“The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit” (Proverbs 18: 21). This Proverb tells us that words are very powerful. Human tongue uses words that can either destroy or build. Negative words can destroy while positive words can build up a person. And that is why the Bible expects us to be careful in our use of words particularly in describing a person.
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Sometimes words are used to describe the person’s real character. That’s an honest use of words. In other cases, words are used to exalt a person beyond his real character. It could be a praise, an encouragement or a way to motivate a person. But it could also be used as a form of flattery. And still another situation that words can be used is by downgrading a person for what he really is. Its cause could be anger, resentment or simply jealousy. This is the case we read in our text.
David was described by his eldest brother with negative words. Maybe, it was jealousy that caused Eliab to say such words. But David had a choice either to accept or to reject those words.
Similarly, you cannot force people how to describe you as a person. That is their choice. But you can choose not to be defeated by negative words, by their low view of you for God has a plan for you. And that’s the most important thing. Amen!
In this post, I would like to share with you about the negative words that David overcame. In sharing this message I would like you to think about this question: Since God has a plan for my life, what negative words do I need to overcome by the grace of God?
Based on our text, there are three negative words that David overcame. These words came from his own brother, Eliab.
Now Eliab his oldest brother heard when he spoke to the men; and Eliab’s anger burned against David and he said, “Why have you come down? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your insolence and the wickedness of your heart; for you have come down in order to see the battle.” – 1 Samuel 17:28
I. YOU HAVE TO OVERCOME NEGATIVE WORDS THAT QUESTION YOUR PRESENCE AND USEFULNESS.
“Why have you come down?” Eliab asked David. YOU ARE NOT NEEDED HERE. Eliab was questioning the value and validity of David’s presence in the battle field.
During that time, Israel was experiencing a national shame. Goliath, the giant of a man, shouts out his challenge for anyone from the Israelite camp to come out and fight him. The giant and the Israelite soldiers believed the same thing: It will be a no contest fight. The giant will win and there’s no question about it.
David asked a natural and logical question: what will be done for the man who kills this giant and takes away the reproach from Israel? The other soldiers answered David in the right manner. But the eldest brother got so angry and scolded David. He questioned the validity of David’s presence in the battle field.
Have you ever been insulted and your presence looked down? Have you ever been in a gathering where someone makes it clear that you are not needed there?
When you experience such insult, there’s nothing for you to be worried about. It is because, your identity is not defined by what people say. You cannot control what they think and say about you. Rest in the truth that your identity is in Christ and God has a plan for you.
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I think the story of David offers us a good lesson not to look down on someone else. It also tells us how to respond when someone insults us.
I remember a story of a proud high school graduate. One day, while waiting for the result of his enrollment in college, he invited an unknown student to play chess. He was defeated. He requested for another game and was defeated again. This happened for several times. Naturally boastful and since he could not accept his defeat, he explained that he was not in the condition to play chess that day. Thinking that the unknown student was also a new enrollee like him, he started boasting about his knowledge in academic subjects as a way of coping for his defeat. The anonymous student simply listened and smiled. As they parted ways, the boastful student gave his name and asked the name of the unknown student. After a week, it came to the knowledge of the freshman that the unknown student he played with was simply visiting the college the day they met. He also realized that the unknown student graduated from that college the previous school year as summa cum laude and the chess champion in Inter-College Sports Fest.
II. YOU HAVE TO OVERCOME NEGATIVE WORDS THAT QUESTION YOUR SENSE OF RESPONSIBILITY.
“And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness?” Eliab scolded David. YOU ARE IN THE WRONG PLACE. Eliab tried to make David feel guilty for leaving his work of shepherding the sheep: He was saying: you are irresponsible. We only have a few sheep and yet you left them in the wilderness? If anything happens to them, you are guilty.
Have you ever been subjected to a “you are guilty and you are to blame” harassment? Have you ever been made to feel like you don’t really belong? David went through this from his own brother.
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We do not know with whom David left their sheep. But one thing we know is that David was a responsible person. In fact, he knows a lot about good shepherding. We know this by reading Psalm 23. He knew the Lord as the Good Shepherd and I think he did his best to follow the good qualities of the Lord as the Good Shepherd. And we also read in Psalm 78:70-72 that the Lord took David from tending the sheep to shepherd Israel with integrity of heart and skillful hands. And from the mouth of David himself, he said to Saul that when a lion or bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, he went after them, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth (1 Samuel 17:34-35). In other words, David was willing to put his life at risk just to rescue a sheep. That is the heart of a good shepherd. With such a heart, David is not the kind of man that will leave his flock unprotected as his eldest brother accused him. Eliab knew nothing about David’s heart and skills. He accused David of irresponsibility.
It is really difficult to be charged with irresponsibility when you are doing your best to fulfill your task. And it is much more difficult to be blamed as irresponsible when in fact it is someone’s fault. Many would be discouraged in such situation, but the child of God should find comfort that God knows the real situation.
Have you been charged as irresponsible while faithfully doing your duty? Don’t worry about it. Just focus in pleasing him and know that God has a plan for you.
III. YOU HAVE TO OVERCOME NEGATIVE WORDS THAT QUESTION THE SINCERITY OF YOUR INTENTION.
Among the three false charges, this one is the hardest. You are falsely accused as doing something with an evil intention. Eliab told David: “I know your insolence and the wickedness of your heart; for you have come down in order to see the battle.” YOU ARE NOT SINCERE. YOUR MOTIVE IS EVIL. YOU JUST WANT TO HAVE FUN AND WASTING YOUR TIME. The eldest brother was being very hard in a very insulting manner. Remember Eliab was the eldest brother and when the father is not around, he speaks with the authority of the father and here he was degrading, insulting and demeaning David’s person and presence.
Have you done something good that has been misinterpreted as self-serving and evil? Have you been through a person who talks to you as if he knows what’s inside your heart? Overly judging you and falsely accusing you with offense that you haven’t committed?
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There was a young man who pastored a church in 1998. In his previous experiences, all the four churches he served developed a good relationship with him, but not this new church. After ten months of pastoring, there were four leaders in the church who began to disliked him for giving more attention to new comers. One time, that pastor decided something that caused a miscommunication. The four leaders started to spread rumors among the members of the church. These leaders contacted the presbytery to schedule a hearing without the knowledge of the pastor. During the hearing, the pastor was falsely accused of lying, theft, and useless preaching. After hearing the case, the presbytery decided in favor of the pastor ending with the two leaders leaving the church. However, the pastor lost his passion to work in that church and decided later to resign.
Have you been through something like that? Maybe, there are some lapses on your part, but the accusation was exaggerated and people who don’t like you took that as a chance to gid rid of your presence. They invented different types of false charges to destroy you. The question is, how will you deal with such situation? Will you go to the court to file a case? Or will you just leave the matter in the Lord’s hand knowing that he is a just God who is able to depend you?
Conclusion:
People can do and say all kinds of things about and against you. You were made to feel unimportant, unwelcomed, unnecessary and unloved. You were offended, ostracized, outraged and overly-judged. They question your presence and say that you are not needed; they also charge you with irresponsibility; and they also question the sincerity of your intention. David went through that. And yet, to cut the long story short, he became the King and all his brothers were placed under his authority. Yes, by the grace of God, you can overcome all these negative words, all these low view of your capacity and importance. Do not stop believing that God has a plan for you. And that’s what really matters. Amen!
Only By Grace 