Phil, I wish I could like your post ten times over. I also want to highlight your word "purpose." That is such a better word than "reason" when talking about why God did what He does. As I've insisted, there are no underlying reasons to compel God to act this way rather than that; but God certainly has purpose for what He does. He acts with absolute freedom and sovereignty to bring about His perfect and unchallengeable will. The purpose is not a reason (which comes before the act) but the end, the goal, if you will. To use an example, it is wrong to say that the reason God flooded the earth (whatever you take "earth" to mean) was that humans were corrupted and God has to punish evil--that punishing evil was the reason or motivating force that influenced God to act. Rather, we should say that God has purposed to punish evil simply because that is what He Is (and that is what He Is by His own free will!). And that's not just a general rule but in fact a specific thing. God purposed to universally punish the evil of mankind at that time; He purposed to tell us the "why" so that we would learn something about Him and ourselves (as I said before: don't be corrupted and seek God's favor). None of that is necessary. Purposes aren't necessary. They're simply the result of God's free choice.Philip wrote:OK, God did and also commanded certain things in Scripture that seem, to us, on the surface, to be wrong.
Let's parse some things - and under the assumption that what is written is factual, as to God's actions or commands.
One is, obviously, God IS His own and ONLY standard.
If a MAN did some of things God did, it WOULD be sin. Why? Because there are somethings that ONLY God has a right to do. And we are not God!
God CAN but DOES NOT do or cause evil: "His work is perfect, For all His ways are just; a God of faithfulness and without injustice, righteous and upright is He," (Deut. 32:4); "Thine eyes are too pure to approve evil, and Thou canst not look on wickedness with favor," (Hab. 1:13); "... for God cannot be tempted 2by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone." (James 1:13)
So, God says He does no evil. He also does not cause the temptations that lead to evil acts. He does, however, manipulate evil actions and intentions of others for His good purposes. He is sovereign over ALL living, all of their actions, and ALL outcomes. Everything is subject to Him and He is the ONLY standard that matters.
If God says He tempts no one to evil acts, this tells me that He also will not ever command anyone to do what is evil FOR THAT MAN. But obeying GOD'S command is allowing oneself to be used has His instrument as instructed. This takes the action commanded out from under the moral responsibility for the action commanded, as the action God desires is His responsibility - the one so commanded would only be responsible for being obedient to God's command. So, God COULD command a man to do something that for that man to obey would be righteous. But if that man did the same act on his own accord, it (depending upon whatever that might be), it may very well be a sinful thing, as only certain things can be done by God (I'm speaking of those things God has made unlawful unless He commands otherwise).
All of the above tells me that when God did something or commanded something in Scripture that we can't understand, that at least SEEMS to be unthinkable or evil, certainly for US, and perhaps seemingly for God, we know that this can never be the case. Because God says He ONLY ever acts in righteousness. So, we are left with (as Jac referenced): 1) Either the Scripture is untrue/unfactual/made up; 2) We misunderstand it somehow (lack of translation clarity, obscure cultural reference of the time, it's too difficult to know for certain, etc; 3) Or God's purposes for the action are unknowable to us - and likely, are ALWAYS going to be unlikely to be understood by us. I think, if we accept God's Holy Character and power is as Scripture reveals, then we're realistically only left with the answers almost certainly lying somewhere within numbers 2 and 3. All that to say, ultimately, we must trust our Lord to 1) be what and how He says He is, and 2) that whatever He has done is righteous and for ultimately the best eternal purposes as so deemed by the Lord.
What I think is a terrible response to these difficult passages is to simply dismiss it as NOT being true and accurate (in whatever way that it truly was/is), or to assert, "This can't be true because God would never _________________" - you fill in the blank. I just think it is the height of arrogance to claim such, given our puny understandings of present things, much less eternal ones!
So, again, I really like your bringing out the idea of purpose. Very important to this discussion. Rather than asking for the reason God commanded babies be killed, better to ask for God's purpose(s) in so commanding. A subtle difference, sure, but a real one all the same.
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