God's Opinion About Death

As surely as I live, says the Sovereign LORD, I take no pleasure in the death of wicked people. I only want them to turn from their wicked ways so they can live. Turn! Turn from your wickedness, O people of Israel! Why should you die? [Ezekiel 33.11]

If we take this passage from Ezekiel seriously, then we must learn some important facts from God about His opinion about death.

Death is the result of sin.

Death is a curse.

Death is not God's will.

Death is the fate of wicked people.

In particular, the context of this passage is the punishment God allowed to occur upon Israel because of their refusal to follow Him. We must remain mindful of this fact otherwise we cannot reconcile it with the following verse:

The LORD cares deeply when his loved ones die. [Psalm 116.15]

Death is never God's best under any circumstance. Death is a constant reminder of the sin of Adam.

It would seem the death spoken of in Ezekiel is the death of war, famine, and disease (again, in its context). This death would carry with it the idea of suffering.

The death referred to in Psalm 116.15 does not seem (to me) to be the death of suffering. However, it agrees with Ezekiel in that God is not pleased with it. In fact, the Psalmist speaks of God deliverance from death (Psalm 116.6).

The Biblical fact is established regardless: man will not always live on the earth. The Bible teaches that death is man's appointment, but also teaches that when Jesus returns to the earth, He will snatch away His own thus circumventing the process of death.

So, while we may or may not be able to avoid death and its suffering, we have for fact that God is not pleased with death - not for the wicked (necessary as it may be), and certainly not for the righteous. Therefore, if I am going to represent, as an ambassador of God, His will for people on earth, I too will oppose death and its suffering. I will pray for life and health for all. I understand that death and suffering do not exist in heaven and in keeping with Jesus' Model Prayer, I will pray for God's will, as it is in heaven, for all on earth.

Father, help me to see clearly and thereby serve Your purpose in the earth.