Bible Discussion Thread

To some, God made a puzzling statement when He wrote that "time and chance happen to them all" ( Ecclesiastes 9:11). We recently encountered some who believe this means that, sometimes, bad things happen for no real reason. This seems to be a position of too much convenience. This position also avoids the diligent study that could reveal what God wants us to know. It bothers us that this position provides an advantage, without realizing it, to those who believe contradictions exist in the Bible. Bad things certainly happen. But it would be completely out of character for the same God who does not forget not even a sparrow, and who assures us that we are so much more valuable to Him. “Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows” ( Luke 12:6-7 ESV). Either we are valuable to God, and all that it entails, or we are not. Yet we are to believe God allows anything to happen without a reason. Think about the implications of something happening without any reason. It means one of two things: either God wasn't paying attention or didn't care. That's like calling the Almighty either incompetent or apathetic. We know that neither is true. Consider the following. God is all-seeing, “The Lord looks down from heaven; He sees all the children of man from where He sits enthroned, He looks out on all the inhabitants of the earth, He who fashions the hearts of them all and observes all their deeds” ( Psalm 33:13-15 ESV) Either God is all seeing or He is not and we must deal with the implications that that brings. God is never-sleeping. He will not let your foot be moved He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep ( Psalm 121:3-4 ESV). Either God is not awake or He is awake and we must deal with all that that means. God cares deeply about His people. “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” ( Romans 8:38-39 ESV). Either we accept what God’s deep caring for us means or we do not. This potentially harmful position must be examined. So we must examine the alternative—that, while God does not directly cause evil, He knowingly allows it to happen. Because humanity has elected to follow its own way instead of God's, "And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which ought not be done. They were filled with all unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are filled with envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness, They are gossips, slanders, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boasters, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless ( Romans 1:28-31 ESV). God has, in essence, taken a step back from the world when it says it doesn't want Him around. He is allowing its inhabitants to see the result of a life without Him. That result is, from a human perspective, time and chance. Let us repeat, for emphasis: It is from a human perspective that God is not in control, not in His sound reality. From our earthly, secular and imperfect way of seeing things, random chance has its way, against the plan of God. It is not holy, spiritual or perfect to hold the position that things happen without reason. Perhaps you know someone battling a life threatening medical problem. First it is not necessary or essential for us to know the mind of God in this unfortunate situation. Second, it remains true that God can and does provide the avenue of prayer for him/her and all of us around him/her to seek the strength this person and those around them need to continue in grace and righteousness without doubting God. Third, we must not attribute to God what we have no evidence He did. When the elderly die not of disease, but simply the body God meant to be temporary finishes it use, according to the time and will of God. Many people say, hopefully in ignorance, “God took Grandmother”. God in reality simply allowed her soul to rest in Abraham’s bosom after the body served its purpose. This assumes that she was faithful – regardless of how loved she was. Being loved by others is no replacement for obeying God’s plan for our salvation. Though God has not lost the ability to restrain Satan and his demons at will, humanity has forfeited God's protection by turning its collective back on Him. As a result, "Again I saw that under the sun the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favor to those with knowledge; but time and chance happen to them all" ( Ecclesiastes 9:11). Another reason, that bad things happen, is the result of humanity's choices; as a result of sin and forsaking God. But none of them happen accidentally or apart from God's will. As it is written in the Psalms, "Behold the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, on those who hope in His steadfast love" ( Psalm 33:18 ESV). That is a promise that those who hold that things happen without reason should consider. Everything in life, no matter how minute, occurs for a reason. Nothing, however bad it may seem can justify randomness outside of the will of God. "No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it" ( 1 Corinthians 10:13b ESV). "Behold the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it can not save, or His ear dull that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you so that he does not hear" ( Isaiah 59:1-2 ESV)."And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose" ( Romans 8:28 ESV).