The Death of an Enemy

Have I rejoiced at the extinction of my enemy,

Or exulted when evil befell him?

No, I have not allowed my mouth to sin

By asking for his life in a curse.

Job 21:29-30

Job considered rejoicing over the death of an enemy sin. Not only that, he refused to rejoice even when they fell into hardships. Commenting on Paul’s statement “love... does not rejoice in unrighteousness,” William Barclay writes,

It might be better to translate this sentence as love finds no pleasure in anything that is wrong. It is not so much delight in doing the wrong thing that is meant, as the malicious pleasure which comes to most of us when we hear something derogatory about someone else. It is one of the strange features of human nature that very often we prefer to hear of the misfortune of others rather than of their good fortune. It is much easier to weep with those who weep than to rejoice with those who rejoice. Christian love has none of that human malice which finds pleasure in hearing unpleasant things about other people.

William Barclay (The Letter to the Corinthians)

Ezekiel also says, speaking for God, “Do I have any pleasure in the death of the wicked?” (Ezekiel 18:23).

Jesus weeped over Jerusalem multiple times, He asked God to not lay their sin to their charge, and Stephen also asked for the forgiveness of his murderers.

We have a lot to learn when it comes to loving our enemies. Especially me!