Isaiah 28: 21 For the Lord shall rise up as in mount Perazim, he shall be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon, that he may do his work, his strange work; and bring to pass his act, his strange act.
God delights in mercy, and everything He does on our planet is interwoven with grace, forbearance and kindness towards us, erring mortals. Persons have come to question God’s justice, not only in sacred history, but also in some of the things that He allows to take place currently.
There are those who may wish that He will stand up against the oppression, cruelty and apparent unbridled lies, day in and day out, while others have become skeptical in their perspectives of Him as it pertains to the mass shootings and the many thousands who are dying daily in Ukraine, in Haiti, and in so many countries around the world.
Our opening passage gives us a glimpse of the reason why some people might question His justice, because Isaiah calls God’s serving of justice, or His permission of certain adverse situations, a strange act.
The Lord delights in mercy, and long after we have thrown in the towel, and given up on persons who seem to poking their fingers in His face God is still working to bring about a change of heart or mind wherever possible. Let’s read:
2nd Peter 3: 9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
Lamentations 3:33 For he does not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men.
35 To turn aside the right of a man before the face of the Most-High.
Indeed, were it not for God’s longsuffering, and mercy towards, us, many of us would not be alive today. In fact, everyone of us is directly tethered to God’s mercy, and that’s why we are alive. It is the Cross of Christ that, shields us from what we are really due.
Thus, because of what mortals may see as God’s inaction in emergencies, some have questioned His justice, while others are displeased when He does act. So, it has become a situation where you are damned if you do, and damned if you don’t.
One of the erroneous concepts being taught, and adopted in many Christian circles is one where a majority of people have come to view serving God as being something subjective.
And because of it, persons are in grave danger of becoming very displeased with what God will do, or what He will permit in these last days of earth’s history.
This subjective view is more often than not, the result of persons accepting Christ on terms that are favorable or agreeable to themselves, terms that they, or others have set, and thus, whenever this is the case a person’s faith could get a shock if things do not pan out the way they expected.
So, at this point it is necessary to lay out in plain statements, what it means to obey and serve The Lord. First up, we must understand that He is The Creator and we are His creatures, and because of this He retains the sole prerogative to lay out the terms and conditions of discipleship.
There’s a cute brand of Christianity on display in our day, where many additions, and subtractions are made to God’s revealed word, so as to make accommodations for personal ideas preferences and biases.
Some attempt to mix politics and religion into a diabolical brew, and then throw over it the name of Christianity. Others have incorporated pagan concepts and Darwinian ideologies into their own brands, and the result is my truth, not God’s.
Therefore, the truth in the matter of discipleship must now be made abundantly clear. Following Jesus will call for self-denial, and obedience to His every word, according to the light that is shed on our pathway.
This is accomplished through the inner working of His Holy Spirit in our minds, but God does not by-pass our freedom of choice to force folks to obey. The choice is ours, and if we do choose to serve, love and obey Him, it will have to be on His terms alone. Let’s read:
Matthew 16: 24 Then said Jesus to his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
Galatians 5: 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that you cannot do the things that ye would.
So yes, there will be times when you will have to grit your teeth in denying that which your human nature craves, and yes, there will be times when you will have to do mortal battle against internal and external foes, of which the internal foes are the most dangerous.
Don’t let any smooth talking preacher, soothsayer or bling televangelist tell you otherwise, for God does not cut a deal with us as mortals, where we come to the negotiating table with our own set of ideas, and preferences, the way deals are made when countries are negotiating tariffs.
Instead, in His capacity as God, He sets the terms and conditions, and He bids us choose to obey Him with our free will, and if we so choose, He sends us His Holy Spirit to empower our choices. That is the only type of discipleship or Christianity that God recognizes. Let’s read:
Exodus 19: 3 And Moses went up unto God, and the Lord called unto him out of the mountain, saying, thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob,and tell the children of Israel;
4 Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself.
5 Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine.
6 And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.
8 And all the people answered together, and said, all that the Lord hath spoken we will do. And Moses returned the words of the people unto the Lord.
Hebrews 8: 8 For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.
10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people.
