Does God delight in the death of the wicked?

We often hear people rejoicing when evil men are put to death, but I wonder how many stop to think about what is happening. Is it right to be happy when men (or women) who do wrong are killed for their crimes? Years ago, in the Old Testament times, God often had the Israelites kill people for him, or he struck them down himself. Does it please God when wicked people die? This is an issue that God and many of the prophets discuss in depth. There is one book that really illustrates this, however, and that is the story of Jonah.

The story of Jonah is not long, but it has a good lesson. Jonah is told to go to Ninevah to prophesy against the sin of the city. Jonah decides he does not want to go, so he runs away and tries to go to a place in Spain called Tarshish. God (of course) knows what Jonah has done and causes a great storm to come upon the boat, and Jonah knows it is because of his sin. Jonah is cast of the boat (at his request) and is swallowed by a great fish in whom he stays for three days and nights, praying and repenting. Jonah actually GOES to Ninevah and preaches against the city, of which the people are repentant and return to God. God decides to forgive Ninevah and decides not to destroy the city. That's what brings us to chapter 4. Go and read it now.

Jonah is mad because the Lord forgives the city. He says that for that very reason he did not want to go to Ninevah to preach, because he knew that the Lord is a forgiving God. Evidently Jonah believed that God should have just destroyed this city of people. Jonah even goes so far as to ask the Lord to kill HIM!

God uses an object lesson to teach him. Jonah went out of the city a distance and waited to see what would happen (presumably whether or not the Lord would destroy the people). Of course, God had already decided to forgive the people, so he causes a gourd plant to grow overnight into a shade for Jonah as he sits outside the city. The next day, however, God sent a worm to eat the plant and cause it to die. God also caused a hot wind to blow on Jonah, and again he wants to die. God then scolds Jonah. He compares the plant to the city. The plant had grown up and died within 24 hours, and Jonah was very torn up about it, but this city held more than 120,000 people! God asks Jonah whether those people are important too? The book abruptly ends there, and it makes me wonder what Jonah's response was. Perhaps, considering he probably wrote this book, he learned the lesson the Lord wanted to teach him.

CONCLUSION

What lesson should WE learn from these verses? God doesn't want everyone to die and go to eternal punishment! We can see that fact from how he made the Scheme of Redemption and send HIS ONLY SON to die for the sins of the world! God isn't happy when evil people die! God wants all people to turn to him and to obey him. My mind goes to the story of the Parable of the Lost Sheep. At the end of the parable, Jesus says that there is greater joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 people who need not repent. The story of the Prodigal Son also shows this! What was the father (who represents God) doing when his son returned? He was watching and waiting hoping to see his son walking down the path to their home! God is eager for people to return to him and do what is right!

We should never rejoice at the death of wicked men, but rather pray for more opportunities to shine our light into the world and help turn some of the darkness into light. The only joy we can truly feel at a death is when we know that the person who has died was a faithful believer in the Lord, and we know that his destiny is certain in the Kingdom of our great father in heaven.

Some other verses for consideration:

Isaiah 55:7 - Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.

Lamentations 3:31-33 - For no one is cast off by the Lord forever. Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so great is his unfailing love. For he does not willingly bring affliction or grief to anyone.

Ezekiel 18:23 - Do I have any pleasure in the death of the wicked," declares the Lord GOD, "rather than that he should turn from his ways and live?

Ezekiel 18:32 - For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent and live!

Ezekiel 33:11 - 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?'

Joel 2:12-13 - "Even now," declares the LORD, "return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning." Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity.

John 3:17 - For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

1 Timothy 2:3-4 - This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

2 Timothy 2:25 - Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth,

2 Peter 3:9 - The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.