A simple way to look at it is everybodys got something. Today's climate makes it easy to harbor feelings of resentment toward others or toward a specific group of people. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.". So he takes that straight out of the Old Testament, but he also says "you have heard it said that you should 'hate your enemy.'" That is a little more difficult, because nowhere in the Old Testament is there ever a command to hate one's enemy. Is that something that started with the New Covenant? Q We read in Proverbs 25:21: If your enemies are hungry, give them bread to eat; and if they are thirsty, give them water to drink. You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord. He is addressing faulty interpretations of the Law. When you offer a sacrifice of peace offerings to the Lord, you shall offer it so that you may be accepted. "1 Samuel 25-26: Love Your Enemies," Old Testament Seminary Student Study Guide (2002), 98 "1 Samuel 25-26," Old Testament Seminary Student Study Guide, 98 1 Samuel 25-26. Contact me: openbibleinfo (at) gmail.com. If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Your enemy doesnt just mean some outside force that you fight with bayonets and swords., Put simply, loving our enemies means seeing them as human beings.. However, those living without Christ are not unreachable. They have forsaken the Lord, they have despised the Holy One of Israel, they are utterly estranged. But did Israel really live this out this ethos? Used by permission. And prepare for me delicious food, such as I love, and bring it to me so that I may eat, that my soul may bless you before I die., Because Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.. First of all, Jesus Himself said that His teachings were a development of existing ones in the Old Testament: This looks bad at first glance, but upon close examination, I think it is simply expressing the thought that those whom God judges, I also judge [in agreement with Gods prior decision]; they deserve their condemnation. Its expressing the notion of judgment or proper justice or righteous indignation at those who indeed are among the reprobate, on their way to hell. 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, . Labs Humans have feelings of hate, motivated by an idea that another person has harmed us in some way. Actually, those persecuting you are those of your enemies most likely to be convicted by the Holy Spirit and turn to Christ. It is what Jesus did on the cross; it is the Gospel. I will tell of the decree: The Lord said to me, You are my Son; today I have begotten you. The very core of the heart of God is summed up in three words: "love your enemies" ( Romans 5:10 ). Luke 6:35-36. The Book of Mormon tells a story of Jesus descending from heaven in ancient America and preaching the Sermon on the Mount again to the people there. Love Your Enemies: Old Testament Teaching Too? Is he my darling child? The Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord. Copyright 2023, Bible Study Tools. The Arameans no longer came raiding into the land of Israel. (v. 23), [In my next post Ill look at the relationship between Jesus views on revenge and the Old Testament teachings on that topic (e.g., Matt 5:38).]. Oh, my goodness is God long-suffering under the Old Covenant towards people who dont deserve them. Are you kidding me? He will love you, bless you, and multiply you. The Lord Jesus says that when we love our enemies, we prove that we are His children. If you see the donkey of one who hates you lying down under its burden, you shall refrain from leaving him with it; you shall rescue it with him. Oops! You may unsubscribe from Bible Gateways emails at any time. 30 Give to everyone who asks you, and if . 6:35). Verse 2, "If your brother be not near unto thee or if thou know him not," maybe it's somebody you don't even know. I can't love my enemies without your help. The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master's crib, but Israel does not know, my people do not understand. Ah, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, offspring of evildoers, children who deal corruptly! Interestingly, Mormonism alters Jesus words here and accidentally creates the very problem for which Jesus is falsely accused! You can love your enemies too. The Wisdom books warn hearers not to rejoice when enemies face disaster (e.g., Prov 24:17; Job 31:29; cf. Hes referring to this commandment, Love your neighbor. Great question. This is why Paul writes, And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love (1 Corinthians 13:13, NKJV). Early Christians sought to take the . Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.Give thanks to the God of gods, for his steadfast love endures forever. And said, By myself I have sworn, declares the Lord, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. Thats what God was teaching in the law? Now, therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love, let not all the hardship seem little to you that has come upon us, upon our kings, our princes, our priests, our prophets, our fathers, and all your people, since the time of the kings of Assyria until this day. So, when Jesus challenges what the people have heard, love your neighbor and hate your enemy, He is not twisting the Old Testament to attack it. No, the Old Testament never teaches to hate our enemies any more than the New Testament does. what does love your enemies look like in the old testament? 