Some years ago a popular motion picture starring Sylvester Stallone was entitled 'First Blood.' The picture revolves around a battle hardened, green beret commando who was hassled, mistreated, and injured by the sheriff of a small town in Washington. He became so enraged by this treatment that he trashed the town. When asked why he did this he replied, "They drew first blood." This movie appeals to the natural inclination of mankind to retaliate, to get even. The spirit of revenge permeates our society with everything from family feuds to wars between street gangs, and they usually end in tragedy.
Probably the most famous family feud was between the Martins and the Coy's. This feud lasted many years with alternate killings, each one designed to even the score; it was self-perpetuating. A similar situation exists in the underworld of the mafia, or Cosa Nostra (our thing). The mafia are family groups, and they resort to violence to maintain their financial status and their honor. This question of honor also was seen in the practice of dueling. These duels were fought with swords and later with pistols. Many brave men lost their lives in this rather foolish custom of retaliation for some trivial insult or disagreement.
This spirit of retaliation and revenge is, of course, in direct violation of God's counsel and will. However, God's people frequently went contrary to this counsel, and took things into their own hands to settle a score, usually with sad results. Moses was moved to counsel the children of Israel to abstain from vengeance (Deut. 32:35), which was repeated by the apostle Paul (Rom. 12:19). The spirit of violence and bloodshed was prevalent in the antediluvian world which began with the murder of Abel by his brother Cain. This spirit of rivalry is seen between Jacob and Esau, between Isaac and Ishmael, between King Saul and David, and even among Christ's disciples.
God has told us that vengeance is His prerogative, and we are not to take the violent solution of life's disagreements as our right. Regardless of the magnitude of the injustice, even to death itself, revenge or retaliation is wrong. In the conflict of the great controversy between Christ and Satan many innocent people have lost their lives. The blood of Abel cries out to God for vengeance (Gen. 4:10). The blood of the martyrs cry out to God for vengeance (Rev. 6:10). The murders, atrocities, assassinations, tortures, and shed blood of innocents through all of history cry out to God for vengeance. But in this great conflict, the blood that cries out the loudest to God is the blood shed by Christ on the cross of Calvary. When Satan is destroyed in the fire of hell, God can say that justice has been done, for Satan drew "first blood."
