Do not envy the oppressor,
And choose none of his ways;
For the perverse person is an abomination to the Lord,
But His secret counsel is with the upright.
The curse of the Lord is on the house of the wicked,
But He blesses the home of the just.
Surely He scorns the scornful,
But gives grace to the humble.
The wise shall inherit glory,
But shame shall be the legacy of fools.
Proverbs 3:31-35
When imagining the oppressor don’t think only of dictators, wealthy tax cheats, and corporate frauds. Think of the falsehoods and short cuts you might be tempted to take to make life easier. Scheming, skimming, getting rich quick (or trying to), and lying really have an appeal in the short-term, which is why people do it. And it’s easy for those who are not compromising to get ahead to envy those who seem to successfully cheat. But God blesses those who follow Him and curses those who don’t. He knows, and His curse is upon the house of the wicked just as His blessing is upon the house of the just. Curses are not spells or magical incantations, as if ill fortune falls haplessly on someone. No, it’s the misery of living in sin, of running away from the grace of God. Think of what happens to a person who oppresses for decades–cutting corners, lying, blaming, cursing, complaining, and so on. What is his house like? Contrast it to the just who takes responsibility, keeps his word, tells the truth, gives thanks, makes it right when he fails, and receives grace from God because he asks for it. These are opposite paths that end in opposite places. Envy leads the fool to shame, but the upright inherits glory.