Daily Devotion September 7 Ezekiel 32, 33 Pleading With Sinners “As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?” (Ezekiel 33:11) God is pleading with Israel in our text to turn from their evil and return to Him. Israel suffered much because they forsook God’s ways. But God in mercy pleads with them to come back to Him. In this verse of Divine pleading with sinners, we have the desire of God, the death of the wicked, the decree for repentance, and the denunciation of sinners. Desire of God. “1 have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live.” God is not cruel because He sends sinners to hell. His desire is that the wicked repent of their sin. It does not delight God to send people to hell, but He has to do this when people reject Him and cling to their sins. God has gone to great effort to keep people out of hell. He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die for man’s sins so they could be saved from eternal judgment. But when man refuses to turn to the Lord, God has no choice but to send that person to hell. Death of the wicked. Our verse promises “the death of the wicked.” Wicked folk may rise to power and rule the world. But sooner or later they will die. They may seem to defy God and get away with it for a time. But they will die—and then things will be different. For no wicked person shall prosper in eternity. Their place is eternal hellfire. Decree for repentance. “Turn ye from your ways and live.” In mercy God pleads with the wicked to repent. And note that when they turn from their wicked ways, then they will experience life. Satan would have us believe that evil living is life. But God says just the opposite. Denunciation of sinners. “Why will ye die, O house of Israel?” This pleading question says that there is no good reason for continuing in sin. It emphasizes that sinful living is great folly. There is no justification for sinning. Sin is always folly. It may disguise itself as intelligence, but it is still iniquity and doomed for eternal condemnation.
Posted on: Sun, 07 Sep 2014 11:37:05 +0000
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