Before we start today’s discussion, I will put these 3 terms on view:
Recompense
- Meaning: To make amends or compensate someone for loss, damage, or harm. It’s usually neutral or positive, focusing on fairness or restoration rather than anger. Used by King David in Psalm 18: 20, 24.
Retaliate
- Meaning: To respond to an attack or harm with a similar action. It’s more active and often implies revenge or self-defense. Seen in Exodus 2: 11-12
Revenge
- Meaning: To harm or punish someone intentionally in return for a perceived wrong. It often carries a strong emotional motivation, like anger or hatred. 2 Samuel 13:28–29 (NIV).
So, we notice that retaliation and revenge are almost the same, except that someone can retaliate out of self-defense and anger, whereas revenge is fueled by hatred and anger.
We see the character of God in Proverbs 24:12, where He says He ponders the heart of man and keeps our soul, and that He renders to every man according to his works, not speech—works. Psalm 18:22–23 explains the judgment of Elohim implicitly: with the merciful He shows Himself merciful; with the upright He shows Himself upright; with the pure He shows Himself pure; and with the froward He shows Himself froward. He explains further in Proverbs 24:29 that we should not say, “I will do to him as he has done to me; I will render to the man according to his WORK.” Further backing this up is Romans 12:19: “Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.”
So, even the killing of Jesus means we find it difficult to tell what is good and evil, right and wrong, righteous and what is not.
The Pharisees, when they wanted to trap Jesus by His words, recited Proverbs 24:23, saying to Him in Matthew 22:15–16: “Master, we know that thou art true (very crafty), and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest not the person of men” (see also Mark 12:14).
Jesus not only fulfilled the Law, but He also lived it. That is why Paul said, “With my mind I serve the law of God.” In the Old Testament, because of incomplete sanctification—before the blood of Jesus came upon man—it was written: “Thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might” (Deuteronomy 6:5). In the New Testament it became, as Jesus said: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind” (Matthew 22:37, echoed in Mark 12:30–31). This is because the Law is now applied to our hearts, no longer on graven stones that require reminders, but written in the heart of man.
If you study Jesus’ response to the Shema, He uses the words “soul, mind, and strength” in Mark 12:30, while the scribe used “understanding, soul, and strength” from Deuteronomy 6:5, as seen in Mark 12:33. Jesus’ response—“You are not far from the kingdom of God”—shows why our understanding may fail, but our mind, as it is being renewed, will not, because it is inscribed on the doorposts of our hearts.
Why am I saying all this? We go to the story of Moses in Exodus 2. Moses saw his people burdened and thought that by his strength—or might—he would deliver them, so he retaliated, thereby causing harm by killing the Egyptian. In doing so, he lost the right to judge his Hebrew brothers. The truth is, none of us are fit to judge, and the Hebrews were right; yet Moses was still sent to lead his people out of slavery—a deliverer, taking the form of Christ delivering us from the bondage of sin. Was it the right action to cause harm for the sake of justice? No. But his intention to save his people was right, and as the psalmist says, God pondered his heart.
Now we look at Joseph in Genesis 43–44, where he planted the silver cup to implicate Benjamin. Why? Genesis 43:16, 30—the heart of human beings cannot be trusted. Was there any harm done? No. Did he reward his brothers as they had done to him? No. But there was a recompense in order to protect Benjamin, even though he knew his father would worry.
Lastly, we look at Absalom and Amnon in 2 Samuel 13:22. Scripture says Amnon neither spoke good nor bad words, for he hated Absalom, because he forced his sister Tamar. In 2 Samuel 13:28–29, Absalom killed Amnon. The ironic thing is that the son David loved most was Absalom. Absalom’s case was a clear case of revenge.
So why am I saying this? At AFCON, as Proverbs 24:29 says, we should not say, “I will do to him as he has done to me.” This is true. As seen in Mark 12:14, was Jesus honest? Yes—true. He was not a respecter of persons. Jesus spoke justice when He said, “Render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s, and unto God what is God’s.” But then Philippians 4:8 says: “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” This aligns with God’s judgment in Psalm 18:25–26 (note: God’s judgment, not our own justice, which may be flawed).
The AFCON final became a fiasco because Senegal attempted a “Moses” moment after watching what happened to their fellow Africans in the semifinal. Was there fighting and violence? Yes. Did anyone die? No. Was it borne out of hatred? From the Senegalese team’s perspective, it was out of self-defense. Was it right? I think not. Could it have been better handled by the referees? Yes.
While bitterness gives birth to retaliation, we must be careful that it does not grow into hatred and give rise to murder. I am not saying what the Moroccans did was right, but two wrongs do not make a right. Either they should have waited for an appeal to FIFA or CAF after the match, if those bodies are credible, or risk-taking matters into their own hands like Moses. It is difficult to judge, after all— “Who made me a prince or a judge over you?” (Exodus 2:14), echoed by Jesus in Luke 12:14: “Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you?”
Is it good to retaliate? Yes or no. If it is out of self-defense, I would say yes; otherwise, out of revenge, no—because Jesus clearly said, “Avenge not yourselves.” Is it honest to side with transgressors? No. Is it just to reflect lies? No. Is it pure? No. Is it lovely to watch teams fight? No. Is it of good report? No.
These are the things I think on.