David couldn't believe what he was hearing. That sniveling Nabal! What exactly was he trying to insinuate about David and his men?
The men had arrived back from their journey to Nabal's estate, not even an hour ago. They didn't relieve themselves, unpack, or even unload their horses. They hadn't even stopped to hug their wives or children this time. They stood before him dusty, tired, and livid. The recount of their time with Nabal made him furious.
"Arrggghhh!" He whirled around and tearing the knife from the scabbard on his side, let it fly into his target. It sailed at a nice, even clip before driving itself into a nearby tree. He knew exactly what Nabal was trying to say.
He went to retrieve the knife from the tree, but instead of yanking it out, he grasped the hilt, and dropped his forehead against the rough trunk.
He heard one of the men clear his throat behind him. "Um..." David recognized Tsofeh's voice. "Sir...what now?"
Indeed. What now?
He breathed in the scent of the bark, and tried not to panic. He had been so sure that this was Yahweh's provision. The cruel man had turned them down like any lazy sluggard off the street. Now what would they do? What would he do?
David felt the anger first. It crept up behind him like a physical presence. It rose up the back of his neck, embracing him, holding him tight. Anger called to him. Revenge offered to sooth him. Together their passionate cry entreated David's spirit to join in their bloody war cry.
And his spirit accepted their invitation.
He turned around slowly. He studied the face of each man who was patiently wait to hear their next orders. "Every man strap on his sword!" Each word rose in crescendo and strength, puncturing the air in front of him. "We are going against Nabal!"
Agreement came in the sound of war cries from his men.
David motioned to Tsohef. "Tell all the men. I want two hundred men to remain with the baggage and the rest to come up with me." With that, David whirled around.
He tromped through the camp, towards his tent. He needed to strap on his own sword. David could feel his anger reach an all-time high. "Surely in vain I have guarded all that this fellow has in the wilderness. He lost absolutely nothing, and now, he has repaid me evil for good! God do so to my enemies and more, if by morning I have left so much as one male of all who belongs to Nabal."
Based on 1 Samuel 25:13, 25:21-22
This is the part of the story where I can just picture the really ominous, bad-guy music in the background as David says, "Every man strap on his sword!" This is the moment where David gives into his anger.
*Sigh* I know I've fallen victim to the appeal of anger, revenge, and the whole shebang more then I care to admit. David had conquered fear, doubt, giants, lions, and bears-so many things. Then snotty Nabal comes along, and wham! He goes straight to anger.
I've said before that we never want anger to be our first response. I want to revise that statement a little bit: We never want anger to be our response-ever.
What about Moses in Numbers 20? He and the whole nation of Israel were moving about in the desert. That sun was high in the sky, with dry, cracked dirt all around them, maybe a tumbleweed or two being blown by them. There was no water in sight. So what did those Israelites start to do? Be great, big, mumbling pains for Moses!
Moses goes to God and says, "What am I supposed to do? They want to stone me again!"
God gave him the answer. He said to take the staff, and he and Aaron were supposed to stand before all the people, and tell the rock to yield its water. Previously, God had told Moses to hit a rock to bring forth water, but not this time.
Anyways, you know the story. When all the people were gathered together, Moses got really angry! He said, "Hear now, you rebels: shall we bring water for you out of this rock?" Then Moses hit the rock twice. The people got their water, but Moses lost something. His right to go into the promise land.
Moses had to face those consequences. If David had gone and slaughtered all of Nabal's house, he would have had his own consequences. When David sinned with Bathsheba, he had consequences for his sin.
Anger is sin, and sin has consequences. Then Mr. Revenge loves to come strolling through a door opened by anger.
"Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, 'Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.' To the contrary, 'if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.' Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." Romans 12:19-21
If you're like me, sometimes these verses just make you angrier. Especially when some know-it-all says it. That's because we are fighting to keep our anger in check. Consider this verse:
"Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city." Proverbs 16:32
Shall we be mighty? Shall we be conquers of anger? There are many, many people who could be considered mighty conquers, but there is one thing they've never quite mastered. Their anger. Shall we be mightier? Shall we conquer what so many have never been able to obtain, or will we have to live with the consequences? Be a Mighty, 2014 World Anger Conquer Champion!
V. Joy Palmer
Check out http://snackpackdevotionsforkidz.blogspot.com
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