It is a frequent cause of frustration and disappointment to us all at times to discover the judgments of God to be so inscrutable. And yet, upon reflection, this turns out to be salutary rather than detrimental to our spiritual stability. In any case it gives weight to the scriptural instruction that God’s ways are not our ways, and that our thoughts fall far below the level of his thoughts.
God gives his judgment in brief unequivocal terms. He has no need to wrap them round with formal verbiage. Moreover, he supplies no detailed reasons for them, because the reasons are implicit in the judgments themselves—the cause of them all lies in disobedience to His injunctions, and a true faith is essential to their understanding. Thus upon Adam in the garden was the condemnation, “Because thou hast eaten of the ‘tree . . . unto dust shalt thou return”. What could be simpler than this for an offence which changed so drastically the Deity-humanity relationships. But is it so simple after all in view of the lengthy discussion that has ensued upon it? And also upon Israel, his people, at a later date, sending his prophets, rising up early and sending them, saying, “Israel hath cast off the thing that is good; the enemy shall pursue him”.
Yet, if the judgments of God are severe and stern, they are also just and merciful—. to Adam was granted a long antediluvial lifetime in which to repent with tears before the penalty was exacted; and to Israel centuries of warning and corrections, intermingled with hopes, before their sin-wound became incurable.
His mercies are but another facet of his judgments, and the reason for them is to be found in the two prophetic utterances; firstly, “He knoweth their frame, he remembereth that they are but dust”, and, secondly, “Not for your sakes O house of Israel, but for mine holy name sake, which ye have profaned”. In mercy he has promised to overcome the deep-seated iniquities inherent in humanity by extending to them a new covenant of mercy, which will have its provisions engraven on their hearts and written in their minds, by which he will put his spirit within them and cause them to walk in his judgements. To his end he sent his only begotten Son, that “whosoever believeth in him might not perish but have everlasting life”, of which act of grace it is written,–While we were yet sinners, Christ died for the ungodly”.
Sometimes we are tempted to question his judgments: why should he make one vessel to honour and another to dishonour? —should the clay say to the potter, “Why has thou made me thus?” We are informed that it is the will of God, by which he magnifies his Name—but such an answer merely side-steps the question, for we have asked for more light, but have received just another assertion of his judgment. Similarly, we question his mercies. Why do they fall upon the few and pass so many by? What is the different quality of men and women upon which they have fallen? Was there no other way than that Jesus must die for them in order to expiate the sin of the world? And once again the answer comes, “It was the will of God”, and then once more the further question, Why was it his will? Here we reach the end of our mental resources. Whereupon, Paul exclaims upon the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God, “How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding mit! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? Or who hath been his counsellor?” And this exclamation was in relation to the most fundamental of Bible docitrines–the ultimate judgment of Israel.
Until we are able to reach the same climax of wonderment in relation to our own salvation we are scarcely in the way to understanding and appreciating the judgements of the Lord.
Human prurience seeks always to raise the hem of the concealing veil, but is not enlightened thereby to its satisfaction. Where God has chosen not to reveal his purposes it is surely more profitable to spiritual welfare to accept in humility what he has revealed until the growing light of truth shall make the mind more fully aware of God’s ways and bring our minds more into harmony with his mind.
What is a Bible Student?