#MeditationMonday‬ – Out of the abundance of a man’s heart, his mouth speaks.

Hello Dear reader, may the mercies of the Lord go with you henceforth! Today’s #meditationmonday verse is the popular Proverbs 16:5-7 (emphasis on 7) but today I want us to make this verse come alive with a few practical illustrations from scripture itself. It is amazing you will see, how scripture complements each other, which is why I really wanted to call this post: Throwing Shade: The Drama Behind Proverbs 16:7 because really that’s what happened when you look at it with a magnifying glass.

Everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD; Assuredly, he will not be unpunished. By lovingkindness and truth iniquity is atoned for, And by the fear i.e. reverence of the LORD, one keeps away from evil. When a man’s ways are pleasing to the LORD, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.

— Proverbs 16: 5-7 (NASB)

The proverbs were written by King Solomon, son of King David. Solomon was dearly loved by his father and would have been very close to Him, so there is no doubt in my heart that Solomon was not only speaking with divine wisdom when He wrote these words, he was also speaking from the stories of his immediate ancestor, his father: King David. See the passage below.

The Book of 1 Samuel 24: 1-20 NASB (Selected Verses)

(24:2) Saul took three thousand chosen men from all Israel and went to seek David and his men in front of the Rocks of the Wild Goats. He came to the sheepfolds on the way, where there was a cave; and Saul went in to relieve himself. Now David and his men were sitting in the inner recesses of the cave.

The men of David said to him, “Behold, this is the day of which the LORD said to you, ‘Behold; I am about to give your enemy into your hand, and you shall do to him as it seems good to you.’”

Then David arose and cut off the edge of Saul’s robe secretly. It came about afterward that David’s conscience bothered him because he had cut off the edge of Saul’s robe. So he said to his men, “Far be it from me because of the LORD that I should do this thing to my lord, the LORD’S anointed, to stretch out my hand against him, since he is the LORD’S anointed.”

David persuaded his men with these words and did not allow them to rise up against Saul. And Saul arose, left the cave, and went on his way.

Now afterward David arose and went out of the cave and called after Saul, saying, “My lord the king!” And when Saul looked behind him, David bowed with his face to the ground and prostrated himself.

Behold, this day your eyes have seen that the LORD had given you today into 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 is the LORD’S anointed.’ Now, my father, see! Indeed, see the edge of your robe in my hand! For in that I cut off the edge of your robe and did not kill you, know and perceive that there is no evil or rebellion in my hands, and I have not sinned against you, though you are lying in wait for my life to take it.

“The LORD therefore be judge and decide between you and me; and may He see and plead my cause and deliver me from your hand.”

When David had finished speaking these words to Saul, Saul said, “Is this your voice, my son David?” Then Saul lifted up his voice and wept. He said to David, “You are more righteous than I; for you have dealt well with me, while I have dealt wickedly with you. “You have declared today that you have done good to me, that the LORD delivered me into your hand and yet you did not kill me.

“For if a man finds his enemy, will he let him go away safely? May the LORD therefore reward you with good in return for what you have done to me this day. “Now, behold, I know that you will surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel will be established in your hand. (24:20)

We see a lot going on here that directly corresponds to our verses from proverbs; particularly with verses 6b-7. It is the fear of the LORD that caused David’s conscience to bother him after cutting off a piece of Saul’s robe and this same fear and reverence saved David from committing a grave sin by killing Saul.

We also see a great display of humility by David in this passage of scripture. For one, he still referred to Saul, his prime enemy who had being trying desperately to murder him as “My Lord” and even more, he considered Saul “The LORD’S Anointed“. This humility enabled David to think carefully when his men suggested he should kill the king; even if He succeeded, that’s no way to take a kingdom that has already been promised to him! If indeed Saul had truly been delivered into David’s hands, he knew better than to touch God’s anointed, although God had rejected Saul and given the kingdom to David — they were both anointed and should not harm one another.

