Read Proverbs 25:21–22
Questions from the Scripture text: To whom does Proverbs 25:21 teach us how to relate? What might his condition be? What should we do then? What else might his condition be? What should we do then? What will we do by this (Proverbs 25:22a)? And what will YHWH do (verse 22b)?
How should we treat our enemies? Proverbs 26:21–22 looks forward to the midweek sermon. In these two verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that we should love our enemies and do good to them.
This chapter has been teaching us how to conduct ourselves with authorities (Proverbs 26:1-5), in public life (Proverbs 26:6-10), as citizens (Proverbs 26:11-15), and with our neighbors (Proverbs 26:16-20). But there is a special sub-case that belongs to any of these situations. We live in a fallen world of sinners, and so we will have enemies. This is particularly difficult for us, because we ourselves are only partially sanctified, and the ordinary responses of our flesh may be to be anxious over, fearful of, obsessive about, or especially vengeful toward our enemies.
But none of those are the right way of responding to our enemy. The Lord reigns over all now, and His ultimate justice is righteous and full. Our conduct toward our enemies must be in service of this justice, not a substitute for it. And how does our conduct serve His justice? Well, if we are in civil office, we do serve that justice by way of rendering just judgments (cf. Romans 13:1–7). But, just before saying that in Romans 13, the apostle quotes from our passage, because more frequently, the believer is not in the place of an authority.
A believer is a former-enemy, who has been loved. When we love our enemies, we are glorifying the Lord by imitating His sweet love to us. And, our loving our enemy serves His justice by exposing, further, the wickedness of this enemy. Thus, the burning coals of His wrath are heaped up on their heads—not an incentive to a vindictive spirit in us, but an incentive to bring glory to our God in His justice.
So, how do we go about loving the enemy? In order to obey Proverbs 26:21, you need to care enough about your enemy to have consideration of what he is experiencing and observe it. You need to care enough that he might be hungry or thirsty, in order to observe whether he’s hungry or thirsty. And then you need to do something about it. There is no room here for ill will in the heart, or inner gloating over your enemy’s difficulty. There is compassion and action. After all, you were an enemy. And you weren’t just hungry or thirsty; you were under wrath and curse.
Who have been enemies to you in the government? In the neighborhood? In the church? Who else? How are you fostering genuine compassion for them in your heart? How are you staying aware of what they might need? What do they need most of all? How are you praying, and acting, for these needs of theirs to be met?
Sample prayer: Lord, thank You for loving us, when we were Your enemies. Please grant unto us to love our enemies, so that whether You are glorified by their redemption, or by their just condemnation, our attitude and action toward our enemies will bring you glory, we ask through Christ, AMEN!
Suggested songs: ARP15 “Within Your Tent, Who Will Reside?” or TPH73B “Yes, God Is Good to Israel”
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