A Daily Proverb: May 24
Today's proverb is an interesting one. Solomon starts out with a very noble statement in Proverbs 24:17:
"Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles,"
While it is hard to resist the feeling of pleasure when somebody who is a troublemaker or pain in the neck seems to get their comeuppance, we're being told here not to be happy. When the person at work who gives you the most grief gets fired, Solomon says don't rejoice, or be glad in it. His next phrase even gives a good reason not to do so, in verse 18:
Hmmm. Maybe I'd better think on that one a while longer.
Any thoughts?
"Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles,"
While it is hard to resist the feeling of pleasure when somebody who is a troublemaker or pain in the neck seems to get their comeuppance, we're being told here not to be happy. When the person at work who gives you the most grief gets fired, Solomon says don't rejoice, or be glad in it. His next phrase even gives a good reason not to do so, in verse 18:
"lest the LORD see it and be displeased,"But you have to wonder about Solomon's thought process when he closes out the phrase with
"and turn away his anger from him."Is he saying that the only reason not to be happy when our arch-nemesis (if we even have one) falters or when bad things happen to bad people is so that they will continue to fall?
Hmmm. Maybe I'd better think on that one a while longer.
Any thoughts?
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