The why of this mess?

The hand of the Lord was heavy against the people of Ashdod, and he terrified and afflicted them with tumors, both Ashdod and its territory. And when the men of Ashdod saw how things were, they said, “The ark of the God of Israel must not remain with us, for his hand is hard against us and against Dagon our god.” So they sent and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines and said, “What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel?” They answered, “Let the ark of the God of Israel be brought around to Gath.” So they brought the ark of the God of Israel there. But after they had brought it around, the hand of the Lord was against the city, causing a very great panic, and he afflicted the men of the city, both young and old, so that tumors broke out on them. So they sent the ark of God to Ekron. But as soon as the ark of God came to Ekron, the people of Ekron cried out, “They have brought around to us the ark of the God of Israel to kill us and our people.” They sent therefore and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines and said, “Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it return to its own place, that it may not kill us and our people.” For there was a deathly panic throughout the whole city. The hand of God was very heavy there. The men who did not die were struck with tumors, and the cry of the city went up to heaven. (1 Samuel 5:6–12)

Just prior to this, the Philistines defeated Israel and captured the Ark of God. They put it in a building that housed their idol, but the next day the idol had fallen face down before the Ark. They stood it up but the next day it fell again and its head and hands broke off. These people realized something greater than their idol was among them.

Nearly every day in world news there are tragic stories where people have died, fearful events like mudslides, floods, fires, horrendous accidents, deadly weather, and the like. Most people react with concern, pity, outrage, or sorrow. Many will apply for aid — and get it, but stories of suffering never end.

I’ve wondered if God is behind it with a heavy hand? Entire cultures or people groups have rejected Him. Is He wanting their attention? Their fear of Him? Or do we who preach the love of God assume that good news will soften hard hearts?

I cannot surmise, guess, or assume anything, but from OT stories like this one, and from personal experiences, I know that He can make Himself known to those who mock Him with their superstitions, idols, and notions that they can overpower Him or His people with the power of their so-called gods. 

Even though we are to share the love of Christ, would sharing His wrath agains sin make a difference? even in the weather? Some say simply being thankful would change the world. 

Jesus, I know the stubbornness in my own lazy heart, even with You in my life and the power of the Holy Spirit to bring in love, peace, joy, and all goodness. Those who do not know You cannot live that way and many only turn to You when horrid things happen. I don’t blame people, even leaders, fate, bad luck, or global warming for tragic events that are the result of fists being shook in Your face. But I also do not blame God for ignoring the cries of those who refuse to receive His grace.

God’s power over evil…

Someone I know well is a member of a cult. His faith is not in Jesus as God in human flesh who took our punishment for sin. He believes Jesus died to give us the right and power to earn our salvation. While that idea is not biblical, he also believes a few things that do agree with the Bible. One of them is the confidence that God will defeat evil, yet not realizing that He already has.

Today’s chapter in “Born for Battle” says that despite the suffering in the world and the severe persecution of genuine Christians and even of those who claim to be but are not, the power of God will overcome Satan. Actually, He already has. This enemy is now on a short leash, and as the reading says, he is merely a pawn in God’s will, as are those who hold firm to their sin.

Surely the wrath of man shall praise you; the remnant of wrath you will put on like a belt. (Psalm 76:10)

That book’s author also quotes this verse to show that the storm of hate that evil stirs up is used for God’s purposes: "This Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men." (Acts 2:23)

The very worst evil could do actually turned out to be the very best that ever happened. And because of that, I need to be careful how I evaluate the events of life. Peter was not thinking right when he heard and responded as Jesus told him what would soon happen:

From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.” But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” (Matthew 16:21–23)

The idea of God killing Jesus was foreign to him and still is for many. The Jews did it, or the jealous Pharisees, but how could God crucify His sinless Son?

Yet He did. There was no flaw in His plan. For a time, Peter thought so and became Satan’s mouthpiece. Eventually he learned that God’s redemptive purpose moves along a path of suffering and sacrifice — and as my reading says, any diversion from that is from Satan. For that reason, I’m learning to be careful how I think about the world news and God’s will. We Christians tend to want heaven on earth, a return to Eden in our lifetime. However, the Bible does not promise this and we  remain in a spiritual battle.

