After God's own Heart: God's Mercy

Introduction

Years after the death of President Calvin Coolidge, this story came to light. In the early days of his presidency, Coolidge awoke one morning in his hotel room to find a cat burglar going through his pockets. Coolidge spoke up, asking the burglar not to take his watch chain because it contained an engraved charm he wanted to keep.

Coolidge then engaged the thief in quiet conversation and discovered he was a college student who had no money to pay his hotel bill or buy a ticket back to campus. Coolidge counted $32 out of his wallet -- which he had also persuaded the dazed young man to give back! -- declared it to be a loan, and advised the young man to leave the way he had come so as to avoid the Secret Service! (Yes, the loan was paid back.)

Like President Coolidge, David was confronted with a clear opportunity to enact his own Justice, with his adversary at his mercy. In today’s passage David teaches us that being a man after God’s own heart means allowing God to bring justice into our lives. Let’s read the story in ,

1 After Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, he was told, “David is in the Desert of En Gedi.” 2 So Saul took three thousand able young men from all Israel and set out to look for David and his men near the Crags of the Wild Goats.

3 He came to the sheep pens along the way; a cave was there, and Saul went in to relieve himself. David and his men were far back in the cave. 4 The men said, “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.’” Then David crept up unnoticed and cut off a corner of Saul’s robe.

5 Afterward, David was conscience-stricken for having cut off a corner of his robe. 6 He said to his men, “The Lord forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the Lord’s anointed, or lay my hand on him; for he is the anointed of the Lord.” 7 With these words David sharply rebuked his men and did not allow them to attack Saul. And Saul left the cave and went his way.

8 Then David went out of the cave and called out to Saul, “My lord the king!” When Saul looked behind him, David bowed down and prostrated himself with his face to the ground. 9 He said to Saul, “Why do you listen when men say, ‘David is bent on harming you’? 10 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, but I spared you; I said, ‘I will not lay my hand on my lord, because he is the Lord’s anointed.’ 11 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. See that there is nothing in my hand to indicate that I am guilty of wrongdoing or rebellion. I have not wronged you, but you are hunting me down to take my life. 12 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. 13 As the old saying goes, ‘From evildoers come evil deeds,’ so my hand will not touch you.

14 “Against whom has the king of Israel come out? Who are you pursuing? A dead dog? A flea? 15 May the Lord be our judge and decide between us. May he consider my cause and uphold it; may he vindicate me by delivering me from your hand.”

David’s Actions and words teach us several things,

David teaches us that our emotions can easily control us; therefore, we must tame them.

In the New Testament James tells us this,

19 My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20 because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.

Now does David have something to be upset about? I would definitely say so! Saul in his paranoia and envy is chasing David down to kill him! Its hard to imagine any of us not being a little teed off at that.

And David is presented with a opportunity, or test more like it, when he has Saul right there in the cave, relieving himself, by the way that's got to be the worst time for an emergency to happen, David could have easily killed Saul and ended that problem right there.

But all he could bear to do is cut a piece of Saul’s robe off. But that alone was wrong to David’s conscience because Saul was still God’s servant, despite being a horrible King.

How many times have we done or said something we instantly regret? Emotions are dangerous and it takes patience, discipline, and trust in the Guidance of the Holy Spirit to control them.

David knew that his emotions were getting to him and he knew that if he lost control he would be going against God’s will.

David teaches us that our desire to take justice into our own hand is misplaced and only belongs to God.

Last week my family and I celebrated the life of my grandmother, and almost 12 years ago we said goodbye (for now) to my mother. Both were women of tremendous faith who taught me well. When ever I was mad at someone at school or in the family, my mother would simply say “revenge belongs to the Lord”, and precede to remind me that my responsibility was to forgive. Those words are from Paul in Romans

19 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 On the contrary:

“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.”

21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good

Growing up one of my favorite movies based on a bible story is the TNT networks version of Joseph from the early 90’s. Its not a great production by today's standards but scene towards the end when Joseph forgives his brothers for selling him into slavery and lying to His father that he was dead, still brings me to tears if I watch or read it in scripture.

I feel like as a culture we are so angry and vengeful, especially in realm of politics, that it is making us a people who feed of it. Forgiveness and kindness doesn't mean you have given up on your principles, it means you are standing your ground while showing the love of Christ. (Bob Russell Article about Ellen and W.)

In all the fear, anger, and betrayal that David was feeling he still relented and understood that God alone is the judge of all of us. Something we can all learn to understand better.

David teaches us that our responsibility is to show mercy, in the same way God shows us mercy.

Couple of weeks ago the conclusion to a sad and heated court case came to a close. Former police officer Amber Guyger, who walked into the wrong apartment and fatally shot a man who she thought was an intruder, was given a 10 year sentence.

Tensions were high, race and police relations were undercurrents of the trial. But in all the sorrow for a lost one and search for justice there came an example of grace and mercy we haven't seen in many years on the national level.

The brother of the victim named Brandt Jean said to Amber during a testimony. "I'm not going to say I hope you rot and die, just like my brother — I personally want the best for you," Brandt Jean, 18, said. "I wasn't going to say this in front of my family or anyone, but I don't even want you to go to jail. I want the best for you, because I know that's exactly what his brother would want."

Brandt Jean said Guyger should give her life to Christ, because that's what his brother would have wanted.

In a sea of hate in our world, there was a glimmer of grace and love.

When I see that and when i read that David spared the life of the man who was actively trying to kill him, I ask myself how could I ever not forgive and show mercy to others.

The answer for us all id that Jesus did the same to the very men who were nailing him to the cross. Jesus while in that state left Justice in the hands of His father.

We too must leave final justice in the hands of the father and to those whom he has ordained to govern.

Conclusion

In life we will be wronged, and will be wronged many times and in different ways. But like President Coolidge and David,we need to place our trust in God that he will bring justice to those who deserve it, and that he expects us to show mercy as equally as he shows us!

We often think society can get better if the other side just agreed with us. Sometimes that the case, but in most cases we need to show Grace, mercy, and let God be the judge of this world and get out of His way. David showed us this in a dark cave, lets show others in this Dark world that we belong to Jesus.