#121

HEAPING COALS OF FIRE ON THEIR HEADS

ROM 12:20-21 Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.

21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

>>The scribes and Pharisees used this Scripture to teach, "Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy,"

PRO 25:21-22 If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink:

22 For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and the LORD shall reward thee.

>>Jesus corrected their perversion of the law by teaching the true meaning of love thy neighbour.

MAT 5:44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

>>Jesus used the parable of the good Samaritan to illustrate this gospel teaching.

>>The Samaritans were hated detested, persecuted and despitefully used by the Jews, therefore Jesus told the parable of the good Samaritan to illustrate his Godly spirit toward those who hated him.

>>It was a Jew that fell among thieves, but see the unloving spirit of the Priest and the Levite.

LUK 10:31-32 And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.

32 And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.

>>It was this hated Samaritan whom Jesus used to illustrate a right spirit.

LUK 10:33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,

>>By nature that ugly monster "I--or Self" wants revenge against those whom he believes is an enemy, but our text teaches the true meaning of love--self-sacrifice.

FOR OUR FIRST POINT, let's consider heaping coales of fire upon the heads of our enemies.

FOR OUR SECOND POINT, lets consider how the love of Christ heaps coals of fire upon the heads of those for whom He died.

>>As a result of his fallen nature, man tends to treat others the way he is treated. This was the way the scribes and Pharisees interpreted the law.

>>Our text says, "Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good."

>>This is to say If your enemy hunger, do not rejoice over him saying in your heart, "God is now avenging me of him," but feed him.

>>This word "feed" is a very significant word. It comes from the Greek word, "Psomizo, (pso-mee-on)," which means feed him abundantly, feed him carefully and indulgently:" feed him with small pieces, "feed his as we do small children and sick people," with much tenderness.

>>Our text says, "Therefore if thine enemy...thirst, give him drink." Giving him a drink is a tocken of reconciliation and love, i.e., conferm your love for him.

>>This is heaping coals of fire upon his head.

>>These coals of fire heaped upon the head of an adversary, are not coals of vengeance, but coals of fervent love adapted to melt down his enmity.

>>King Solomon spoke of love as a burning flame and coals of fire in SON 8:6-7 "...the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame.

7 Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it.

>>I experienced the melting effect of such love once in observing God's Word in EXO 23:4 If thou meet thine enemy's ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again.

>>King Saul's jealousy and hatred were melted, and Saul was conquered with the love shown by David.

1-SA 24:16-19 And it came to pass, when David had made an end of speaking these words unto Saul, that Saul said, Is this thy voice, my son David? And Saul lifted up his voice, and wept.

17 And he said to David, Thou art more righteous than I: for thou hast rewarded me good, whereas I have rewarded thee evil.

18 And thou hast shewed this day how that thou hast dealt well with me: forasmuch as when the LORD had delivered me into thine hand, thou killedst me not.

19 For if a man find his enemy, will he let him go well away? wherefore the LORD reward thee good for that thou hast done unto me this day.

>>This type of love demonstrates the spirit of forgiveness we need before our prayers shall be heard before the mercy seat. Jesus says in, MAR 11:25 And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.

>>If our enemies remain hardened under those burning coals of our love, God will be glorified in their destruction, but God's glory is our source of joy, not their destruction!

PRO 24:17 Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth:

18 Lest the LORD see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him.

>>True self knowledge produces love from the heart, without any desire for revenge against the enemy.

ROM 12:17-21 Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.

18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.

19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

20 Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.

21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

FOR OUR SECOND POINT, lets consider how the love of Christ heaps coals of fire upon the heads of those for whom He died.

>>Our text describes love according to the example Christ gave His church.

ROM 5:8-10 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

>>The Father's burning coales of love for His elect from eternity, was what the prophet Isaiah was pleading in ISA 64:1-3 Oh that thou wouldest rend the heavens, that thou wouldest come down, that the mountains might flow down at thy presence,

2 As when the melting fire burneth, the fire causeth the waters to boil, to make thy name known to thine adversaries, that the nations may tremble at thy presence!

3 When thou didst terrible things which we looked not for, thou camest down, the mountains flowed down at thy presence.

>>The prophet saw a faith's view of his lovely Saviour's love for His people as we see in ISA 64:4 For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him.

>>See the melting effect when one sees a faith's view of the love of Christ.

ISA 64:5-6 Thou meetest him that rejoiceth and worketh righteousness, those that remember thee in thy ways: behold, thou art wroth; for we have sinned: in those is continuance, and we shall be saved.

6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

1JO 4:10-11 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.

>>The mind of God was reconciled to His dear children, while they were still enemies.

2CO 5:18-21 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;

19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.

21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

>>It is through the blood of Christ, which He shed while we were still enemies that we are brought nigh unto God.

EPH 2:13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

>>MAT 5:44 says, "pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you."

>>This is heaping coals of fire upon their heads when we are "...not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good."

>>See the example of our Lovely Saviour "pray[ing] for them which despitefully use[d Him], and persecute[d Him]," in LUK 23:34 Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.

>>The answer to this prayer becomes manifest in ACT 2:23-41 Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:

37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?

38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.

>>See the example of Stephen "pray[ing] for them which despitefully use[d Him], and persecute[d Him]," in ACT 7:54-60 When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth.

57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord,

58 And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul.

59 And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.

60 And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

>>Think of how the apostle Paul's heart was melted when he thought upon that love of Stephen, 1CO 15:9 For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

>>The apostle Paul never could look at himself as anything but unworthy with such a heap of the coals of love that were heaped upon his head.

1TI 1:12-15 And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry;

13 Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.

14 And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.

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