September 27th, 2008
[A study by Ezequiel Luna...using commentaries by
Albert Barnes, Matthew Henry, & John Gill]
I. Praises & Prayer Requests
I know that you are reading through the book of Genesis in this class.
Well, I’m not here to give you the answer to those questions at this time. But I am here to discuss a concept with you that is crucial if we are going to read through OT passages. This is the concept of theodicy.
Ask) Does anyone know what this word means?
Theodicy refers to a specific branch of theology and philosophy that attempts to reconcile the existence of evil or suffering in the world with the belief in an omniscient, omnipotent, and omnibenevolent God...it is a defense of the goodness of God (this definition taken from wikipedia, found at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodicy)
God is good
God is holy
God is Sovereign!
Before we begin, I know that even while understanding these teachings…we still would like to have answers. I’m not saying these concepts should make you set aside those questions…far from it. All I mean is that when you come across difficult passages, you interact with them while having these truths in your mind. To do so will save you a lot of heartache and plenty of doubt.
Indeed…the important thing is to understand the character of God and the truth of His Word, otherwise you will often agonize over biblical concepts because you have not even accepted some of the most basic truths.
Let me make an agreement with you…if you want to discuss some difficult passages, write them down. Give them to me at the end of class, and I will study them out and next time I have the privilege to teach I will address those topics!
For now, let us begin:
GOD IS GOOD
Read Psalm 33:5
The word of the Lord is right. Anything God tells us is true and right...whatever it may be, if it comes from Him...then it is right. It is His nature to love righteousness...because righteousness flows from Him. Note that "the earth is full" of His goodness.
Ask) What does this mean?
It means that even in this fallen world, full of sin and sinners, it is a measure of His goodness that we can enjoy anything good...because we are undeserving of His goodness. The fact that we enjoy breathing...that there is beauty in the world...that we can laugh and love...all of this points to the goodness of God. Indeed, the goodness of God, according to Psalm 52:1, "endures continually." In other words...FOREVER!
Read Psalm 107:1-3,8
Note verse 8 especially. What does the psalmist desire? That "men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness." Such a simple thing...yet at one time or another...we all have failed or WILL fail at this. There will come a time in our lives, if not yet, when something will happen that will cause us to have the audacity to say unto God, "How dare you!" Instead of thanking the Lord for His many blessings, which we DO NOT DESERVE... we will dare to demand that He always bless us. And why is this? Because we think that God owes us something!
Indeed we will forget that God is good and does only good! [this last being a paraphrase of Psalm 119:68]
(discuss...mention Job and my own experiences in this)
Thinking of God being good...our pleas should echo that of the psalmist in Psalm 143:10, where we read this: "Teach me to do Your will, For You are my God; Your Spirit is good." We want to be taught His will because we recognize that He is indeed good!
Ask) Is there anything that God can do that is NOT good? Can we lay any evil at His feet?
Before anyone answers this, Read Psalm 145:17
Ask) In which of His ways is God righteous?
Ask) In which of His works is God gracious?
ALL OF THEM!
Before moving on, lets quickly look at the following:
Nahum 1:7
Matt 19:17
Romans 2:4
Finally, read 1 John 1:5
We need to embrace without a shadow of a doubt that God is perfect. Nothing can be added to Him to make Him better...He cannot be improved upon because as He is He is perfect. We cannot add one iota to His greatness.
So, then. The way I see it is this: the fact that we don't suffer every moment of our lives. The fact that goodness exists at all in the creation attests to the simple, irrefutable fact that God is good. Is God to blame when sufferings and sorrows exist? No! We are to look to Him in gratitude that the stench of our sin does not cause Him to blot out our very existence!
The following is from C. H. Spurgeon:
"When others behave badly to us, it should only stir us up the more heartily to give thanks unto the Lord, because He is good; and when we ourselves are conscious that we are far from being good, we should only the more reverently bless Him that He is good. We must never tolerate an instant's unbelief as to the goodness of the Lord; whatever else may be questioned, this is absolutely certain, that Jehovah is good; His dispensations may vary, but His nature is always the same."
Any questions or comments?
GOD IS HOLY
Read:
Exodus 15:11
Psalm 30:4
Psalm 103:1, 8-10 (note especially verse 10...relates to His goodness towards us!)
Isaiah 6:3-5
Revelation 15:4
One of the greatest demonstrations of God's holiness is seen at the cross. As we read in Mark, Jesus was crucified because of sin. Sin is so distasteful that it's presence in His Son caused Him to turn away for that one awful moment in time! He punished Jesus for OUR SINS! He didn't just say..."oh boy...you guys sinned, I'll just forgive you anyhow...No, SOMEONE had to pay the penalty and that Someone was the Lord Jesus Christ!
