2S22-16: Your Worst Enemy Might Be Sitting at Your Dinner Table

“He sent from on high, he took me
and pulled me out of deep water;
He rescued me from my powerful enemy,
from those who hated me,
for they were stronger than I.”
-2 Samuel 22:17-18

The words of inspiration from King David continue as he speaks about the many times the Lord rescued him from a multitude of threatening circumstances.

And just in the nick of time, I might add!

Take a look at verse 17 (copied and pasted above).

David seems to be speaking of one specific time when he faced down one specific enemy. 

We know this is true because the singular form of the Hebrew word for “enemy” is being used here.

It is OYEV or אוֹיֵב.

The plural would be OYEVIM or אוֹיְבִים.

You’ll see this word pop up all over the Tanakh:

“Your right hand, O LORD,
shatters the enemy (’oyev).”
-Exodus 15:6

“LORD, how many are my foes (’oyevai—my enemies)!”
-Psalm 3:1

“He has caused your enemy (’oyev) to rejoice.”
-Lamentations 2:17

The Rabbis say that David probably had Goliath in mind when he penned these words.

That makes sense.

Other than Saul, who else was David’s single biggest adversary?

However, interestingly, from the next verse, David speaks of being rescued from “those who hated me” and “they who are stronger than me.”

So obviously, the source of conflict has changed from singular to plural.

Now, we’re talking about a group of enemies (plural) banding together against David.

The inspiring point remains, however.

Whether danger comes from one person or many, God still saves.

This leads to a takeaway I feel the Lord is impressing upon my heart here.

It all has to do with the word “enemy” or OYEV (אוֹיֵב).

I wanted to ask you…

Have you ever considered who your enemy is?

In other words, who are the people who hinder your walk with God?

I submit to you that more often than not, it’s members of your family.

I know that’s been the case with me.

If my father could’ve had his way, I’d be an atheistic evolutionist by now.

And my mother?

Holy hell, that’s another crazy story bordering on sexual perversion and emotional manipulation.

And how about Yeshua?

The person who betrayed him was one of his inner circle members.

If you think about it, it makes sense that our worst enemies can be members of our own family.

Why?

Because they are the ones usually closest to us…which means they have the power to influence us more than others.

Second, because they are family members, it can be difficult to separate from them due to social beliefs and pressure that say we are to prioritize our family above everything else.

I submit that that’s a bunch of boooooool sheeeeeeet.

If a family member causes us to stumble in our walk with the Lord, that person’s gotta go.

Ya feel me?

I’ll close with these chilling words from the Torah itself:

“If your brother, your mother,
your father, your son, your daughter,
or the wife you love,
secretly entices you, saying,
‘Let us go and serve other gods’—
gods of the peoples around you,
whom you have not known—
Do not yield to them or listen to them.
Show them no pity.
Do not spare them or shield them.
You must certainly put them to death.
Your hand must be the first against
them to put them to death,
and then the hands of all the people.
Stone them to death;
They have tried to turn you away
from the Lord your God.”
-Deuteronomy 13:6-10

So there you go, homie.

If you’ve ever wanted to separate from a family member who is causing you to stumble in your walk with your Father-in-Heaven, well, here’s your divine permission to do so.

Done.

CONNECTING THIS TEACHING TO THE NEW TESTAMENT

“If anyone comes to me and
does not hate his father and mother,
wife and children, brothers and sisters
—yes, even his own life—
He cannot be my disciple.”
-Luke 14:26

“Whoever loves father or mother
more than Me is not worthy of Me;
and whoever loves son or daughter
more than Me is not worthy of Me.”
-Matthew 10:37

“Don’t suppose that I have come to
bring peace to the Land.
It is not peace I have come to bring,
But a sword!
For I have come to set
a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law,
so that a man’s enemies will be
the members of his own household.”
-Matthew 10:34-36

“To another he said, ‘Follow me!’
But the man replied,
‘Sir, first let me go away
and bury my father.’
Yeshua said,
‘Let the dead bury their own dead;
You, go and proclaim the Kingdom of God!’
Yet another said, ‘I will follow you, sir,
but first let me say goodbye
to the people at home.’
To him Yeshua said,
‘No one who puts his hand to the plow
and keeps looking back is fit
to serve in the Kingdom of God.’”
-Luke 9:59-62

“Moreover, if your brother
commits a sin against you,
go and show him his fault —
but privately,
just between the two of you.
If he listens to you,
you have won back your brother.
If he doesn’t listen,
take one or two others with you
so that every accusation can be
supported by the testimony
of two or three witnesses.
If he refuses to hear them,
tell the congregation;
and if he refuses to listen
even to the congregation,
treat him as you would
a pagan or a tax-collector.“
-Matthew 18:15-17

“But Yeshua asked him,
‘Judas, are you betraying
the Son of Man with a kiss?‘”
-Luke 22:48