Mirsad Todorovac
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Leviticus 19:18
Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people,
but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.
* * *
There is a question here: who are "the children of thy people" not to avenge
nor bear a grudge against?
Here is the Second Great Commandment: "Thou shalt love thy
neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD."
Deuteronomy 24:19 allows for protection of widows, orphans and
foreigners who dwell among the people of the Biblical Israel.
Further He says "I am the LORD". Meaning, by taking justice by
our own hand:
1 Samuel 25:33
And blessed be thy advice, and blessed be thou, which hast kept me this day
from coming to shed blood, and from avenging myself with mine own hand.
This means, by taking the law and justice into our own hand, we judge
our neighbour, and we are not executing the Law but judging the Law
(James 4:11-12).
James 4:11-12
11 Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his
brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the
law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge. 12
There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that
judgest another?
Moreover, a scribe asked "Who is my neighbour?" when speaking to
the Lord Jesus Christ?
What was the answer from the Lord? The neighbour of the wounded
Jew was not the priest, not the Levite, but the foreigner, despised
Samaritan, who helped him and gave him sustenance.
Sometimes we might be surprised by the choice of aid sent from the
LORD: ravens of Elijah, a widow from Zarephath (1 Kings 17:10),
but it will never go against the written Word of God.
This will be: God can forgive an act of murder, but not make murder
an act.
God can forgive an act of life in fornication and living like a goddess
who can and did have any man, but not perpetuation of such state
without remorse or correction, expecting that "village pressure" will
enact enough force that she will eventually marry and bring illegitimate
children as the dowry.
There is slight difference between forced communist marriage with
a harlot because a guy is "good" and that genuine remorse Mary
Magdalene had when washing Jesus' feet with tears and wiping them
with her hair.
Even the expensive nard ointment (John 12:3) was probably earned
with Mary Magdalene's old style of life, but it was sanctified when
used for the purpose of spreading the Word of God, Gospel and
salvation.
But nobody questions sincerity of Mary Magdalene's breakup with
the old style of life and living for Jesus alone. Even Lord did not
doubt that, when she was the first person seeing him after his
resurrection from the dead.
What is the conclusion?
1. We cannot choose how will God deliver us. He is Sovereign in that choice.
2. The notion of neighbour to be love as oneself gradually included widows,
orphans and foreigners living in the Biblical Israel, to the Samaritans
who worshiped the same God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, but were not
genetic Jews.
3. Avenging oneself by "taking justice by one's own hand" is something
David relented and feared. This is in effect playing God.
Job 34
28 So that they caused the cry of the poor to come to Him;
For He hears the cry of the afflicted.
29 When He gives quietness, who then can make trouble?
And when He hides His face, who then can see Him,
Whether it is against a nation or a man alone?—
30 That the hypocrite should not reign,
Lest the people be ensnared.
31 “For has anyone said to God,
‘I have borne chastening;
I will offend no more;
32 Teach me what I do not see;
If I have done iniquity, I will do no more’?
33 Should He repay it according to your terms,
Just because you disavow it?
You must choose, and not I;
Therefore speak what you know.
So God is free to forgive the offender if he repents from the times
of Job, before Moses or Law of Moses came. But even Job is
not an Israelite, but a descendant of Abraham believed to be
from the hostile tribe of Esau (Genesis 36:31-39).
Job might have been the rare witness of One God of Abraham while
Israel was in fornication in Egypt (Ezekiel 23:19-20).
in the LORD God Merciful, Longsuffering
Amen