Rev. David Holwick A NEW YEARS DAY
First Baptist Church
West Lafayette, Ohio
January 1, 1989
Proverbs 25:21-22
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I. What revenge is.
A. Justice
1) Psychiatrist - we have an innate desire for fairness.
2) OT justice system for murder.
a) Cities of refuge.
B. Getting even.
1) = Getting pound of flesh - or better.
2) Example of Lamech, 7 fold retribution.
3) American attitude - "Don't get mad. Get even."
C. Modern humorous example:
Nan Berman set up business in Newton, MA, called "Enough is Enough."
Billed as, "Creative revenge for today's world."
A philandering husband in California was mailed a three-foot dead
bluefish.
One lawyer made the mistake of breaking up with his girlfriend by
saying she was "unsuitable" for him.
Miss Berman arranged to have a burned and messy suit sent to him.
An unsympathetic boss had a cactus delivered to him with a sign
attached: "sit on it."
More common are 13 dead roses, sent in a ribboned black box for $25.
#383
II. Effects of revenge.
A. Kills relationship.
B. Backfires, hurts you.
1) 14:22 Do not those who plot evil go astray? ...
This refers to their misguided policy (compare the
second line); their morals need no comment.
Divorcee agreed to sell her husbands' Mercedes-Benz and split the
proceeds as part of their divorce settlement
At the auction she signed over the car to the first bidder for $25.
She then sent a check for $12.50 to the enraged husband.
She got back at her husband, but think of how much money she lost.
#567
2) Forbes magazine -
Man gets new job, tells off boss before
he leaves. Really let his hair down.
Old and new companies merge.
Old boss becomes new boss again.
Man resigns, quickly.
C. Revenge escalates, causes blood feuds.
1) Causes more damage than original sin/problem.
2) Can become irrational, fueled by rage.
6:34 For jealousy arouses a husband's fury, and he
will show no mercy when he takes revenge.
6:35 He will not accept any compensation; he will
refuse the bribe, however great it is.
One year ago Pacific Southwest Airlines, Flight 1771, dived four miles
and crashed, killing all 43 aboard.
Sifting through the wreckage, the investigators found a note:
"Hi Ray. I think it's sort of ironical that we end up like this.
I asked for some leniency for my family, remember. Well, I got
none and you'll get none."
The "black box" on the plane recorded the cabin attendant telling the
pilots, "We've got a problem here."
A male voice interjected, "I'm the problem."
It was David Burke.
It turned out that the plane crashed because Burke, who had recently
been fired by the airline, had pulled out a .44 magnum and shot both
pilots.
He had allegedly stolen $69 from the airplane's cocktail receipts.
He was known for being bright and affable but subject to dark and
violent moods.
A month before he was fired from his ticket agent job, he tried to
choke his girlfriend Jacqueline.
He returned later to damage her car and cut up some of her clothes.
The most chilling of his closing acts was more methodical than
impulsive: the FBI found a new will in his town house, dated a
few days before the crash.
#52
III. God's alternative.
A. Reject revenge.
1) 24:29 Do not say, "I'll do to him as he has done to me;
I'll pay that man back for what he did."
B. Show love instead of revenge.
25:21 If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat;
if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.
25:22 In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his
head, and the LORD will reward you.
C. Results of this approach.
1) They feel guilty.
"Burning coals"
Feeling shame now is better than punishment later.
2) God rewards. Additional support:
a) 14:22 Do not those who plot evil go astray? But those
who plan what is good find love and faithfulness.
D. Dangers.
1) Cynicism - God will get them better than I could.
a) End result is not to make them feel bad, but to -
"do to them like you would want them to do you."
2) Don't enjoy their fate. (Sweeter revenge is not the goal.)
24:17 Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when he
stumbles, do not let your heart rejoice,
24:18 or the LORD will see and disapprove and turn his
wrath away from him.
a) Your glee may be a greater sin than what your enemy
has done.
IV. Attitude toward revenge reveals the level of your trust in God.
A. Taking revenge places us in God's shoes.
1) Justice - perhaps, but at what price?
B. Taking revenge shows we don't think he will act.
1) But he promises to do this.
20:22 Do not say, "I'll pay you back for this wrong!"
Wait for the LORD, and he will deliver you.
2) God can keep others in line.
16:7 When a man's ways are pleasing to the LORD, he
makes even his enemies live at peace with him.
a) Not absolute promise (cf. Jesus) but generally true.
b) Key is following God's ways, not man's.
C. - Or we don't like what we think he will do. (Be forgiving)
1) Remember how much he has forgiven us.
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SOURCES FOR ILLUSTRATIONS USED IN THIS SERMON:
# 52 "I'm the Problem" Newsweek magazine, December 12, 1987, p. 43.
#383 "Creative Revenge For Today's World," Coshocton Tribune, November 7,
1988, p. 5.
#567 "Revenge Can Cost You," by Barbara Lang Stern, Vogue magazine,
March 1985, p. 400.
These and 30,000 others are part of the Kerux database that can be
downloaded, absolutely free, at http://www.holwick.com/database.html
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