Wisdom From Ravi (Why is there evil?)

Ravi Zacharias continues to amaze me with his insightful comments. He can take the simplest and seemingly most common, well know passage and make it burst with meaning. Take the story in Genesis 3 for instance. In fact he ties it in to creation as well. The focus in Genesis is not about Who created the world or even who rebelled in the Garden.

The real question is, Whose reality and whose Truth will be realized?” Eve and Adam did not just eat the forbidden fruit. They accepted the invitation from Satan to be “like” God. “Knowing good and evil.” Actually he was saying that they could BE God determine and define what was good and evil. Look at Genesis 3:6. She saw that it was “good.” Not just tasty, but GOOD. She changed the definition laid down by Yahweh and substituted her own. God had warned that it was bad and would lead to death, but she redefined it.

So the rule of “law” became what was “good” or “right” in OUR eyes. Check the last verse of Judges 21: 25 In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.

Man was ejected from the Garden of Eden because that was where God’s law prevailed. He, and subsequently everyone since, has lived in the world defined and administered by, well you choose. (This is not denying the sovereignty of God. It is His relinquishing control to allow us to prove our ineptitude. Jesus did not rebuke Satan’s claim to own it all and offer it to Him in the wilderness. Matthew 4.)

This brings us to a startling realization. Instead of asking why God allows “bad” things to happen, we need to be turning our attention to the executive of this world. Man chose Satan and ceded control of the earth. Remember? God originally gave authority to Adam. (Genesis 2:15)

When a-damʹ (sic) forfeited authority in the Garden, he was removed and locked out. (Genesis 2:23 and 24) The governing authority over this world and its inhabitants is again demonstrated in Job. Satan had to ask permission from the Sovereign God, but he did as he pleased within that restriction. (Job 1 and 2)

It is irrational for us to blame God for what we ultimately unleashed on the world. A weak simile is for a country to overthrow a leader and install a less competent one. Then they blame the old leader for the troubles that the new guy caused.

It is not a hard question. “Why does God allow bad things to happen?” It is because we chose a different administrator and now are subject to the failings of our inferior, flawed choice.

The “good news” is that The Lord is going to take back authority. He has paid the penalty for our sins, and, “in the fullness of time,” the Savior will come back to make things right. (Ephesians 1:10) (I read the last chapter. Check out Revelation 19 and on.)

Maranatha!
(For those who have had my Revelation course: Another No More: bad choices!) Hint Revelation 21