Then I heard ‘Do Not Rejoice Over the Downfall of Your Enemies. I thought to myself ‘This message is easy to understand’. But the question is how easy is it for us as humans is to practice this. How easy is it for people to forgive others when others hurt them? And more importantly, what is our posture, attitude, thoughts, and behavior towards others who we consider to be our enemies?
As I always do, I go on the internet to do a quick research before writing on the topic of revelation.
I’d like to start with a few scripture verses on the topic. Please find below a few verses before I launch into the topic.
Do Not Rejoice and Gloat
In the bible, we read in Proverbs 24:17-22 Amplified Bible (AMP), ‘Do not rejoice and gloat when your enemy falls, And do not let your heart be glad [in self-righteousness] when he stumbles, Or the LORD will see your gloating and be displeased, And turn His anger away from your enemy’.
What does gloat over an enemy’s misfortune mean?
Gloating is taking delight and pleasure, even rejoicing over someone else’s hardship, misery, or disappointments. According to King Solomon, gloating is a close companion of Pride, which is one of the seven deadly sins. So, do not take satisfaction in the shortcomings of others.
This saying warns wisdom seekers to be careful not to celebrate when an enemy experiences misfortune. The word for “rejoice” is translated as “gloat” in other versions (NIV, CSB). This term means “to observe or think about something with triumphant and often malicious satisfaction, gratification, or delight.” Gloating over an enemy’s misfortune is associated with an arrogant and mocking attitude. It’s not easy to control the urge to gloat when our enemy experiences hardship, but Scripture says, “Those who rejoice at the misfortune of others will be punished” (Proverbs 17:5, NLT).
How does God want us to deal with enemies?
When you obey Jesus and respond to your enemies with love, prayer, forgiveness, and blessing, you take yourself out of satan’s line of fire and make room for God to handle justice as only He can. You don’t have to worry about your enemies. God says He will handle them on your behalf.
What does God say about blessing your enemies?
In the book of Luke 6:27-28, God says ‘But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you and Scriptures tell us to settle with our enemies. I refer to the book of Matthew 5:25 New International Version (NIV), and I quote
“Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison.
In the bible, 1 Peter 3:11), the Apostle Peter says ‘ let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it’.
Love and Forgive both Enemies and Friends
Jesus taught us to love and forgive both enemies and friends and pray for our persecutors (Matthew 5:44). “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you” (Luke 6:27–28).
As Jesus hung on the cross, He practiced what He preached, forgiving His torturers and executioners (Luke 23:34). The first Christian martyr followed Christ’s example. As Steven was being stoned to death, he prayed for God to have mercy on his accusers (Acts 7:57–60).
Do Not Disobey God’s Command
If we disobey these commands, if we turn around and revel in our enemy’s downfall, we reveal attitudes of pride and superiority that God hates (Proverbs 16:5; 8:13; James 4:6). According to the proverb, if God sees us gloating when our enemy experiences a disaster, He may yield, turning His anger away from our enemy. The Lord may even turn against us in punishment (Proverbs 17:5).
The same disciple who retaliated by chopping off his enemy’s ear (John 18:10–11) later taught, “Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called us to do, and he will grant us his blessing” (1 Peter 3:9, NLT). Taking malicious delight in someone else’s failure is a form of revenge and an evil that God forbids. Peter grew to understand that God wants His followers to “turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it” (1 Peter 3:11).
Express Genuine Christian Love
To rejoice when our enemy falls is the opposite of expressing genuine Christian love, which Paul outlined in Romans 12. “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another….. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. . . . Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath” (Romans 12:14–19).
The Apostle Paul went on to cite Proverbs 25:21–22: “If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink….and the LORD will reward you.”
Conclusion
To conclude, I ask the question ‘Why should we not rejoice when our enemy falls?’ The response is because the believer’s ultimate goal is to see an enemy become a brother or sister in Christ. The Lord taught us to accomplish this by treating our enemies with kindness, generosity, and humility (Matthew 5:39, 43–48). We “conquer evil by doing good” (Romans 12:21, NLT).
Just as God’s kindness is intended to turn us away from our sin (Romans 2:4), our kindness might just turn an enemy away from a life of sin toward repentance and salvation in Jesus Christ.
Praise God Almighty, Praise Our Lord Jesus Christ, Praise The Holy Ghost.
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah.
Reference; https://www.gotquestions.org/not-rejoice-when-enemy-falls.html
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