Jesus has defeated the enemy, yet this enemy still thrashes about, injuring and deceiving, destroying and duping even sincere people away from faith in the true Savior, salvation that could be theirs by the grace of God. Yet the God who makes the wrath of man praise Him can also take the evil done by their wrath and use it to bring those who fight Him to their knees at the foot of the cross. For me, this is truth that instructs me how to pray for hardened sinners. God can use their sin to save them. Nothing is too difficult for God.

PRAY: Lord Jesus, even my own sin drives me to You. May the sin in the world have that effect on many, that Your goodness is recognized and glorified, even in the mess we humans insist on making. You rebuked Peter for setting his mind on ‘comfortable’ yet You also made of him a strong testimony to Your grace. How badly I need that same power in my life that You may be exalted and the enemy resisted.

Waiting on God to deal with evil . . .

 

READ Amos 6–9

Yesterday I had a lengthy conversation with a Christian about the powers in this world who are governed by greed. He was anxious to ‘do something’ about the corruption yet If humanity could conquer evil, Jesus would not be necessary.

Before Jesus came, God made it clear that He will deal with corruption. It was happening then too. He called Amos, a farmer, to be His prophet to Israel and said:

“Woe to those who lie on beds of ivory and stretch themselves out on their couches, and eat lambs from the flock and calves from the midst of the stall . . . .Therefore they shall now be the first of those who go into exile, and the revelry of those who stretch themselves out shall pass away.” (Amos 6:4-7)

The prosperity of greedy people does nothing for them when God determines it is time for judgment. No one can escape the wrath of God against sin: “For behold, the Lord commands, and the great house shall be struck down into fragments, and the little house into bits.” (6:11)

Amos reacted with compassion: “This is what the Lord God showed me: behold, the Lord God was calling for a judgment by fire, and it devoured the great deep and was eating up the land. Then I said, “O Lord God, please cease! How can Jacob stand? He is so small!” (Amos 7:4–5)

Not only did Amos plead for the people, he was persecuted by those that God told him to speak against:

Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, “Amos has conspired against you in the midst of the house of Israel. The land is not able to bear all his words. For thus Amos has said, “ ‘Jeroboam shall die by the sword, and Israel must go into exile away from his land.’ ” And Amaziah said to Amos, “O seer, go, flee away to the land of Judah, and eat bread there, and prophesy there, but never again prophesy at Bethel, for it is the king’s sanctuary, and it is a temple of the kingdom.”

Then Amos answered and said to Amaziah, “I was no prophet, nor a prophet’s son, but I was a herdsman and a dresser of sycamore figs. But the Lord took me from following the flock, and the Lord said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’ Now therefore hear the word of the Lord. “You say, ‘Do not prophesy against Israel, and do not preach against the house of Isaac.’ Therefore thus says the Lord: “ ‘Your wife shall be a prostitute in the city, and your sons and your daughters shall fall by the sword, and your land shall be divided up with a measuring line; you yourself shall die in an unclean land, and Israel shall surely go into exile away from its land.’ ” (7:10-17)

God was clear. There would be a day when He would make “the sun go down at noon and darken the earth in broad daylight . . . . turn your feasts into mourning and all your songs into lamentation; I will bring sackcloth on every waist and baldness on every head; I will make it like the mourning for an only son and the end of it like a bitter day” and He would “send a famine on the land— not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord. They shall wander from sea to sea, and from north to east; they shall run to and fro, to seek the word of the Lord, but they shall not find it.” (8:9–12)

In those days, they tried to hide from Him but could not. His anger against their sin was powerful:

“For behold, I will command, and shake the house of Israel among all the nations as one shakes with a sieve, but no pebble shall fall to the earth. All the sinners of my people shall die by the sword, who say, ‘Disaster shall not overtake or meet us.’ (9:9–10)

Yet hope was also given. “Behold, the days are coming when the plowman shall overtake the reaper and the treader of grapes him who sows the seed; the mountains shall drip sweet wine, and all the hills shall flow with it. I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel, and they shall rebuild the ruined cities and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and drink their wine, and they shall make gardens and eat their fruit. I will plant them on their land, and they shall never again be uprooted out of the land that I have given them.” (9:13–15)

It happened. They were exiled. Eventually, they got their land back. This is the same God that promises eternal life to all who trust in Him and the same God who will deal with the greed and evil that now seems so strong in our world, the same God who says:

“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations; I will be exalted in the earth!” (Psalm 46:10)

He is not done yet, and He does have the last word!