In addition, God has not called us to merely agree with Him, He has called us to love and obey Him, and wheresoever this is done with the intelligent understanding of Who He is, and with the clear knowledge of His singular prerogatives, persons will have the confidence to seek Him in each and every situation.
There are cute duties delegated to the Christian, and there are disagreeable duties that also need to be performed. It’s the same in every household because there are times when the parents might have to do things they may prefer not to do. There are things God prefers not to do but He has to, for the greater good of all.
The same is true of pastors, elders and of church boards, for there would be times when decisions will have to be made, that may not jive well with every single church member. Persons should not expect to agree with every decision the board makes.
The performance of duties in the kingdom of God must never be made subject to feelings, because there would be times when you will not feel good about doing certain things that God requires. We are elaborating on the dangers of the subjective form of Christianity.
Discipleship involves obeying God even when you are not feeling good about doing so, or when you may have serious questions or even doubts about what He did, or didn’t do. There will be instances where the Christian may have to scratch his head as he, or she questions what God is or isn’t doing.
This is what took place with the prophet Ananias, when Jesus instructed him to anoint Saul to be an apostle. The poor prophet scratched his head and he had serious misgivings about God’s wisdom in doing so, since Saul used to hunt down the early Christians, to jail and persecute them.
So yes, there are times when you will not feel too good about obeying God or following His revealed will. It’s not about feeling good, it’s about obeying with the understanding that God always does, or permits that which is in the best interest of all.
In other words, for us to make appendages, and additions or subtractions to His word, in order to satisfy our desires and our preferences, will put persons on a fast track to be at great odds with The Lord, whenever He does His strange acts.
Thus, the questions and answers on discipleship that deeply affect the way we view God’s justice must be given in precis form so that a child could understand.
Question: What does it mean to serve The Lord subjectively or objectively?
To serve The Lord subjectively is to obey Him only when we agree with what He says, permits, or does in His word, or in any given situation.
To serve God objectively is to render to The Lord unquestioning obedience to His every word, and command, whether or not we agree with what He does or permits.
Subjectively: adverb: In a way that is based on personal feelings, tastes, or opinions.
Objectively: adverb: In a way that is not influenced by personal feelings or opinions.
Therefore, in order for us to discover the truth in the matter, as it pertains to God’s administration of justice, we must now take a journey from the Philistine towns, all the way to Jerusalem and as we go, we are going to observe many of the same questions, and challenges, Christians in our day struggle with, as it pertains to His strange acts.
We begin in Philistia, where the ark of God had been taken, after being captured in battle. Those folks in Philistia did not have a knowledge of the correct way to transport the ark, and therefore, in His mercy, God saw fit to let things slide when the ark was taken up and transported for many miles.
However, after placing it in the temple of their god Dagon, they received to initial warnings from God that something was amiss with what they had done.
The next morning, Dagon was found collapsed before the ark, and as the idol lay there prostrate without any apparent explanation, the Philistine priests questioned in their minds what was going on.
They reverently place it back on its pedestal, but the very next day it is again found prostrate before the ark, only this time its body has been badly mutilated, and the fish part of its body has been separated from the human part in what may have seemed to be some form of strange, violent altercation.
They view this as an evil omen, and they remove the ark from their temple, but after doing so, there ensues sudden diseases, death, and destruction, wreaking havoc on the nation, until they were all too eager to rid themselves of the ark.
They do so by yoking two milking cows together which had never been yoked before, they set the ark on a cart driven by the two cows and they watch to see what would happen next.
Then, unprovoked and without apparent guidance they take the straight highway to Beth-Shemesh and when they arrive, the citizens are pleasantly surprised at the unexplained providence and they rejoice greatly because the ark is once again back in Jewish custody. Let’s read:
1st Samuel 6:11 And they laid the ark of the Lord upon the cart, and the coffer with the mice of gold and the images of their emerods.
12 And the kine took the straight way to the way of Beth-Shemesh, and went along the highway, lowing as they went, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left; and the lords of the Philistines went after them unto the border of Beth-Shemesh.
Here is where the Bible study begins, for serious questions about God’s justice arise in the hearts of many, as events begin to unfold. And as we do diligence in studying the sacred history, we must set our minds to understand some very important issues on loving and obeying God.