18(A)You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, (B)but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord. Now more than ever, we need to implement these teachings into our lives. We'd love to keep you up to date with what is happening at CARM. When you love your enemies, you grow and develop spiritually. We might hate the wicked ways of those around us as they represent an affront to Gods holiness. Therefore my heart yearns for him; I will surely have mercy on him, declares the Lord. Then Isaac brought her into the tent of Sarah his mother and took Rebekah, and she became his wife, and he loved her. S Jesus goes on . It's stressful when someone you love is undergoing surgery. God loves your enemies. Turn to these in moments where forgiveness seems too difficult to manage., In 1 Corinthians 13:45, the Bible says, Love is patient, love is kind. Verse Concepts. Jesus is raising the bar now that hes come to the earth and hes got a set of followers. OpenBible.info Love Your Enemies | Theology of Work So Isaac was comforted after his mother's death. In addition to founding three churches, and the call as Senior Pastor of First Presbyterian Church, Chattanooga, Dr. Milton is a retired Army Chaplain (Colonel). He will also bless the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground, your grain and your wine and your oil, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock, in the land that he swore to your fathers to give you. In practice, many people felt that they should love fellow Jews and it did not matter if . For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and . Does the Old Testament teach to hate your enemies? | carm.org is love your enemies in the old testament To the choirmaster: according to The Doe of the Dawn. Publisher: OpenBible.info. Remember hes God. The command says to love your neighbor, but it never says anything about hating your enemies. But I Say to You, Love Your Enemies, Part 1 | Desiring God For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart. Because of the love of God in Christ and the transforming power of the gospel, many who curse God today will be preaching His Word tomorrow. And God separated the light from the darkness. Love Your Enemies: What It Means And Examples On How To Do So For the Lord your God is testing you, to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. That youre only obligated to love the people who love you, but you have no obligation to ever show mercy and grace to undeserving people? He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. (John 3:16-18), God saves because we need saving! In the Old Testament, there is a verse in Leviticus 19:18 that states, "Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. What Does Colossians 2:6-7 Teach Us about Our Faith Walk? I think its a valid question. It may come as a surprise that some specific teachings on showing love toward enemies appear only in the Old Testament. Hes expecting more out of them than God expected out of anyone before them. Has anyone in your life constantly annoyed you or upset you in some way? H Even when the Romans nailed him to the cross, Jesus said in Luke 23:34, Father forgive them for they know not what they do., Loving your enemies may seem difficult on the surface, but there are many ways to incorporate loving our neighbors into our lives, Despite all of this information on what loving your enemy means, its still hard to implement in everyday life. 1123573), Ali Blacklee Whittall Seeing the Women of the OT, Ruth Perrin and Ed Earnshaw Student Ministry, Jasper Knecht Reading the Scriptures with the Early Church, Christine Westhoff Reframing the Prophetic, Tim Mackie Biblical Studies and Christology, The Bible as Narrative Tobias Siegenthaler, The value of friendship in the Christian life Andy Hudson, Tobias Siegenthaler The Bible as Narrative, Bridging the funding gap for deaf students Janey Lawry-White, The Bible and Culture by Ben Witherington. Pray for them. Thats a good question. Whether its a loss of a job, a loved one, self-esteem, or their own health, there are plenty of reasons people do what they do., The next step is to accept where they are in their life. However, in the end, we must come to accept one another as children of God. There is no other alternative for one who knows such love in ones own life. R By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from Bible Gateway, a division of The Zondervan Corporation, 3900 Sparks Drive SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546 USA, including commercial communications and messages from partners of Bible Gateway. Matthew frequently records Jesus challenging the Pharisees with phrases like, Have you not read?1For example, Matthew 12:3, Matthew 12:5, Matthew 19:4, Matthew 21:16, Matthew 21:42 Matthew 22:31 Never, have you not heard? When speaking from the Prophet Daniel, Jesus bids let the reader understand, not let the hearer understand. This pattern is extremely consistent. As the late Dr. John Stott wrote, In each antithesis (You have heard that it was said but I say to you ) he rejected the easy-going tradition of the scribes, reaffirmed the authority of Old Testament Scripture, and drew out the full and exacting implications of Gods moral law.2So, we can say that the presenting issues we observe in the text have to do with a misunderstanding of loving ones enemies. Want the Verse of the Day sent to your inbox? He believed it was nearly as vital as loving God with your whole heart. All rights reserved. Are not even the tax collectors doing that? This remains a challenge for our generation, as well. Jesus demonstrated love for his enemies by forgiving those who mistreated him. In you our fathers trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them. O More insights from your Bible study - Get Started with Logos Bible Software for Free! There was nothing wrong with the Old Testament teaching of recognizing the enemies of God. