Ezekiel 18:23 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?
In light of festive American reaction to the deadly success of yesterday’s military operation, several friends have posted the above verse as a counterpoint on blogs and social media networks. They want to say that, instead of celebrating the death of an enemy, we should be lamenting the demise of a “wicked” person who is the object of God’s love and who had the potential for repentance and life.
Certainly God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to a knowledge of the truth. But our understanding of Scripture’s big picture is limited if we immediately identify “the wicked” with our enemies, or even with those who do not conform to our ethical standards. Ezekiel’s words were directed to “the house of Israel,” God’s chosen people who had chosen to ignore God’s law. Israel was involved in idolatry, adultery, discrimination against the poor, lack of compassion for the poor, usury, robbery and unfair economic practices (Ezekiel 18:5-17). Not only that, the people of Israel accused God of being unjust when Babylon invaded their land and carried away their leadership and wealth (18:25). In other words, they felt that, as God’s people, they should have a free pass to health, wealth and prosperity.
“The wicked” whose death God laments in Ezekiel are not the “evil” Babylonians. They are the “house of Israel,” those called by God to bless and transform the world. Jesus was asked, “Why do you [hang out and party] with…sinners?” He answered, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.” The gospel message blurs human categories of who is “in” and who is “out.” Instead, Jesus shows us that the line between the wicked and the righteous cuts right through the heart of every human being. And, in every case, true repentance always leads to life.
