Leviticus 19:15—“‘You shall do no injustice in judgment. You shall not be partial to the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty. In righteousness you shall judge your neighbor.’” We in this day and age have this notion, drilled into our heads by ivory tower academia types, that every poor person is pure and noble, and that every wealthy person is evil and scheming. There is also the dynamic within the halls of (what we call) justice that allows some wealthy folks to escape doing time in prison, no matter what criminal act they may be convicted of (if they are convicted at all). But when it comes to matters of justice concerning rich and poor, God doesn't care—He doesn't care whether you are rich; He doesn't care if you are poor. If a poor man kills a rich man, he is judged just the same way as if he had killed a poor man. Likewise, the wealthy are punished equitably if they kill a rich man or a poor man. Furthermore, if a wealthy man is wrongly accused of a crime, they are not to be convicted solely on the basis of “He’s rich, and he’s accused of wronging a poor man: he must be guilty.” And if a poor man is rightly accused of wrongdoing, there is no automatic acquittal based on “He’s poor: he could not possibly have done it.”
Consider the young men who played lacrosse for Duke University in 2006. Now, mind you, they may not have been role models, and I am not necessarily defending their character and their actions off the field—but how quick was the press to jump on the accusations made by a poor black woman against these rich white boys. All the typical media offenders were so quick to jump up and say “These privileged white boys attacked this poor black woman”—without there being one shred of evidence to convict them. In fact, it was later found out that DA Mike Nifong actually tried to invent evidence to use against the accused. That is one type of abuse of power that this command sought to prohibit. Listen to what Moses told the people, reminding them of the days when the justice system among the people was first established, Deuteronomy 1:16-17—“16 Then I commanded your judges at that time, saying, ‘Hear the cases between your brethren, and judge righteously between a man and his brother or the stranger who is with him. 17 You shall not show partiality in judgment; you shall hear the small as well as the great; you shall not be afraid in any man's presence, for the judgment is God's.’” God does not judge based on appearances; he will not tolerate His people doing so either.
Leviticus 19:16—“You shall not go about as a talebearer among your people; nor shall you take a stand against the life of your neighbor: I am the LORD.” Don’t gossip. Don’t go around telling tales about your neighbor that you ain't oughta be tellin’ (that’s a little East Tennessee lingo there). Remember that little jingle that we were taught when we were kids? “Sticks and stone may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” That is a lie. Words can often do more damage to a person that any kind of physical hurt. You can heal from a broken arm. You can get along with an amputation. But when people destroy your reputation—that is something that is much more difficult to overcome. And for some, they never have overcome it. Once the damage was done, that was it. It could not be undone. How many times has someone been falsely accused of being a child molester, or of raping a woman? How many times, even after the facts come to light, and the person’s name is cleared, is it cleared only in the eyes of the justice system—it is not always done so in the eyes of the community.
King Solomon had quite a bit to say about gossip, and the kinds of harm it can do. Proverbs 11:13—A talebearer reveals secrets, but he who is of a faithful spirit conceals a matter. Proverbs 24:29—Do not say, "I will do to him just as he has done to me; I will render to the man according to his work." Just because something may be true it doesn't always need to be repeated. But sometimes, we just can't help it, can we? We know something, and we just have to tell someone. So we spiritualize it. “Oh, I just love brother Billy Bob, bless his heart. He’s such a good man. But I pray for him, seeing how he’s having to deal with his wife cheating on him and all. Oh, you didn’t know that? Well, don’t tell anyone.” “You shall not go about as a talebearer among your people.” And just as there are many who do not delay in telling a matter, aren’t we also eager to lap up every little morsel we can get? We hear a whisper about a matter, and we’re not satisfied, are we? We need to hear all the juicy details. But, Solomon spoke of us in that regard as well, Proverbs 18:8—The words of a talebearer are like tasty trifles, And they go down into the inmost body. Which is why there are so many of these stupid reality shows on TV, showing us the lives of people that we otherwise wouldn’t care about one whit. I mean really, do we really need to know what goes on in the everyday life of a Kardashian? I sure don’t! Do we really need to listen to a bunch of “Real Housewives™” cuss and swear at each other over……just what, exactly? But, because we are a generation that loves gossip and strife, we indulge ourselves in both.
