GOD, GET ‘EM!

Have you ever wanted God to be your personal hitman? I’m raising my hand and confessing that I have. I’m ashamed to say there have been times I’ve spiritualized and justified my anger, hurt and bitterness towards others and while I’d dare not come right out and say, “God get ‘em!”, I did hope that God would get ‘em!

My justification for seeking such revenge was based upon a misunderstanding of Proverbs 25:22, "If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals of fire on his head, and the Lord will reward you.”

I liked the idea of God serving as my hitman, ready at my bidding to dole out my idea of justice. I saw the “God is my Hitman” thing as a Spiritual BOGO - I get revenge AND reward! I wrongly thought it was a spiritual win that justified my selfish need for revenge. 

As I matured in the Lord and grew in His grace, the idea of heaping coals of fire on someone's head begin to sound confusing and conflicting. And as I grew in His knowledge, (Grace and Knowledge - see 2 Peter 3:18,) I was taught the Backstories of Biblical Culture and Customs that explained this perplexing verse. I discovered this proverb is not about God being my personal hitman. Rather, it's about responding to our enemies with love, compassion, and kindness.

When we offer kindness to someone who has wronged us, we demonstrate Gods grace. We show that we are not seeking to harm or hurt, but rather to offer something beyond our abilities and good. It's a willful act of kindness when we "heap burning coals of fire" upon the heads of our enemies.

So as we read between the lines, what do we discover about this verse? 

In biblical times, whether it was in a shepherds humble hut or the palace of a king, the common denominator of every home was the presence of fire. Fire was central to just about every aspect of daily life. A fire that died held serious consequences, for in every residence, fire served at least five purposes. If the fire went out or was extinguished, a member of the family would fold wet scarves and animal skins upon their head, steady a metal pan, (similar to a wok) and rush to their neighbor, asking for hot coals from their fire. Social norms demanded that the request be satisfied and hot coals of fire be placed into the pan upon the head of the petitioner. To reject such a request was considered a great insult and act of disrespect as everyone knew the importance and place of fire in the home. 

In listing these five purposes of fire in the home, I invite you to activate your imagination and journey with me back to Biblical times as we discover the spiritual importance of “fire” in the lives of family and friends and and even the lives of … our enemies:

1. Fire gives Illumination. 

Spiritual meaning: The ability to have vision and revelation.

Darkness and evil have settled upon the world and the lives of so many people. The need for illumination is of primary spiritual importance, for stumbling and groping around in darkness will never set anyone onto the path of Gods plan and purpose. In addition to vision, illumination brings needed revelation, for what good is it to “see it but not understand it?” There’s no doubt that Gods simple truths that were meant to be clearly seen and understood are rather beheld as cloudy, fuzzy and complicated mysteries that add confusion to our lives because we cannot pierce the darkness. 

Prayer: “Lord, I pray that any confusion that has captured the heart or minds of my enemies be blown away like a strong wind against the fog.”

2. Fire gives Warmth.

Spiritual meaning: Comfort of the Holy Spirit. 

The work of the Holy Spirit is necessary to empower our daily lives. Trouble and hopelessness will quickly overtake us if we live void of His presence which sustains us with supernatural comfort and peace. Cold hearts only need the comfort and warmth of God’s love.

Prayer: “Lord, I pray that the coldness and voids caused by  the sin of my enemies be replaced in their lives by the warm, comforting presence of the Holy Spirit.” 

3. Fire allows meal preparation.

Spiritual meaning: Nourishment of spiritual food. 

The world is spiritually starving and sadly, so are many Christians. If we’re not engaging with God through His Word, there’s a possibility that we’re spiritually starving. The malnourished and undernourished will soon grow weak and spiritually unhealthy. The enemy attempts to deceive us into believing that we’re spiritually nourished and fat when we’re but merely bloated from starvation.

Prayer: “Lord, spiritual hunger is a terrible starvation. I pray that you nurture the spirits and souls of my enemies so they might grow in your grace as you lovingly draw them to you.”

4. Fire gives Security.

Spiritual meaning: Safety in living free of fear.

A dark house encourages the thief and those who mean harm. Spiritual darkness is where the thief shows up to steal, kill and destroy. Light says, “someone is home” and when our spiritual light burns bright, we are declaring, “Jesus is living in my home!”

Prayer: “Lord, fear abounds. Many people are not just scared, but terrified and terror motivates my enemies to do terrible things. Let them know the safety of your presence and come to live free of fear.”

5. Fire makes lighting incense possible.

Spiritual meaning: Powerful prayers. 

In biblical times, the home held prominence as the place of daily personal and family prayer. It was believed that without the burning of incense, which was only possible with fire, prayers would no go past the ceiling and heavenward to God. Prayer is our lifeline for ourselves, our family and friends and for the salvation of our enemies. There are hindering forces seeking to impede our prayers, so we must ramp them up with His fire! It’s more important than ever that our prayers are powerful.

Prayer: “Lord, I pray that prayers for my enemies be powerful because they are sincere, full of truth.”

The imagery of Proverbs 25:22, suggests that when we respond to our enemies with kindness, it demonstrates that we care about them. So, heaping coals of fire on someone's head is not a negative thing, but rather positive.

So, Yes God - “Get ‘em!” Not with my selfish vengeance, but:

Get ‘em with your illumination of vision and revelation.

Get ‘em with the comfort of the Holy Spirit working in them.

Get ‘em with  spiritual nourishment for their starving souls.

Get ‘em with safety and security in these troubled times.

Get ‘em with an awareness of powerful prayers prayed for them.