Download Gary`s Notes 6-1-14

Questions for God
Jer. 12:1-2; Rev. 6:10
1 June 2014
Let's dive back into our exploration of theodicy - the whole conundrum of
how evil, suffering and "bad juju" can exist, let alone thrive as it seems to
be doing, when we believe the world belongs to a good, just, loving and
sovereign God!
So - the argument from skepticism or atheism might go - if God can do
nothing about evil, then He certainly is not SOVEREIGN!
Or, IF God can deal with evil, but doesn't, He most certainly cannot be
called "good", "just" or "loving"!
Some of the more well-known "apologia" (defenses) of God as sovereign,
just, good and loving in spite of the existence of evil, take the following
tacks:
 God has given humans free will, therefore the evil, injustice and
suffering we see is the result of our actions (the free will defense)...
 Because of human sin, we now live in a fallen world, therefore we can
expect bad things to happen (the Romans 8:22 defense: "[T]he whole
creation has been groaning together with labor pains")...
 Given these two truths, we can say that there is no one righteous
(Romans 3:10ff; Ps. 14:1); therefore, no one DESERVES justice,
good, etc...
 Evil and suffering and injustice are accomplishing God's divine
purposes, though they may be somewhat inscrutable to us (the
"perhaps-there-will-be-people-who-come-to-God-because-they-facehorrendous-circumstances" defense)...
I agree with a lot of the first three propositions; ultimately, in an
eschatological sense (looking to the summing up of all things in Christ and
in the Father), the last proposition is true, but the argument is sort of weak,
don't you think?
Several weeks ago I mentioned a valid, reasonable, God-affirming question
we, as those who have trusted in Him and are dedicated to following God
the rest of our lives, can ask without being snarky or rude or argumentative.
In fact, let me allow N.T. Wright to state it:
"If the world is the chance assembly of accidental phenomena, why is there
so much that we want to praise and celebrate? Why is there beauty, love
and laughter?
(Evil and the Justice of God, p. 19; emphasis added)
These are all highly philosophical questions that have been addressed in
numerous ways by numerous thinkers from numerous faith traditions (and
from no faith traditions)!
D.A. Carson, a well-known NT scholar at Trinity Evangelical Divinity
School, points out that the very question, "Where is God in the midst of
pain and suffering and evil," is:
"...a question frequently asked in the bible itself. The psalmists, Jeremiah,
Job, Habakkuk, Elijah - all find the apparent triumph of evil more than they
can handle..."
(How Long, O Lord? Reflections on Suffering and Evil; p. 17)
Yet, as we saw over the last month or so, asking "why" is the wrong
question!
In fact, scripture doesn't answer the "why" of evil's existence; it shows us
the "WHAT" God has done about it, and the part we are to play as His
redeemed, renewed, Spirit-filled people!
In a more pastoral way, D.A. Carson puts it like this:
"...in the dark hours of suffering, Christians want more than the assurance
their beliefs are consistent. They draw comfort only from the living Lord
himself, from the Spirit whom he has graciously given, from a renewed
grasp, a felt experience, of the love of God in Christ Jesus (Eph. 3:14-21)...
Christian beliefs are not to be stacked in the warehouse of the mind; they
are to be handled and applied to the challenges of life and discipleship.
Otherwise they are incapable of bringing comfort and stability, godliness
and courage, humility and joy, holiness and faith."
(Ibid., p. 20)
As we saw when we spent time in Philippians 2:5-11, God's answer to evil
and suffering and injustice was not to give a philosophical treatise on its
origins; neither, even, did God attempt to defend himself against
accusations of impotence, injustice & malevolence!
What God did to address evil and sin was to enter into the very heart of the
problem and get His clothes muddy, His hands and feet bloody!
The ultimate answer scripture gives to the problem of evil is the
cross!
Yet, the scriptures never tell us that we should stop asking questions. In
fact, the Old Testament as well as the New reveal that questions are part
of the "challenges of life and discipleship" that D.A. Carson said we will
face.
Look at Jeremiah 12:1-2...
Now join me in the very last book of the bible, Revelation 6:10...
Let's spend the rest of our time this morning gleaning some insights from
these passages...
(PRAY)
First, let's look at Jeremiah.
Notice, first of all, that he says, "I wish to contend with You..." (1c)!
Hold on, Jer ol' buddy! Are you sure this is a good course of action?!
