to forgive.

As God for Christ's sake hath forgiven us. That God's forgiveness of us was one of fervency. Not only was there a fervency behind it, there is a frequency behind it. He continually forgives us all of our sins. And then we saw where that pattern was one that was marked by a freedom. That is, God forgave us freely, He forgave us fully, and He forgives us finally.

Forever. And that's the pattern that's been set up: that we are to forgive one another even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven us. And then we saw where it was a picture of Christ to a lost world. We too are that picture of Christ to a lost world. And therefore, if we're going to restore that neglected virtue. we must realize it's a pattern we're committed to follow. It's a picture of Christ to a lost world. And number three, it's a priority in caring for other people.

If we want to demonstrate our love and concern and care for others, Then we need to be a kind of people who love to forgive. We have to be forgiving kind of people. Christ says, very simply.

I have forgiven you a debt that you can never repay, but I freely release you of your debt. I forgive you your sin. And as God. For Christ's sake, has forgiven us, so we too should forgive our brother his sins. How is it that we, as the children of God, Can withhold forgiveness from a brother who has done to us hardly anything in comparison to what we did to Jesus Christ. And yet, God would freely forgive us, release us from our debt. In order that we might worship him and serve him. We, of all people, need to be a forgiving kind of people.

And if you're going to show and demonstrate the priority in caring for other people, you must be a forgiver. Now, there are some people we just don't want to forgive. And yet when we look at the Word of God and understand something, we begin to understand something very clear out of 1 Peter chapter 2.

When Christ would do something so significant, that when he was reviled, he did not revile in return. But 1 Peter 2:2 says that he committed himself to him who judges righteously. How do we do that? Because that's what God wants us to do, right? When someone speaks a harsh word against us, what do we do? We speak a harsh word against them. How can we do what He did? Simply this. Let's not look at Christ.

And let's look at another man in the Bible who followed that example. Turn with me in your Bible to 1 Samuel 24.

As we look at the priority in caring for others, that's what forgiveness is. If you're going to care for another brother, you're going to have to leave them in God's hands. You're going have to sit back and say, God, they're yours. You're going have to deal with them. I can't deal with them. I'm going to forgive them, Lord, because that's a pattern I'm commanded to follow. And I want to picture you to the lost world. And I want to show that I am a caring, considerate, compassionate individual. But, Lord, I've got to leave them in your hands.

How are you going to do that? How are you going to commit yourself to Him who judges righteously and not retaliate and not seek vengeance on your brother? I want to give you some principles this morning out of 1 Samuel 24 and begin by saying this: this is David's great. Of all the victories, of all the battles that David fought, and he was a great warrior, 1 Samuel 2 records for us his greatest victory. Therefore, It shows to us how you too can record the greatest victory in the world. When it comes to leaving your opposition in the hands of God, I want to read through the narrative with you and make comments as we go through it together.

So you will learn to leave your enemy. In God's hands, that you might freely forgive Him of all His sins and demonstrate the priority in caring for others. 1 Samuel chapter 24, verse number 1. Now it came about when Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, he was told, saying, Behold, David is in the wilderness of Enget. Then Saul took three thousand chosen men from all Israel, and went to seek David and his men in front of the rocks. Of the wild goats. You know the story between Saul and David.

David had already been anointed as the king. God had already told David he was going to be the king of Israel. One problem, Saul was the king of Israel, and Saul wasn't about to relinquish his throne. And Saul's passion was to kill David. Saul's passion was against God. And all that God had, Saul wanted David out of the way. Saul had 3,000 choice men, not 3,000 warriors. Three thousand proven warriors. Three thousand expert in battle. These were the best of all the men. And he pursued David. How many men did David have?

Six hundred men. They weren't proven warriors, they were losers. He had 600 losers to go to battle against 3,000 experts. And David was hidden in the rocks of Enget. It's a very rocky place. If you've ever been there, there's nothing there but caves and wilderness. A lot of places to hide. And word came to Saul that this is where David was. So Saul would get his expert warriors together, and they would begin that truck to Enget to find David, to flush him out, to kill him, because Saul was not about to relinquish his throne to David.

