God. Scripture is clear that God hates sin, punishes sin, condemns it, and often will strike those engaged in it and who are unrepentant. Even with repentance come consequences that He'll usually not remove. David sinned against Uriah and Bathsheeba, and God sent the prophet Nathan to expose him. David suddenly came clean, and yet both her husband Uriah and the baby from the adultery died. The baby's death was clearly from God's hand, condemning the sins of David and Bathsheeba. And Uriah? What did he do?
Ourselves. We often cause our own troubles, clear consequences of our disobedient and rebellious hearts and spirit. We know the right thing to do, or the wrong thing not to do, and yet we make the wrong choice. We reap what we sow. David clearly caused his own trouble. Bathsheeba caused hers. Yet the consequences had God's hand intertwined. Sometimes, we get bad endings, not because God condemned. He doesn't always have to! When a man cheats on his wife and she discovers it, and her heart dies, and the marriage dies, God doesn't have to intervene. The man caused his own trouble? But the wife? What did she do?
The world. We live in a sin-stained, oppressed land, and it is enemy territory, given over to the enemy's control. Bad things happen to us because of other people's choices. Uriah fell victim to David's lust. The wife who was cheated on was the victim of her husband's lust. Other people really can make our lives miserable. And what of just living on an oppressed planet, where storms and earthquakes and famine and war are all too prevalent? Even the Earth itself cries out for redemption and rebirth. We live on a condemned planet.
The enemy. And then, there is pure evil. There is an enemy. He is our enemy, and he is God's enemy. And he has a much longer leash than any of us imagine. Yes, God is sovereign and no one will conquer Him. Yet evil is free to do great damage. Even Job, who is often used to point out that the enemy is on a leash, exactly proves the point that while he's on a leash, it's a long leash. God did NOT bring evil on Job. And make no mistake, what was done to Job was evil. Devastating evil. And yes, in the end, God was still able to make good come from it. But He never approved it or excused it, thought He allowed it. I have seen what evil can do, and frankly, it is frightening. Today, we have softened evil. We even accuse God, unintentionally, by saying that He allowed it for some greater purpose. Isaiah 5:20 says, "Woe to those who call evil good and good evil..." (ESV) We need to be extremely cautious that we don't take the things that are evil, and of the enemy, and attribute them to God! Yes, God will cause all things to work together for good for those who love Him and for those who are called according to His purposes. (Romans 8:28 which we love to quote to each other at times of trouble.) But it is quite a reach, and I believe, heretical, to presume that because He'll make good out of evil, He caused the evil or even used it. It is evil. God is holy. God does not have evil in His toolbelt to use for His purposes. We have become confused. We need to return to Biblical thinking in calling evil, evil, and not try to explain it away as the providence of God. It is not God's fault, oversight, or direction that evil is done, even though He can and often does overcome it to bring about His purposes afterwards. And ultimately, He overcomes it completely by gracing us with Paradise as His final answer.
Remembering our son, Ben Jan 22, 1992 to Aug 26, 2011.
http://www.conleycare.com/memorial/html/view3.php?ObitIdNo=710
http://zorrounchained.blogspot.com/2011_09_01_archive.html
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