“If your enemies are hungry, give them food to eat. If they are thirsty, give them water to drink. You will heap burning coals of shame on their heads, and the Lord will reward you.” (Proverbs 25:21-22 NLT)
These two verses are repeated in the New Testament in Romans 12:20. Solomon says that the right way to handle your “enemies” is exactly the opposite of the way you want to handle them. The natural response we feel when our enemies hurt is to let them suffer. I know the feeling well! Through the years I’ve often thought of what I’d really like to say or do to someone that mistreated me or hurt me deeply. I haven’t mastered this truth yet, but I’ve learned that you get better results when you don’t do what they are expecting you to do and God is more glorified through it, as well. What I’m talking about is sort of a “surprise attack,” though it’s not really an attack at all. When he says we will “heap burning coals of shame on their heads” by doing good to our enemies, he’s not talking about doing good so they really get “burned up.” It’s an illustration of something that was done in the Middle East when a person felt sorry for their actions. To show their contrition, they would carry on their head hot coals in a pan as a sign of their sorrow and repentance. So, when Solomon says to do good to our enemies (“give them food,” “give them water”) he’s telling us that by our good deeds toward the offending parties we have a greater chance of bringing them to the recognition of their wrong and leading them to true change. Does it always happen? No, but it is always right to do right because it is right. It also protects your testimony and puts them in a place that they will be without excuse when they stand before God. This was Peter’s advice, “Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world.” (1 Peter 2:12 NLT) The fact is...God is going to judge the world one day and He will settle the score with our “enemies” in a just and righteous way! It will be our “honorable behavior” that will be part of the witness against them. Let's ask God to help us leave vengeance and justice to Him and do the opposite of the way we feel when our enemy is suffering in some way!
