Year of Realization – Day 54: There is a time to mourn for those who face judgment.
“While they were still talking, the king’s eunuchs arrived and quickly took Haman to the banquet Esther had prepared.”
Esther 6:14 NLT
My father was a person who took seriously the stumbling of others. He would mourn over those who would fall into sin and grieve over those who were suffering the consequences of the same. Indeed, he gave up a good position in a large denomination because he chose to reach out and help a fallen brother.
Yes, my father would sometimes take his mourning to the extreme of blaming himself for what someone else had done. He suffered, wondering what he could’ve said or done to have kept them from doing what they did.
Now, we know that people have a free will and often do the wrong thing in spite of wonderful attempts by many to keep them from falling. But, other peoples’ trouble was taken personally by my father. Only the Lord knows whether he took it to the degree that it was personally harmful to him; but I know that this reaction was a result of his having the heart of his Father Who is not willing that any should perish.
We have been talking about the fact that evil people will—sooner or later—face judgment and destruction for what they have done. Today we take a moment to reflect on what our attitude should be when judgment, disaster, destruction, etc., come on those who have fallen into the judgment of God.
“Do not rejoice and gloat when your enemy falls, And do not let your heart be glad [in self-righteousness] when he stumbles, Or the Lord will see your gloating and be displeased, And turn His anger away from your enemy.”
Proverbs 24:17-18 AMP
We must not gloat over the fall of anyone, not even over the fall of our enemies. Doing so, displeases God and can actually turn the judgment away from them and onto you.
“Whoever mocks the poor taunts his Maker, And he who rejoices at [another’s] disaster will not go unpunished.”
Proverbs 17:5 AMP
We’ve all heard about how many times Saul tried to kill David; he hunted him down like a dog. But yet, when David heard that Saul and Jonathan had been killed, he mourned deeply.
“David and his men tore their clothes in sorrow when they heard the news. They mourned and wept and fasted all day for Saul and his son Jonathan, and for the Lord’s army and the nation of Israel, because they had died by the sword that day.”
2 Samuel 1:11-12 NLT
At another time, when Abner (the relative of Saul and the leader of Saul’s army) was killed, David again mourned.
“Then David said to Joab and all those who were with him, “Tear your clothes and put on burlap. Mourn for Abner.” And King David himself walked behind the procession to the grave. Then the king sang this funeral song for Abner: “Should Abner have died as fools die? Your hands were not bound; your feet were not chained. No, you were murdered— the victim of a wicked plot.” All the people wept again for Abner.”
2 Samuel 3:31, 33-34 NLT
In the best example of the heart of God mourning over those who have rejected Him, we see that Jesus mourned over Jerusalem and the destruction they would face.
“But as he came closer to Jerusalem and saw the city ahead, he began to weep. “How I wish today that you of all people would understand the way to peace. But now it is too late, and peace is hidden from your eyes. Before long your enemies will build ramparts against your walls and encircle you and close in on you from every side. They will crush you into the ground, and your children with you. Your enemies will not leave a single stone in place, because you did not recognize it when God visited you.””
Luke 19:41-44 NLT
In our opening scripture we see that Haman, having experienced the humility of having to honor Mordecai, is now being led to what will be his last meal.
We know that the judgment of God is pure and perfect and we do not question the way He deals with His enemies. But our part, is to be humble and mourn when judgment falls.
Having said all of this about mourning over the fall of the wicked, I will add that our morning should in no way keep us from continuing in our obedience to the Lord.
“Now the Lord said to Samuel, “You have mourned long enough for Saul. I have rejected him as king of Israel, so fill your flask with olive oil and go to Bethlehem. Find a man named Jesse who lives there, for I have selected one of his sons to be my king.””
1 Samuel 16:1 NLT
As the Lord told Samuel that it was time to step up out of his mourning and fulfill his purpose, just so, we must, although humbled and sobered by the fall of the enemy, continue marching forward to total victory.