And I said, O Lord God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments. Often, theres more than one person who has caused us anger, hatred, or resentment in the past., There is something in the teachings of Jesus that is worth considering regardless of whether youre a Christian or not.. 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.. What does it mean to love your neighbor as you love yourself? Is Ephraim my dear son? A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet went to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. We can learn how to apply Jesus command in our own lives by following the fullness of the teaching. Now Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his sons, because he was the son of his old age. Hes not correcting the Law of Moses. What Does It Mean to "Love Your Enemies"? What the Bible Says, and What Does the Old Testament teach to hate your enemies? | carm.org How could a loving God tell the Israelites to kill their enemies, even That's a sentiment that is easy to get behind. Is that really what the Mosaic Law taught? You can love your enemies too. . Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven,, love your neighbor and hate your enemy,, If you have any issues, please call the office at 385-246-1048 or email us at. Pray for those who persecute you! God loves your enemies. Yeshua said, "You have heard that it was said, "You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy" (Mathew 5:43). Jesus said the greatest commands were to love God and to love our neighbor as ourself ( Matt. You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God. is love your enemies in the old testament Now more than ever, we need to implement these teachings into our lives. As with other Jewish teachers of His day, Jesus validated it through reuse and reappropriation. Love Your Enemies: Old Testament Teaching Too? God said to Moses, I am who I am. And he said, Say this to the people of Israel: I am has sent me to you.. God loves his enemies. The Lord tests the righteous, but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence. It is what Jesus did on the cross; it is the Gospel. Were going to skip over the fifth one and look at the sixth one. God doesnt change. To help you pray for them, here are six police officers' prayers. Jesus says: 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. 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. When he says, Youve heard it said, hes not saying, God said. Of course he didnt say, God said. He said, Youve heard that it was said. But the reality of it, it wasnt said. Publisher: OpenBible.info. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Do not even the Gentiles do the same?, Luke 6:27-29But I say to you that hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,[28] bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. The Wisdom books warn hearers not to rejoice when enemies face disaster (e.g., Prov 24:17; Job 31:29; cf. May I live this day according to your Word, for your glory, and by your strength. This article is part of our larger resource library of popular Bible verse phrases and quotes. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. Hatred of others is a useful tool used by ungodly authorities to create a unity based on rage, roots of bitterness, and the past sins of others. 13. Hate evil, and love good, and establish justice in the gate; it may be that the Lord, the God of hosts, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph. And God said, Let there be light, and there was light. A crowd awaited. Jesus was consistent with and upheld all that had been revealed before His earthly coming. 29 If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. We hope that these will help you better understand the meaning and purpose of God's Word in your life today. In the Book of Mormon version, however, Jesus words are reported as: And behold it is written also, that thou shalt love thy neighbor and hate thine enemy; But behold I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them who despitefully use you and persecute you, (3 Nephi 12:43-44). Proverbsand we have to remember that these were . Remember he's God. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and . Be ready by the morning, and come up in the morning to Mount Sinai, and present yourself there to me on the top of the mountain. To you they cried and were rescued; in you they trusted and were not put to shame. For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you. We have to pick up here on our next little lesson. So, let's talk about what it means to love one's enemies, as well as some examples of how to do so. Show your enemies the genuine respect that every human being deserves. Well, no. 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. 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).]. 24:12; Rom. Every evil of theirs is in Gilgal; there I began to hate them. Want the Verse of the Day sent to your inbox? When people love you, you might think you are exactly the way you are supposed to be. Im not implying that God is telling anyone to kill anybody today. Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven, (Matthew 5:17-19). Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world. I did a proximity search in my online Bible of hate+ enemy / enemies and could find only one passage even suggesting hatred of enemies: St. Paul cites and further interprets this teaching: Furthermore, not only is this ethical teaching found in the Old Testament and Judaism, but also in virtually all of the major world religions: C. S. Lewis noted that these affinities with other religions, along with various pagan precursors to Christianity far from being a, Definition of "Radical Catholic Reactionary": Dialogue, "This is, obviously, a very detailed paper on parallels for Solomon's Temple. But it cannot be said that Jesus teachings on the subject of love for enemies repudiates or inverts the Old Testament. Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. If you see the donkey of someone who hates you fallen down under its load, do not leave it there; be sure you help them with it." - Exodus 23:4-5 NIV. 35 Major Bible Verses About Loving Your Enemies (2022 Love) Or is it exclusively a New Testament innovation? Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 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. That makes it fundamental to our very existence., But, as we all know, there's a huge difference between loving your enemies and loving your friends. Love for one's enemy even extended to his animal. In addition to the obvious point that the OT nowhere states that one ought to hate their enemy, and the fact that Jesus describes His teachings as law-fulfilling (Matt 5:17), there are serious problems with this view. Careers Workplace and Religion Columnists, Recreation Outdoors and Religion Columnists, Religious Music and Entertainment Columnists, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Solomons Temple and its Archaeological Analogies. of Witchcraft is a practice that involves the use of spells, incantations, special objects, symbols, and ceremonies to by Matt Slick | Mar 22, 2023 | Questions, Marriage, Sexuality. . Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! This isnt to say that you shouldnt seek justice if someone does you or your loved ones harm. How Was the Old Testament God's Love Letter to His People? "Love Your Enemies": Old Testament Teaching Too? 30 Bible verses about God's call to love others He and his wife, Mae, reside in Western North Carolina. You shall not hate your brother in your heart, but you shall reason frankly with your neighbor, lest you incur sin because of him. Geocoding Verse 43: "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor, and hate your enemy.' 44 But I say to you, love your enemies." So what Jesus is doing here in these six commandments is showing his disciples how some of the scribes and Pharisees applied the Old Testament teachings, and then, over against that, what he was calling them . But I Say to You, Love Your Enemies, Part 1 | Desiring God The command says to love your neighbor, but it never says anything about hating your enemies. Michael A. Milton (PhD, Wales) is a long-time Presbyterian minister (PCA) and a regular contributor to Salem Web Network. [29] To him who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from him who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. (cf. Love the sojourner, therefore, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt. His most recent book is a second edition release: Hit by Friendly Fire: What to do when Another Believer Hurts You(Resource Publications, 2022). O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest. I am the Lord your God. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. However, your enemies will force you to take a closer look at your life. Other enemies are probably apathetic. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Matthew 5:44 - Wikipedia This is consistent with other statements in the law like: If you meet your enemys ox or his donkey wandering away, you shall surely return it to him. Save 15% for life! Every one of you shall revere his mother and his father, and you shall keep my Sabbaths: I am the Lord your God. Love letters are expressions of love in the form of writing, whether with a paper and pen, an email, or even a text message to a . Discover what it means to be an active listener and learn five actionable steps to become one. 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.. Youll see that today is no different and that helps then put the other two within context. Love for Enemies. Matthew 5:44 KJV. What did Jesus mean when He instructed us to love our enemies? love your enemies, bless those who curse you. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Peacock's 'Mrs. There is only greater pain. But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. Dont misquote me on that. In the New Testament, Jesus spoke of God's desire for His people to pray for enemies and to love one's neighbor as one's self. Elisha the prophet and Jesus both taught the importance of loving your enemies. 43 "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' 44 [] But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends . 19:18; Dt. Now we will come back to the third and the fifth but Im looking at the ones First of all, theyre the most obvious that make it so plain to us that the ethic that Jesus was subscribing to and conveying to his disciples was in every case Old Covenant ethics of morality. But I say, love your enemies! For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.. E He forgives you as you come to Him. 1 Corinthians 16:4 - Let all that you do be done in love. Q Something went wrong while submitting the form. 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. The Lord appeared to him from far away. (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. You shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams. Indeed, Jesus later cites this very passage love your neighbor as yourself, (Leviticus 19:18) as the second greatest commandment of the whole law.2Matthew 22:39 So, Jesus is not critiquing the words of Scripture, but rather the way those Scriptures were being taught and interpreted by the teachers and practices of His day. Loving your neighbor vs. loving your enemy. But the Old Testament will be searched in vain for any precept which required the Israelites to entertain any hatred toward their enemies. Your lovers despise you; they seek your life. "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:44-45). 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. 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. