“‘Moreover, you are aware of what Yo’av the son of Tz’ruyah did to me, that is, what he did to the two commanders of the armies of Israel, Avner the son of Ner and ‘Amasa the son of Yeter — he killed them, shedding the blood of war in peacetime, putting the blood of war on the belt around his waist and the shoes on his feet. Therefore, act according to your wisdom; don’t let his gray head go down to the grave in peace.'”-1 Kings 2:5-6
David’s final words to Solomon take a dark turn after informing his son that his throne will last forever.
He begins issuing orders that certain men in his kingdom are dangerous and need to be dealt with properly.
In other words, they are to be disposed of.
To a certain degree, David’s concerns are understandable.
What father would not want his son to be protected from the political dangers lurking around in his kingdom?
David then instructs Solomon to take revenge against two men and carry out an act of blessing for a man who had been exceptionally loyal to David.
All of these individuals were very close to the throne.
Now I used the word “revenge.”
However, that word does not appear in these passages.
Yet many scholars, both Jews and Gentiles, use that exact word to describe the nature of what David told Solomon to do to his enemies.
Let’s talk about that word “revenge” for a second.
The first thing you should know is that the Torah prohibits revenge.
Why?
Because vengeance is something reserved for the Lord alone to carry out.
I’m sure we’re all familiar with this verse:
“Vengeance is Mine, and recompense;
Their foot shall slip in due time;
For the day of their calamity is at hand,
And the things to come hasten upon them.’”
-Deuteronomy 32:35
Now, vengeance is actually a positive thing.
But only when carried out in strict obedience to God’s Law.
According to the Jewish sages, Scripture says there are only two types of revenge: one righteous and the other unrighteous.
What is the nature of unrighteous vengeance?
Let me give you some examples.
Killing a person for a personal slight because someone caused you to lose face is unrighteous revenge.
Yeshua talked about this very thing when he said…
“But I tell you, do not resist an evil person.
If anyone slaps you on the right cheek,
turn to them the other cheek also.”
-Matthew 5:39
Yeshua was not talking about physical assault here.
If you’re being physically assaulted, you have every right to defend yourself if you have to.
Yeshua was speaking within the context of ancient Middle Eastern culture, when being slapped was merely an insult meant to belittle the other party.
And I can imagine that in those days, it would’ve been quite humiliating to be slapped in front of other people.
That’s why Yeshua’s teaching was so revolutionary.
He was saying, take that humiliation in good cheer!
Almost laugh it off in a sense, by offering your other cheek to be slapped.
Now, what would be considered righteous revenge?
That’s properly expressed in these verses:
“If someone injures his neighbor,
what he did is to be done to him —
break for break, eye for eye,
tooth for tooth — whatever injury
he has caused the other person is
to be rendered to him in return.”
-Leviticus 24:19-20
In other words, this is proper and proportional punishment in response to a crime and is NOT to be averted.
Why?
The bottom line is that wrongs committed need to be accounted for.
Criminals who do wrong must be punished lest the whole world fall into chaos.
Alrighty, so here’s the takeaway.
Don’t fall for the misleading teaching that says Yeshua did away with this rule in his Sermon on the Mount when he said, “You have heard that it was said an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, but I say to you, don’t resist an evil person.”
So listen, man.
The Messiah of Israel cannot contradict the Law of Moses and willy-nilly go around saying something like…
“Well, homies, that was good back then, but it’s not good anymore.”
Yeshua was simply correcting a perverted usage of those eye-for-eye, tooth-for-tooth scriptures because some folks were using those verses to justify personal revenge, which is what I was just talking about.
We are NOT to take revenge on someone for personal or petty matters.
You are to love your enemy in that case.
Ya feel me?
Are we cool?
Okay.
Done.
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