Life's Most Subtle Temptation, Part 2

Today on Insight for Living.

This is very, very important. When you have been wronged, it is necessary for you to declare the truth. You are responsible for declaring the truth to the enemy, whoever the enemy might be. You cannot change your enemy, but you can be sure he's got right information.

You can put, hey, who knows whom you could persuade if you walked with God. It's the most subtle temptation in all of life. To get even. It might be with an employer who promised you something and didn't come through. It might be with a mate who walked away when you needed him or her the most.

It might be with your mom or dad who failed, frankly. And you live today in the backwash. You have been, as it were, done wrong, and you're waiting for the moment to get even. Before you look at 1 Samuel 24, check Romans 12, beginning at verse 17. It is nothing more than plain, hardcore revenge.

That's what it is. And look at the word that God uses in Romans 12, 17, the very first word to describe the times you're to get back. Never. Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. God doesn't usually, in his word, give us such extreme statements as never anyone.

But he does here. He says, respect what is right in the sight of all men. And Paul, being a realist, puts it better in verse 18 if possible. So far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. In other words, you can't change the other person. You can handle you through God's power. And he says, if there's to be any blame, leave it with him. Don't you live with it. You do all you can to be at peace.

Now maybe you won't have a track without hurdles. But as far as your path is concerned, nothing stands between you and that person. Then verse 19 says it again. 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. That is what God has written. Everything I have to offer from this message has to do with verses 17, 18, and 19 of Romans 12. And we have a classic case in point with an individual named David who had been wronged by his superior named Saul.

Before we look at it, you can find your way back there to chapter 24 of 1 Samuel. I want to give you the process that we go through in doing revenge. Give you three words to put down.

They kind of have a ring to them. First, injury. Second, vulnerability. Third, depravity.

When you mix the three together, you get revenge. If you run the if you're running the show, I have had a personal offense. I have been hurt individually from another individual. I have personally been injured.

All right. In the flesh, I lie in wait for him or her to be in a vulnerable spot. So in that vulnerability, my depravity can go to work and I get back.

It's the nature of the beast. David had nothing to look forward to in the cave of Adullam and of all things God sent to him, 400 malcontents. And David began to give his life to the training of those fellows. And it grew 200 more until there were 600 and they became kind of a band of gorillas. They sort of maintained right away from the law of the land. And God was preparing David for a new kind of role on the throne of Israel.

But all the time over these years, not months, but years, Saul has been dogging his steps, waiting for his enemy to be vulnerable so he can kill him. Verse 29, David went up from there and stayed in the strongholds of Engedi. That's why in the next chapter we read, verse 2, of the rock of the wild goats. Laced in the hillside of Engedi are these caves.

I read that they are limestone hillsides mixed with flint. And there are cool caves in this upper area, perfect place for camouflage. If you know anything about battle, the higher location is far superior to the lower. And that's where he was, so he could watch out for the army that was looking for him. And here is David, safe and secure in one of the caves in Engedi, just checking from day to day with a bountiful water supply.

They can eat the animals they kill, so they are supplied with what they need, just safe and secure. Now remember, David has been injured by a madman named Saul who is hunting for him. Now so much for the situation. Verse 1, it came about when Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, he was told, behold David is in the wilderness of Engedi. Ah, Saul's mine, let's go get him. Verse 3, and he, that Saul, came to the sheepfolds on the way where there was a cave. Now hang on, and Saul went in to relieve himself.

Talk about vulnerability. Look at verse 3, now David and his men were sitting in the inner recesses of that cave. Oh no! Bad enough to be seen, but to be in the cave of the enemy?

Oh man! Look at verse 4, the men of David said to him, say David, this is the day which the Lord said to you. Now can't you see him in the cave? This is the day which the Lord said to you, I'm about to give your enemy into your hand, and you shall do to him as it seems good to you.

Go get him! Hey, let's be real about this business called Bible study. These men had been trained to fight. They knew the truth. They knew that David was innocent.

They knew that if they knocked off the chief, they'd have the Indians. And he's super vulnerable. I mean, he's right there. Go get him, David.

You know, this is it. And you know, it's what I call the Lord's will incentive. When we really want to support our idea, we say, the Lord led me to do that.

Hey, the Lord gets blamed for all sorts of things he has nothing to do with. They said, David, the Lord's put him right here. Here's a sword. Look at what David did.

I love this. David arose and cut off the edge of Saul's robe secretly. Can't you see him? It doesn't say Saul was asleep. He was awake. Just looking out of the cave. And David came up on the blind side, just cut the rope off. Oh, man, this is fantastic.

I've got to stop or I'm going to really get in trouble, I'll tell you. Verse five. Now, this is a beautiful part of David. Oh, he's so real.

And may God raise up a band of Davids who are going through this series with us. He was troubled. The first thing that happened in this temptation was after he yielded, you know, he could have killed him, but just didn't bring himself to do it. So he cut off part of the robe. Now, you say, what's the big deal? Who cares about part of the robe?

