Temptations often come to us repeatedly, under one pretext or another, with logical reasoning that seems to indicate that a wrong course of action must be pursued. At times, it may seem as if the only way out of a certain predicament is to adopt principles and methods that are averse to righteousness. But we should never forget that the laws and principles of God’s kingdom are eternal in nature, and whatever the situation might be, God never authorizes or instructs anyone to violate His revealed will. Thus, whenever we encounter a challenge, hurdle, or difficulty which needs to be addressed or resolved, there are certain methods, and actions which must be taken off the table up front. In other words, the end does not always justify the means.
For instance, when the children of Israel were fainting with hunger, and as far as they could see, the only thing to eat readily was flesh with the blood, that course of action should have been dispensed with, because God’s providences in such a situation will absolutely follow another route. So for starters, the eating of blood must be immediately taken off the table as a viable option for resolving the difficulty. Let’s read:
1st Samuel 14:31 And they smote the Philistines that day from Michmash to Aijalon: and the people were very faint.
32 And the people flew upon the spoil, and took sheep, and oxen, and calves, and slew them on the ground: and the people did eat them with the blood.
33 Then they told Saul, saying, Behold, the people sin against the Lord, in that they eat with the blood. And he said, Ye have transgressed”…
Leviticus 3: 17 It shall be a perpetual statute for your generations throughout all your dwellings, that ye eat neither fat nor blood.
Similarly, with the age old practice of lying to extricate ourselves from difficult situations. Lying is never, ever justified, or endorsed in the Bible, even when it may seem as if good comes as a result, as with the case of Rahab. In that instance, the spies were hidden, and when confronted by the king, she uttered a falsehood, which, to all appearances, resulted in the deliverance of the sought after spies. But even though God accepted her faith, that’s not the only way in which they could have been delivered, for God has a thousand ways and means at His disposal to deliver His people, of which we know nothing, and which do not incorporate lying as a viable option.
Psalms 120:2 Deliver my soul, O Lord, from lying lips, and from a deceitful tongue.
3 What shall be given unto thee? or what shall be done unto thee, thou false tongue?
4 Sharp arrows of the mighty, with coals of juniper.
Christ expects us to deal in the currency of heaven at all times, in all places, and in all situations. They say that in order for one to be a good politician, a person has to be a good liar, and from what we are now witnessing in the current political arena, it seems as if our chickens are coming home to roost. But Christians are counseled in the Bible to adopt the eternal principles of truth, for God is a God of truth. Let’s read:
Deuteronomy 32:3 Because I will publish the name of the Lord: ascribe ye greatness unto our God.
4 He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.
John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
John 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
Again, with the issue of stealing, there is no precedent given in the Bible, which anyone can use as a justification for robbery. Extreme hunger does not make stealing a
necessity, and if we were to pray to God for deliverance in such a situation, He will never ever advise us to steal. This too must be taken off the table, because the ways of God’s providences never involves violating the eternal principles of righteousness He has set forth in His word. Let’s read:
Exodus 20:15 Thou shalt not steal.
Leviticus 19:11 Ye shall not steal, neither deal falsely, neither lie one to another.
Proverbs 6:30 Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry;
31 But if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his house.
Thus we embark upon the study of understanding God’s providences, so as to be able to ascertain His guidance in a particular given situation, when every evidence seems to point us in another direction opposed to the scriptural principles. We need to be always enabled by The Spirit of God to discern the temptations of the adversary for often in times of adversity, the lines of distinction between the truth and error can seem to be pretty blurred. In our case study, we see king Saul, hunting David as Israel’s most wanted, and on two separate occasions, the undeniable, distinct providences of God seem on the surface to point in a certain direction that will violate Biblical principles of truth and duty. Let’s read:
1st Samuel 24:2 Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men upon the rocks of the wild goats.
3 And he came to the sheepcotes by the way, where was a cave; and Saul went in to cover his feet: and David and his men remained in the sides of the cave.
4 And the men of David said unto him, Behold the day of which the Lord said unto thee, Behold, I will deliver thine enemy into thine hand, that thou mayest do to him as it shall seem good unto thee. Then David arose, and cut off the skirt of Saul's robe privily.
5 And it came to pass afterward, that David's heart smote him, because he had cut off Saul's skirt.
6 And he said unto his men, The Lord forbid that I should do this thing unto my master, the Lord's anointed, to stretch forth mine hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the Lord.
1st Samuel 26:5 And David arose, and came to the place where Saul had pitched: and David beheld the place where Saul lay, and Abner the son of Ner, the captain of his host: and Saul lay in the trench, and the people pitched round about him.
6 Then answered David and said to Ahimelech the Hittite, and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah, brother to Joab, saying, Who will go down with me to Saul to the camp? And Abishai said, I will go down with thee.
7 So David and Abishai came to the people by night: and, behold, Saul lay sleeping within the trench, and his spear stuck in the ground at his bolster: but Abner and the people lay round about him.
8 Then said Abishai to David, God hath delivered thine enemy into thine hand this day: now therefore let me smite him, I pray thee, with the spear even to the earth at once, and I will not smite him the second time.
9 And David said to Abishai, Destroy him not: for who can stretch forth his hand against the Lord's anointed, and be guiltless?
10 David said furthermore, As the Lord liveth, the Lord shall smite him; or his day shall come to die; or he shall descend into battle, and perish.
