No Pleasure In the Wicked's Death

Minister:
Date: PM
Text: Ezekiel 33:10-20
Psalters: 317, 262, 397, 292
  1. The hopelessness.
    1. The occasion (not the cause) for the hopelessness.
      1. God had made a declaration of punishment upon the wicked (8) in Israel, which was to endure for 70 years (Jer. 25:11,12).
      2. God declares to the wicked in Israel that they would surely die (perish in hell) if they do not repent (9).
    2. Their response was one of hopelessness: what is the use or purpose of repenting (10).
      1. They thought that they were going to be punished (pine away) for their sins, so why repent?
      2. In their unbelieving sarcasm they charge God with being unjust.
    3. They are making some erroneous judgments.
      1. They are reacting to God?s punishment without humbly receiving it and taking it up cheerfully and joyfully.
      2. They think that their repentance deserves reward.
      3. They proudly bring charges of sin against God.
  2. God?s answer to their despair.
    1. God swears (?as I live?) that He has no pleasure in the death of the wicked.
      1. The ?wicked? are those who have been disobedient and hostile to God, and are thus guilty before Him.
      2. ?Pleasure? is a delight in the sense of desiring someone ardently.
    2. So fair or equal is God that those who were once righteous cannot rest in his past righteousness.
      1. Those who were wicked may not think that their past makes repentance useless (12b, 14-16).
      2. And those who were righteous cannot think that their past righteousness will save them when they sin so repentance is unnecessary (12a).
      3. God does not take perverse pleasure (pulling wings off a fly) in watching people suffer.
      4. This makes most urgent the call of the watchmen to alert the people to dangers so they flee from every sin in repentance.
    3. The CRC in 1924 used verse 11 to support common grace, namely, that God has favor for the reprobate in the preaching.
  3. Conclusion: it is most urgent to repent, for God ?will judge you everyone after his ways? (20).
    1. To the wicked sinners God says, ?Turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die?? (11b).
    2. Also the righteous must remember that they are righteous because they are given the grace to repent.
    3. The calling of all is one of constant repentance and looking always to the cross of Jesus and His righteousness if they sinned without repenting when told of their sin.