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! To become more like Christ, we need to harness feelings of love and acceptance., Many times Jesus was betrayed and persecuted, and time and again, he chose forgiveness and understanding. "You Have HeardBut I Say"Jesus' Six Counterpoints: Moral Upgrade or Moral Reclamation. Knowledge of the Old Testament should lead us to reject what we might call a docetic ethics, a belief that Jesus ethical teachings just dropped from heaven. He's the inspirer of it, the . All rights reserved. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your . Love the sojourner, therefore, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt. Who Taught "Hate Your Enemy'', and Why? (Luke 23:33, 34) His teachings about loving our enemies harmonize with what is stated in the Hebrew Scriptures, commonly called the Old Testament.Exodus 23:4, 5; Proverbs 24:17; 25:21. 1 John 4:16; Mal. Thanks for joining me. 44 But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. You shall not walk in their statutes. The Old Testament nowhere requires Israel to hate its enemies. Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth; for the Lord has spoken: Children have I reared and brought up, but they have rebelled against me. The fault here, however, is not with Jesus or the Old Testament. The assumption is that Jesus contrasts the ethics of the Old Testament with His ethics. That's what this guide is all about. Every one of you shall revere his mother and his father, and you shall keep my Sabbaths: I am the Lord your God. Surely youd want the person to do the same when you voice your opinion., Can you truly forgive an enemy for what theyve done in your heart?, Jesus makes it clear many times in the Bible that we must model our forgiveness of others on God's forgiveness of our sins., In Matthew 6:14-15, the Bible says, "If you forgive others the wrongs they've done to you, your Father in heaven will also forgive you. The Gospel of Matthew doesnt present Jesus as speaking of the Scriptures themselves as something heard, but rather as something read. So in Matthew 5, when Jesus uses the formula of you have heard it saidbut I say, Jesus is not arguing with the passage itself. All right, so you've got tradition in Jesus time. For the Lord is righteous; he loves righteous deeds; the upright shall behold his face. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. Elisha prayed, and miraculously, the enemy army was struck with blindness until Elisha led them bound into the middle of the capital city Samaria, where they stood before Jehoram. God is an unchanging God of love (cf. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 13. Meditate on the truth that is proclaimed throughout all of the Bible and personified in the person of our Lord: But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Rom. No end was in sight. Get our Question of the Week delivered right to your inbox! Jesus emphasizes the reality of reward in loving others. Some critics challenge, however, that this creates a problem with Jesus own teaching, which seems (they claim) to indicate that the Old Testament taught hate of enemies and that Jesus replaced this with the stricter ethic of love for even ones enemies. I'm a "progressive" ", "Dear Bob, Read Chapter 6 of Orgien's On Prayer, a work that Mr. Engwer himself ", "Excellent as always. Say nice things to them, have an open discussion about whats happened or your feelings give them a hug, do something nice for them, smile, make a joke. Love Your Enemies, Part 2 - Grace to You bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. "Love Your Enemies": Old Testament Teaching Too? He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. Its not in all caps because its not a quote. To follow Jesus, you must love your enemies. Thats how you can tell who your neighbor is, the person who loves you. Everybody knows Jesus said that. All rights reserved. Now, lets keep reading. And he did so along the grain of its core ethical teachings. The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children's children, to the third and the fourth generation.. C David has served for more than 40 years in vocational ministry, pioneering and pastoring three churches during 20 of those years, and personally ministering in more than 50 of the worlds nations. The result was that they no longer raised Israel: So where do we find love of enemy in the Old Testament? Love your neighbor and your neighbor is this very, very narrow group of . Be very careful, therefore, to love the Lord your God. He has composed and performed original music for five albums. Is there an underlying reason for their attitude and actions? How can you learn to be optimistic? And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Its one thing to have laws and teachings about loving enemies. Cite this page: Editor: Stephen Smith. In vain you beautify yourself. Oba 1:12). And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, I am the Lord your God. Why Does God Compare Our Relationship with Him to That of a Bride and Groom? In both passages, Jesus provides the theological necessity for loving our enemies, as well as the blessed consequence of obedience. Solution: God never commanded His people at any time to hate their enemies (see comments on Mal. Its human nature., When you provide someone with that basic need, you can often help thaw their cold heart., We can always pray for our enemies because praying is an act of mercy. -Matthew 6:43-45. Jesus, the Sermon on the Mount & the 'Old Testament': You Shall Hate Suppose