REVENGE – An Eye for an Eye?
“revenge” – a
desire to return evil for evil; an opportunity for getting satisfaction (Merriam-Webster
Dict., p. 599) by getting even for an injury
or insult received.
“retaliate” – to repay an injury or insult, etc. with a similar
one, to make a counterattack (Oxford American Dict.,
p. 578).
Gen. 27:35-43 Why did Esau bear a grudge
against his brother, Jacob, and want to kill him?
[“birthright” – is the term applied to the particular
advantages, privileges, and responsibilities of the firstborn among the
Israelites. The firstborn was the object of special affection to his parents
and inherited particular rights and privileges. The rights and privileges of
the firstborn were: 1) he received a double portion of the estate while the
other sons got single and equal portions; 2) he was made head of the whole
family. The firstborn enjoyed an authority over those younger, similar to that
possessed by a father – Unger’s Bible Dictionary, p. 367.].
Has
anyone ever stolen anything from you, so that you wanted to strike back at that
person in some way?
If so, how and why?
What should you have done,
and/or what should you do the next time something like this happens, and why (see
Mk.
Gen. 34:2, 25-27 Why did Simeon
and Levi kill Shechem, Hamor,
and every male Hivite?
If your sister, mother, or wife was raped and you
knew the person who did it, would you take revenge and retaliate, and why?
If not, what would you do, and why?
As a Christian, how should you respond, and why (Mk.
Rom.
What
should we do instead, and why?
Have you ever flashed your car’s bright lights on
someone else’s car because the person did something to you that you didn’t
like?
Have you ever left a mess in your room, apartment,
home, place of employment, a restaurant, or department store because someone
there did something to you that you didn’t like, so you struck back by leaving
a mess there for him/her to have to clean up?
Have you ever stopped talking to someone because of
a comment he/she made about you that you didn’t like?
Has anybody ever made a comment about your clothes,
hair, the way you played certain games, your cooking, or the way you drive, so
you retaliated, in turn, by saying something you didn’t like about that person?
Have you ever made noise when someone was trying to
sleep, read, or pray because he/she did it to you and you wanted him/her to
know what it felt like?
Have you ever hit someone because they hit you first?
Have you ever stolen or broken someone else’s
property because of something he/she did or said to or about you?
Which kind of retaliation do you find it easiest to
commit (e.g., emotional, verbal, financial, or physical), and why?
How does God feel about a vengeful spirit, and why?
Judg. 15:4-8 What
did Samson do as a result of his wife and father-in-law being murdered?
What would you have done if you knew who murdered a
member of your family or a close friend, and why?
What should you do, and why (Mk.
1 Sam. 18:10, 11; 19:9-11; 24:1-6; 26:7-11 What had Saul tried to do to David three times?
Why did David not
seek revenge and kill Saul, even though he had good opportunities to do so (24:6;
26:9, 11)?
[“anointed” – set apart by God to serve Him, Unger’s Bible
Dictionary, p. 67].
Do you think David’s
concept of God helped to determine his response?
What concept of God did David have that caused him
not to comply with his men’s suggestion to kill Saul (26:9, 10)?
How does your concept of God influence your attitude
toward revenge on those who have wronged you, and why?
How could you go about changing your concept of God
so that it’s accurate/correct, so that it influences
you to have the proper attitude toward revenge?
2 Sam. 13:7-14, 22-29 What did Amnon do that caused his half-brother Absalom to hate him?
How long was it before
Absalom got revenge?
Have you ever held a grudge against someone for an
extended period (e.g., weeks, months, years) because of something he/she
did to a family member or friend of yours that resulted in your getting back?
If so, what should
you do, now that you know what God says about revenge (also see Eph.
Will you do it, and
why?
Esther
3:2-6 Because of Haman’s pride, what was his immediate reaction when
Mordecai would not bow down to him (vs. 5)?
What did Haman seek to do
to all the Jews because Mordecai would not bow down to him?
Have you ever been angry or filled with rage when
someone would not meet your demands or expectation (even though your
expectations were wrong)? If
so, did you seek retaliation?
What should you have done, why and how (Rom. 12:3;
Matt. 15:19; Mk. 7:20-23 What is the
major cause of a revengeful spirit?
[“the heart” – here, it means “the sin nature”].
Do you have a
revengeful/retaliatory spirit? If so, whose fault is it?
If
not, have you ever had a revengeful spirit (e.g., wanting to get someone
back emotionally by ignoring them; physically, by hitting or killing them;
verbally, by calling them names, gossiping, or slandering them; or financially,
by suing them, or stealing from or vandalizing their property)?
What are some ways to overcome a revengeful spirit (1
Jn. 1:9;
Mk. 6:17-25 Why did Herodias have a grudge
against John the Baptist and want to kill him?
What happened
because John told Herod the truth, but Herodias
didn’t like it (vs. 27)?
Has
a spiritual leader or Christian friend ever rebuked you for some sin in your
life, and you not only didn’t like it, but retaliated against the person in
some way?
Rather than retaliating, what should be your response
toward being confronted or corrected for sin in your life by someone (Lk.
17:3; Prov.
Gal. 5:19-21 What are the deeds of the flesh/sin nature?
[Any sin is really a deed of the flesh,
which would include a revengeful spirit.].
Which kind of retaliation do you find it easier to
commit (e.g., emotional, verbal, or
physical), and why?
Have
you ever put your car’s bright lights on someone who did the same to you?
Have
you ever left a mess in your or another person’s apartment/room when it wasn’t
your turn to clean the apartment or room because they did it to you when it was
your turn to clean?
Have
you ever stopped talking to someone because of a comment they made about you
rather than confronting them about it and trying to gain reconciliation?
Have
your parents ever told you that you couldn’t do something or go somewhere,
which then resulted in your not wanting to do the chores around the house?
Has
anybody ever made a comment about your attitude, clothes, hair, the way you
played certain games, your cooking, or the way you drive, which then resulted
in your saying something negative about them or to them in retaliation?
Have
you ever made noise when someone was trying to sleep, read, or pray because
they did it to you, and wanted them to know what it felt like?
Have
you ever hit someone back because they hit you first or said something nasty
about you?
How
does God feel about a revengeful spirit (
If you answered “yes” to any of the above, what do
you plan to do about it, and how soon?