We will observe a few points that will help us to avoid the snare of questioning God’s justice. The points may seem simple, but when studied very carefully, we will see that they are often triggering mechanisms for disregarding God’s instructions. And thus, they can lead persons to question His justice, if and when He does act, His strange act. Let’s read:
1st Samuel 6:13 And they of Bethshemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley: and they lifted up their eyes, and saw the ark, and rejoiced to see it.
15 And the Levites took down the ark of the Lord and the coffer that was with it wherein the jewels of gold were, and put them on the great stone: and the men of Bethshemesh offered burnt offerings and sacrificed sacrifices the same day unto the Lord.
Point [1] It’s critically important to obey God even in times of great rejoicing.
During times of great rejoicing, there often come temptations to let your guard down, and persons are tempted to take unwarranted liberties which they likely would not have taken under different circumstances.
In other words great rejoicing is not a good reason for disregarding God’s instructions on a particular issue, for it is just as important to obey, when you are in a solemn assembly, as when you might be out and about with friends, on a picnic, a birthday party, or at a wedding.
The robe of Christ’s righteousness is not only to be worn on Sabbaths, it is to be worn at the gym, the grocery, the workplace, the restaurant, the beach and any and everywhere the Christian may go.
In this way, when you conscientiously set your mind to do His will through the freedom of choice He will guide you, and keep you, because it was in your heart to obey Him. Let’s read:
1st Corinthians 10: 31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever you do, do all to the glory of God.
God’s revealed will does not take a vacation when the Christian is rejoicing for whatever reason. The will of God is to be consulted in every situation so that His word may be honored.
Therefore, when we pass our varying situations of rejoicing through the litmus test of His word, and follow His revealed will, there will be no reason to be afraid of Him, because God is love.
The disposition to think that just because He is a loving God, that His instructions wouldn’t matter that much is one of the precursors to questioning His justice, whenever it occurs. God wants us to rejoice always, but in doing so, let’s try to be in harmony with His revealed will always. Let’s read:
1st Samuel 6:19 And he smote the men of Bethshemesh, because they had looked into the ark of the Lord, even he smote of the people fifty thousand and threescore and ten men: and the people lamented, because the Lord had smitten many of the people with a great slaughter.
20 And the men of Bethshemesh said, Who is able to stand before this holy Lord God? and to whom shall he go up from us?
[Patriarchs & Prophets pp 589] All Israel had been taught to regard the ark with awe and reverence. When required to remove it from place to place the Levites were not so much as to look upon it. Only once a year was the high priest permitted to behold the ark of God.
What happens next is that they began to question God’s justice, for it seemed to them that The Lord should not have spoiled their joy, at such a time as this.
God did not have any problem with their joy, the problem was with their irreverent curiosity, and the way in which they allowed it to lead them to a disregard of His plain instructions. Let’s read:
[Patriarchs & Prophets pp 589] As they continued to gaze upon the sacred chest and to talk of the wonderful manner in which it had been restored, they began to conjecture wherein lay its peculiar power. At last, overcome by curiosity, they removed the coverings and ventured to open it.
This leads us to our second point, as we study the reasons why people often question God’s justice.
Point [2] Beware of unwarranted, irreverent curiosity.
The first temptation to the human family began with curiosity. As Eve stared curiously at the fruit, she wondered why it is, God had withheld it from them, and the more she wondered, the more she became curious, until her mind became ripe for temptation. Let’s read:
[Patriarchs & Prophets pp 53] Unmindful of the angels’ caution, she soon found herself gazing with mingled curiosity and admiration upon the forbidden tree. The fruit was very beautiful, and she questioned with herself why God had withheld it from them. Now was the tempter’s opportunity.
Again, David’s sin with Bathsheba began with his curiosity, for when he beheld her stunning beauty he became curious, and instead of denying self, and stifling his urge to merge he proceeds further as he went on to enquire about her.
Therefore, according to the sacred history, in very many cases, the Christian’s downfall could often be traced right back to the point of curiosity. Let’s read:
2nd Samuel 11: 2 And it came to pass in an evening-tide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king's house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.
If David was walking down on South Beach, folks would say that he went looking for trouble, but he was on his roof and thus, up until this point it was not a sin, because the Christian man, or woman may not always be able to avoid seeing beautiful persons of the opposite sex.
