Genesis 2:16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.
This passage of scripture teaches us the sobering truth that sin is allowed to run its natural in the temporal realm, and this truth should serve as an active deterrent to all those who may be contemplating a wrong course of action. There are many whimsical interpretations of who God is, and there are also many unrealistic expectations of what He would and would not do, but our understanding of God should be guided by what He says and what he actually does in His word, so that we will not harbor unscriptural figments of our imaginations, as it pertains to His dealings with the human family.
God is not to be expected to deliver us from the natural results of deliberate sin, and in most cases He does not intervene to stop the natural consequences of ignorant sin, or a wrong course of action. A deep misunderstanding of this point causes many Christians and secular folk to harbor expectations of God that are not to be found in His word. When the medical workers in Liberia accidentally exposed themselves to the deadly Ebola virus, some of them really died, even though they were doing a good humanitarian work. And others who were infected had to be flown to the United States, where they were admitted to a real hospital and put in intensive care, by doctors who had to minister to their needs, and monitor them night and day. This all happened whilst they were doing good work, yet no direct miracle from God was performed in their behalf to deliver them.
Now, if the dire result to a good course of action was permitted to run its natural course, much more then will a wrong course of action be permitted to follow through to its natural end, for the laws of sowing and reaping are very rarely interfered with by God, even though He does reserve the prerogative to deliver us from the natural results of a wrong course of action if He so chooses. A general, and popular misunderstanding of this sacred truth causes many people to ask the question:"Where is God", when disasters or calamities strike. But God is not to be expected to undo or prevent everything that can go wrong on this earth, for His work in our salvation is not primarily to prevent bad things from happening, but rather to ensure that the good which Christ came to make possible, can be accessed by every member of the human family.
After the Hebrews had murmured and complained at the evil report of the ten unfaithful spies, they afterward attempted to go up and take the promised land, and this in direct violation of the instructions from God to the contrary. Moses explained to them the results of the wrong course of action they were about to pursue, yet they insisted on going, thus God was not to be expected to reverse the natural results of their choice, neither would He intervene to deliver those who walked contrary to His revealed will. Let's read:
Numbers 14:40 And they rose up early in the morning".... "saying, Lo, we be here, and will go up unto the place which the Lord hath promised: for we have sinned. 41 And Moses said, Wherefore now do ye transgress the commandment of the Lord? but it shall not prosper. 42 Go not up, for the Lord is not among you; that ye be not smitten before your enemies. 44 But they presumed to go up unto the hill top"... 45 Then the Amalekites came down, and the Canaanites which dwelt in that hill, and smote them, and discomfited them, even unto Hormah.
In this instance, several of the Hebrews were slain as a result, again demonstrating the fact that sin will be permitted to run its natural course. In our day, and in our own experiences, we should be very, very careful not to harbor any un-scriptural views of God, lest we set ourselves up for major disappointment. It is good and right for us to hope in God, and to trust in His salvation and tender mercies, but it's also important for us to remember that sin will take its toll on us, one way or another, if we deliberately indulge in it for any reason. We therefore end with a passage of scripture which reiterates this sacred truth, and thus, it is the will of God that we use our intelligence, coupled together with His word to make right choices today. Let's read:
Galatians 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. 8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. 9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
May The Lord add His blessing to the study and practice of His every word. God bless!