Pro 25:21-22 | KingComments | STEP | God wants us to treat someone who hates us kindly. By treating our hater the opposite of the way he treats us, we are acting in accordance with Who God is ( ). This is how He acts with man and this is how He acted with us when we did not know Him. He wants us to give our hater the most basic necessities of life, “food to eat” and “water”, when he needs them. We see a wonderful illustration of this in Elisha’s treatment of the king of Syria ( ). The word “for” with which begins indicates the reason why we should act as stated in the previous verse. By doing good to someone who hates us instead of repaying the evil he does to us with evil, we “will heap burning coals on his head”. The purpose of heaping burning coals on someone is not to consume him, but to melt him. The picture of the “burning coals” represents remorse of conscience, which arises more easily through kindness than through violence. These glowing coals cause the sharp pain of repentance through regret over the hatred that animated him ( ; ). Paul quotes these verses in Romans 12 ( ). God attaches to this action the promise of reward in the sense of compensation. We give something away, it costs us something, and that to our enemy. As a result, however, we do not become poorer, but much richer. God does not forget that we have done this and will compensate. If we act with our enemies as God does with His enemies, it is pleasing to Him. What we invest in that, He will reward. The Lord Jesus has set the example.

‏ Proverbs 25:21-22

To Embarrass an Enemy

God wants us to treat someone who hates us kindly. By treating our hater the opposite of the way he treats us, we are acting in accordance with Who God is (Pro 25:21). This is how He acts with man and this is how He acted with us when we did not know Him. He wants us to give our hater the most basic necessities of life, “food to eat” and “water”, when he needs them. We see a wonderful illustration of this in Elisha’s treatment of the king of Syria (2Kgs 6:18-23).

The word “for” with which Pro 25:22 begins indicates the reason why we should act as stated in the previous verse. By doing good to someone who hates us instead of repaying the evil he does to us with evil, we “will heap burning coals on his head”. The purpose of heaping burning coals on someone is not to consume him, but to melt him. The picture of the “burning coals” represents remorse of conscience, which arises more easily through kindness than through violence. These glowing coals cause the sharp pain of repentance through regret over the hatred that animated him (Pro 18:19 ; Pro 20:22 ; Pro 24:17; 1Sam 24:18-20). Paul quotes these verses in Romans 12 (Rom 12:20).

God attaches to this action the promise of reward in the sense of compensation. We give something away, it costs us something, and that to our enemy. As a result, however, we do not become poorer, but much richer. God does not forget that we have done this and will compensate. If we act with our enemies as God does with His enemies, it is pleasing to Him. What we invest in that, He will reward. The Lord Jesus has set the example.