Revenge

Desiring revenge is a common feeling—mostly because people hurting other people is a common experience. When a friend lies about you, someone steals something out of your backpack, or your parents go through an ugly divorce, it’s natural to want to make them pay for their mistakes. We don’t want people to get away with selfish behavior; we want them to know immediately that what they did was wrong. The problem is, by exacting revenge, we start a never-ending cycle that only hurts everyone in the end.

Moses learned a hard lesson about revenge. Though he’d grown up in royal privilege as the adopted son of Pharaoh’s daughter, the cruel treatment of his fellow Hebrews by their slave-masters stirred Moses’ fury. When he witnessed an Egyptian beating a Hebrew one day, he killed the Egyptian and buried the body in the sand (Ex. 2:11-12). When word reached Pharaoh of Moses’ rash actions, Moses fled for his life. It would be several decades before Moses could fulfill God’s plan to liberate the Hebrews from slavery—not through revenge, but by miracles of God.

The Apostle Paul wrote, “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” (Rom. 12:19, ESV). God is Judge, not us. While God makes room for justice and redemption within human actions, exacting revenge only warps our character. Praying for those who hurt us, and sharing our pain with parents, teachers, and pastors who can help remedy the wrong is the best plan. Otherwise, we may end up the villain.