Treating Others Right, Even Those Who Don't Deserve It

 I read Amos in my devotions this morning. To be honest, it is a pretty dismal book, full of words of condemnation. Here is one example.

    Thus says the LORD: 

    "For three transgressions of Moab, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment; because he burned to lime the bones of the king of Edom. So I will send a fire on Moab, and it shall devour the strongholds of Kerioth, and Moab shall die . . .."  (Am 2:1–2)

When I read that, I asked myself, "Hadn't I already heard about Edom from the Prophet Amos?"

Yes, I had.

    "Thus says the LORD: For three transgressions of Edom, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment; because he pursued his brother with the sword and cast off all pity; he maintained his anger perpetually, and kept his wrath forever. So I will send a fire on Teman, and it shall devour the strongholds of Bozrah [2 cities in Edom]." (Am 1:11-12)

So the Lord pronounces judgment on one nation and then pronounces judgment on another nation for basically doing what the Lord said He would do to that same nation?

Yes, pretty much. Why? 

Certainly, it is above my paygrade to explain the ways of the Lord, but let me surmise for a moment. I think I have something instructive and useful in mind. Could it be that the Lord is like a human parent who challenges the right of an unrelated adult to discipline the parent's child and then proceeds to discipline their child for precisely the offense that motivated the outsider's intervention? "This is my child, I'll take care of this."  Romans 12:19 lends some credence to this theory.

   “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”” (Romans 12:19, ESV)

I see, however, behind this apparent conflict of judgment a principle that we need to remember in our contentious age. Even our enemies deserve to be treated with respect. The principle reaches as far as animals:

   “If you see the donkey of one who hates you lying down under its burden, you shall refrain from leaving him with it; you shall rescue it with him.” (Exodus 23:5, ESV, emp. added)  

Let's keep in mind that even bad people are people. We should treat them as such.