Doeg – Part 2
July 30, 2000
Dear Friends:
Last week we broached the subject of the proselyte, Doeg the Edomite. Doeg, for a time, became the centerpiece in King Saul’s campaign against David. In the incident under discussion, Doeg willingly slaughtered God’s priests.
The question we pose is what do we do when brethren attack brethren. Saul’s soldiers refrained from killing the priests, but they sat by and watched while Doeg committed his evil deed.
I have no doubt that if David had been present when these acts were committed by Doeg that he would have known what to do. If David killed the young Amalekite man who killed the dying Saul (2 Sam. 1) because Saul was the Lord’s anointed, how much more would he defend the other major anointed official in the kingdom, Ahimelech?
About 1,000 years later, a similar incident occurred. Jesus was attacked by his brethren in a garden. Peter took out his sword and cut off the ear of the High Priest’s servant, Malchus. Contrary to the commendation that David no doubt would have received, Peter is told by Jesus to “put up thy sword into the sheath.” Times had changed.
Today, when our brethren are attacked, one of our first instincts may be sit idly by and do nothing like Saul’s soldiers. This is an inappropriate response. The other instinct may be to unsheathe our swords and attack. “An eye for an eye” may be our battle cry.
Yet, the Lord Jesus did not say for us to attack in the manner in which we are attacked. “And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did? But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.” (Luke 9:54-56)
A maxim we should all keep in mind is that flesh will not conquer flesh. Among the works of the flesh mentioned in Galatians 5 are “hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy.” The inclination we may all feel when our brethren are attacked is to respond in kind. It feels good. It feels right. It is all wrong.
The only way to overcome the flesh is with the spirit. The fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5 is “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” This is the action that is called for in response to the Doeg’s of the world. Identify the action of Doeg’s for what it is. Defend your brethren. Support your brethren. Don’t sink to the level of their attackers.
It is sad to see brethren attacked. It will happen more and more as the time of the end approaches. As much now as in any other time in the history of the world, we must know “what manner of spirit ye are of.”
Have a great week!