Just as him wasn't level from then on. Nobody else could tell it. Who cares if a little bit of the robe?

See, that's the way we rationalize. Who cares if you take a little bit from the company? They got so much. Man, they made $800,000 profit last year. They won't miss a few pieces of stationery. I've got a friend who really began to walk with God and he said, when I got to the place that I couldn't even take a paperclip, I knew that God had really done business in my life.

What belongs to the company doesn't belong to you. And he cut off a part of the garment and he now notice he began to experience justified guilt. That's the first thing that happened. Verse five, it came about afterward that David's conscience bothered him because he had cut off the edge of Saul's robe. Oh, why? So little piece of linen.

Wasn't that color, but you know, that kind of thing, just a little section of the robe. You see, when you want to really walk with God, you want to come to terms with every detail. That's not nitpicking. You get bothered by little things. Your conscience bothers you when you snap back just one statement. You've got to make it right. You just can't let yourself get away with it.

It's because we get away with it and tell ourselves it doesn't matter that we get in that deep. David got back and all the guys say, hey, look at that garment. Hey, look guys, hey. David says, that wasn't right.

I can't do that. It bothered him. Verse six. Oh, this is courageous. He said to himself in the shoes of David with the gang at the office or at school, he said to his men, far be it from me because of the Lord that I should do this thing to my superior, to my Lord. The Lord's anointed to stretch out my hand against him since he is the Lord's anointed.

I remember all the way through the Marine Corps, they drilled into us. You don't salute the man, you salute the rank. If he is an absolute fool, if he's wasted and he's a major, you salute him because he's a major.

Man, David said, that is the king. I haven't any business doing that. So the second thing, he declared a righteous principle. Now, I don't know where I'm going in this. You hang on tonight because it all relates to this whole business of retaliation. Had he been done wrong? Absolutely. Was Saul in the wrong? Absolutely. Was it David's job to make it right?

No, God's job. So with a little tantalizing mockery, he operated in the flesh and finally says, that's not right. Boy, there's a righteous principle that I am breaking. Verse 7, I love this. Every once in a while, we'd see how a man who goes bad brings a whole group with him.

Tonight, we see a guy who went right and brought a whole group back with him. Verse 7, David persuaded his men with these words. Look at the margin. Persuaded, tore apart. That's what the Hebrew word means.

It means pierced through, torn apart, ripped up. I have a feeling that they didn't just stand together and mildly say, you think you should have done that? No, I really don't. Well, we'll really consider that, David. No, that dialogue was heated. Don't be a fool, David. Hey, listen, man, this wasn't right. David, the guy's done everything but take your life.

Look, I can't do it. And they went back and forth, back and forth. And he stood for a righteous principle and they were persuaded. Some of you are hanging in the balance somewhere, maybe in your profession. Maybe in the way you've begun to do your business. Perhaps in the way you've done your studies or carried on your lifestyle. And you kind of compromised and you sort of waltzed along on the very thin wire and you've begun to lean and God says, you haven't got any business doing that.

Get back where you belong. Well, what will they think? Hey, who knows whom you could persuade if you walked with God? Few things are more infectious than a godly lifestyle. The people in your office need that kind of challenge.

Not prudish, not preachy, but I mean Cracker Jack, clean living, honest to goodness integrity. I was in a barracks of 48 guys when they dropped me overseas and our outfit was shot through with venereal disease. I'll never forget the jolt when it hit me.

90% either head-head or at the time head, some kind of venereal disease when I was in Okinawa. I determined before I ever got off the ship because I knew that in my flesh I was too weak. I couldn't keep from yielding even though I was a married man. So I said, God, my life is yours. The 18 months I'm on the rock, my life's going to be lived for your glory.

You take over. And I'll tell you, I did battle at this, but in a period of time over an 18 month period, seven of those guys came to know Christ. Hey, seven out of 48 in the Marine Corps is a revival.

Man, you know what? Seven guys were persuaded, hey, that's a better way to live. Fools live like we've been living.

Hey, you don't have to live like that. David said, oh, we can't rise up against Saul. He persuaded the man. So the third thing, it was absolute confidence in God. The temptation came, absolutely it will come, and he wrestled with guilt, which was justified.

He hung his life on a righteous principle, and then he stood fast in confidence, absolute confidence in God to make right, even in face of the opposition. You will not hear from counselors. You will not hear from friends to do that. Unless your counselor or your friend is doing it God's way, and God's way is vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord. And that's what David did. Put in the margin of your Bible if you've got a pencil in your hand, Proverbs 27, 6. While you're writing it down, I'll quote it for you. When a man's ways pleased the Lord, I'm sorry, I said 27, Proverbs 16, 7. Good night, 27, 6. What is 27, 6? Oh yeah, I remember 27, 6. 27, 6 is faithful or the wounds of a friend.

