Posted: 04/23/07

Why Did This Happen God?

My wife and I were discussing the verses we were listening to from daily the ESV Bible RSS feed. We didn't yet know what had happened at Virginia Tech, but the conclusion of our conversation answered the cry of the heart of many over what happened that day…

The verses we were listening to were from Deuteronomy 13-14, Psalm 88 and Acts 11.

The subject of our conversation was why and how God could say the animals proclaimed unclean in the Law were then holy. How could God be saying something that seems to reverse what He had said must be followed before, and that on pain of death? As Paul quotes from Isaiah 20, in his letter to the church in Romans 9 you may think it does not apply to questions raised in tragedy but continue for the answer in these scriptures as I go on…

You will say then to me, "Why does he still find fault? For who withstands his will?"

God hardens some and reveals Himself to others; He allows the hard hearted to work their evil works, all the while His will is still being accomplished, regardless of what those evil ones had intended. God allows evil to remain, for now, that we may freely choose to trust Him while He is still patient. One day God will end all of this and all evil will get an answer in His anger. But let us remember, if the evil one was removed now, and all who work evil with him were taken away, then none who trust in their own goodness would remain, for there is none good but One, that is God. And God uses some of those hard hearts, and the unmerciful Law, to make a way for us who have violated His Law, when there was no way for any man to be justified by the Law. As stated in (1) Romans 9, "For they are not all Israel, that are of Israel."

Let me explain…

The Law is absolute in its judgment. The Law calls for the dreamer to be put to death who even attempts to draw His Chosen after any God but Yahweh. The Law calls for the eternal death of all who are liars, all thieves and adulterers, all fornicators and homosexuals, and any else who violates His Law. Jesus clarifies the Law's strictness even further as He explained the Seventh Command, which is to not commit adultery, is violated by just lusting after another!

Who then CAN be saved? NO ONE CAN BE by the Law; Without Yahweh's Mercy NONE WOULD BE rescued. And that point relates back to Peter's dream…

Peter dreamt of a sheet filled with animals the Law of God had said must never be eaten, on pain of death, and yet God then told to Peter to eat them! Peter was understandably confused and shaken until God explained to Peter to accept whatever He says is Holy as being Holy.

In other words, if God says it is so then it is so…

God tests us to see if we are His (2); Yahweh gives dreams that come to pass to those who are false, and He also hardens some in their rebellion, accomplishing his will in it all. Remember the Exodus and Pharaoh?

So, God gives a hard, impossible Law to His own people. And by their rejection of that Law, and their hardness toward His Messiah, Yahweh brings salvation to ALL the world, with His own Son's blood. What a GOOD God! There is no God like Yahweh for HE IS, and there is no OTHER. He takes what is done in evil by men and turns it to good for us ALL who gladly obey Him.

When Peter, a Jew, obeyed the vision from Yahweh, and received the three men God had sent to him, men who were not of God's Chosen People, salvation then began to be presented to all the rest of us and not just to the Jews only. In this way God sets no one above another and the only Way Yahweh has made for anyone to receive mercy, the only way Mercy and Justice can kiss one another (3), is by repentance and faith in Jesus the one and only Messiah. There is no other name given to save us but Yeshua, Jesus, our Savior, our God, and our KING. God judges all guilty and provides mercy to any who will have it, through a humble repentance and trust, in the midst of an evil and perverse world. THAT is what Peter learned.

In the wake of tragedy, in His reply to all of us who ask Jesus why such things happen, and in answer to those who ask such foolish questions like whether they deserved such a death, Jesus said, and says to us all,

"I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all perish in the same way."

Luke, Chapter 13, verse 3.

So do not be afraid of evil men who can only kill the body. But fear Him who after He has killed can cast you into Hell. Yes, fear Him!

…for the fear of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom and His justice will not wait forever

Only Jesus Saves

Patrick Burwell
OnlyJesusSaves.com

* All bold is mine added for emphasis.

Footnotes:

(1) Romans 9

(2) Deuteronomy 13

(3) Psalm 85:10

(4) Romans 11:22-23

By Patrick Burwell Click here for bio and archived articles