Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked?
Ezekiel 18:23 - Through the Old Testament prophet Ezekiel, God reveals His mercy and grace
“Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign Lord. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?”
Ezekiel 18:23 NIV
Sometimes, Christians may think that God’s mercy and grace is a New Testament thing, having been brought about by Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. It’s not, as today’s verse from the prophet Ezekiel reveals.
The Lord is reminding the prophet that He is not pleased when any of His creations die before repenting of sin and turning to Him. God says the same thing a bit more emphatically later on in Ezekiel 33:11 — “Say to them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, people of Israel?’”
God had made Ezekiel a watchman for the people of Israel, keeping guard and warning God’s people that judgment for sin was coming. Continuing their evil ways, they would be forever separated from God’s love. God used Ezekiel to warn of judgment and call His people to repentance. Why? Because of His mercy, grace, and love, and because He takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked.
As humans, we often do take pleasure in the death of the wicked! Barb and I have been studying World War II in depth for quite a while now, and the vast majority of people can’t help but be happy that Adolf Hitler — the man who plunged almost the entire planet into chaos, death, and destruction, and sent millions of innocent men, women and children into death camps like that shown above — killed himself as the Soviet Army neared his underground Berlin bunker.
God will judge that evil man; but does He rejoice in Hitler dying without repenting of his sin and turning to Christ? No! God wanted even one of the worst humans to ever live to “turn from his ways and live”. Certainly millions of people would have not died horrible, pointless deaths if this ruthless dictator had at some point early in his life chosen to follow the example of Jesus rather than live a life focused on hatred and egoism.
What should we do when faced with modern-day evil men and women? Think of today’s tyrants, terrorists and mass shooters — rather than call for execution even in the most egregiously horrible situations, praying for the salvation of those people is what God would want us to do.
I’ll close with this quotation from GotQuestions.org:
The eternal fate of every person is not a matter to be taken lightly. The death of the redeemed is, in one sense, an excellent reason to celebrate because that person has entered eternal life with Christ (Psalm 116:15; Philippians 1:21). But the death of the wicked is a tragedy because that person’s chance to be saved and live forever with God has passed. Eternal separation from God is the fate that awaits everyone who ultimately rejects Him in this life (Matthew 25:46; Daniel 12:2; Revelation 20:15). Rather than delight in the death of the wicked, we should pray for them to receive salvation before it’s too late.
Heaven On Wheels Daily Prayer:
God, I know that Your greatest desire is that every person changes their ways and follows You, regardless of how good or bad their past was. All too often, we condemn people for what they do and refuse to have hope that they can or will change. When they do start to change and serve God, we are all too willing to not believe that they really mean it. Please instill in me and my fellow believers the same love for people that You have. Make me rejoice when a person turns to You, weep when a person turns from You, and always seek to tell others about Jesus. AMEN.