1 Samuel 25

 

Why does David respond so violently in 1 Samuel 25 against Nabal when he is cheated, and yet spares Saul, who was trying to kill him? He doesn't seem like the same person, but we know he is. Looking at the life of David, we see, he is passionate, and sometimes, as we see with Bathsheba, impulsive and violent. Yet with Saul, he is merciful and very patient. What is going on? We don't know for sure, but I am going to guess that it is because of expectations. David expected that God would deal with Saul, and he didn't have to. He had determined long before the episode in chapter 24 that he wasn't going to attack Saul and followed through. He expected Saul to act a certain way, and when he did, he was able to respond correctly. However, when it came to Nabal, David wasn't expecting someone to take advantage of his goodwill and refuse to give the normal gift to those who offered protection to his flocks. When David's expectations weren't met, he got angry.

Does this sound familiar? I won't ask (or admit) who might have done something similar. Yes, you might not have strapped on a sword, but words can be as powerful. You might not have intended to kill physically (because you would have gotten caught), but you got angry and maybe even held a grudge. These reactions aren't good for Christians, and God gives us commands not to hold on to anger or to plan vengeance or to post nasty comments. Okay, that second one isn't in Scripture directly, but it is included in the commands. Our solution is to follow God's commands, forgive, and set our expectations on God, not on people. Even the best of people will not meet our expectations all of the time. Let's be honest, some people won't even try to be kind, and they won't ever meet our expectations. So, when it comes to humans, understand that they fail and respond as Jesus would have us.   

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