Isn't that interesting that that would just flash by? Okay, Proverbs 16, 7, when a man's ways pleased the Lord, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him. Proverbs 16, 7, when your ways pleased the Lord, even your enemies will be at peace.

That's a promise. The word easy is not in Proverbs 16, 7, by the way. It's not easy. You say, I'm going to live for God, Chuck. I'll say to you in answering, all right, fine, get ready for a battle. Because you're surrounded by people who don't. Even in Christian colleges, even in seminaries, you'll be around individuals that will operate in the flesh.

Okay, you can be on the mission field and be surrounded by people in the flesh. Competitive people. People who are out for what they want.

Selfish people. And the battle is there. When a man's ways pleased the Lord, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.

And that's what happens. The whole balance of this passage has to do with the outworking of that principle. Now, verse 8, look at the conversation. This is so good. Now, afterward, David arose and went out of the cave and called after Saul.

Got it? Saul finishes, gets back down, walks down to maybe over a little ravine on the other side, and David chugs out of the cave. He's got the garment in his hand. Saul, king. Verse 8.

My Lord, the king. And when Saul looked behind him, David bowed with his face to the ground and prostrated himself. And David said to Saul, Why do you listen to the words of men, saying, Behold, David seeks to harm you. Now, wait a minute. David, with the garment in his hand, is talking to Saul.

What's he doing? This is very, very important. When you have been wronged, it is necessary for you to declare the truth. You are responsible for declaring the truth to the enemy, whoever the enemy might be.

You cannot change your enemy, but you can be sure he's got right input. Some will say, Well, that means you're going to lose your reward. No, there is wrong being done against David, just like against some of you. And our tendency is, Oh, just leave it alone.

It'll all work out. Now, wait a minute. David didn't leave it alone. He was bothered by the garment that he had in his hand, but he didn't just say, Saul, here's your robe back. He said, You're listening to false counsel against me that reveals lies about me.

Why do you listen to the words of men? Behold, David seeks to harm you. That's a lie. Let me give you verbal proof, Saul, this day your eyes have seen that the Lord had given you today in 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's the Lord's anointed. He told the truth. And you've got to tell it to the person to whom it matters. Don't tell it to your friends. You've got to come to terms with the individual with whom there is the battle.

It's tough. It's one of the most surprising stories in the Bible. David had every opportunity to leverage his advantage against Saul, but chose to honor their relationship. This is insight for living. This is what Chuck titled today's message, Life's Most Subtle Temptation.

To learn more about this ministry, be sure to visit us online at insightworld.org. Right now, let me remind you that Chuck wrote a biography on the life of King David. It's the one that parallels this teaching series. His book, nearly 300 pages in length, is titled, David, a Man of Passion and Destiny.

This would make a great summer read because it chronicles the dramatic story of David from his years on a hillside as a shepherd boy to ascent to the highest rank in Israel. And it's all told in a fashion that you've come to enjoy on this program. To purchase a copy of Chuck's biography on David, give us a call.

If you're listening in the United States, call 800-772-8888 or visit our website at insight.org slash offer. Here's Chuck. Thank you, Bill. Our subject on insight for living is none other than David, the one of whom God said there, that one is after my own heart. What a grand heartwarming statement. And why would God say that of David? Well, David, we're learning, walked in harmony with God.

He had his priorities straight. And even when David fell short, he didn't waste time recovering with genuine humility and bone deep integrity. He was, after all, a man after God's own heart. By the way, you can become a person of spiritual passion and destiny just as David was.

No matter who you are, regardless of what you may have been through, Jesus Christ gives us supernatural strength to live for Him. This is the heart of our message at Insight for Living Ministries. And now it's time to rally around this shared mission. And that is to proclaim God's truth and to make disciples of all the nations. You see, many depend upon this daily program as their single source of Bible teaching and spiritual insight. Occupying that place is my honor and absolute privilege. But I can't do this alone. This is a genuine partnership.

It's a team effort. So as God prospers you and as you measure the impact of our daily program on your life and in your home, please take a few extra moments to give a donation before the June 30th deadline arrives. Together, let's tell the whole world that no matter how difficult life has become, no matter how far a person may have strayed from God's best, it's never too late to become a woman or a man after God's own heart. Thanks, Chuck. And you can respond right now and get in touch with us by calling us. If you're listening in the United States, call 800-772-8888.

Or it may be quicker to give your donation online at insight.org. One of your fellow listeners wrote from far away, Papua New Guinea, and said, Chuck, your teaching on the life of David impacted me so much. I began to pray to have a heart after God as King David did. I'm still walking strong in the Lord and I owe a debt of gratitude to your teaching. God bless you, your family and your ministry.

Well, these moments are made possible because people like you give generously to Insight for Living. Here's our phone number one more time. If you're listening in the United States, call 800-772-8888. Or you can go online to insight.org slash donate. I'm Bill Meyer, inviting you to join us when Chuck Swindoll continues his message about life's most subtle temptation. That's tomorrow on Insight for Living. Thank you.