Know When to be the Good Guy
“But the men were very good unto us, and we were not hurt, neither missed we any thing, as long as we were conversant with them, when we were in the fields: They were a wall unto us both by night and day, all the while we were with them keeping the sheep. Now therefore know and consider what thou wilt do; for evil is determined against our master, and against all his household: for he is such a son of Belial, that a man cannot speak to him.” (1 Samuel 25:15-17)
The Philistine giant Goliath menaced Israel, and David killed him when no one else was willing to try. He became a national hero, but one day King Saul got the idea in his head that David was trying to usurp the kingdom. Saul sought to kill David. David fled for his life and became a fugitive. Many people loyally followed David. Saul and his soldiers sought for David several times.
On one occasion during their flight, David and his men spent time in the city of Carmel. A rich man named Nabal, who lived in Maon, had three thousand sheep in Carmel. While they were there, David and his men protected the shepherds from harm; whether by animals, robbers, or other threats.
David sent men to ask Nabal for provisions for them. It was reasonable to ask since they had protected his workers, and Nabal obviously had the means. Nabal rudely replied, “Who is David? and who is the son of Jesse? there be many servants now a days that break away every man from his master. Shall I then take my bread, and my water, and my flesh that I have killed for my shearers, and give it unto men, whom I know whence they be?” (1 Samuel 25:10-11) In other words, “I’m not giving you a thing.”
David heard this and was furious. He told his men, “Gird ye on every man his sword.” (1 Samuel 26:13) Four hundred of them got ready for battle. One of the workers told Nabal’s wife Abigail how David and his men had protected them, as our passage says. He also told her how rude Nabal had been, and that now they could expect big trouble. He even added that Nabal was “…such a son of Belial, that a man cannot speak to him.” Abigail quickly put together a large provision for David and his men.
The phrase “son of Belial” has the idea of being worthless or wicked. It’s a little comical in a way, that the worker told Abigail what a creep her husband was and no one could talk to him, and she agreed!
There’s more to the story, yet here is one point: it was obvious that Saul, the one in power, was in the wrong and David, the fugitive, was in the right. The men who chose to follow David did so at the risk of their lives. They were consistently on the run, hardened, living a tough life in the wilderness. Yet as we see in the opening passage, they treated the shepherds well. They knew when to be the good guys.
If you’re a cop, here’s a point: You do adverse things: write tickets, arrest people, run warrant checks, chase, fight. Yet remember, especially in high-crime areas, that most people are not criminals. A few or so are, but most aren’t. Some people may make bad choices at times (don’t we all do that?), but most people you deal with want you to be proactive. They know criminals are no friends of theirs.
Use judgment when to be tough and when to cut slack. The guy you give a break to today may be the one who helps you or another cop in a fight tomorrow. David and his men were tough, but they knew when to be the good guys. You want decent people to say about you, as the worker told Abigail, “But the men were very good unto us,…They were a wall unto us both by night and day,”
If you want to see how to have eternal life by receiving Jesus, God the Son, as your personal Saviour, please go to www.clevelandbaptist.org,” click “Helpful Links,” then “How Do I Go to Heaven?”
Brian Miller 10/16/2023