ten are found there. He answered, For the sake of ten I will not destroy it., For I have chosen him, that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice, so that the Lord may bring to Abraham what he has promised him., I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.. During His famous Sermon on the Mount, Jesus utters the powerful words: You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, (Matthew 5:43-44). That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster. But Jesus, as he so often does, turns . God has a different plan for everyone, and sometimes that means your path in life doesnt match with someone elses. Love your enemies. Isaac loved Esau because he ate of his game, but Rebekah loved Jacob. Hes raising the standard, so under the Law of Moses, God didnt want Israel to love their enemies? Love Your Enemies (). All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Hes the inspirer of it, the giver of it. This is the proof right here. Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect., Jesus said that when we love our enemies, we resemble our Heavenly Father, who is perfect and merciful.. In both passages, Jesus provides the theological necessity for loving our . But let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. Or is it exclusively a New Testament innovation? God causes the sun to rise on evil people as well as the good and sends rain on the righteous and unrighteous. This looked like the makings of an execution. You come down from the cross, out of the tomb, and are, like the Lord, renewed to eternal life. Give thanks to the Lord of lords, for his steadfast love endures forever; to him who alone does great wonders, for his steadfast love endures forever; to him who by understanding made . In this article, we hope we can help unpack the meaning of two critical passages that guide us in this area: Matthew 6:44 and Luke 6:27. Get Your Bible Minute in Your Inbox Every Morning, It is something that is easy to say and nearly impossible to do: love your enemies. Now, we know that there was some debate on this whole concept in Jesuss time because a guy came up one time and asked, Who is my neighbor? Whats he referring to? First, note from Matt. . "But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. 5:8). Just have loving feelings toward them and, if possible, express that through words, by doing something nice, or even with a smile. I will strike them down. (v. 21a). The most prominent verses cited as evidence are Jesus you have heard it said but I tell you statements, especially His statements about enemies. The act of respect can often be expressed by simply saying, Peace be with you, and walking away., Putting yourself in your enemy's shoes is one of the most effective ways to show love for them. K Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Love Your Enemies Meaning in Matthew 5:44 Explained - Importance These words have been a central part of Christian ethics for nearly two thousand years and resonate even with many unbelievers around the world. Now that weve gone over what it means to love your enemies lets look at some examples.. I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word. Second, if there is plenty of evidence that the Bible is God's Word, and there is, then for finite man to deny the Bible because he doesn't like something or does not understand the reasons for some of what it . I think anyone whos ever read the Old Testament knows that and so Jesus is correcting this idea thats so prevalent in his day that not only is it okay to hate certain people that you label as enemies, its commanded by God but it wasnt. But the casual, easy interpretation by the Pharisees and the Sadducees led the people of Israel to see all the Gentile nations as prominent and perennial enemies. There is only greater pain. Jesus said the greatest commands were to love God and to love our neighbor as ourself ( Matt. And I will betroth you to me forever. Do We See Any Gospel Connections in the Book of Numbers? Jesus gets His teaching on loving enemies from the Old Testament. Why will you continue to rebel? Proud member A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet went to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. Hate Your Enemies or Love Your Enemies ~ The Bible Speaks to You But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, Luke 6:28. Love not sleep, lest you come to poverty; open your eyes, and you will have plenty of bread. 32:35; 1 Sam. by Luke Wayne | Oct 3, 2017 | Questions, Other. Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. The simple answer is that Jesus doesnt say that at all. These three components of our Saviors sermons provide practical ways that we can love and forgive our enemies.. It exemplifies the deep love that God has for us. The proposed idea is that Jesus turns the vengeance-consumed Old Testament on its head. When you need guidance, turn to God. What did Jesus mean when He instructed us to turn the other cheek. Often our most profound need as humans is the love of God and to be appreciated by others. In this article, we'd like to share six prayers for guidance. When we follow the rich, life-giving teaching of our Lord Jesus Christ, we become spirits set free, free from yesterdays pain, free from the ugliness of sin that stains and infects our relationships, free from the life-crippling burden of unforgiveness. Such accounts certainly are not to be used in any modern context in such a way. Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. First, just as a beginning, it should be noted that the Israelites were not always commanded to annihilate all their enemies, only certain ones.