I wrote a post entitled, “Your Enemies”. It was right, but the Spirit has expounded further on the subject. David had many enemies, powerful and even within his own family, Absolam and Michal. Yeshua had enemies that were seeking to kill him, even in the Sanhedrin. Psalm 22 is a prophetic pictorial of our Messiah Yeshua on the cross, his feelings, prayers, and hopes. This is a pause in the narrative, for the author to give the audience prophetic insight into the private thoughts of Yeshua on the cross. “Many bulls surround me; strong bulls of Bashan encircle me. Roaring lions that tear their prey open their mouths wide against me. I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart has turned to wax; it has melted within me. My mouth is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; you lay me in the dust of death. Dogs surround me, a pack of villains encircles me; they pierce my hands and my feet. All my bones are on display; people stare and gloat over me. They divide my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment.” (Psalms 22:12-18) There can be no doubt as to who this is about, Yeshua, Messiah.

Both David and Yeshua teach us that God deals with our enemies – not us. This is why our duty is to love them. We cannot defend ourselves nor are we capable of outwitting and prevailing over our enemies in our own strength and wisdom. As with everything which pertains to God, our responsibility is to surrender and trust in God’s care for us. If God opens a door of escape we should take it, but if He does not, we must trust Him still. David was hunted by king Saul, but David committed himself to God who put Saul in his hands and David remained subservient such that God alone would deal with Saul. (Sam. 23:14-24:22-26) Yeshua had to face death on a cross for the sins of humanity, and He surrendered to God’s will which included resurrection to eternal life. 

In Romans Scripture explains the reality of God’s love, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?… For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:35, 38-39) The reason we can love our enemies is God is our defender and Sovereign over our life. He decides our fate as we surrender all to Him and our trust is in His good and perfect will for us. For those of us who have been avoiding and dreading our enemies, peace can be restored to us when we put our care into His faithful hands. Then, we can begin loving those who are opposed to us. David prayed, “My times are in your hands; deliver me from the hands of my enemies, from those who pursue me.” (Psalms 31:15)