By: Juliet Constantine

Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD. (Leviticus 19:18)
 

The kings’ responses were swift and precise. In the two instances, they were both judge and jury. It was execution time for those who held grudges and sought to carry out their revenge.

In the first instance: Haman, known as the Agagite was the son of Hammedatha and a descendant of Agag, king of the Amalekites. He was the chief minister to King Ahasuerus. His grudge and plans for revenge stem from Israel’s destruction of his descendants. He carefully and craftily laid his plans to totally annihilate the Israelites. He was bent on revenge. He lived and breathed it all his life. But look what it cost him - His life and the lives of his wife and children! His plans for total annihilation backfired and he was the victim instead.

In the second instance, a similar thing happened. Daniel’s colleagues did not like him. He was an expat in high position and was just too honest! Daniel showed them up for their dishonesty in handling the king’s affairs. So they planned to get rid of Daniel, but it wasn’t so easy. Daniel was favored by King Darius. Finally, they found a weakness (or so they thought) that Daniel possess. He prayed to his God three times per day. Unaware of these evil men’s plot, King Darius sign a decree that anyone who prayed to any God, except himself, would be thrown to the lions. This did not deter Daniel’s prayer life and soon he was in trouble with the new law. And the rest is history. Daniel’s God, to whom he prayed, turned the tables on his conspirators. They, together with their wives and children, were breakfast for the lions!

Can you hear the screams of horror in both instances? It is so unfair when wives and children suffer for their husbands’ indiscretion, revenge and grudge. Listen to the children as they cry. Listen to the wives, to the revengers begging for pardon. It is possible that hearts devoid of emotion believed that they got their just rewards. Many believe in the ‘an eye for an eye’ law on which revenge hinged. But who is revenge destroying? Certainly not only the one to whom it is directed.

Had Haman the Agagite and Daniel’s colleagues said no to revenge and grudges, their life’s stories would have ended differently. Revenge and grudge destroyed their continuity on the planet. And it could ours too.

Someone once said, “When we harbor revenge and grudges, we do not allow people to apologize and fix their problem.” Revenge and grudges give energy to animosity leading to destruction and this should not be so among God’s children. We need to stop holding grudges and revenge against each other; and treat our each other as we would want to be treated. Moses was right on point when he instructed the Israelites to love their neighbor as themselves. The instruction is ours too. Let’s say no to revenge and grudges and love each other as ourselves.

Thank You God for being our vengeance taker. Please help us to put away all grudges and revenge from our hearts and love each other as ourselves. This is our prayer, in Jesus’ name, amen.

Copyrighted by Juliet Constantine 2014 (for “Alone With God – Finding Jesus In The Scriptures” Daily Devotional)