Topical Bible: The Death of the Wicked: Sometimes Without Fear

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The concept of the death of the wicked, sometimes occurring without fear, is a theme explored in various passages of the Bible. This notion challenges the expectation that the wicked, due to their unrighteousness, would face death with terror and dread. Instead, Scripture presents instances where the wicked meet their end with apparent peace or indifference, highlighting the complexity of human experience and divine justice.

Biblical References

1. Psalm 73:3-5 : "For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. They have no struggle in their death; their bodies are well-fed. They are free of the burdens others carry; they are not afflicted like other men." This passage reflects the psalmist's observation of the wicked living in ease and dying without apparent suffering, which can be perplexing to the righteous who endure hardships.

2. Job 21:13 : "They spend their days in prosperity and go down to Sheol in peace." Job, in his discourse, notes that the wicked often live prosperous lives and die peacefully, seemingly escaping the immediate consequences of their actions. This observation raises questions about divine justice and the timing of retribution.

3. Ecclesiastes 8:10 : "Then I saw the wicked buried—those who used to go in and out of the holy place—and they were praised in the city where they did so. This too is futile." The Preacher in Ecclesiastes observes that the wicked are sometimes honored in death, despite their unrighteous lives, suggesting a disconnect between earthly recognition and divine judgment.

Theological Implications

The death of the wicked without fear can be understood as a temporary state that does not reflect their ultimate fate. From a theological perspective, this phenomenon underscores the patience and long-suffering nature of God, who allows the wicked to experience temporal peace, perhaps as an opportunity for repentance. However, Scripture consistently affirms that divine justice will ultimately prevail, and the wicked will face judgment.

Moral and Ethical Considerations

The apparent peace of the wicked in death serves as a moral and ethical challenge to the righteous. It calls believers to trust in God's sovereign justice and not to envy the temporary prosperity of the wicked. The righteous are encouraged to maintain their integrity and faithfulness, knowing that God's judgment is sure and His timing perfect.

Practical Reflections

For believers, the death of the wicked without fear can be a test of faith. It invites reflection on the nature of true peace, which is found not in earthly circumstances but in a right relationship with God. Christians are reminded to focus on eternal realities rather than temporal appearances, trusting that God will ultimately vindicate the righteous and judge the wicked according to His perfect will.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Jeremiah 34:5
But you shall die in peace: and with the burnings of your fathers, the former kings which were before you, so shall they burn odors for you; and they will lament you, saying, Ah lord! for I have pronounced the word, said the LORD.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

2 Chronicles 36:11-13
Zedekiah was one and twenty years old when he began to reign, and reigned eleven years in Jerusalem.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

The Wicked Heart Set to do Evil.
... polite and very amiable in his manners"sometimes, very religious ... as in stealing,
and even far more wicked: for be ... don't think of escaping death otherwise than ...
/.../finney/sermons on gospel themes/viii the wicked heart set.htm

The Fear which Terminates in the Second Death.
... with fire and brimstone; which is the second death. ... From a wicked world temptations
also arise and difficulties ... Sometimes he assumes the mark of religion "is ...
/.../lee/sermons on various important subjects/sermon xx the fear which.htm

Good News
... Sometimes he cries, "How shall I give thee up, Ephraim? ... saith the Lord God, I have
no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from ...
//christianbookshelf.org/spurgeon/sermons on proverbs/good news.htm

The Fourth Season,
... horses, which are but the instruments God employs in executing judgments in the
world, as wars, pestilence, and death. ... Wicked men are sometimes like mad ...
//christianbookshelf.org/flavel/on keeping the heart/iv the fourth season.htm

Death by Disuse
... indulgence in sins, such as lying"who in this wicked world lives ... Then we had prayer
and a quiet time; sometimes the Spirit ... But dressed death is still death. ...
/.../wilson-carmichael/things as they are/chapter xiii death by disuse.htm

A Believer's Privilege at Death
... (3). Sin sometimes gets the mastery, and leads a saint captive. ... But at death the
godly shall be freed from the molestations of the wicked, they shall ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/watson/a body of divinity/2 a believers privilege at.htm

Some General Uses.
... they have no life, they are dead, and death is engraven on ... 1. But some wicked persons
may say, We see not ... not always so; life doth really work sometimes in them ...
/.../brown/christ the way the truth and the life/chapter xx some general uses.htm

The Spirit of Bondage and of Adoption.
... He that sleeps in death, has a false peace; he ... sinneth not," but "keepeth himself,
and the wicked one toucheth ... asleep in sin, but they are sometimes more or ...
/.../wesley/sermons on several occasions/sermon 9 the spirit of.htm

On Our Lord's Passion, Death, Resurrection, and Ascension
... bears to it," from the punishment He inflicted on the wicked angels and ... A. After
Christ's death His soul descended into hell ... The grave was sometimes called hell ...
/.../kinkead/baltimore catechism no 4/lesson 8 on our lords.htm

Psalm C.
... judge no man blessed before his death." [4548]. ... a slanderer; and records those things
only (sometimes real), which ... Wicked one, why art thou silent about the good ...
//christianbookshelf.org/augustine/exposition on the book of psalms/psalm c.htm