Prager U: God and Suffering
Rock Solid Faith
Abraham was a tenth-generation descendant of Noah. At the age of 75, he got a direct call from God Himself:
“Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you…and in you, all of the families will be blessed.” Gn. 12:1 – 3. ESV
God is telling Abraham to take his wife, his nephew and a few servants and leave all that he has ever known, to embark upon a 1500-mile trek to a land (Canaan) that he has never seen. The promised carrot that God is motivating Abraham with, is that He will miraculously facilitate a child for he and his wife (also a septuagenarian).
Abraham took a great leap of faith; and because of that faith, we enjoy many blessings in our walk of faith.
Five years pass, and Abraham’s faith begins to waver; (this is actually a good thing for us to see because he is often referred to as the ‘father / paragon of faith,’ and even he experienced doubt. So, we shouldn’t be too hard on ourselves if we slip):
“O Lord GOD, what will you give me, for I continue childless…” Gn. 15:2 ESV
It is hard to wait on God sometimes, but His timing is always perfect. Jehovah does not delay gratification out of cruelty. No, He is expressing His love by nudging you into molding your character into a prepared vessel, to be able to make the most out of your granted petition, and to integrate that gift into His perfect plan concerning you.
God responds to Abraham:
“…one who will come from your own body shall become your heir…Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them…so shall your descendants be.” Gn. 15:4, 5. NKJV
This gives Abraham’s faith a big kick-start:
And he believed in the LORD, and He accounted it to him for righteousness. Gn. 15:6 NKJV
Thus, we can see that faith is required, to be in ‘right standing’ with Him.
God always keeps His word. Still, Abraham was 100 years old when his son, Isaac was born…
Fifteen years pass, and God visits Abraham with his biggest test of faith:
“Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you.” Gn. 22:2 NASB
Jehovah is telling Abraham to sacrifice Isaac on a burning pyre, such as was common with animal sacrifices as a form of worship. Moreover, that ritual of worship demanded that the sacrifice be killed prior to the burning.
Abraham immediately responds by faithfully taking Isaac to the mountain, building the pyre, and placing his son upon it. Then, he begins to draw back a knife to kill his son. What was Abraham’s faith based upon?
He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead… Heb. 11:19 ESV
He must have contemplated that since God promised his seed would the source of multitudes of nations, and that Isaac was the first part of that chain, his son could not die before he too propagated his line. Nevertheless, just as Abraham readied himself to thrust the knife, God sent an angel to stay his hand – accepting Abraham’s faithful intent. Jehovah responded:
“In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.” Gn. 22:18 NKJV
So, we see that because biblical principles are eternal, when we obey, i.e. exercise our faith, our descendants are blessed as well.
What does Abraham’s adventures have to do with being cherished by God? Well, God cherishes you, but you cannot enjoy the benefits of it, without faith. God does not work with those who operate in purposeful faithlessness:
…without faith it is impossible to [walk with God and] please Him, for whoever comes [near] to God must [necessarily] believe that God exists and that He rewards those who [earnestly and diligently] seek Him. Heb. 11:6 AMP
The first important question then is, what is faith?
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Heb. 11:1 NASB
Faith is the hope in things that aren’t tangible to us yet, i.e. not available for the validation of our five senses. Most everything that God reveals to us, must be taken on faith – even creation itself:
By faith [that is, with an inherent trust and enduring confidence in the power, wisdom and goodness of God] we understand that the worlds (universe, ages) were framed and created [formed, put in order, and equipped for their intended purpose] by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made of things which are visible. Heb. 11:3 AMP
Likewise, God takes the focus of your faith and manifests it from the spiritual realm into the material one. In fact, our entire walk with God must be undergirded with faith:
…for we walk by faith, not by sight [living our lives in a manner consistent with our confident belief in God’s promises] – 2 Cor. 5:7 AMP
With faith, you can accomplish anything, because that is when God shows up:
“All things are possible to him who believes.” Mk. 9:23 NASB
Faith is also the bond that brings all God’s children together as one (Eph. 4:4 – 6).
All this faith sounds great, but how do we go about getting it?
…God has allotted to each a measure of faith. Rm. 12:3 NASB
…let us run with endurance the race set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith… Heb. 12:1, 2. ESV
But the fruit of the Spirit is…faithfulness…Gal. 5:22 ESV
So faith comes from hearing [what is told] and what is heard comes by the [preaching of the] message concerning Christ. Rm. 10:17 AMP
Therefore, God gives us a gift of faith that He created through His Son, which is delivered to us by the Holy Spirit. It is nurtured and strengthened by immersing ourselves in the hearing of the gospel.
There are many benefits that God sends our way when we exercise our faith. One is being made righteous, as we’ve learned from Abraham (see also Rm. 3:28). It also empowers us with divine strength and it protects us – even warding off the devil himself (Ps. 31:23, 56:4; 71:5, 6; & 125:1; Pt. 3:8; Eph. 6:16.).
