DON'T REJOICE WHEN YOUR ENEMIES FALL

sermon 10.

Don’t Rejoice When Your Enemies Fall

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 from them”─ Prov. 24:17-18.

I have seen under the sun people that rejoice over the downfall of their enemies. I’ve also seen people that bought new clothes, shoes, and cooked palatable food because of the doom fallen on their enemies. Such people don’t show pity nor love for their enemies. You may claim the fact that Mirian composed a song for the glory of God when God hauled the armies of Pharaoh in the Red Sea, and why you shouldn't rejoice. A true Christian shows love even to his enemies, and it is this love that can make such a Christian to show concern to his foe when a tragedy has befallen him.

At the time of Job’s depression, he protested for his innocence. One of the declarations he made is─
“If I have rejoiced at the destruction of him who hated me, or lifted up myself when evil found him; yes, I have not allowed my mouth to sin by asking his life with a curse”─ Job 31:29-30 WEB.

Job’s statement indicated above shows that a righteous man can contract the wrath of God if he rejoices at the moment the anger of God is poised to his foe. God may be on your side fighting for you, but your wicked attitude, laughing and even rejoicing over the tragedy, the evil that has beset your opponent may cause him to be displeased with you.

Illustration:

There was a woman that a man who happened to be his neighbor had vowed to kill by all means, and so he went to different shrines of witch doctors. Upon all the warnings prophets of God gave to him, he neglected them believing that he would never sleep unless he accomplished his evil mission. Every night, the woman would pray for God to guide and protect her and her family. Years passed, this man was still making a way to decimate the woman for unknown reason until he became terribly sick. When this woman returned from where she went to, she heard that her enemy, the man who sought after her life had finally died. Laughter was about bursting out from her lips, she did not understand what was happening to her, why the whole environment was gloomy filtered with weeping and her spirit felt like laughing. She then knelt down, asking God to forgive her for having such feeling.

Now, the woman’s situation explains to us that when God visits our enemies with evil, laughter may tend to burst out of our mouth but we should hold our peace, try to put ourselves in place of the victim. For the fact that God is fighting for you should not be a guarantee for you to buy new clothes, cars, call for feasts rejoicing over the evil that has fallen on your foe. Instead, pray for God delivering you from the hands of your enemies. You may rejoice over your enemies when nothing evil or disaster has happened to them. But when your enemy is in trouble, your pleasure may cause God to be displeased with you.

Once in the history of Israel when disaster damped their glory, the people of Edom rejoiced over the misfortune that had beset Israelites. They gloated over their destruction and then seized their wealth when they were suffering from such calamities ─ Obadiah 12-13. God was punishing his people because of the evil they committed. He handed them over to foreigners. And while the foreigners were holding them captive, the Edomites─ descendants of Esau stood aloof watching for the destruction of their relations. Instead of them to help their brothers, they aided for their downfall, looting their wealth. Since Edomites didn’t show pity or concern for the misfortune that had befallen on the Israelites, God was displeased with them. He then pronounced judgment on them─

The LORD says to Edom,

“I will cut you down to size among nations;

You will be greatly despised”─ Obadiah 2.

Now, if your enemy has rejoiced over a disaster that occurred in your life, may the LORD be displeased with them, pronouncing judgment on them, those who have feasted for your downfall, may the LORD revert his anger upon you and then become displease with your foes. I tell you this, those who have gone to different witch doctors seeking after your life will not succeed. May the LORD who fought against Edomites fight against those that have looted your money, property or house, may he place judgment on them that are rejoicing over your downfall. If only you turn to God now, you will overcome your challenges. Do you believe? May God help you.