DAILY TEXT, From today Monday July 17, 2023, I will not lay my hand on my lord (1 Sam. 24:10).

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Monday July 17

I will not lay my hand on my lord (1 Sam. 24:10).

King David did not always show mercy. For example, when Nabal—who was a rude man by nature—insulted him and refused to give David and his men food, David became enraged and said that he would kill Nabal and all the men in his household. Because Nabal's wife, Abigail, acted with speed, kindness, and patience, David was not guilty of shedding blood (1 Sam. 25:9-22, 32-35). Notice that when David was carried away by his rage, he said that Nabal and all his men deserved to die. And then he did not hesitate to sentence the man of Nathan's example to death. In the latter case, we may wonder why a man who was normally so good was so severe in his judgment. But let's think about what David's situation was. At that time he was burdened with a guilty conscience. The tendency to judge others harshly is a sign of poor spiritual health. w21.10 41:17, 18, 20.

Why did a Christian have to be expelled from the Corinthian congregation?

Let's see how the apostle Paul dealt with the case of an unrepentant sinner in the first century. This Corinthian Christian had immoral conduct, as he was living with his father's wife. How scandalous! Jehovah had told the ancient nation of Israel: “The man who lies with his father's wife has brought dishonor to his father. Both must die without fail” (Lev. 20:11). Of course, Paul couldn't tell the Corinthian congregation to execute that man; but he did tell her to expel him. The immoral behavior of this man was affecting a part of the congregation. There were even some who thought it was not such a serious sin (1 Cor. 5:1, 2, 13).

How did Paul show mercy to the man expelled from Corinth, and why? (2 Corinthians 2:5-8, 11).

Some time later, Paul learned that the sinner had made changes and had truly repented. Although the man had tarnished the name of the congregation, Paul told the elders that he did not want to be "too harsh." He gave them the following instruction: “You must kindly forgive him and comfort him.” And he explained why: "So he doesn't feel overwhelmed by being too sad." Paul felt sorry for this man who had repented. The apostle did not want him to feel so overwhelmed and crushed with guilt that he would stop seeking forgiveness (read 2 Corinthians 2:5-8, 11).

How do elders show firmness and mercy with balance?

As in the case of Jehovah, elders love to show mercy. They act tough when necessary, but show mercy when possible if there is a compelling reason to do so. If they did not discipline the sinner, they would not be showing mercy, but rather being permissive. Now, are the elderly the only ones who should show mercy?

According to Proverbs 21:13, what does Jehovah do with those who show no mercy?

All Christians want to be merciful like Jehovah. Because? One reason is that he does not listen to those who show no mercy to others (read Proverbs 21:13). Because we don't want Jehovah to refuse to listen to our prayers, we are very careful not to be harsh with others. Instead of covering our ears “to the cries of the needy”, we are always ready to listen to the Christian who is suffering pain. In addition, we take seriously this warning that the Bible gives us: "He who shows no mercy will have a judgment without mercy" (James 2:13). If we are humble and keep in mind how much we need to be shown mercy, we will be more willing to show it to others. Above all, we want to do it when a repentant sinner returns to the congregation.

How did King David show mercy from the heart?

In the Bible, we find examples that teach us to show mercy to others and not treat them harshly. Consider King David, someone who often showed mercy from the heart. Although Saul wanted to kill him, David was merciful to this God-appointed king and never tried to take revenge on him or harm him (1 Sam. 24:9-12, 18, 19).

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