He
layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous (Prov 2:7)
Interacting With: Our Enemies: Proverbs 25:20-23
20) [As] he that taketh away
a garment in cold weather, [and as]
vinegar upon nitre, so [is] he that
singeth songs to an heavy heart.
21) If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be
thirsty, give him water to drink:
22) For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and the LORD shall
reward thee.
23) The north wind driveth away rain: so [doth] an angry countenance a backbiting tongue.
In
this section of Scripture Solomon addresses the proper way we are to interact
with our enemies…
EXPOSITION:
20) [As] he that taketh away
a garment in cold weather, [and as]
vinegar upon nitre, so [is] he that
singeth songs to an heavy heart.
What
we should NOT do to our enemies…
1. A person who takes away another’s clothing
when the weather is cold
2. As vinegar (an acid) poured upon potash (a
base)
3. A person who sings a song to a person that is
grieving due to unfulfilled desires
When
we make light or ignore our enemies’ grief, it displays a lack of concern and only
increases their grief and their bitterness towards us. It is very similar to taking an acid and
pouring it upon a base, which renders both substances ineffectual. Likewise, it is like taking away a warm
garment from an individual, leaving them exposed to the cold weather.
“Ye have heard that it hath
been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love
your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and
pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the
children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on
the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which
love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your
brethren only, what do ye more [than others]? do not even the publicans so?´ (Matthew 5:43-47)
21) If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be
thirsty, give him water to drink:
Instead,
we are to show them our love and graciousness by …
1. If our foe is hungry, we are to hand over our
bread for them to consume
2. If our foe is thirsty, we are to hand over
water for them to partake of
In
both cases, we are giving of ourselves to meet their needs, strengthen and
encourage them. These are displays of
love, graciousness an concern for their well-being.
“Dearly beloved, avenge not
yourselves, but [rather] give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance [is]
mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink:
for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil,
but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:19-21)
22) For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and the LORD shall
reward thee.
Why
show love and concern for our enemies?
1.
We are piling up coals of fire upon their head
2.
The Lord will reciprocate us for our faithfulness to Him.
By
treating our enemies kindly, we are producing and increasing their feelings of
guilt. Also, it is increasing their responsibility before the Lord to treat us
properly. Not only will these acts of kindness
possibly work to mend the rift between us, but also the Lord will bless us for our
efforts whether our enemy makes things right with us or not. Either way, we really have nothing to lose.
“Then said Saul, I have
sinned: return, my son David: for I will no more do thee harm, because my soul
was precious in thine eyes this day: behold, I have played the fool, and have
erred exceedingly. And David answered and
said, Behold the king's spear! and let one of the young men come over and fetch
it. The LORD render to every
man his righteousness and his faithfulness: for the LORD delivered thee into [my]
hand to day, but I would not stretch forth mine hand against the LORD'S
anointed. And, behold, as thy life
was much set by this day in mine eyes, so let my life be much set by in the
eyes of the LORD, and let him deliver me out of all tribulation. Then Saul said to David,
Blessed [be] thou, my son David: thou shalt both do great [things], and also
shalt still prevail. So David went on his way, and Saul returned to his place.” (1 Samuel 26:21-25)
23) The north wind driveth away rain: so [doth] an angry countenance a backbiting tongue.
We
should be honest with our enemies…
1.
the wind that blows from the north will send away the rain (that comes from the
south)
2.
in this same way a stern look of indignation will send away a tongue that
deceptively gossips
When
our enemies offend us, we are to show them we have been offended by their
actions. This is the only way that we
can be sure they realize that they have offended us. Also, it puts them on notice that we know what
they are doing and are not pleased with it.
This
principle is simply a matter of honesty.
By showing our enemy in a kind and controlled way that we have been offended,
we are opening a channel for communication, and hopefully, reconciliation will
follow.
“He that walketh uprightly,
and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart. [He that] backbiteth not
with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach
against his neighbour.” (Psalms 15:2-3)
SUMMARY:
Four
basic principles in dealing with our enemies…
1. We are to be careful not to make light or
ignore our enemies’ grief, it displays a lack of concern and only increases
their grief and their bitterness towards us.
2. We are to show them our love and graciousness
by attempting to help them during times of need …
3. By treating our enemies kindly, we are producing
or increasing their feelings of guilt and putting ourselves in a position to be
blessed of the Lord.
4. When our enemies offend us, we are to show them
we have been offended, in doing so, we are opening a channel for communication,
and hopefully, reconciliation will follow.
May
we all possess Godly wisdom and live our lives for Him.
By
God’s grace, let us all study these proverbs diligently, giving them the value
that they deserve.
May the
Lord bless us as we receive this sound wisdom and then “Think On These Things”.
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