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1 Samuel 24 - Give Him Your Enemies // Access - Jeremiah Lepasana
City Chapel NYC
Full Summary and Discussion Questions
We will all face moments when someone brings real pain into our lives. The question is not whether we will be hurt, but what we will do with that hurt. In 1 Samuel 24, David finds himself living in the wilderness, pursued by Saul, the very king he once served. When the opportunity for revenge finally appears, David chooses a different path.
Instead of taking justice into his own hands, David relinquishes revenge, remembers that Saul ultimately belongs to God, and entrusts judgment to the Lord. He refuses to define Saul only by his wrongdoing and even seeks the flourishing of the one who has caused him suffering.
This kind of forgiveness is costly. Releasing revenge does not erase the pain or deny the wrong that was done. It means trusting that God sees and will ultimately make things right. In doing so, we step out of the cycle of bitterness and into deeper dependence on Him.
Ultimately, this story points beyond David to Jesus. While we are called to forgive like David, we often resemble Saul—careless, foolish, and capable of harm. Yet Jesus, the greater King, bears the cost of forgiveness Himself. When we give God our enemies and entrust our wounds to Him, we discover something deeper than justice alone: the nearness of God, the life of His family, and the adventure of His kingdom.
