On the Death of an Enemy of the State

The plan yesterday was to take off after Church and start driving towards Muncie, IN (where my classmate, the Rev. Daniel Mackey, has just moved) with the goal of getting to Fort Wayne for call night for Seminarian Jay Hobson.

Oh sure, I thought, leave after church by... 1, 1:30 (just a little adult instruction to finish up) - we should be able to get to Effingham, maybe even Terre Haute before we stop.

Well... we didn't really get on the road until after 2:30... and there was rain and drizzle all the way. So... Effingham was out... but at around 9 I thought, "Surely we can make it to Collinsville, IL - just past St. Louis so we don't have to deal with rush hour". But it was dark, and rainy and another 2.5 to 3 hours to go.

Then, the Fox Sports radio announcer reports that Osama Bin Laden is reported dead, and that the President would be addressing the nation. We were thus well awake and full of vigor and got to Collinsville no problem.

So, with that adrenaline kick, in the hotel we watched things on the TV and read plenty of reaction, even reaction from my friends. And what I thought was interesting was that I saw two major reactions:

1 - WOO-HOO!
2 - How can people woo-hoo this? We are told in Scripture not to rejoice over the death of an enemy, lest we too are brought low.

Now, at first, my reaction was totally and completely 1. Woo-hoo. I cheered when I found out special forces did the operation instead of just a drone strike. I cheered when I first heard the plans for a burial at sea, as that would deprive extremists of a place to form a shrine to Bin Laden.

Was I wrong for this?

No.

Now, of course, there is in all that we do the sinful nature attached - and the warnings people give are valid... it would have been much better if Bin Laden has repented, converted to the One True Faith, and turned himself in to the authorities. That would have been the ultimate and highest cause for rejoicing. But it didn't happen.

For the man himself, I do have sorrow and pity. A Fox News anchor at the top of the 2 am Eastern Hour said something along the lines of "and right now Osama Bin Laden is finding out that he doesn't get 72 virgins... far from it." Funny line... but that's not what I rejoice in (indeed, that is a thing to lament -- pray today and this week for the conversion of those trapped in bondage by Satan to the pernicious and antichrist doctrine of Islam).

An enemy of the state, one who would do us harm, has been defeated. Alleluia and thanks be to God for His deliverance. May He either speedily bring repentance to all who wish us harm, and if there is to be no repentance, may He speedily send the Navy Seals to them.

When Absolom was killed, yes, it was tragic, and David did weep. But Absolom was a threat to the nation, and as he refused to repent, he had to be put down. Likewise, when the persistently unrepentant seek to continue to do harm, they must be brought to justice. The Government does not wield the Sword in vain.

Rejoice not in the death of a sinner - rejoice that God has worked justice, and pray that this would be a sign for repentance for many, and if not that, that their anger and shock would make their plans falter and crumble, so that they too might be led to justice.