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful. The practical implication of this teaching is clear: There is great reward in loving our enemies and forgiving them for their sins against us. 5(B)If you see the donkey of one who hates you lying under its burden, and you would refrain from helping it, you shall surely help him with it. How long has God been loving his enemies? No, the Old Testament never teaches to hate our enemies any more than the New Testament does. Why does God command so much killing in the Old Testament? Does God Hes the inspirer of it, the giver of it. U Notice that Jesus actual words, you have heard it said, are replaced with the formula behold it is written. Now, whenever Jesus used the words It is written, in Matthew, He is always referring to the words of Scripture. Grace Alone and Faith Alone: What is Wrong with the First Two Solas? The lessons for their life might not be the same as yours, and thats okay., There's something we have in common with everybody if we look closely enough. Leviticus 19:9-18 ESV. And in a world where donkeys and oxen were means of personal livelihood, it is no small thing that the law commands Gods people to love their enemy by rescuing and returning their animals: When you come upon your enemys ox or donkey going astray, you shall bring it back. Yes, and remarkably, toward Syria. Salem Media Group. Youve heard it was said but it wasnt said. He will love you, bless you, and multiply you. Proverbsand we have to remember that these were popular sayingseven states that those who rejoice over anothers misfortune will not go unpunished (17:15). Matthew 5:44, the forty-fourth verse in the fifth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament, also found in Luke 6:27-36, is part of the Sermon on the Mount.This is the second verse of the final antithesis, that on the commandment to "Love thy neighbour as thyself".In the chapter, Jesus refutes the teaching of some that one should "hate [one's] enemies". Blog, A To the choirmaster. Enemies in the Old Testament. Jesus teachings were in deep continuity with the Old Testament. [46] For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? If you meet your enemy's ox or his donkey going astray, you shall bring it back to him. To the choirmaster: according to The Doe of the Dawn. 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, . They and other unscrupulous figures who use their delegated authority from Rome to fleece their own people represent an existential threat to Israels identity. You may unsubscribe from Bible Gateways emails at any time. 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. He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord. Hes raising the standard, so under the Law of Moses, God didnt want Israel to love their enemies? We skipped over the third one, looked at the fourth one last time. What is the meaning of the Greek word "" in Matthew 5:44? I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. But if he says to you, I will not go out from you, because he loves you and your household, since he is well-off with you. God adopted His enemies to be His sons and daughters. Today we come to Matthew chapter five in verse number 43. The word perfect, in the original Greek, means complete. The Queen of Sheba, Solomon, & Archaeology, Solomon's Temple and its Archaeological Analogies, Solomon's "Impossible" (?) It may have been assumed by some Hebrews that to love the neighbor (a fellow member of one's community . But one of his most notable teachings was his thoughts on loving your neighbor., Its easy to remember Matthew 5:44, But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you., First, in order to understand why Jesus said this, we have to go further back into the Bible, to the Old Testament., In ancient times, there was something known as the Lex Talionis, or the law of retaliation. It was basically An eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth type thinking. 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. Instead, it seems that Jesus draws upon an ethos of enemy love that is already present in the Old Testament. To subscribe to David Servant's periodic e-teachings, click here. He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? Sermon: Love the Lord Your God with All Your Heart Matthew 5:43-48 The alien is the same as the citizen. Proverbs 25:21-22 If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink, You will heap burning coals of shame on their heads, and the LORD will reward you. On the other hand, there are passages that come quite close to what Jesus said about love of enemies: The prophet Elisha counseled mercy towards Syrian prisoners of war. "If you come across your enemy's ox or donkey wandering off, be sure to return 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. Y 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. 1 Samuel 25-26: Love Your Enemies - The Church of Jesus Christ of Hes referring to this commandment, Love your neighbor. Great question. But thats all I could find in the Old Testament. Do not even pagans do that? Were out of time. When Jesus says, Youve heard it said, then he says, You shall love your neighbor, hate your enemy, hes smart enough to know that the second part of that is not in the Old Testament anywhere. 43You have heard that it was said, (B)You shall love your neighbor (C)and hate your enemy. 44[a]But I say to you, (D)love your enemies, bless those who curse you, (E)do good to those who hate you, and pray (F)for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for (G)He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 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.. 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? Thanks so much! There was nothing wrong with the Old Testament teaching of recognizing the enemies of God. Interestingly, Jesus considered this the second-highest commandment in the law. I can't love my enemies without your help. Such accounts certainly are not to be used in any modern context in such a way.