By Pastor Scott
If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink; For so you will heap coals of fire on his head, And the LORD will reward you. – Proverbs 25:21-22
This would have had greater meaning in Bible times. Back then when one needed coals to reignite a fire for cooking or heating, they would borrow them from their neighbour and carry them back in earthen jars on their heads.
Thus, the motivation was not to wipe someone out, but to warm someone up – not about blasting, but about blessing.
This Proverb today is one that is repeated by both Jesus and Paul in the New Testament. For that reason I believe there is great value to the lessons learned here!
Many other of the Proverbs suggest kindness toward enemies (14:29; 19:11; 20:22; 24:17, 29), but this one takes the idea the furthest. Similar sentiments are also expressed in Exodus 23:4-5
Exodus 23:4-5 NKJV
(4) "If you meet your enemy's ox or his donkey going astray, you shall surely bring it back to him again.
(5) If you see the donkey of one who hates you lying under its burden, and you would refrain from helping it, you shall surely help him with it.
I will leave this for you to personalise for your own life. I do encourage you to do a study in the passage where Jesus tells us to ‘Go the second mile’.