Saying, Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm.

— Psalm 105:15 (KJV)

David took this into consideration and was able to convince his men to let Saul go. He could have allowed his men to harm Saul, rather than do it himself but instead he let him go. How many of us, are capable of letting our enemies go if we have them within our grasp? How many of us can show mercy to physical enemies. Obviously there is a time, particularly with spiritual warfare, that mercy is out of the equation because deliverance must take place but with physical enemies, human beings who are flesh and blood that persecute us and make our lives miserable, how many of us can truly say we can show mercy to them and let them go?

Yes, you were betrayed or your life was ruined but it is written,

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. “If your enemy is hungry, feed him and If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

— Romans 12:19 – 21 (NASB)

God is in charge of vengeance for those who are His beloved. The meaning of David is beloved. David was able to abstain from evil and leave vengeance for God because he knew he was the LORD’S beloved. He simply asked God to judge between him and Saul and to deliver him from Saul’s hand.

Even Saul was able to appreciate this show of mercy!

Saul lifted up his voice and wept. He said to David, “You are more righteous than I; for you have dealt well with me, while I have dealt wickedly with you. “You have declared today that you have done good to me, that the LORD delivered me into your hand and yet you did not kill me.

“For if a man finds his enemy, will he let him go away safely?

Yes, not many who find their enemy are able to let them go away safely! it’ just simply illogical. And yet David, Mr. Man after God’s own Heart showed us it’s truly possible. This pleased the Lord so much that right there in that moment we see Proverbs 16:7 literally being made manifest; Saul blessed David.

If you study scripture and understand the relationship of hatred and jealousy between Saul and David, you would know that never in a 1,000 or 10,000 years would Saul proclaim a blessing on David. Who gets the joke! Nobody? okay well see 1 Samuel 18:7.

Yet, right there and then. This is what happened ladies & gents, Saul said to David:

May the LORD therefore reward you with good in return for what you have done to me this day. “Now, behold, I know that you will surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel will be established in your hand.

↓ Key Verse ↓

When a man’s ways are pleasing to the LORD, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.

I tell you brethren, when Solomon wrote this, he was quote, unquote “Throwing Shade” at *cough* you know who. Ha Haa! Praise Gadd! *Whitney Houston voice*

Anyways, some lessons from this drama:

1. As long all that you do pleases the Lord, even your enemies will place blessings at your feet, blessings to their own detriment. Saul blessed David and said HE would be King, thereby ruining his own kingdom and proclaiming that his sons would never inherit the throne. He blessed David to his own detriment.

2. David humbled himself and escaped the temptation to commit murder because He feared the Lord. The reverence he had for the Lord enabled him to stop and think before He took action. We too can flee temptation and sin if we keep the fear of the Lord at the forefront of our hearts.

In summary, none of the scriptures we looked at today need any special explanation, they speak for themselves plainly.

• Being proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord and it will not go unpunished — Pharoah, King Saul, Haman, Goliath, Jezebel Need I say more! 
• Sin is atoned for through lovingkindness and truth — this could not be any more real to us, seeing as it was the lovingkindness of God that enabled Him to send His son, Jesus who is the way, TRUTH & life to atone for our sins. 
• If you fear the Lord, and have reverence for Him; it will keep you from evil — just as it kept David from sinning by killing Saul.
• When your actions are pleasing in God’s sight, the Lord will cause even your enemies to bless you even to their detriment — Just as King Saul blessed the young King David.

So! Brothers and sisters; let’s avoid pride, have mercy on those who persecute us and fear the Lord in all we do. Amen? Amen! Say this prayer below:

Prayer:  Dear Lord, I humble myself before you in complete submission. I ask that you help me never to be proud in heart, so I may reverence you above all else. May the fear of the Lord be in my heart and keep me from all appearances of evil. Abba, grant me the grace to please you in all my ways, so that my enemies will be at peace with me. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

Have a wonderful week!

Grace & Peace!