11 The Lord forbid that I should stretch forth mine hand against the Lord's anointed: but, I pray thee, take thou now the spear that is at his bolster, and the cruse of water, and let us go.
12 So David took the spear and the cruse of water from Saul's bolster; and they gat them away, and no man saw it, nor knew it, neither awaked: for they were all asleep; because a deep sleep from the Lord was fallen upon them.
Two basic Biblical principles would have been violated if David had taken the logical advice of his advisers.
[1] Seeking to overthrow God ordained authority, even when His appointed leaders do wrong, is never ever the will of God. If God has set up individuals in a position of authority, then He will take them down in due season, if and when that becomes necessary. But never are we to presume to take it upon ourselves to oust the men of God’s appointment, for then we will be guilty of lifting our hands against His anointed, and by default, against The Lord of Heaven. Let’s read:
Daniel 4:17 This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will”…
Daniel 2:20 Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his:
21 And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding.
Romans 13:1 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.
2 Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.
[2] We should never allow ourselves to be actuated by the spirit of revenge, for anything that is done from this perspective, without the direct permission of God, will never bear the signature of heaven. The spirit of revenge is the spirit of satan, and anyone who is motivated by the same spirit will ultimately do satan’s bidding. Let’s read:
Revelation 12:13 And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.
Romans 12:17 Recompense to no man evil for evil.
19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
It’s on this point that many of us fail of meeting the divine standard, for in some cases, old grudges are held on to tenaciously and there is a secret desire for revenge, or punishment to be meted out to those who may have done us wrong. Even if we never take pro-active steps in indulging retaliation, the fact that we harbor the desire is enough to warrant guilt in the books of heaven. A true Christian will be willing and ready to forgive, for it is by this measure that we ourselves are also forgiven in heaven. Let’s read:
Matthew 6:9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Proverbs 24:17 Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth:
18 Lest the Lord see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him.
It was on the issue of retaliation that God, through His providences, had to put a check on David, for when he was treated with great ingratitude, after having done good for someone, a dormant evil in his character began to surface. David, and his trained soldiers had been protecting Nabal’s herdsmen from marauders for a period of time, but Nabal showed no gratitude when David asked of him a simple favor. Let’s read:
1st Samuel 25:5 And David sent out ten young men, and David said unto the young men, Get you up to Carmel, and go to Nabal, and greet him in my name:
6 And thus shall ye say to him that liveth in prosperity, Peace be both to thee, and peace be to thine house, and peace be unto all that thou hast.
7 And now I have heard that thou hast shearers: now thy shepherds which were with us, we hurt them not, neither was there ought missing unto them, all the while they were in Carmel.
8 Ask thy young men, and they will shew thee. Wherefore let the young men find favour in thine eyes: for we come in a good day: give, I pray thee, whatsoever cometh to thine hand unto thy servants, and to thy son David.
9 And when David's young men came, they spake to Nabal according to all those words in the name of David, and ceased.
10 And Nabal answered David's servants, and said, Who is David? and who is the son of Jesse? there be many servants now a days that break away every man from his master.
11 Shall I then take my bread, and my water, and my flesh that I have killed for my shearers, and give it unto men, whom I know not whence they be?
12 So David's young men turned their way, and went again, and came and told him all those sayings.
13 And David said unto his men, Gird ye on every man his sword. And they girded on every man his sword; and David also girded on his sword: and there went up after David about four hundred men; and two hundred abode by the stuff.
14 But one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal's wife, saying, Behold, David sent messengers out of the wilderness to salute our master; and he railed on them.
15 But the men were very good unto us, and we were not hurt, neither missed we anything, as long as we were conversant with them, when we were in the fields:
16 They were a wall unto us both by night and day, all the while we were with them keeping the sheep.
17 Now therefore know and consider what thou wilt do; for evil is determined against our master, and against all his household: for he is such a son of Belial, that a man cannot speak to him.
18 Then Abigail made haste, and took two hundred loaves, and two bottles of wine, and five sheep ready dressed, and five measures of parched corn, and an hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs, and laid them on asses.
20 And it was so, as she rode on the ass, that she came down by the covert on the hill, and, behold, David and his men came down against her; and she met them.
21 Now David had said, Surely in vain have I kept all that this fellow hath in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that pertained unto him: and he hath requited me evil for good.
23 And when Abigail saw David, she hasted, and lighted off the ass, and fell before David on her face, and bowed herself to the ground,
24 And fell at his feet, and said, Upon me, my lord, upon me let this iniquity be: and let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speak in thine audience, and hear the words of thine handmaid.
26 Now therefore, my lord, as the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, seeing the Lord hath withholden thee from coming to shed blood, and from avenging thyself with thine own hand, now let thine enemies, and they that seek evil to my lord, be as Nabal.
[Testimonies Vol. 5, pp 170>171] One of the most common sins, and one that is attended with most pernicious results, is the indulgence of an unforgiving spirit. How many will cherish animosity or revenge and then bow before God and ask to be forgiven as they forgive. Surely they can have no true sense of the import of this prayer or they would not dare to take it upon their lips. We are dependent upon the pardoning mercy of God every day and every hour; how then can we cherish bitterness and malice toward our fellow sinners! If, in all their daily intercourse, Christians would carry out the principles of this prayer, what a blessed change would be wrought in the church and in the world! This would be the most convincing testimony that could be given to the reality of Bible religion.
May God add His blessing to the study and practice of His every word.
God bless!