December
14
Cause and
Effect: Key to Understanding God’s Ways in the Old Testament
The shew of their countenance doth witness against
them; and they declare their sin as Sodom, they hide it not. Woe unto their
soul! for they have rewarded evil unto
themselves. Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for
they shall eat the fruit of their doings. Woe unto the wicked! it shall be ill
with him: for the reward of his hands shall be given him (Isa.
3:9-11)
People are often perplexed
by some of the things that God says that He will personally do to rebellious
people. Many would rather not read the Old Testament believing that it portrays
a totally different God than the One in the New Testament. However, these same
people would also have to give up many portions of the New Testament.
Remember that Jesus is the
God of both testaments. Yet, how do we deal with the type of punitive vengeful
language that we read in which God is said to make people sin, bring natural
disasters, inflict with pestilence, kill using wild animals, attack using enemy
armies and other methods by which God is said to smite, destroy, slay, take
vengeance, etc.?
God created the universe
with a moral orderliness. The universe has been established upon the principles
of cause and effect, action and reaction, sowing and reaping. This is why
Isaiah could say that the wicked have rewarded evil unto themselves and that
things would go well for the righteous because they would eat the fruit of
their own doings.
God often takes credit for
the self-inflicted punishment of the wicked and the reward given to the
righteous because of the fact that He established the laws by which each
receives these things based on their actions. God’s presence and protections
remains over the righteous and as we pray, He ensures that we are rewarded.
Since the wicked have forsaken the Lord, He allows
them to receive the results of their wickedness and takes credit for inflicting
it upon them.
This is the common principle
by which the Old Testament can be interpreted. This does not mean that God is
passive since He is often using His omnipotent power to protect the repent from
the results of previous sins, protecting the righteous from the sins of others,
and pleading with the wicked to turn from his or her evil ways. He is certainly
involved. However, He also allows His established laws to take their course
when wickedness prevails. In that sense, God is said to be the doer of what He
permitted. This is the true understanding of God’s ways in the Old Testament.
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