Leviticus 19:17-18—“‘17 You shall not hate your brother in your heart. You shall surely rebuke your neighbor, and not bear sin because of him. 18 You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people.’” Two very important concepts here. Two actions we take in response to our feelings and our emotions. One of these actions is performed internally; the other is performed outwardly. And both of these responses are not meant to be taken by any but God. And yet, what do we know about man? In his inmost person, does he not desire to be God? Does not man think that he can do a much better job of considering matters and doling out justice than God does? Spurgeon was wise to say, “Men will allow God to be anywhere except on His throne.” Of course, man thinks that said throne belongs to man, and not to God. But, suffice it to say, that God uses and responds to His own emotions in an infinitely more precise and just fashion than man responds to man’s emotions. Because God’s response to His emotions is predicated upon His justice, His righteousness, His omniscience over every facet of creation, and how His decisions will work toward His own perfect ends. Man, however, responds based upon his own puny, limited, negligible view of his own tiny, trivial, inadequate view of…well, anything.
So when we are wronged, and we seek to repay those who have done us wrong, we are responding based on how said offense affected us in the here and now. And so, when we are wronged, we will respond in two ways. We will respond internally, within our own spirit, and will hate the person who wronged us. We will also respond outwardly, with our body, meting out whatever retribution we think the perpetrator deserved. Now, is this to say that we should turn a blind eye and not seek justice when someone commits a criminal act against us or our family? Absolutely not! For then, justice would not be done, and God would remain offended. He gave us a sense of justice, and we should use it judiciously. But we should strive to see justice done, not to exact our own revenge. For that is the reason God has ordained governments: to restrain the evil intents and actions of men. Romans 13:1-5 (NASB)—1 Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. 3 For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same; 4 for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil. 5 Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath, but also for conscience' sake. Now, let us see what the Scriptures say about hatred, and revenge.
The clearest words on hatred come from, of course, our Lord. Matthew 5:21-22—“21 You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.' 22 But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, 'Raca!' shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, 'You fool!' shall be in danger of hell fire.” Jesus never uses the word “hate” or “hatred” in this warning. But He is indeed talking about hatred, progressing from being angry to calling names to labeling one an infidel. Way back when, as we talked about at length during our study of the Ten Commandments, murder does not begin with a person ending the physical life of another. Murder begins long before that. When a person plots in his heart to do away with someone, scheming and devising ways to end that life, then they have already committed murder. Have you ever heard someone who claims to be a Christian, but the words they use to talk about others betrays the real thoughts of their heart, and reveal them to be a murderer within. When people entertain racist thoughts, know that racism is hatred, and hatred is murder, and as it was written by the apostle that Jesus loved, 1st John 3:13-15—13 Do not marvel, my brethren, if the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death. 15 Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. This is not simply a new covenant or New Testament concept. This goes all the way back to Sinai, and was in fact echoed in the words of Solomon, again in Proverbs 26:24-26—24 He who hates, disguises it with his lips, and lays up deceit within himself; 25 when he speaks kindly, do not believe him, for there are seven abominations in his heart; 26 though his hatred is covered by deceit, his wickedness will be revealed before the assembly. And here in the Law, God warns the people to not allow their emotions to lead them into hatred toward their neighbor.
Revenge. This is the outward manifestation of the inward response to being wronged. Somebody did something to us; now we need to make them pay. So many movies today—and many novels, plays, songs, etc., over the centuries—have had as their basis this thing called revenge. I won’t even go into any of them; I'm sure you can think of several without even trying. But revenge serves no purpose. Not when we carry it out, that is. Because when we carry out vengeance, we do it for one reason—to try and restore our selfish human pride, which was injured by another. And now, being wronged, we see ourselves as being smaller in the eyes of others. So, in an attempt to restore our stature, we try to overcompensate the wrong done to us by doing an even greater wrong to the other person. We try to impose our own justice on the situation. We are, in short, putting ourselves in the place of God. Solomon—do we not find ourselves running, time and again, to this recipient of God’s wisdom—had something to say of retribution and the costs involved. Like the old saying goes, "You don't hold a grudge. A grudge holds you". A part of the song by Matthew West, called "Forgiveness" sums it up nicely:
That is what we should be doing. Forgiving. That is what Jesus taught us to do. Another saying says "It's hard to be angry with someone you are praying for". CS Lewis once wrote "To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you."
