Questioning God’s Decisions....

I’ve been around some people who have issues with God’s decisions. When we talk about the OT stories of the Israelites journey into the Promised Land, they seem to get mad at God for killing the inhabitants and taking their land. For He commanded the execution of every living soul; men, women, and children. At first I could see their argument, but then I thought, “who am I to question God’s decisions?” No, I’m not a robot. I don’t have to accept God’s decisions as either good or bad. The bottom line is that every decision God makes is 100% informed. He knows the future, He knows what the outcome of each decision He makes. He is 100% just in everything He does. And He loves us. As it says in Romans (my paraphrase) everything is meant for our good (8:28). That is, God is for those who honor and seek Him. These people in the Promised Land despised God, or turned their back on Him. Thus they were being punished for their sin. Who am I to say sin shouldn’t be punished? And Who did God punish for my sin? Jesus. So if I say that these people shouldn’t have died for their sins, then in essence am I saying, “I’m qualified to judge sin?” “God is wrong?” Instead, I need to focus on my own sin, and my own condemnation of it. The fact that God grants me salvation based on what Jesus did on the cross, I need to let God be God. I need to stop trying to play the role of Judge or jury. I need to concentrate on obeying Him and loving people. But what about the children? Isn’t that still cruel? Obviously my point made earlier hasn’t set fully in yet. But I will present an insight that might settle your sense of injustice. God saves, right? Maybe He saved those children by taking them to Heaven early, keeping them from doing horrific things. Maybe He looked into the future and saw that they would be more evil than their parents? Maybe He saw their parents about to sacrifice them to their gods and rescued them? I don’t know. But I do know that God cares for me and loves me more than anything else. I’m sure He loves those children too. Maybe, every single one of them went to be with Him in Heaven? I certainly don’t have all the answers. The only thing I’m sure of is this: God is worthy of my trust, regardless if I fully understand or not.

But recognize today that the Lord your God is the One who will cross over ahead of you like a devouring fire to destroy them. He will subdue them so that you will quickly conquer them and drive them out, just as the Lord has promised.4 “After the Lord your God has done this for you, don’t say in your hearts, ‘The Lord has given us this land because we are such good people!’ No, it is because of the wickedness of the other nations that He is pushing them out of your way. 5 It is not because you are so good or have such integrity that you are about to occupy their land. The Lord your God will drive these nations out ahead of you only because of their wickedness, and to fulfill the oath He swore to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Deuteronomy 9:3-5