And he came to the sheepfolds on the way where there was a cave. And Saul went in to relieve himself. The practicality of the word of God. In other words, Saul had to go to the bathroom. That's what it says. Do you know the Old Testament law had a specific requirement for warriors in battle when it came to going to the bathroom? God's word addresses everything. There's nothing he doesn't address. It's recorded over in Deuteronomy chapter 23, verses 13 to 14, that every soldier was required to take with him a shovel.

And whenever they had to go to the bathroom, they had to go outside the camp because the camp area was a holy area. So they had to go outside the camp and they had to bury that excrement so that the Lord would not see it. Because that was part of what they did. So every warrior had to leave camp by themselves to do this. The king, like normal human beings, had to go to the bathroom. So he left camp. Went out to relieve himself privately in a cave. You understand the setting? Read on. Now, David and his men were sitting in the inner recesses of the cave.

This is great, man. The king, who wants to kill David, has to go to the restroom. So he goes to the cave. And guess who's in the cave? The man he's trying to kill, and all of his men. There they are in the cave. And the men of David said to him, Behold, this Is the day of which the Lord said to you, Behold, I am about to give your enemy into your hand, and you shall do to him as it seems good to you. David, look, there he is. He's by himself. He's not really in a position to defend himself. Now's your time.

Wipe him out. The kingdom's yours anyway. God promised it to you. You are the anointed king of Israel, God said you were, David. And now you have the opportunity to take the kingdom. It's yours. Read on. Then David arose and cut off the edge of Saul's robe secretly. And it came about afterward that David's conscience bothered him because he had cut off the edge of Saul's robe. Now, Saul would remove his robe, he would drop it to his side as he went to the restroom, and David would sneak up behind him and just slip the robe.

But before he could put the knife back into its she, his conscience was pricked. His conscience was pricked. He had done something that was wrong. The very first principle in leaving your enemy in the hands of God.

is to make sure you real the iniquity of retaliation. You realize the iniquity Retaliation. We call it different things. We don't say that we're going to be vengeful or that we're going to seek revenge. We just say, a day is coming and I'm going to get it. We phrase it differently, but we must realize the iniquity of retaliation that is a sin. How do I know that? The Bible says very clearly, Romans chapter 12, these words: Never pay back evil for evil to anyone.

Respect what is right in the sight of all men. If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. Never take your own revenge. Beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord. But if your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he's thirsty. Give him a drink, for in doing so you will heap burning coals upon his head. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. God's very clear: don't seek revenge. David, the king.

When he slit the robe of Saul, realized that to take vengeance upon him for all the bad that Saul had done to him would be wrong. And Saul had been pursuing David for quite a while. He had thrown a javel at him and missed. David knew of Saul's wrath toward him. He had him in a perfect position. To destroy his life, and he didn't do it because he realized the iniquity in retaliation. For most of us, we don't realize that. We think that we owe somebody something, but it's wrong. For God said, Do not do that.

Vengeance is mine, I will repay. And then it says this: So he said to his men, verse 6: Far be it from me, because of the Lord, that I should do this thing to my Lord, the Lord's anointed, to stretch out my hand against him. since he is the Lord's anointed. Principle number two is this.

Principle number one is real the iniquity of retaliation. Principle number two is recognize your accountability.

For all your actions. Recognize your accountability for all your actions. David recognized that he was accountable to God for his actions. He said, Far be it from me, because of the Lord, that I should do this thing to my master, that is Saul, the Lord's. Anointed. The Lord anointed him. He's in God's place. This is his time. And if I do anything, I am accountable to my God. And we must come to recognize that we are accountable to God for all of our actions. The Bible says, Romans 14, verse number 12.

For we will all give account of ourselves to God. 2 Corinthians 5: says, For we shall all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, and every man will receive that which is done in his body, whether it be good or bad. Christ said, By your words you shall be judged, and by your words ye shall be condemned. You've got to realize that we are accountable to God for every action that we take. Minimal as it might be, David recognized that just to even slice the robe of Saul, he'd be accountable for it.

So he realized the iniquity of retaliation and he recognized his accountability for his actions. Principle number three, verse seven.

