Proverbs 24

I love it when Bible verses make me laugh out loud. This one caught my fancy today: “Don’t rejoice when your enemies fall; don’t be happy when they stumble. For the Lord will be displeased with you and will turn his anger away from them.” (vs 17-18) I just had to laugh right out loud. A call to not gloat over your enemies—not because it’s the right thing to do, but so you can keep your enemies in their troubles longer!

I must say, though, that this is a direct example of a recent conversation I’ve been having with some friends of mine. We’ve been discussing the idea of how spiritual development occurs and, more specifically, how we see that development across time in the Bible. For instance, in Exodus 21:23-25, God said, “If there is serious injury, you are to take life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.” But when Jesus came, He said, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person.” (Matt 5:38-39)

How should we understand those two passages? They seem to contradict one another, yet if we are to believe the Bible, God spoke the first one and God spoke the second one. Did He forget about His command to take “eye for eye”? Did He change His mind? Or are these two passages an example of how God furthers our spiritual development?

I would vote for the third option, and I would suggest that today’s passage is actually a middle “step” between the two. First, God asked the Israelites to restrain themselves by only taking an “eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.” Until this merciful restraint, they were in the cultural habit of answering a rape, say, with wiping out a whole village of people (Gen 38). Any small act of violence (even accidental) could lead to an all-out war in no time because of the rate of escalation. So, God said, “Only take from your enemies what they took from you. No more, no less.”

Next comes this middle “step.” God suggested through Solomon that His people were not to gloat over their enemies when some tragedy befell them. When they saw someone get “what they deserved,” they were not to feel happy about it. Why? Because that would not please God, and He might start being kind to the enemy! So, it seems God was moving them to better behavior by appealing to a selfish motive.

Once they were accustomed to the “better” behavior, God could say through Jesus, “Do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.” (Matt 5:39-42) Do you see what God did here? He encouraged the “better” behavior by removing the selfish motive and revealing that the one who does not retaliate is the one who has the power!

In effect, God said that if someone takes something from you, give them more. If anyone slaps you, turn the other cheek. (You’re not a victim of assault if you have offered your cheek.) If someone sues you for your shirt, give them both your shirt and your coat. (You’re not a victim of theft if you are happy to hand the items over.) If someone forces you to go a certain distance, go double the distance. (You’re not a victim of kidnapping if you are willing to go.)

In short, Jesus is telling us that we never have to be a victim of anything or anyone. We can live as our heavenly Father does—as though we have no enemies. And if someone chooses to use force and “exert their power” over us, we don’t have to let them have power and control over us. Using their evil deed as an opportunity, we can treat them with kindness, and in so doing, we never have to spend one moment as their victim. That’s exactly what God does: “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” (Matt 5:43-45)

God has no enemies, or at least He lives like He has no enemies. People may hate Him, but He doesn’t hate them, and He treats them with the same kindness, care, and concern as He does those who love Him. And as we stick with Him, He is more than able to help us develop spiritually into the kind of person He is. Sometimes I don’t know quite how He does it—there is so much in my filthy little heart that needs changing!—but I know He does. No matter where we are on the continuum—at the point of “eye for eye” revenge, at the point of not gloating over our enemies for a selfish reason, or at the point of rethinking that whole “eye for eye” thing—God meets us where we are and helps us along in our understanding.

God doesn’t live His life in bondage to His enemies, and with His help, we don’t have to live in bondage to ours!