The very first Stone
Timrufus
“.. his heart failed him and he became like a stone.” -1 Samuel 25:37
At the dessert of En Gedi, David cut off a corner of King Saul’s robe and shortly after he did that, the bible said he became conscience-stricken. David knew that he should not have done that of the LORD’s anointed but here we see that David was also trying to prove that he was not guilty of wrongdoing or rebellion. (1 Samuel 24:11) For someone with a background such as Saul, one may have expect him to reprove David harshly, but in this strange phenomenon here, it so concluded that he didn’t. (1 Samuel 24:18)
Still David was afraid and after the prophet Samuel had died, David moved down into the Desert of Paran, where he and his men helped to guard the sheep and goats of a certain man named Nabal. Now Nabal was a very rich but foolish man, and although David had all the while been protecting him and guarding him of his assets, he actually hurled insults at the messengers that David had send to him from the wilderness. (1 Samuel 25:14-15) From the above two story narrated, we saw two very great contrast here between King Saul and the common man called Nabal.
Now, King Saul, was the one who had been seeking David’s own life from the very time he was a shepherd boy (1 Samuel 18:6-7), actually pardoned David greatly for this insolence act of cutting off the corner of his robe. On the other end, Nabal whom David and his men used their life in helping to protect him, was found hurling insults at him. It is no wonder then that the Lord God Jesus said to Simon, “Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?”
Jesus said, “Whoever has been forgiven little loves little.” and to some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable. “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ (Luke 18:9-14)
Likewise how do we apply it in our biblical walk with the Lord? Jesus said, “Whoever has been forgiven little loves little.” It is only when we can realize how merciful the Lord has been to us that we can learn to be merciful towards other by their own faults. (Hosea 6:6) For when God judges us in our very own wrong doings, he does not sees us in the light of the magnitude of our very sin (Psalm 143:2) but rather the magnitude of our heart towards others. (Luke 6:37-38)
How easy is it for us to cast that very first stone today! and how difficult it is for us to pay attention at the very own plank in our eyes rather than that speck of sawdust in our brother’s eye indeed. Jesus said, "For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."
Verse for today: Proverbs 28:14
Father we thank you for disciplining us today for no one is righteous and just before you. Grant us an undivided heart that we may fear Your Name. Help us to acknowledge that Your way and not our way is always right. Let Your Word in us melts away our every fear and pride. Let God be for us, your Word O LORD, is the truth. Chastise us but in judgment and in just measure. Not in Your anger, lest we are diminished and are no more. Soften our heart this day. In Jesus mighty Name. Amen and amen.