The problem begins when your curiosity comes into play, and through the freedom of choice you make a deliberate decision to enquire. It’s fitting that we hit pause and check in with the dictionary to find out the meaning of curiosity.
Curiosity: A strong desire or interest in something or someone that leads to inquiry.
2nd Samuel 11:3 And David sent and enquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?
Again, there are currently over 7000 languages in the world today, and they all came about as the result of curiosity. After the flood, men refused to believe God and thus, one of the reasons why the tower of babel was built was to satisfy their own curiosity as to why the earth had overflowed with a flood. Let’s read:
Genesis 11: 9 Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the Lord did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the ord scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.
[Patriarchs & Prophets pp 119] Many of them denied the existence of God and attributed the Flood to the operation of natural causes. One object before them in the erection of the tower was to secure their own safety in case of another deluge. And as they would be able to ascend to the region of the clouds, they hoped to ascertain the cause of the Flood.
This issue of curiosity deserves our attention, for according to the Scriptures, it would be a major factor when prime time comes around. In Jesus’ prophecy about end time events, He says that the devil will be making appearances worldwide, and as a result, the curiosity of some Christians may be aroused.
Thus, to avert the temptations to follow up your curiosity with inquiry, Christ tells us not to go, and His instruction means don’t almost go, whether it be via the breaking news, Snapchat, Instagram or Tik Tok, or any of the other social networks which bring the curious to your doorstep.
The Christian should have no interest whatsoever in seeing satan, and if you were to go, contrary to God’s instruction, and things were to take a turn for the worse, folks could be led to question His justice in what God may permit, or what He may do. Let’s read:
Matthew 24: 26 Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; do not go forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.
After the episode with the men of Beth-Shemesh, the people requested that the sacred ark of God be removed from among them, for they became afraid and confused as to why such judgements were meted out.
They did not stop to figure out the problem, but instead, would have nothing to do with the ark. In our day some people will have nothing to do with God, because of what they see as a miscarriage of justice on His part in certain situations.
Thus, the men of Kirjathjearim were called upon to take away the ark from among the people. They did, and what happened after, to the house where it was lodged, is worthy of note, for no harm came to that household for twenty years. Let’s read:
1st Samuel 7:1 And the men of Kirjathjearim came, and fetched up the ark of the Lord, and brought it into the house of Abinadab in the hill, and sanctified Eleazar his son to keep the ark of the Lord.
2 And it came to pass, while the ark abode in Kirjathjearim, that the time was long; for it was twenty years: and all the house of Israel lamented after the Lord.
Major note: Eleazar was not Abinadab’s only son, for he had at least two others, namely Ahio, and Uzzah.
Thus, when you hear persons questioning God’s justice in the sudden demise of Uzzah, remember that God’s presence was apparently abiding in the same house with Uzzah for twenty years, and nothing happened to him. Just remember that.
Then, as David gathered a great multitude to bring back the ark with great rejoicing God’s strange act was about to put a check on the disregard of His plainest instruction, and as it was with the men of Beth-Shemesh people would again question His justice, as if He was doing something wrong, or inappropriate. Let’s read:
2nd Samuel 6:1 Again, David gathered together all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand.
3 And they set the ark of God upon a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab that was in Gibeah: and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drove the new cart.
5 And David and all the house of Israel played before the Lord on all manner of instruments made of fir wood, even on harps and psalteries, and on timbrels, and on cornets, and on cymbals.
6 And when they came to Nachon's threshing floor, Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark of God, and took hold of it; for the oxen shook it.
7 And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God.
The Lord did not give an immediate explanation of why He did what He did unto Uzzah. He remained silent and His silence seems to give rise to great misunderstandings of His justice. Therefore, we must ask the following question:
If in some instances, God does not give us any explanation as to why He administers justice to nations, or to individuals, or why He may permit tragedy in certain instances, where it seems as if innocent lives are lost, are we then to go the route of David and others by becoming upset with Him?