And David persuaded his men with these words, and did not allow them to rise up against Saul. And Saul arose, left the cave. And he went on his way. Saul doesn't know anything yet. Verse 8: Now afterward, David arose, went out of the cave, and called after Saul, saying, My Lord, the king. And when Saul looked behind him, David bowed his face to the ground and prostrated himself. Principle number three is this: res in humility.

Toward your opposition. Respond in humility toward your opposition. David went out of the cave. He went out of the cave with a piece of robe in his hand. Saul, my king, my Lord! And Saul would turn and David would prostrate himself on the ground. He would humble himself before his opposition. That's one thing we don't like to do. That's one thing we don't want to do. We don't want to humble them because we don't respect them. And you know what? There are a lot of people who I would have to agree with you we don't respect.

But David would res the position of his opposition. You see that? What was Saul's position? Saul was the king. He would respect the position of the opposition. And that's what helps you respond in humility toward your opposition. That you understand their position of authority and you prostrate yourself before them. You humbly go to them. And that's what David did. David was a great man of God. Peter says it this way over in 1 Peter chapter 3. He talks about submission to those in authority over you.

He talks about how we submit to governmental authorities, how do we submit to our employers? How we submit as a husband and as a wife. And then he says this in verse number eight: to sum up, let all be harmonious, sympathetic. Brotherly, kind-hearted, and humble in spirit. Not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead, for you are called. For the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing. You have been called not to return evil with evil, but to return evil with good.

Why? Because you've been called to inherit a blessing. So when you bless another person, And not retaliate, what God does is bless you in return. And then he says, This: let him who means to love life and see good days. Refrain his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking guile, and let him turn away from evil and do good. Let him seek peace and pursue it. Why? For the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears attend to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.

God's against those people. You're not to be against those people. God is. And therefore, respond in humility towards your opposition. You could do that if you realize the iniquity of retaliation. And you rec your accountability for all your actions. Then, principle number four. And David said, verse number 9 to Saul, Why do you listen to the words of men saying, Behold, David seeks to harm you? Behold, this day your eyes have seen that the Lord. Had given you today into my hand in the cave. And some said to kill you, but my eye had pity on you.

And I said, I will not stretch out my hand against my Lord, for he is the Lord's anointed. Now, my father, see. Indeed, see the edge of your robe in my hand, for in that I cut off the edge of your robe and did not kill you. Know and perceive that there is no evil. or rebellion in my hands, and I have not sinned against you, though you are lying in wait for my life to take it. May the LORD judge between you and me, and may the LORD avenge me on you but my hands shall not be against you. As the proverb of the ancients says, Out of the wicked comes forth wickedness, but my hand shall not be against you.

After whom has the king of Israel come out? Whom are you pursuing? A dead dog, a single flea? The Lord therefore be judge and decide between you and me, and may He see and plead my cause and deliver me from your hand. There's a man who learned to leave his enemy in God's hands. Why? Principle number four is this. Revere God's authority over your condition. Revere God's authority over your condition. That is the word and the will of God. God is your authority, and you must revere him as such. Worship Him as such.

That he is the one who is overall. He is your authority, and you will follow his word. This is the Lord's anointed. This is the will of God for Israel. And I will submit myself to the will of God. I will submit myself to the word of God. Because the Bible says you're not to lay your hand against the Lord's anointed, and I'm not going to do that.

I'm not going to do that. Here was a man who learned to revere God's authority over his condition. How do we do that? We understand what God's Word says for our lives. We understand what the will of the Lord is for our lives. And we follow what God says because He's our authority.

You see, whenever you take revenge, who's the authority? You are. I wish I had time and take it back to Matthew 5 when Christ says, You've heard that it was said, an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.

That was true. That was the oldest law of the land. Everybody knew that. But you see, the rabbis perverted the law. See, it was a law set up so that every crime would fit the punishment. And that if the crime fit the punishment, you would automatically deter the crime. It was a very merciful law because it would keep people from going beyond to seek revenge. It was a beneficial law because it would curtail crime. And Christ said, You have heard, an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. But I say to you, Christ says, this is what I say to you.

Whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any one wants to sue you and take your shirt, let him have your coat also. And whoever shall force you to go one mile, go with him two. Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you. You know what Christ did? Christ said, You know what? You have set up the law in your own minds so that you can seek revenge on your fellow man. Because you think you have right as religious leaders. So what did Christ do?

