Focus Chapters:
- Proverbs 22:17-29
- Proverbs 23-24
Standout Verse(s):
Proverbs 24:17-18 NLT
Don’t rejoice when your enemies fall;
don’t be happy when they stumble.
For the Lord will be displeased with you
and will turn his anger away from them.
Observation (s):
- We should not rejoice when our enemies fall or stumble.
Don’t rejoice when your enemies fall;
don’t be happy when they stumble. - God will switch from yours to your enemy’s side if you rejoice at their misfortunes and punishments.
For the Lord will be displeased with you
and will turn his anger away from them.
Application:
We are called to love our enemies as ourselves. Would you liked it if your enemies celebrated your downfall? I can remember several instances where, as a child, I laughed and rejoiced when my older brother, who loved to torment me, fell. In the midst of my laughter, mockery and rejoicing, sometimes my sight would be blinded and I lost focus and fell too, much to the amusement of my brother and my shame. It was not a feeling I enjoyed. Don’t rejoice at the misfortunes or comeuppance of your enemies.
It is God’s duty to handle our enemies in the manner He deems fit. It is not our duty to celebrate their misfortunes/calamity or be happy about the moments that we believe they are getting what they deserve. When we take that path, we stray from our godly nature, sinning by displaying feelings of vindication, internally or externally.
When it comes to your enemies, think about yourself. Do you treat them the way you would want to be treated?
