Red Hot Blessing
If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink; for you will heap burning coals on his head, and the LORD will reward you. Proverbs 25:21-22 NASB
Burning coals – The Hebrew word gahelet literally describes the burning coals used to ignite wood for the sacrifice. Metaphorically, it refers to the heated reactions that spark strife. These pictures don’t seem to be consistent with the instructions of this verse. Do I offer signs of compassion and grace in order to incite strife? Will God reward me if my intention is to stir up dissension? Hardly! There must be something behind this verse that captures God’s perspective about the one who hates me. In order to discover this hidden implication, we need to know something about the word pictures involved.
Why would we want to heap burning coals on the head of someone whom God wants us to love? What is the point of making the person mad or shamed? We could argue that God will use our acts of kindness to convict the person and that this expression is really the psychological experience of guilt (this is what Augustine and Jerome thought), but I think there is a more subtle answer. What we are doing in our acts of kindness is blessing the enemy. There are two verbs for “to bless” in Hebrew, but only ashar applies to the actions of men. In other words, one verb (barak) describes God’s actions, but the other verb describes human efforts. This second verb is the word picture “fire on the head.” To bless someone with my own actions is to put fire on the head. In expanded form, it is “to place the stronger devourer on the head of a person.” The tongues of fire observed in Acts 2 were signs of blessing, not shame. So the same can be applied to this wisdom verse. When I demonstrate acts of kindness toward those who hate me and oppose God, I am blessing them by putting fire on their heads. Perhaps Solomon was a bit more clever than we imagined when he used a parallel word picture to capture the idea behind gahelet. Certainly the word picture is much more consistent with the purposes of God in behavior toward an enemy. That’s why Quell can say that these verses in Proverbs “are designed to serve the practical inculcation of love for enemies, not being concerned directly with the disposition towards them, but rather making obligatory a specific line of conduct. . . There can be no doubt that the thought of the covenant is itself an expression in juridical terms of the experience of the love of God. Hence the concept of love is the ultimate foundation of the whole covenant theory.”[1]
Hebrew is intensely practical and concrete. Fire, especially fire in the desert, is a good thing, a blessing. Perhaps there is an intentional pun in the value of fire in a nomadic society. Food, drink and warmth are required to sustain life. That’s how we are to treat the enemy. We are to give him what he needs to stay alive.
The covenant promise is God’s expression of love. The covenant promise is elaborated, revealed and applied in Torah obedience. When it comes to enemies, there are also expectations based on the Torah covenant. These expectations are not optional because they reflect the very nature of the God who loves. When it comes to enemies, we are to offer red-hot blessings. And God will reward.
Topical Index: burning coals, gahelet, ashar, blessing, Proverbs 25:21-22
[1] Quell, agapao, TDNT, Vol. 1, pp. 26-27.
Skip,
Several days ago, I was wondering where I had seen the explanation of “fire on the head” being a blessing. How nice that it soon showed up here! The WORDS yesterday and today, including all the comments, are perfectly fitting. Thanks, everyone.
Thanks for keeping us honest Skip.
I’m sure the inclination/temptation for many of us humans would be to show kindness to the enemy in order to shame them (and make ourselves look better.)
May I (we) examine our hearts as we heap burning coals on the heads of our enemies.
May I (we) adopt the motives of our Lord and may they be pure, full of love and intentions to edify and build up…the enemy AND ourselves, and ultimately draw closer to Him.
“Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar.With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.” Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.” (Isaiah 6.8)
For our God is an all-consuming fire. (Hebrews 12.9)
from Psalm 139-
Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God:
“depart from me therefore, ye bloody men.
20 For they speak against Thee wickedly,
and thine enemies take Thy name in vain.
21 Do not I hate them, O LORD, that hate thee?
And am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee?
22 I hate them with perfect hatred:
I count them mine enemies.
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart:
try me, and know my thoughts:
24 and see if there be any wicked way in me,
and lead me in the Way everlasting.
David did not know (at the time) the Way everlasting. We do. His name is Yeshua. He is the Way. And Yeshua wiillingly, purposefully chose the way of love. Love your enemies? How it this possible? We should remember our “enemies” are really not our enemies at all. They are enemies of G-d. They have chosen, willfully, purposefully intentionally, to rebel against G-d and anything or anyone who reminds them of G-d (who is holy). Our very existence is an affront to them. We do live as they do, neither do we partake of the lifestyle choices they make. We are different because we belong to Another. We belong to Him and listen and obey His words. We ‘shema’ the instructions of Yeshua (YHWH incarnate)- love one another. Love your neighbor. Love your enemies.
For we (too) should remember our former life.Life B.C. “Before Christ.” I’ll pause to say- I’m glad you didn’t know me then. You wouldn’t want to. I was and enemy of G-d. A rebel. A sinner. How we need to- “Remember that at that time you were (also were) separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without G-d in the world.” (Ephesians 2.12). I can testify- this is a miserable place to be. The ones now, who are near,- the ones who are my neighbors, the ones who are without Christ in this world- have my pity. I (according to G-d’s word) should show compassion toward them and pity the ones who do not know the life Christ gives to us who belong to Him.
Look at what Christ has given unto us. “Only” all things pertaining to life and godliness. How shall we not praise Him, the ONE who is worthy? We have (only) one enemy- and he is now a defeated foe. The created being who goes about as a roaring lion, has no teeth left- only bad breath. A “mere” three hundred sixty-six times we have been instructed- “fear not.” -Are we listening?
Perhaps our real enemies are ignorace, apathy and distraction. Until we give our focused attention to our heavenly Bridegroom all we like sheep will continue to go astray- seeking our own way and not the Savior’s. Thank G-d for His voice: “this is the way,- walk ye in it.” The way of love.
Oeps (Dutch spelling: don’t know the English), didn’t know you would go on with this today. Sorry I took away the surprise!