In fact, our faith brings us all of the promises of God):
“Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord.” Lk. 1:45 NKJV
We can both have this faith and sustain it because we know that God is faithful:
Forever, O LORD, Your word is settled in heaven. Your faithfulness continues throughout all generations: Ps. 119:89, 90. NASB
When we have faith in God and Jesus, we are transformed for all of eternity:
“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes in Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.” Jn. 5:24 NASB
Finally, as we gather this faith, we need to share it, by bringing the kingdom message to as many as we can:
“…to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.” Acts 26:18 NKJV
Faith is the hope in the promises from the Creator of the universe, through His Son. That hope is a privilege, but given for free. From that hope, we draw upon the limitless power of God, manifesting it through Christ. It moves mountains, heals the sick, removes iniquities, strengthens and protects, walls off the devil, showers us with abundance and happiness and reserves our place in eternity.
We have faith in the Faithful, drawn from the word of God, sealed by the Holy Spirit and remain focused on the resurrection of Christ. Keep the faith – rock solid…
Goodnight and God bless.
The Pride of Life
‘Proud’ is okay for peacocks; not so for humankind…
You would think, that after the earth was flooded and most of humanity was wiped out, the repopulated planet would understand that God rules and reigns over all. However, it didn’t take all that much time to get themselves into mischief once more.
The Bible tells us that all of humankind decided to gather to live in one place (Gn. 11:2) Already they are acting contrary to God’s will, in that He commanded Adam and Eve to fill the entire earth (Gn. 1:28).
Also, at this time, they all spoke only one language (Gn. 11:1).
Furthermore, they decided to edify themselves, in a sense, to declare themselves independent from God:
They said, “Come, let us build a city for ourselves, and a tower whose top will reach into the heavens, and let us make a [famous] name for ourselves, so that we will not be scattered [into groups] and be dispersed over the surface of the entire earth [as the LORD] instructed].” Gn. 11:4 AMP
God reacts by confusing their language and scattering them over the face of the entire earth (Gn. 11:7, 8.).
God has a plan for all of us; and being fiercely independent of Him is not part of it. What kind of plan does God have?
‘For I know the plans and thoughts that I have for you,’ says the LORD, ‘plans for peace and well-being and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.’ Jer. 29:11 AMP
So, it’s a good plan; and it is one that is filled with the unimaginable. God will help you grab ahold of all that you could not by yourself (Mt. 19:26). Jehovah will bring you love, strength, and contentment through your dependency upon Him:
…because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Ps. 16:8 NASB
The LORD will perfect that which concerns me… Ps. 138:8 NKJV
And when you lean on God, He will confer upon you the only independence that you need – your liberation from the wiles of the devil.
Now, let’s return to the time of the Tower of Babel. What was the sin that the people were committing? It was the sin of ‘pride.’ Pride is the worship of, (making and idol of), yourself. In fact, it is one of the foundational pillars of all sin:
For all that is in the world – the lust and sensual craving of the flesh, and the lust and the longing of the eyes and the boastful pride of life [pretentious confidence in one’s resources or in the stability of earthly things] – these do not come from the Father, but are from the world. 1 Jn. 2:16 AMP
Indeed, pride violates the first and second of the Ten Commandments because the prideful are making ‘gods’ of themselves.
Like any sin, pride creates a ‘disconnect’ with God:
And when they cry out, God does not answer because of their pride. Job 35:12 NLT
Again, like other sins, it leads to more sinful behavior:
In pride and arrogance the wicked hotly pursue and persecute the afflicted… Ps. 10:2 AMP
They wear pride like a jeweled necklace and clothe themselves with cruelty. Ps. 73:6 NLT
When pride comes [boiling up with an arrogant attitude of self-importance], then comes dishonor and shame. But with the humble [the teachable who have been chiseled by trial and who have learned to walk humbly with God] there is wisdom and soundness of mind. Pr. 11:2 AMP
Pride comes before destruction, and an arrogant spirit before a fall. Pr. 16:8 CSB
So, in addition to cutting ourselves off from God, (because we are too busy trying to be a god), pride entices us to take advantage of others, to engage in violence and smother ourselves in dishonor, as we travel a road headed for a self-induced destruction.
You’ll notice that God did not harm the would-be erectors of the tower of babel, but instead gave them a Love re-do, allowing them to start over, instead of drowning in their sin. Simultaneously, God was teaching them a little humility, to remind them of their need for Him. He’s keeping their love channels open so that they may get into right relationship with Him.
That’s the way He rolls. God shows you the way, and then He equips you for your journey:
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; but acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Pr. 3:5, 6. NKJV
For His divine power has bestowed on us [absolutely] everything necessary for [a dynamic spiritual] life and godliness, through true and personal knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. 2 Pt. 1:3 AMP
Are you beginning to see how God shows us how to have the greatest life possible, by illuminating that which you must ‘prune’ from your existing persona? He shines His light into our darkness and calls us to make that leap of faith.
You can do that, because He will always provide His outstretched arms. Why would God be so relentless for your salvation?