He attacked the four bas human rights. The rights of dignity, the rights of liberty, the right of property, and the rights of security. Everybody thinks they have rights. We got civil rights. We got women's rights. We got players' rights. Everybody thinks they got rights. So Christ says, listen, you've heard that it's said, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.

By the way, know something. If someone slaps your dignity, if someone treats you dishonorably, Turn to him the other cheek also. It's not talking about physical abuse. It's talking about when a man would take the backside of his hand and slap someone else across the face. It was the highest mark. Dishonor. In fact, historians tell us that a slave would rather be beaten than slapped across his face by his master's hand. And Christ says, You think you have dignity?

I want to know something. When someone goes against that, turn to him the other cheek also. If someone wants to sue you, He says, go above and beyond that. Go way beyond that. Be completely different. If someone wants to take your shirt, give them your coat too. To show them that you're not bitter, you're not angry toward them. If someone commands you to carry their pack one mile, go with them two miles. That's what Roman soldiers would do. See, they would go up to a Jewish slave and say, Take out their backpacks and say, Carry my pack.

The law was required to carry it a mile. And this would be freedom on their, this would be going against their freedom, their liberty, the ability to come and go. With the Roman soldiers said, take up my backpack, they had to do it, but they might have been on their way to church. Too bad. Carry the backpack. They could have been on their way to work, too bad. Carry the packpack. They had to do it. Christ says, go with them that mile, but go with them the extra mile.

And then he says, if someone comes to you and asks of you because they have a need, give it to them. Give it to them. Why? Because people in my kingdom act differently than people of the world. Just act differently. They're not in it for themselves. They're in it for the glory of God. And that's the bottom line. And so David would absolutely reve his authority. Do you revere God's authority in your life? So much so that you will do anything He says? One more principle. Back to 1 Samuel 2. Remember God's sovereignty in your s.

Now it came about when David had finished speaking these words to Saul that Saul said, Is this your voice, my son David? Then Saul lifted up his voice and wept. And he said to David, You are more righteous than I. Well, that's an understatement. For you have dealt well with me, while I have dealt wickedly with you. And you have declared today that you have done good to me, that the Lord delivered me into your hand, and yet you did not k me. For if a man finds his enemy, will he let him go away safely?

May the Lord therefore reward you with good in return for what you have done to me this day. And now behold, I know that you are, or you shall surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in your hand. So now swear to me by the LORD that you will not cut off my descendants after me, and that you will not destroy my name from my father's household. And David swore to Saul. And Saul went to his home, but David and his men went up to the stronghold. Here's a man. Saul and David, who both remembered God's sovereignty in the situation.

You could have killed me, but you did not. And Saul would weep. For a brief moment in Saul's life, for a brief moment, in the man's battle against God, he saw in another man David. The love of God, the kindness of God, the forgiveness of God, the compassion of God. It caused him to weep. It caused him to be broken over what had taken place. Didn't change him, but he saw in David what your enemy needs to see in you. And Saul asked David not to forget about his descendants. David made a commitment to Saul.

David didn't say, you know what? I'll tell you what I going to do, Saul. You stop pursuing me, I'll take in your descendants. I'll protect them for you. But you got to stop right now, man. Right now.

It's over today. Take your 3,000 men, go back, and leave me alone. He never said that. He just made a commitment. When a man's ways please the Lord, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him. This was David's greatest victory. Greatest victory. He had the enemy. He could have destroyed the enemy. And for all practical purposes, he had the right to do it because he was the anointed king of Israel by God Himself. But he did not retaliate. He waited for God to do what God was going to do. That's where we need to be, right?

The Bible says this, Proverbs 16:3, he who is slow to anger is better. Than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city. David ruled a spirit. David was slow to anger. D committed himself to the one who judges righteously. David would leave his enemy in God's hands. So, God would do what only God could do. That's what God wants you to do. That's what God wants me to do. What will you do? Let's pray. Father, we thank you for today. A chance, Lord, to once again look into your word to see how you want us to respond.

I pray that what we learned today, we would take with us for the rest of our lives. In Jesus' name, Amen. Amen.