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Monday, May 2, 2011

No Pleasure, says the Lord

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?
Ezekiel 33:11






I so want my heart and mind aligned with God's thoughts and heart.  It's hard this morning:  one part of me is glad that Osama Bin Laden is finally dead, the other part is sad that he has gone to meet God without acknowledging that Jesus is God's Son.

Why wouldn't we as humans be glad that an evil person has finally left this earth?  Aren't we glad when serial killers are stopped?  Wasn't the world grateful when Hitler, Stalin, and Pol Pot finally met their end?


Another part of me sees each of these as human beings, created in God's image.  Here in Southern California, we've seen our fill of murderers and savages, yet part of me does not want to believe that any person could be so mean and cruel.  That any person deserves death.


Yet God instituted the death penalty -- a life for a life (and I know you might disagree with this interpretation, but just go with it for now).  Because each life is important, and the taking of life wantonly is wrong, and goes against all that our God of Life stands for.


So, I come to this:  God is grieves this, but He does not disapprove.

2 comments:

  1. Thank you for talking about this. These were my thoughts exactly last night. I'm not rejoicing in his death. I am sad... sad at all the evil and death.

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  2. I've been having a hard time trying how to react to this too. On one hand...I want to say, "Finally"...on the other, "But...." Mixed emotion for sure!

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Play nice, please.