Sirach 25:14. "Any attack, but not an attack from those who hate! And any vengeance, but not the vengeance of enemies!"

Attacks driven by hatred are horrific. We have a very recent and raw example in the October 7th Hamas attack on Israel. I can scarcely believe the horrors that those men inflicted on other human beings. The attackers seem not to be human to me given what they did. They were driven by hate, and so they became demonic. Sirach is so right in saying any attack is better than one driven by hatred, and evil is always driven by hatred, because the devil hates us.

Turning to vengeance, Sirach says let it not be the vengeance of enemies. This, too, would be overwhelming in its enactment. Let's look again at Israel having been attacked by Hamas. They are responding, right now, with targeted missile attacks and special forces. They are trying, it seems to me, not to act with unbridled vengeance. But I am certain the temptation is there! It is only human to want to completely destroy an enemy that has inflicted so much evil upon you!

But to whom does vengeance belong? It belongs to God. "Vengeance is mine," says the Lord (Deuteronomy 32:35). Why? Because no one is God's enemy, so He will never act out of this primal urge for destruction. He loves all. He loves the men who make up Hamas. He, of course, will hold them accountable for what they've done, but His vengeance will not be the vengeance of an enemy. It will be just what is needed to achieve justice, and will be meted out in a way that allows for repentance and salvation of even the most hardened of sinners.

It is almost impossible not to seek full scale retribution against an enemy like Hamas, but if Israel can remain restrained, it will be doing God's will. And God will, eventually, have His vengeance and justice.