An enemy is an opposing force. Who is your enemy? Nearly everyone has one! It may be someone who is against you. It may be someone who has said bad things about you. It may be someone who has hurt you physically or emotionally. It may be someone who has cheated you. It is someone you do not like because they have been unkind to you.

Each of us know someone who has been unkind to us. It may be your spouse, your parent, your neighbour, your workmate, your boss, or a relative. You may not be at war, but that person is your enemy in the sense that he or she has hurt you.

If something bad happens to our enemy, the sinful human response is delight. We may say, “Yes! Serves him right! I hope she is suffering!” However, is that God’s response toward those who hurt Him? No! If it is, we are all in trouble because we have all hurt God by disobeying Him.

Read Proverbs 24:17-18. Did you notice that these verses begin with the words, “rejoice not”. Why would God tell us not to rejoice?

Transition

This evening, I want to show you from the Bible four important things that God wants us to know about our attitude toward those who hurt us.

The first thing we must know about our attitude is …

The Requirement

  1. God said, we must not rejoice when our enemy falls
    1. The word “fall” may refer to any type of sudden fall.
      1. He or she may literally slip and fall to the ground.
      2. It may be a financial fall, a health fall, or a fall into any sort of hard times.
    2. We must not express outward joy when our enemy falls.
    3. You might be thinking of times in the Bible when people rejoiced over victories. For example, Israel rejoiced when God closed the Red Sea on Pharaoh and his army. I think the difference is that it was a national enemy not a personal enemy, God miraculously dealt with the enemy, it was not just a fall, and the rejoicing was in God’s protection and deliverance not in personal vengeance.
    4. If your enemy slips and falls, it is wrong for you to rejoice that things are going bad for him.
  2. God said, we also must not let our heart be glad
    1. The word “stumbleth” describes tripping or being feeble or weak.
    2. The word “glad” is very similar to “rejoice” but it seems to describe the inner feeling rather than an outward expression. You can be glad in your heart that your enemy tripped without ever expressing that on the outside.
    3. God is telling us here that this too is wrong.
      ² So, God’s requirement is that we must not rejoice or be glad when those who have hurt us trip and fall into hard times.
      The second thing we must know about our attitude is …

The Reason

  1. The Lord is watching all we do
    1. The Lord will see our bad attitude.
    2. The Lord can see our inner gladness just as clearly as He sees our outward rejoicing.
    3. Remember the words of the Psalmist in (Psalm 139:1) O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me. (2) Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. (3) Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. (4) For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether.
  2. Wrong rejoicing displeases God
    1. If the Lord sees us rejoicing or being glad when our enemy trips or falls, this displeases Him.
    2. Having a bad attitude toward a person who has hurt you displeases God.
    3. Why would this displease God?
      1. It displeases because that attitude is self-righteous as if we have never hurt anyone ourselves.
      2. It displeases because that attitude lacks empathy. It is not treating others as we want treated.
      3. It displeases because that attitude expresses hate, which is wicked.
      4. It displeases because that attitude is not a reflection of God living in us.
    4. Attitudes matter to God. Our attitudes effect every area of our lives. Children, you may obey your mum or dad, but if you have a bad attitude about it, you are displeasing God. Teens, you may read your Bible, but if you grumble and complain about the time it takes, God is displeased. Adults, outwardly, you may be somewhat nice to your spouse, but if inwardly you have a bad attitude toward your spouse, God is displeased. Remember what the writer of Hebrews said about the living Word (Jesus). (Hebrews 4:12) For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
      The third thing we must know about our attitude is …

The Result

  1. God will turn away His wrath
    1. God has promised to deal with wrong in His time and in His way. (Colossians 3:25) But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.
    2. If we have a bad attitude when our enemy falls, we get in God’s way and hinder His work. God is saying that our wrong rejoicing will stop Him from dealing with our enemy in the way he deserves.
  2. We lose our harmony with God
    1. Every Christian ought to seek to walk in harmony with God each day. Harmony is when two things fit together happily without any friction. Harmony in music is when two notes complement each other without clashing.
    2. Since God never changes, he is the same yesterday today and forever, living in harmony with God means that we must adjust the way we think and live to complement God rather than to clash with Him. As we are seeing, this is true of our attitude toward our enemies.
      The fourth thing we must know about our attitude is …

The Resolution

How can we fix our bad attitudes?

  1. We must love our enemy
    1. Jesus said, (Matthew 5:44) But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
    2. How is it possible to love our enemy? Love is giving of ourselves to meet the needs of another. We can love those whom we do not particularly like. You may not like your unkind neighbour, but you can love him. You may not like the way your spouse is acting, but you can still love him or her. Love is meeting needs! Love is a choice!
  2. We must place all vengeance in God’s hands
    1. Paul addressed this in his letter to the Roman church. (Romans 12:19) Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. It is not your job to even the score!
    2. Cast your burden on the Lord. Let Him deal with the person who has hurt you. Keep out of God’s way by guarding your attitude and keeping it godly.
    3. Praying for the person who has hurt you will help you to keep a good attitude toward him or her. Ask God to bless him for the good things he does. Treat the person like God teats you even though you have often hurt God.

Conclusion

This evening we have looked at four important things that God wants us to know about our attitude toward those who hurt us. We looked at the Requirement [stop rejoicing and being glad when your enemy trips or falls]; the Reason [the Lord is watching and bad attitudes displease Him]; the Result [God will turning away his anger from our enemy if we get in His way]; and the Resolution [Love your enemy and place all vengeance in God’s hands].

Your enemy is one who has hurt you. That may be your spouse, your parent, a neighbour, a friend, or a workmate. How do you respond when that person falls?

Song: Teach Me Thy Way, O Lord – 337
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Rejoice Not!
13 March 2016 PM – Pro 24:17-18 – Fortifying the Family – Scott Childs