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"DOES GOD REJOICE WHEN THE WICKED DIE?" "Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord GOD: and not that he should return from his ways, and live?"(Ezekiel 18:23)The secular world has put forth the idea that the God of the Old Testament is a mean old man who is looking for someone to clobber. They would have us think that the idea of God evolved into a kinder, more loving God in the New Testament. That is simply an ignorant belief. He is the same in both the Old and New Testament He is forever unchanging (Malachi 3:6).In both Testaments God is just and holy. That means He does not tolerate evil. He will judge nations and individuals, not by how much they know about the truth, but what they did with that truth.We read where God struck people dead when they know God's will but intentionally rebelled and disobeyed in both Testaments (Acts 5:9; Numbers 3:4). He also invites people to turn from their evil ways and return to Him before He must execute His judgments. If God had any other attitude toward evil, He certainly would not be Holy.We read in both the OT and NT where it describes God's compassion for the poor and the weak. His heart ever goes out to the downtrodden and blesses those who show His compassion to them. From Genesis to Revelation, we see the Lord's desire is that none should perish. He is our unchanging God and the revelation of Him in the Bible is consistent throughout, in spite of the fact that it was inspired and written over a 1,500 -1,600-year period by some 40 different authors whose livelihood varied from kings', prophets, priests, scribes, and a cupbearer in the O.T., to a doctor, a persecutor, a fisherman, a tax collector, and two half-brothers of Jesus in the N.T.Remember friends, in both Testaments, God wants to save sinners and desires that they repent and turn from their evil ways so that they might live eternally with Him. He takes no pleasure in executing His judgments, but He must, because He is just.