Read Proverbs 3:32, Psalm 5:4-6, and Psalm 7:11-17
Arthur Pink says the following:
"God hates sin. The sinner can be forgiven, but sin is NEVER overlooked. the sinner is forgiven because his sin has been punished in Another."
We know who that Other is, don't we?
According to Hebrews 9:22 "without shedding of blood there is no remission of sins."
So then, who is our Holy God?
We could never have invented Him! Why is that?
To man, sin is crime. When we think of sin, we think rape or murder. Prostitution, child molestation, etc...everything else is a defect, a mistake. We imagine for ourselves a god who "winks" at our little indiscretions. we see Him as laid back, a god who will let bygones be bygones. But this is NOT the God who is revealed in the Holy Scriptures! This true and living God scares us...He makes us uncomfortable...He hates sin so much He WILL NOT overlook it!
His holiness demands that atonement come through the shedding of blood.
This is the Holy One of Israel! But again, this Holy God is also a good God! (discuss Genesis 3)!
Because of what He and He alone has done, we are "accepted in the Beloved."
GOD IS SOVEREIGN
Read the following:
Psalm 115:1-3
Psalm 135:1-6
Isaiah 40:13-18
Isaiah 45:5-7, 9-10
1 Timothy 6:13-16
What right did Israel have to conquer and kill the Canaanites?
None except that they were commended to do so by Almighty God.
What right do husbands have to ask that a wife be subject to him?
None, except that God so appointed it and ordained it.
We should obey all commands that come from a holy God because ALL human responsibility is based on and subject to divine Sovereignty...and NOWHERE do we see divine Sovereignty as subject to the human will.
The following is from R. C. Sproul:
“God never condemns the innocent. He never clears the guilty. He never punishes with undue severity. His justice is perfect justice. [But] God does not always act with justice. Sometimes He acts with mercy. Mercy is not injustice...Mercy manifests kindness and grace and grace.” [His mercy is that He accepts the substitution of Christ]
“All men die...because we are all under the death penalty for sin...Was it evil for God to impose the death penalty for all sin? If you say yes, be careful. If you say yes, you are saying it as an expression of the very fallen, sinful nature that exposes you to the death penalty in the first place. If you say yes, you slander the character of God. We must not say yes. We must say no and say it with conviction...[For] sin is cosmic treason. Sin is treason against a perfectly pure Sovereign. The issue is not why does God punish sin, but why does He permit the ongoing rebellion of man...the supreme folly is that we think we will get away with our revolt.”
Finally, realize that God did not choose Israel and condemn the Canaanites because Israel was better than the Canaanites.
Read Deuteronomy 9:4-6
And also, realize another thing: There were indeed countless women and children in Canaan...but none were innocent. Just as it was God’s right to destroy all of humanity but one family during the Flood, so it was His right to destroy the guilty in Canaan.
R. C. Sproul reminds us that if we want to express our moral outrage, it should be directed at Golgotha where Jesus died! And this moral outrage, this righteous finger pointing of ours should be directed at the guilty ones! Ourselves!
Questions or comments?
Before we end, let me tell you about a man. This man’s name was Horatio Spafford, and he wrote a song we’ve often sung here in church.
Mr. Spafford lost his only son in 1871...then that same year in the Great Chicago Fire of that year, he lost his business and was ruined financially. Two years later, building his business back up, he planned a vacation with his wife and four daughters. They were going to go to Europe but he had to stay behind for business reasons. The ship sunk, and only his wife survived.
Mr Spafford sailed to meet his wife…and as they passed the spot where the ship had sunk, he was inspired to write the song I want to read to you. When he was asked how he was doing, he is said to have replied, “it is well with my soul, which became the title to this song.
Listen closely:
When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,When sorrows like sea billows roll; Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,It is well, it is well, with my soul.
Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,Let this blest assurance control,That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,And hath shed His own blood for my soul.
My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought! My sin, not in part but the whole,Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:If Jordan above me shall roll,No pang shall be mine, for in death as in lifeThou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.
But, Lord, ‘tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,The sky, not the grave, is our goal; Oh trump of the angel! Oh voice of the Lord!Blessèd hope, blessèd rest of my soul!
And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,The clouds be rolled back as a scroll; The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend, Even so, it is well with my soul.
The next time we experience troubles, let us remember a great man of faith like this, and let us consciously make the effort to focus on His goodness and His holiness when we are instead tempted to ask...“how could you, God?”
Let us close with prayer
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