Remember the musical that came out 20 or so years ago, "You're Arms are
Too Short to Box with God"?!
Jeremiah! You're going up against Mike Tyson & Muhammad Ali with
both hands tied behind your back!!
Actually, this is evidence to me that Jeremiah and God were pretty tight!
They were buds!
Jeremiah did not fear approaching God with boldness and directness!
Look at Hebrews 4:14 through 5:2...
I'm afraid we are often too shy, too self-aware, too worried about what
other believers will think, not confident enough or a zillion other reasons
why we don't "boldly" go to God when we have issues or questions or are
perplexed!
Folks, God already knows what's in our hearts and on our minds!
Be honest with God!
"Yeah, God. I'm confused, angry, hurt and disappointed! I don't understand
why __________ is going on in my life! I don't understand why this
happened! Right now I don't love you very much..." (Story of young man at
John Wimber meeting)
Now, I'm not saying we should be arrogant or presumptuous; in fact,
Jeremiah lays out where he stands in the very first sentence: "You will be
righteous, Lord, even if I bring a case against You"!!
"No matter what I do or say, You are still God! You are still holy and just
and sovereign and gracious! But I've got a few things I'd like to get off my
chest!"
Then Jeremiah asks the 10 bazillion dollar question - "Why do the
treacherous (wicked) live at ease?"
Now, I don't want to take time this morning, but if you want, read the rest of
Jeremiah 12, especially God's answer to Jeremiah.
Do you know what isn't in God's answer - a satisfactory explanation of
"why"!!
In fact, God gives this little nugget in v 14... "Oh, yeah, not only am I going
to destroy the wicked and "evil neighbors who attack the inheritance that I
bequeathed to my people, Israel ... I will uproot the house of Judah" to
boot!
What?
Wait a sec, God!
That wasn't my question!
What does that say?
Yeah, that's right! As 1 Peter 4:17 tells us, "...the time has come for
judgment to begin with God's household..."!!
That brings up another principle we need to keep in mind. Upon returning
to his native Russia after decades of exile, Alexandr Solzhenitsyn talked
and met with bureaucrats who had been part of the communist system that
tyrannized people. I'll let N.T. Wright pick up the thread of this story that
makes a powerful point (Solzhenitsyn is a Christian, by the way):
"Some objected: what was (he) doing fraternizing with these people who
had been part of the evil system? No, (Solzhenitsyn) responded, the line
between good and evil is never simply between 'us' and 'them.' The line
between good and evil runs through each one of us... (We must not)
suppose that the problem of evil can be either addressed or solved if we
triialize it (by) labeling some people 'good' and other people 'bad.'
(Evil and the Victory of God; pp. 38-39)
As John Wimber, the guy God used to start the Vineyard, famously said,
"One prayer God always answers is, 'God, what's wrong with me?'"!!
In other words, it's always good to be humble; to recognize that we are all
capable of utter failure, even as we desire to know God and live for Him!
This is where it's handy to pull out Luther's famous phrase, simil justus et
peccator - "At once righteous, yet still a sinner!"
So there's humility on Jeremiah's part; yet there is also great boldness to
ask the question and confront an area of ignorance in his knowledge of
God.
Again, though. God doesn't answer the "why" - "Why do the wicked
prosper?"
He just says that He will have compassion on them once again "and return
each one to his inheritance and to his land" (12:15)
Quickly, turn to Rev. 6:10...
Here we see that even after physical death, there are still questions!
(Look at 6:9-10)...
What's the answer?
"Get out of heaven! What do you mean by questioning Me in this most
holy awesome place?!!"
No. They are given a white robe (speaks of righteousness, purity, holiness)
& told to "rest a little while longer"!
Why the need to "rest" a bit more?
"...until the nimber of their fellow slaves and their brothers, who were going
to be killed just as they had been, would be completed."
What?
As I said when we started, sometimes the "answers" (and I'll put them in
quotation marks) only raise more and more troubling questions!!
Well, we see that these kind of questions have been cooking in the stew of
culture for millennia! We don't always - or even ever - get the answers we
may want or think we need; but the ultimate answer has been provided:
God, when we needed Him to deal with the sin and depravity and evil,
didn't just give us a philosophical treatise!
God was in the midst of the mess getting His clothes muddy, His
hands and feet bloody!