Contempt – Proverbs 17:5

He who mocks the poor shows contempt for their Maker; whoever gloats over disaster will not go unpunished.

I personally can’t imagine anyone mocking the poor. It doesn’t matter how they became poor or how long they’ve been poor. If you look down on them and speak negative words about them, your mocking them. At that moment, your showing contempt to YHWH Himself.

“How is that?” You ask. Because you are making it sound as if you would never allow yourself to be in that position. When in fact, your forgetting it could have been YHWH who put them in that position and He can just as easily put you there too. That’s why we see the next part of the verse saying “whoever gloats over disaster will not go unpunished.”

Someone who gloats over anyones misfortune, whatever form it may be, is only storing up misfortune for themselves. So don’t rejoice at anyones misfortune. Pray for them. Pray for them like you would want them to pray for you.

I’m reminded of a phrase my mom used to say all the time when growing up. “Except for the grace of God, that would be me.” How true it is.

Let this be a focus in your time of meditation throughout the day. Until next time, Shalom.

SOURCE: Steve Moutria at TorahFamily.org (Posted with permission)
https://torahfamily.org/contempt-proverbs/

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