“What shall we do for wives for those who are left, since we have sworn by the Lord that we will not give them any of our daughters for wives?””
Judges 21:7 ESV
We know that, according to Jesus, we’re to love our enemy and pray for those who persecute us (Matthew 5:44). Yet this is something we struggle to do. It’s not even something to which we give much thought.
Although we say that we love our enemies, we feel no compassion for them. Although we say that we desire their blessing, we are unwilling to provide for them. And although we say that we want them to share in the mercy of Christ, we will not go out of our way to minister to them.
Even if we aren’t actively hating them, we’re not actively loving them. Even if we’re not actively seeking their harm, we aren’t actively seeking their good. And even if we aren’t actively pursuing their judgment, we’re not actively pursuing their blessing.
As we look at Judges 21, we see the example of the people of Israel. The tribe of Benjamin had been in the wrong. They had made their brothers, of the remaining tribes of Israel, their enemies. And they had been on the receiving end of a great wrath.
Their tribe had been utterly decimated in battle. All that remained of Benjamin was six hundred men. And the rest of Israel had vowed that none of them would give their daughters in marriage to them.
In essence, the tribe of Benjamin would soon be no more. And the remaining tribes of Israel could have simply accepted that. They could have, in fact rejoiced in that.
Yet, despite the wrong committed by Benjamin, the rest of Israel felt compassion for them. And, despite their vow, they sought a way to provide for their need. They sought to love their enemies rather than hate them. And they sought to bless their enemy rather than harm them.
The way they did so may seem strange to us. It may sound questionable. It may even seem downright wrong. But the point remains.
They went out of their way to provide wives for the remaining men of Benjamin. They sought to do so in a way which would not mean violating the vow they'd taken. But they did all they could to ensure this tribe would not go the way of extinction.
The tribes of Israel felt compassion for their enemies. They loved their enemies. And they desired that their enemies would share in God's blessing.
This points us to Christ, who loved his enemies. It points us to Christ, who desired God’s blessing for those who hated him. And it points us to Christ, who sacrificed his life that those who caused his suffering might be saved.
We, you see, were his enemies. We are those who hated him. And we are those who caused his suffering.
As his people, then, we’re to share his heart. As his children, we’re to reflect his nature. And as recipients of his compassion, we’re to show it to others.
No comments:
Post a Comment