The two reactions of David are often mirrored in our day, as persons question the justice of God in certain situations. According to what is written in the Scriptures, David became displeased, and he also became afraid, just like the people in the city of Beth-Shemesh. Let’s read:
2nd Samuel 6:8 David was displeased, because the Lord had made a breach upon Uzzah: and he called the name of the place Perez-uzzah to this day.
9 And David was afraid of the Lord that day, and said, how shall the ark of the Lord come to me?
Question: Why was David displeased?
Answer: David was displeased because, as far as he could see, God acted inappropriately in killing an apparently innocent, man who was just trying to prevent the ark from falling. And as far as David was concerned, it was a good thing Uzzah did.
Question: Why was David afraid?
Answer: David became afraid, because if it is true that God destroyed a man for just helping, which was a supposedly good thing, then the question in David’s mind is “Who’s next.”
One thing is certain, there most likely was serious soul searching after this incident, just like it was after the sudden demise of Annanias and Saphira. Let’s read:
2nd Samuel 6:10 So David would not remove the ark of the Lord unto him into the city of David: but David carried it aside into the house of Obededom the Gittite.
11 And the ark of the Lord continued in the house of Obededom the Gittite three months: and the Lord blessed Obededom, and all his household.
It is almost certain that many persons who read this account of Uzzah, would tend to agree with David’s view, that God acted inappropriately, and yet it was the right and merciful thing to do, since, in all of God’s doings, the great principle of love is always intertwined.
Just because we may not immediately see love in His actions, and just because He may not give us an explanation right away, does not mean that we are to stand as judge over The Lord.
In addition to this, if, as David concluded, with so many others, that God acted inappropriately, and as a result they were justified in being scared of Him, how is it that in both instances where the ark was removed to certain households, nothing but God’s blessing came upon those two homes?
How do we square the questioning of His justice on the one hand and great blessings from the very same God under different circumstances? There seems to be some great disconnect that persons keep missing for some reason.
The answer to this conundrum is as simple as it gets, for the issue has to do with the perspectives that are held by many people including Christians as it pertains to the instructions and laws of God.
There is a lot of noise in contemporary Christian circles, as regards God’s law and His instructions to us. All of the reasons such as good intentions, reflex actions, personal opinions, and God’s love, do not atone for disobedience.
When God told Cain and Abel to bring a lamb, He meant a lamb and nothing else. Persons who might genuinely be in ignorance of the Sabbath might be accepted by God for their sincerity, but as far as accepting any other day of the week as a substitute, just because a person did not know, that will never ever happen.
What God says He means, and He means what He says and thus, He cautions us against adding, subtracting, deliberately manipulating, and giving private interpretations to His word.
In our day, science is still fixated on the curious in contradiction to what the Scriptures declare on the origin of species. There are many satellites or telescopes scanning the heavens for the origins of life, when the clear, concise account is given in the Bible. Here it is in one simple short sentence.
Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
Again, to many minds The Lord might seem to be missing in action, as the cries of the stranger, and the poor reach up to heaven, whilst the rich, and the infamous, might seem to be getting away with murder as it werThese things perplex the minds of many persons and some are led to question God’s justice, while some believe He is taking too long. We’ll need to remember that in the greater scheme of things He is working out everything for the greater good of His people, and the very best good for the world at large.
Harboring the Scriptural perspectives on serving and loving God will prevent in large measure the common misunderstandings of what He does or what He may permit.
And, it is of critical importance that our minds be aligned with His word and will so that we wouldn’t question His strange acts, when they will begin to occur in the final chapters of earth’s history. Let’s read:
[Prophets & Kings pp 499] In the annals of human history, the growth of nations, the rise and fall of empires, appear as if dependent on the will and prowess of man.
But in the word of God the curtain is drawn aside, and we behold, above, behind, and through all the play and counterplay of human interest and power, and passions, the agencies of the All-merciful One, silently, patiently working out the counsels of His own will.
We therefore end with a passage of Scripture that would help us to navigate all of the noise that has been accumulating for centuries.
And it is the will of God that those individuals who are preparing for prime time, will harbor only the Biblical perspectives on God’s prerogatives, His instructions, and a balanced view of His love. In doing so we will avoid the snare of questioning His justice, whenever He begins His strange acts. Let’s read:
Deuteronomy 32:1 Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth.
4 He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.
God Bless!