Revenge is His

"Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi,

'You have brought trouble on me by making me

obnoxious to the Canaanites and Perizzites,

the people living in this lands.

We are few in number,

and if they join forces against me and attack me,

I and my household will be destroyed.'

But they replied,

'Should he have treated our sister like a prostitute?'"

Genesis 34:30-31

His anger burned within him.  How dare his father-in-law give his own wife away to another? Did she not belong to him?  They have given me a right to get even with them, he thought.  No one can fault me for avenging this great injustice.

So he captured 300 foxes, tying them tail-to-tail and fastened a burning torch to each pair of tails.  Setting them loose into the Philistine's fields, Samson had his revenge by destroying their wheat harvest as well as their vineyards and olive groves. (Judges 15:1-5)

While God used the ruthless rabble-rouser Samson to deliver the people of Israel from the Philistines, thus ending the punishment God had enacted on His people for their evil-doing, I cannot expect to live my life in such a vengeful way. (Judges 13:1-5)  When I take revenge into my own hands, there are unintended consequences, unforeseen fallout, and unexpected penalties for taking on this role of God.  There is a reason that vengeance belongs to the Lord.  (Romans 12:19)

Excessive

Jesus knew the hearts of men.  As a result, he would not trust any man until the time came that He would turn Himself over to those He created as a part of His Father's master plan of salvation for all mankind.  Before that time, however, He was wary of their judgement. (John 2:24-25)

I am also one of those sinful creatures who cannot be trusted.  When I let my feelings lead me, I tend to dole out a punishment that far outweighs the crime.  Seeing the pain that someone caused by their thoughtless gossip, for instance, I think the offender deserves to continue in life friendless.

When I suffer at the hand of another's greed and desperation, I want him punished to the fullest extent of the law so he can have plenty of time to think about how he hurt me.  

If I witness the grief of a mother at the hand of a ruthless killer, I can dream up all kinds of torture for him to suffer because of the anguish his actions brought about.

Vengeance belongs to the Lord because His punishment is always appropriate while mine tends to be over-the-top.

Unjust

"When I punish my children I dole out the sentence to all of them because I want them to unite against a common enemy: Me!"  I didn't know how to respond to this mother's explanation of her seemingly callous attitude toward disciplining her sons and daughters.  While I'm all for teamwork and camaraderie, I couldn't see the logic behind her theory.

Humans tend to enact punishment in a way that is unjust.  Since I can't see the big picture nor do I have any way of knowing how my decision will effect every single person who may be involved, I'm apt to hurt the innocent along with those who deserve what's coming to them when I carry out revenge.

Tender hearts could turn cold toward God because of the fallout caused by my actions intended to settle the score.  While I'm out to teach my foe a lesson, I could also unintentionally instruct bystanders in the finer points of merciless living.  I may fool myself into thinking I'm just paying back what it owed, but my family pays the higher price of having to live with an angry woman driven to bitterness by unforgiveness.

Vengeance belongs to the Lord because His punishment is always just while mine tends to hurt those who get caught in the crossfire.

Useless

She thought it would make her feel better, but all it did was send her deeper into the pit of despair and self-loathing.  While it was true that her husband hurt her when he decided to give his heart to another woman, her fling with the attractive man who always flirted with her at the gym did nothing to ease her pain.  Instead, it only added guilt to the already overwhelming pile of negative feelings weighing her down.  

Whereas revenge may seem like it will help to lessen the hurts caused by another, it usually only ends up complicating matters.  Moreover, seeking revenge on my own terms doesn't solve the root of the problem, but only serves to satisfy my own sinful desire to settle the score.  After the act is finished, the desire to retaliate is now in my enemy's court, setting up a never-ending feud that has the power to overtake my life.

Vengeance belongs to the Lord because His punishment is always beneficial while mine tends to promote a longstanding feud.

There is a reason God said vengeance belongs to Him.  This is because I tend to think up ways to enact revenge that is excessive, hurts the innocent along with the one who is the target of my attack, and is useless against solving the real problem.  Consequently, it is best that I take the advice of the Apostle Paul and leave room for the wrath of God, because revenge is His! (Romans 12:19)

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can let go of my hurts and let God defend me.

When do I take matters into my own hands, thinking I need to defend my own honor?

How do I think more about my own reputation than I do of God's?