What Does It Mean To Revile?

# 345 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 25:14 “Now one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal's wife, saying, "Look, David sent messengers from the wilderness to greet our master; and he reviled them. ( 1 Sam 25:14) Reviled. Now there's a word we just don't use that often. What does it mean to revile someone? The King James uses the word “railed.” We have seen this word in action most often in observing coaches or parents who rail at the officials over bad calls at sporting events. But it's not just flying off the handle at someone, it's what you intimate in your railing that makes it reviling. Remember what Nabal said to David's men? “Who is David, and who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants nowadays who break away each one from his master.” He intimated that David was a nobody, likening him to a common rebel. This is the same intimation or reviling that Jesus experienced from those passing by when He hung on the cross. And He had some strong words of warning for us regarding reviling others He said in Mt 5:22 "But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, 'Raca!' (worthless one) shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, 'You fool!' (you morally worthless person) shall be in danger of hell fire. Since we are not the Potter, we have no right to call anyone “worthless.” Let us learn from this in our dealings with others. We must realize that every soul matters to God. Every soul has been bought and paid for with the blood of Jesus, and this price gives everyone moral value. No one is beyond the reach of God's saving grace! Some have just not had that truth of God's love revealed to them. One more thing, as followers of Christ you and I can expect to be “reviled.” How should we handle it? 1Pe 2:23 says this about Jesus, “who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; Jesus didn't say, Father, fry these true nobodies!” No He said “Father forgive them, they know not what they do.” Father guard my heart from reviling.