Do not rejoice when your enemy falls,
and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles,
18 lest the LORD see it and be displeased,
and turn away his anger from him.
I am noticing a disturbing trend in news headlines of late. Many journalists are rejoicing in anti-vaxxers and especially anti-vax pastors contracting Covid-19 and dying. They cannot resist the irony and seem to be gloating over the death of another person. This is disturbing not only because it is dehumanizing but because this proverb commands us not to gloat when our enemy falls. Of course, it is our first instinct and our human nature to rejoice at the fall of an enemy. Our command though, is to stand in awe of the power of the Lord and to believe the verse that says vengeance is mine, says the Lord. If the Lord says it, I will believe it, and obey it.
There is another command regarding our enemies, one another, and our neighbor. This command is from Jesus Christ himself. It is to love our enemy and pray for him. It is to love one another and seek their good. It is to love our neighbor and the parable Jesus used to illustrate this love of neighbor was the Good Samaritan, where the enemy Samaritan proves to be the good neighbor. Let us learn not only from this proverb but from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to love all people as we love ourselves and leave the glee to the King of Kings. Praise the Lord he does not rejoice at our downfall…
He prevents it.
Pastor Brad Boyer
Cape Community Church