Servants and Masters…
Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward. For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. (1Peter 2:18-19)
WISE ABIGAIL. There may not be a wiser woman in the Bible than Abigail. Her husband was a wealthy, arrogant fool who did not appreciate David and his men protecting his 3,000 sheep and 1,000 goats against raiders in troublesome times. He should have fed David and his men but was rude to them. He was about to lose his life to David, but his wife, Abigail, ordered her servants to take food to him. In the painting here, the bundles of food are on the ground in front of Abigail. She is the figure in white.
HER HUSBAND WAS PARTYING at the sheep shearing and was drunk, in no shape to understand anything. So, she waited ‘till morning. When she told him she had taken food to David and his men, and pled for his life, he was overwhelmed and apparently had a stroke. He died in ten days. Let’s read it from the Bible:
And Abigail came to Nabal; and, behold, he held a feast in his house, like the feast of a king; and Nabal's heart was merry within him, for he was very drunken: wherefore she told him nothing, less or more, until the morning light. But it came to pass in the morning, when the wine was gone out of Nabal, and his wife had told him these things, that his heart died within him, and he became as a stone. And it came to pass about ten days after, that the LORD smote Nabal that he died.
AND WHEN DAVID HEARD THAT NABAL WAS DEAD, he said, Blessed be the LORD, that hath pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal, and hath kept his servant [David] from evil: for the LORD hath returned the wickedness of Nabal upon his own head…(1Samuel 25:36-39).
It is hard to suffer wrongfully. But we are instructed to be ready to do just that. It’s not how well we “sing hymns” but how well we “signify Him.”
THIS DIFFICULT INSTRUCTION WAS MODELED BY CHRIST.
But he held his peace and answered nothing. Again, the high priest asked him, and said unto him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed? And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power and coming in the clouds of heaven. Then the high priest rent his clothes, and saith, What need we any further witnesses? (Mark 14:61-63)
IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES WE SERVE THE LORD AND NOT MEN.
Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as men pleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God: And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; (Colossians 3:22-23)
Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance; for ye serve the Lord Christ. But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done; and there is no respect of persons (Colossians 3:24-25).
RECIPE FOR HANDLING WRATH.
A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger. The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright: but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness. (Proverbs 15:1-2)
HOW DO YOU HANDLE IT? Count to ten? Bite your tongue? Breathe a prayer? This could save your life and no doubt, has saved the lives of many, who did it. When you watch the evening news, do you marvel at what kind of things people shoot and knife one another over and spend the rest of their lives in prison? What a difference it makes when men humble themselves and copy Jesus who “held his peace and answered nothing.” That can be a lot braver and smarter than running our mouth. Bless them that curse you and pray for them which despitefully use you (Luke 6:28). This is barely an introduction on the subject of “servants and masters.” But, it’s a start. Ω
Read Through the Bible in a Year
FEBRUARY 5, 2018 – MONDAY
A.M. Exodus 37-38 P.M. Matthew 23: 23-39
(Bible Gateway will read this to you if you like. Look for the speaker icon.)
A Good Verse to Memorize: Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king (1Peter 2:17).
Song for Today:
Stepping on the Clouds (2:47) (Quartet- Calvary Memorial Church)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ToOEC3D-9aY
You may have to adjust the volume or delete an ad.
HELPS FOR MEMORIZING. Carry a few blank cards with you for writing verses as you think of them. Just keep writing and writing…all the verses you can remember for a week or two. You’ll be surprised at how much you already know. Go to an office supply like Staples or Office Max and buy a pack of 3x5 cards.
Take them over to their print shop and have them cut the pack in half. That will give you the right size card for writing verses you remember and for writing special verses you want to be memorizing. (These cards also are handy for writing short grocery lists.) Get yellow or pink so they won’t get lost in a pile of white paper.
Blue is not as good because the ink will not contrast with the blue card as well as yellow or pink. Carry about a dozen of these half-cards with you all the time.
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