Should We Live With Twisted Justice?

Taking justice into our own hands implies that God is incapable of doing it.   ~~~   In the heart of Abigail’s speech to David she says, vs. 26 “Now then, my lord, as the LORD lives, and as your soul lives, because the LORD has restrained you from bloodguilt and from saving with your own hand…” And then in David’s response to Abigail’s speech, in the very heart of it, he says in vs. 34, “For as surely as the LORD lives, who has restrained me from hurting you…”   So because of Abigail’s intervention, because of her obedience, because of her being an instrument in the plan of God, David was able to recognize the providence of God restraining him from committing sin. Abigail’s intervention was God’s providence because what she said lined up with God’s word. If David continued in this way, it would be sin But isn’t that what Nabal deserves? Isn’t this a just retribution? It seems that the male servant that came to Abigail thought this was within the norm of the culture. But that is just it—just because it is within the norm of cultural settings doesn’t necessarily mean it is right for those devoted to the LORD. The sin David was on the verge of committing was in taking vengeance into his own hands. How much time could we keep from wasting if we stopped worrying about what others deserve and how we were going to give it to them? Now, you may be thinking, “But Clif, if we live in a world with twisted justice, then we have chaos. So what you are saying here just doesn’t make sense.” I agree with you that a world without justice leads to chaos. I am not suggesting a world, or a land without justice. I am suggesting letting the God-ordained means of justice and judgment hold their place and that we respect those so far as the Bible allows us. And I am not just talking about government. I am also talking about Biblical institutions such as the church. How much authority does this church have in your life? Or is this just a place that offers worship services and other special events? No, we are not talking about abandoning justice and just waiting until the other side of death for God to dole out vengeance. When we take matters into our own hands, with no self-control, we are saying that God is not able, and will not do as good of a job at administering justice as I can do in this moment. What is your initial reaction when you are wronged/slighted/take advantage of? Do you lose your mind? Do you begin planning ways to avenge yourself? Be careful, believer, that you do not overstep your area of responsibility.