Turning Away Wrath (Proverbs 24:17-18)

Laughing at the demise of your enemy is never a good thing. The Lord desires that all come to Him, and if we laugh at our enemy who has not turned to Him, how much better are we?

"Rejoice not when your enemy falls, and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles or is overthrown; lest the Lord see it, and it be evil in His eyes and displease Him, and He turn away His wrath from him [to expend it upon you, the worse offender]." Proverbs 24:17-18, Amplified

I have been in this very same place where I watched as someone I did not like get exactly what they deserved. I was so very happy to see them fall. Not soon after, though, they began to prosper again because I found such great pleasure in their demise. The Lord does not enjoy disciplining, this is not His heart, but His nature must exact justice on all evils.

Just for the record, however, this is the first time in 697 verses that I disagree with the translation of the Amplified Version. At the end of verse 18 it seems that the translators thought that the Lord would turn His wrath away from the deserving to those who found pleasure in the other's demise. There is no hint of that in the original language.

The Hands of the Living God (Proverbs 19:12)

In literature, as well as history, kings are known for either their generosity or the fierceness of their temper.

"The king's wrath is as terrifying as the roaring of a lion, but his favor is as [refreshing as] dew upon the grass." Proverbs 19:12, Amplified

As I stated at the beginning, kings are known for either aspect of demeanor, however they can also be known for both. Our Lord is terrifying since He has power over our souls. But He is also a gracious and loving God.

When it comes to man, though, the king's wrath is as terrifying as a lion because the impending doom seems to be inevitable. I imagine someone locked in a cage with a hungry lion, or even go back tot he story of Daniel in the lion's den. When dealing with a giant animal such as this, any defense that we have will almost prove to be fruitless. The same can be said of our King; there is no defense, whether verbal or physical, that can protect us against His wrath. "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." (Hebrews 10:31, NKJV) Even Jesus stated, "And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both body and soul in hell." (Matthew 10:28, NKJV)

Just as He is able to judge and destroy, our God is also a God of love. God desires for everyone to come to a saving knowledge of His Son. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes on Him might not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16, NKJV) Paul even writes the Roman church concerning the goodness of God. "Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance." (Romans 2:4, NKJV) The verse in Proverbs that we are looking at this morning speaks of the goodness and kindness of the king being as the dew on the ground. The dew on the ground is not only refreshing, but it is abundant. When the Lord sent manna to the children of Israel, it described it as being abundant as the dew on the ground.

It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God if indeed we are not one of His. His wrath and judgement is to be feared if we are not saved. His grace and loving kindness is plentiful when we surrender. The hands of the living God are warm and gentle to those who are called by His name.

Control Yourself (Proverbs 15:18)

There are those out there who love to stir up things and cause fights and contentions. This of course, is something that Lord does not like.

"A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger appeases contention." Proverbs 15:18, Amplified

One seems to be happier in an environment that complements his distemper. A wise man once said, "Miserable being must find more miserable being, then he is happy." A hot tempered man stirs up strife around him because this is all that he knows. Being slow to anger is an attribute that a child of God has. "So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God." (James 1:19-20, NKJV) The man who is slow to anger is able to see what others do not; he has the ability to pray about the situation. There is so much benefit or a man when he can control his anger.

The End of Things (Proverbs 11:23)

Whatever task we do or whatever path we take, it brings us to an end. For the righteous, it is good; for the wicked, it is bad.

"The desire of the [consistently] righteous brings only good, but the expectation of the wicked brings wrath." Proverbs 11:23, Amplified

In the heart of the righteous, only good is conceived. It is in the power and plan of the righteous to bring about a good end. However, the wicked have only evil on their heart continually. I do not believe that this wrath spoken of by Solomon is at all earthly. In the end, all will have to answer for their deeds. For the righteous, heaven awaits. Hell and eternal separation and the wrath of God await the wicked man.