Proverbs 24:15-18 says,...

Today's verses are Proverbs 24:15-18, which read,

v. 15, 16 - Do not lie in wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous; do not destroy his resting place; for a righteous man falls seven times, and rises again, but the wicked stumble in time of calamity.

The Bible is full of word pictures and here is another one.  Even though there is warning in the Bible to not attack the righteous there will be.  The foolish will not obey this command and righteous people will fall and maybe up to seven times which means many times.  But, as Jesus said to His disciples each time He spoke of His death, He also included His resurrection, His rising up.  The righteous will rise back up to follow the Lord.  

Seven is the number of completeness in the Bible but also the number to signify many.  Peter asked the Lord, "How many times do I forgive my brother, up to seven times?"  Another example is found in Proverbs 26:16, which says, "The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who can give a discreet answer."  

To stumble is different than to fall.  To fall is to be pushed down by another or be under the attack of another.  To stumble is something that you do to yourself.  The wise may be attacked from the outside but the wicked attack themselves and there is no talk of rising back up.  In their time of calamity or time of being bad, they make themselves fall.  The righteous will get shoved down even though the command is given to not do that but they will rise back up even if the falling includes death.

v. 17, 18 - Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles; or the LORD will see it and be displeased, and turn His anger away from him.

Lets now talk to the righteous who has been knocked down and gotten back up.  How do you respond to those who are knocking you down?  Do you rejoice?  Do you let your heart be glad when the foolish hurt themselves?  Your response as those who are righteous needs to be the opposite.  We need to mourn when our enemy falls.  We need to be sad when he stumbles.

The consequences are great here.  The Lord who is displeased with the actions of the foolish will see the actions of the righteous that are not so righteous by laughing and making fun of their stumbles and turn His displeasure on them, the foolish righteous.  That sounds like a oxymoron, the foolish righteous, but many times this is exactly what happens.  We, who are following after God, respond in very unrighteous ways to the stumbles of the foolish.  It is not that you like getting shoved down or that you don't protect yourself from it but when you see the shover stumble because of his own doing, do you get in a jab yourself?  Do you say a cutting remark?  Do you say a cliche' like, "Well, you made your bed, now you can lie in it."?  

It says that God is displeased with this action of the righteous and He turns on His anger.  The word for anger means to flare the nostrils and breath hard.  Have you ever seen someone like that or noticed yourself doing it?  Your face gets red, your veins in your neck pop out, your nostrils flare because you are breathing so hard and saying words with such force.  God is not pleased when we do to others what others have done to us.  We turn into the unforgiving servant who was forgiven much but didn't extend that grace onto another fellow servant.  So today we have a warning to the foolish and to the wise.  Let us pray.

"Lord, thank You for the promise of the righteous rising up even when they have been knocked down many times.  Thank You for the ultimate rising of resurrection onto new life.  Lord, help us to not kick people when they are down even if it is of their own doing.  Help us to see how much that angers You.  We, as Your servants, are not to kick but to continue to follow the commandment to love.  Amen."

Pastor Adam