What other scriptures warn against gloating over others' misfortunes? Gloating Exposed in Lamentations 2:16 “All your enemies open their mouths against you; they hiss and gnash their teeth. They cry out: ‘We have swallowed her up. This is the day for which we have waited; we have lived to see it!’” The fall of Jerusalem gave surrounding nations an excuse to gloat. God records their sneering words so we can recognize this attitude for what it is: sin against both God and neighbor. Why Scripture Condemns Gloating • It mocks God’s image in others. • It forgets our own dependence on mercy. • It presumes that someone else’s judgment guarantees our own safety. • It stirs pride—the root of countless other sins. Wisdom Literature: Straight-Talk Warnings • Proverbs 17:5 — “Whoever mocks the poor insults his Maker; whoever gloats over disaster will not go unpunished.” • Proverbs 24:17-18 — “Do not gloat when your enemy falls, and do not let your heart rejoice when he stumbles, lest the LORD see and disapprove, and turn His wrath away from him.” • Job 31:29-30 — “Have I rejoiced at my enemy’s misfortune or become excited when calamity found him? … I have not allowed my mouth to sin by asking for his life with a curse.” These verses connect gloating with mockery, pride, and eventual punishment—motives God will not overlook. The Prophets: National Judgment for Gloating • Obadiah 1:12-13 — “Do not gloat over your brother in the day of his disaster… do not rejoice over the people of Judah in the day of their destruction… or seize their wealth in the day of their disaster.” • Ezekiel 25:6-7 — “Because you clapped your hands, stamped your feet, and rejoiced with all the contempt of your soul against the land of Israel, therefore I will stretch out My hand against you.” • Ezekiel 35:15 — “As you rejoiced when the inheritance of the house of Israel became desolate, so will I deal with you; you will become desolate, Mount Seir.” • Micah 7:8-10 — “Do not gloat over me, my enemy! Though I have fallen, I will rise… the LORD will bring me into the light; I will see His righteousness.” The prophets show that nations who mocked Israel eventually faced equal or greater judgment. God defends the humiliated and confronts the boastful. Psalms: Heartfelt Pleas Against Malicious Joy • Psalm 35:19-25 — David asks God to stop those “who hate me without cause” and “wink in malice,” saying, “Aha! Aha! our eyes have seen it!” • Psalm 137:7 — Edom is remembered for shouting, “Lay it bare!” when Jerusalem fell. Their gloating becomes a charge against them. These prayers model grief over ridicule and trust that God will handle mockers justly. New Testament Echoes • Romans 12:15-18 — “Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep… Do not repay anyone evil for evil… Live at peace with everyone.” • 1 Corinthians 13:6 — “Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.” Love replaces gloating with empathy, because the gospel leaves no room for superiority. Putting It Into Practice • Check the heart: do I feel a secret thrill when someone who wronged me suffers? • Choose compassion: pray for those in trouble, even adversaries. • Guard the tongue: refuse to repeat news of another’s fall as entertainment. • Celebrate repentance and restoration more than judgment. Throughout Scripture, from Lamentations to the letters of Paul, God consistently warns that rejoicing over another’s downfall invites His displeasure. Instead, He calls His people to humility, empathy, and redemptive love. |
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