Because God cherishes you…
Goodnight and God bless.
Rebellion and Mercy
The Bible tells about the next five generations of descendants from the line of Cain. No further mention is made of any more of them. Adam and Eve produced another son, Seth; and the Bible follows his line, which will eventually give rise to the incarnated Christ. Here, we will just consider the first ten generations of Seth’s descendants.
At the time of Seth’s tenth generation of descendants, the entire population on the earth had degraded into unrelenting sin – rebelling against God in every fathomable way:
The LORD saw that the wickedness (depravity) of man was great on the earth, and that every imagination or intent of the thoughts of his heart were only evil continually. Gn. 6:5 AMP
The earth was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence…for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. Gn. 11, 12. NKJV
If all of humankind was in rebellion, it means that they had turned away from being led by their spirit – yielding instead to every desire of the flesh. The Bible gives us a crystal-clear picture of what the corruption of the flesh manifests:
Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. Gal. 5:19 – 21. ESV
Not a pretty picture. Thus, the world was separated from its Creator. God could do nothing to change the hearts of humankind, because that would mean violating their free will, which He will not do.
God was crestfallen (Gn. 6:6), because He loved them. However, God cannot pardon those who will not change; He must let them fall victim to the consequences of their actions. Sadly, seeing no way out, because God cannot abide with sin, He decided to wipe humanity off the earth (Gn. 6:7).
Yet, God’s heart is so big, and He loves us so much, that He exercised His vast mercy to comb all of humanity, to see if He could find just one exception – one uncorrupted individual from which He could forge a new people. Fortuitously for us, God found eight: Noah, his wife, their three sons, and their son’s wives.
Noah was 500 years old when God called Him and commanded him to build an ark, which took him 120 years! How many times must Noah have had to explain his doings to an unbelieving populace? He would have been effectively preaching the word of God. In spite of their mockery, Noah remained faithful to his task:
By faith [with confidence in God and His word], Noah, being warned by God about events not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his family. By this [act of obedience] he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness which comes by faith. Heb. 11:7 AMP
God then floods the world. Noah and his family and the animals survive, they disembark when the flood recedes, and begin to re-populate the earth. Praise God for His mercy!
To reiterate, why did God have to start over? Because of intentional, unrepentant, chronic sin. So, let us dig a little deeper into the nature of sin…
We make many mistakes over the course of our lifetimes. Every one of them has the potential to teach us something, be it the knowledge that a particular act is not a good thing to repeat, or, it can reveal the way to a better path.
Some mistakes bring severe consequences. Many of these include ‘sins,’ i.e. acts that are contrary to God’s ways. Jehovah never intended sin and its consequences to be part of His plan for you. Unfortunately, Adam and Eve blew that.
Every time that we turn away from the path that God sets for us, sin is waiting. We can however, with God’s help, turn away from sin, and instead pursue righteousness.
The glory of humankind manifests itself when they reach for the highest good; and in so doing, become a reflection of the glory of God, and glorifying Him as well.
Why is sin so deadly? First, sin is the opposite of love:
He who despises his neighbor sins [against God and his fellow man]… Pr. 14:21 AMP
To despise is to hate. Hate is the opposite of love. Thus, sin is the opposite of love. God is love; so, sin is contrary to God.
Our Creator is also a God of peace. Sin, on the other hand, is borne out of unchecked emotions. That is why He gives us this warning:
BE ANGRY [at sin – at immorality, at injustice, at ungodly behavior], YET DO NOT SIN; do not let your anger [cause you to shame, nor allow it to] last until the sun goes down. And do not give the devil an opportunity [to lead you into sin by holding a grudge, or nurturing anger, or harboring resentment, or cultivating bitterness]. Eph. 4:26, 27. AMP
We see then that prolonged, unexamined sin invites the author of them, Satan, into your life. Your welfare is not what he has in mind. What the devil is looking for, is to bring enslavement and death to his victims / followers:
Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. 1 Jn. 3:8 ESV
Do you not know that when you continuously offer yourselves to someone to do his will, you are the slaves of whom you obey, either [slaves] of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness (right standing with God)? Rm. 6:16 AMP
Sin never involves the sinner alone. They are always hurting someone else as well – be it another person, Jesus Christ, or Jehovah God.
We need to see and own the vile nature of sin, so that we can develop a godly aversion to these acts. How else can we minimize our practice of it?
1. Do not hang out with people who will not give up their willful sinning. Guilt by association is a real thing. Their sin will rub off on you.
2. Do not listen to that voice (ego) in your head for advice. You know that voice; it is the one that berates you.
3. Do your best to walk in God’s word.
4. Most importantly if you have sinned, go to God, and confess with a repentant heart:
“…if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin…” 2 Chr. 7:14 NKJV
Jehovah God is the ultimate forgiver, who gave up the life of His only Son so that you can be made clean.
We will fall from time to time, that is human nature. Yet, God always has an outstretched hand to lift you back up. Why? So that He can cherish you…
Goodnight and God bless.