Exodus 23:5-6 - Homiletics

The duties which men owe to their enemies.

These duties may be considered as they were revealed to men.

1 . Under the law: and

2 . Under the gospel.

I. UNDER THE LAW . Men were required to protect the interests of their enemies, when they could do so without loss to themselves. For instance—

1 . They were not to cut down fruit trees in an enemy's country ( Deuteronomy 20:19 , Deuteronomy 20:20 ).

2 . They were not to remove a neighbour's landmark, even though he might be an enemy.

3 . They were to hasten after an enemy's ox or ass if they saw it going astray, to catch it, and bring it back to him.

4 . They were to approach him, if they saw his ass fallen under the weight of its load, and to help him to raise it up.

5 . If he were suffering from hunger or thirst, they were to give him bread to eat and water to drink ( Proverbs 25:21 ).

6 . They were to refrain from rejoicing over his misadventures ( ib, Exodus 24:17 ).

II. UNDER THE GOSPEL . Men are required under the Gospel to do all this, and much more .

1 . They are to "love their enemies" ( Matthew 5:44 ).

2 . To do good to them in every way—feed them ( Romans 12:20 ), bless them ( Matthew 1:1-25 .s.c.), pray for them ( ib, ), be patient towards them ( 1 Thessalonians 5:14 ), seek to convert them from the error of their ways ( James 5:20 ), save them ( ib, ). Christ set the example of praying for his enemies upon the cross—God set the example of loving his enemies when he gave his Son to suffer death for them—the Holy Spirit sets the example of patience towards his enemies, when he strives with them. We have to forgive our enemies day by day their trespasses against us—to pray and work for their conversion—to seek to overcome their evil with our good. In temporal matters, it is our business to be most careful that we do them no injury, by misrepresentation, by disparagement, by unfair criticism, by lies, even by "faint praise." We are to "love" them; or, if poor human nature finds this too hard, we are to act as if we loved them, and then ultimately love will come.