God Loves Judgment
Facebook Post
Bud Powell,
May 2, 2011
God has no
pleasure in the death of the wicked. We have heard that quoted all over FB
today as a rebuke to those, like me, who were glad that Osama has been brought
to justice. He deserved to die, and I am glad that God establishes
justice in the world, long suffering though He is.
Scripture
is anthropomorphic, using things we see to explain things we cannot see. Hence,
there is often tension between the figures.
First of
all, in the passage quoted, God is talking about his covenant people, not the
world in general. Ezek. 18:32; and Ezek 33:11. Isn't God at least as complex as you
and I are? I was glad when Ted Bundy was caught and executed. Was
it the same kind of glad that I felt when I got married? No, of course not. God has a value system, and values
repentance more than judgment; but that doesn't mean that He doesn't rejoice in
a different way in doing justice and judgment in the world.
Some of
those who put on a long face and reproved those who were rejoicing had more
compassion for Osama than they did for those who were glad he was brought to
justice. God loves righteousness, and He loves justice and
judgment. Note these passages--there are a great many like them in
Scripture. Even Jesus presides over the punishment in hell of the wicked
[Rev. 14]
Ps 33:5 He
loveth righteousness and judgment: the earth is full
of the goodness of the LORD.
Ps 37:28 For the LORD loveth
judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are
preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.
Isa 5:16
But the LORD of hosts shall be exalted in judgment, and God that is holy shall
be sanctified in righteousness.
Isa 59:15 Yea, truth faileth; and he that departeth from evil maketh
himself a prey: and the LORD saw it, and it displeased him that there was no
judgment.
It
displeased the Lord that no one brought judgment to the wicked.
Square that with your verse. So judgment would have pleased Him, but he
is not pleased with the death of the wicked? Either "Pleased"
does not mean the same thing in both verses or... Or is He just unhappy
no matter what happens?
Prooftexting doesn't
make it.
