Vengeance is God's

Provided by Glory to God for All Things

If you’ve ever been wronged before, you understand the overwhelming urge to retaliate. I mean, “getting even” is only fair, right? This may be the way the world thinks but Christians are called to a higher standard. Jesus admonishes us instead to “turn the other cheek” (Matt. 5:39). Vengeance is God’s responsibility and it is not our place to do it for him.

In 1 Samuel 25, a foolish man named Nabal greatly wrongs King David, an act to which the king’s immediate response was a thirst for vengeance. David was so mad, he swears to kill every last male of Nabal’s household. However, before David could carry out the deed, Nabal’s gracious wife comes seeking forgiveness, offers what was rightfully David’s, and pacifies the king’s wrath. Once David realizes his error, he blesses Abigail (Nabal’s wife) for “keeping [him] from bloodshed and from avenging [himself] by [his] own hand” (v 33). He even goes on later in the story to admit that such retaliation would have been “evil” (v39). What’s the moral of the story? Vengeance is not ours to deal.

But the story doesn’t stop there. Verse 38 tells us that “about ten days later, the LORD struck Nabal and he died.” God did not fail his part. Vengeance is not ours but there’s more: it does belong to God. If you’ve ever felt before like life just isn’t fair, that the wicked win, or that crime pays, just remember “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord” (Rom. 12:19). God loves his people too much to let their oppressors have lasting victory. We will all get what’s coming to us one way or another, so continue to walk the narrow path and leave the vengeance up to God.