But, alas, as in the realm of entertainment, so in the Scriptures do we see so many scenes of human retribution that time would not allow us to chronicle the half of them. Let’s take one example, that of two of the sons of Jacob, who avenged their sister’s purity. In Genesis 34, the chapter starts out with the account of Dinah, daughter of Jacob by Leah, being defiled by Shechem the Hivite. Simeon and Levi hear of this atrocity, and devise their vengeance. And, Genesis 34:24-29—24 And all who went out of the gate of his city heeded Hamor and Shechem his son; every male was circumcised, all who went out of the gate of his city. 25 Now it came to pass on the third day, when they were in pain, that two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brothers, each took his sword and came boldly upon the city and killed all the males. 26 And they killed Hamor and Shechem his son with the edge of the sword, and took Dinah from Shechem's house, and went out. 27 The sons of Jacob came upon the slain, and plundered the city, because their sister had been defiled. 28 They took their sheep, their oxen, and their donkeys, what was in the city and what was in the field, 29 and all their wealth. All their little ones and their wives they took captive; and they plundered even all that was in the houses. So they have exacted their revenge, and no doubt they're thinking that their father will be glad they have avenged their sister’s honor. BUT—by this time, Jacob had grown in righteousness, and was no longer the heel-catcher his name made him out to be, having wrestled with God three chapters previous. And when he heard of his sons’ actions, Genesis 34:30—Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, "You have troubled me by making me obnoxious among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites; and since I am few in number, they will gather themselves together against me and kill me. I shall be destroyed, my household and I." But, as with many behaviors we inherit from our parents, Jacob’s craftiness was manifested in these sons, making Jacob’s shame even greater, seeing in these young men the shadow of his former self. Keil and Delitzsch—
“Their indignation was justifiable enough; and their seeking revenge, as Absalom avenged the violation of his sister on Amnon (2nd Samuel 13:22), was in accordance with the habits of nomadic tribes… Jacob's sons looked upon the matter not merely as a violation of their sister's chastity, but as a crime against the peculiar vocation of their tribe. But for all that, the deception they practised, the abuse of the covenant sign of circumcision as a means of gratifying their revenge, and the extension of that revenge to the whole town, together with the plundering of the slain, were crimes deserving of the strongest reprobation. The crafty character of Jacob degenerated into malicious cunning in Simeon and Levi; and jealousy for the exalted vocation of their family, into actual sin.”
When it comes to vengeance, it is best left up to God. For how do you know what will come about from such an act of rashness? Is not God the Judge of all things? And if it is indeed God who judges all the great things, is it too much for Him to judge in the smaller matters? But when we seek to avenge ourselves, we take the decision out of His hands, and take the mantle of Judge upon ourselves. Rather, the Lord of Peace taught us better than that. Matthew 5:38-39—“38 You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' 39 But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.” That does not mean we are prohibited from defending ourselves if our person (or the person of a loved one or any other person) is attacked. The “slap” Christ refers to is one of insult—when a man would give the back of the hand to the cheek of another. And he says if someone wants to insult you, just let it go. Do not take your own vengeance.
In fact, this very same principle is brought up afresh by the apostle Paul, who tells us in Romans 12:17-20—17 Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. 18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. 19 Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord. 20 Therefore "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head." In a recent lesson, we saw Augustine tell us that we do not literally dump a pile of burning Kingsford™ coals on the person’s head, but rather, the “burning coals” are conviction and repentance. When one does evil to you, everyone expects you to exact your pound of flesh. And they sit back, and they watch, and they wait. And they see that you don’t do anything untoward in return. And they think, “OK, sooner or later…” And still nothing. In fact, every time you talk about them, you are actually being nice about them. You are leaving that person in the hands of God. And He will do with them as he pleases. Albert Barnes—
“So the apostle says that the ‘effect’ of doing good to an enemy would be to produce pain. But the pain will result from shame, remorse of conscience, a conviction of the evil of his conduct, and an apprehension of divine displeasure that may lead to repentance. To do this, is not only perfectly right, but it is desirable. If a man can be brought to reflection and true repentance, it should be done.”
Part 3 next week
