God is good all the time

“I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.” (Isa. 45:7).

It must be human nature, our fallen nature, to disdain punishment. Punishment has been given a black eye. I was saying to a small group that God punishes, when a brother spoke up and said, “God doesn’t punish. He disciplines his children, but He doesn’t punish them.” I answered, “I don’t see the difference.”

I love to say,  “God is good!” Because often I hear the refrain, “All the time!” Then I can fill in the picture with: “Even when He’s bad!” Even when it seems God is being bad to us He is really being good to us. 

Maybe I saw punishment to be synonymous with discipline because my growing up days had some punishments from my parents, but they always showed me that they loved me and accepted me. All the time! Thus I could believe that God is a God of love and loves me. Always. All the time. Trust is important to God. It’s the whole basis of His kingdom.

So, we can take the opening verse and reinterpret it in our minds. It doesn’t speak of God’s hatred of His people. But, are we willing to reinterpret like that in our hearts as well as in our intellect? Do we have that capability? This question makes for a very foundational self-examination. Can we afflict our souls over that one with “strong faith and agonizing cries”?

“Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel; Like these good figs, so will I acknowledge them that are carried away captive of Judah, whom I have sent out of this place into the land of the Chaldeans for their good.” (Jer. 24:5).

“...for their good!” That’s good news, if one could believe it! Can we believe His words? Really? And truly? Can we believe the Lord God of Protestantism and Adventism to work only for our good, even in all of His providential punishments, i.e., in all the consequences for our disobedience? Didn’t we see trust and surrender to punishment ultimately in Abraham when he chose to disallow God’s word about a son that would come from his own loins? He followed a human custom instead of a divine Law. And the Lord God did give him a son when he broke the seventh commandment. But that “marriage” went south from its inception, and its offspring later gave birth to nations that were a constant threat and source of temptation to the children that came from the wife who God gave him. Did Abram distrust and murmur against God for that consequence to his sin? No, the love he had previously seen in God and sensed in his Comforter had humbled him. Abram could admit that the outcome was his fault, and not God’s. The mistake was his, not God’s. So, he accepted the troubles that came out of disobedience because he had come to trust God’s oversight in all human affairs. He had learned God’s wisdom and His parental love.

With that correct paradigm, what does the Lord’s evil mean? The Lord brings evil against us; yes, He surely does. But, the Hebrew for Isaiah’s “evil” is:

H7451 ra‛ , râ‛âh. רָעָה    רַע. From H7489; bad or (as noun) evil (naturally or morally). This includes the second (feminine) form; as adjective or noun: - adversity, affliction, bad, calamity, + displease (-ure), distress, evil ([-favouredness], man, thing), + exceedingly, X great, grief (-vous), harm, heavy, hurt (-ful), ill (favoured), + mark, mischief, (-vous), misery, naught (-ty), noisome, + not please, sad (-ly), sore, sorrow, trouble, vex, wicked (-ly, -ness, one), worse (-st) wretchedness, wrong. [Including feminine ra’ah; as adjective or noun.]

The evil that the Lord said He would bring was not satanic wickedness. He can never work together with Satan in any way, not even to cooperate with the wicked one. And evil didn’t mean deception. God cannot tempt; He cannot lie. “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth He any man” (Jas. 1:13). Are we humbled by God’s fatherly love, like Abraham was, so that we can say that we tempt ourselves; we walk into temptations and then talk to the tempter as he seeks to influence our mind. That’s what Eve did. That’s what the young prophet of 1 Kings 13 did. That’s what King Saul did at Endor. And that’s what we do. These things are written for ensamples so that we won’t fall to the same disobedience and punishment that came to the Christians of old.

God doesn’t deceive; we deceive ourselves. But, why does God sound like He deceives? “For this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” (2Thess. 2:11, 12). “Wherefore I gave them also statutes that were not good, and judgments whereby they should not live; and I polluted them….” (Eze. 20:25,26). “And there came forth a spirit, and stood before the LORD, and said, I will persuade him. And the LORD said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And He said, Thou shalt persuade him, and prevail also: go forth, and do so.” (1Ki. 22:21,22).

Because of His punishments, the Protestants have branded the God of the Old Testament as a bad and mean and unloving God. Satan has stood up against the love of God and the God of love, and he has convinced God’s children that He cannot be trusted with justice. Jehovah, for the past 177 years, has been disallowed entrance into their churches and worship and hearts and doctrine. His own Protestant children reject His wise counsels and punishments. God has already sent His apostatized Protestants a strong delusion. Will Adventists get the same? Will we follow the Evangelicals into disallowing the strong statements from heaven like the southern kingdom of Judah followed the northern kingdom of Israel in departing from the living God?

When we read the rest of Ezekiel 20 we see that Jesus had given in abundance of good things and instruction in righteousness that were only good. But His children snuffed and grumbled at their dish. They didn’t want the bread of heaven. They turned away from what was good for them and sought out many human inventions. Their eyes were blinded to what was truly wholesome until the Lord could no longer force them to stay with Him. He had to let them go, but not without a message of His great reluctance toward cutting off of His rebellious children. He clearly forewarned them concerning their new master, and his undershepherds. Life would be filled with wickedness, and horrendously painful.

But, according to Jeremiah, God would be good to them, even when He was bad to them.

“Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel; Like these good figs, so will I acknowledge them that are carried away captive of Judah, whom I have sent out of this place into the land of the Chaldeans for their good.” (Jer. 24:5).

A time of trouble is upon us. Another Babylonian captivity is on the way. Why? For punishment. What the Adventist church done so wrong? We’ve kept the Sabbath day. We’ve spread the health message around the world. We’ve brought education and ADRA has brought disaster relief to the nations. Maranatha has built churches and schools around the world. 3ABN has broadcasted the gospel around the world.

But, have we been afflicting our soul? Are we fully involved in being sealed in perfect communion and its resulting perfect obedience? Are we warning others about the investigative judgment that has been ongoing for the past 177 years? Are we perfectly reproducing the character of Christ? Haven’t we abandoned the Spirit of Prophecy, which Jesus gave us for accomplishing all of the above? All of the above requires our complete attention and heart. Total surrender could never happen without accepting the Spirit of Prophecy’s stance on calling it sin for every departure from the straight testimony. “I saw that the testimony of the True Witness has not been half heeded. The solemn testimony upon which the destiny of the church hangs has been lightly esteemed, if not entirely disregarded. This testimony must work deep repentance; all who truly receive it will obey it and be purified.” Early Writings, p. 270.

Ellen White predicted today’s Adventism in the historical book, The Desire of Ages. “By the Babylonish captivity the Israelites were effectually cured of the worship of graven images. During the centuries that followed, they suffered from the oppression of heathen foes, until the conviction became fixed that their prosperity depended upon their obedience to the law of God. But with too many of the people obedience was not prompted by love. The motive was selfish. They rendered outward service to God as the means of attaining to national greatness.” Desire of Ages, p. 28.

Has Adventism been in its own, as it were, 600 year Babylonian captivity? And during the decades that followed the passing of the last prophet, hasn’t it suffered attacks by its Jesuit foes? Haven’t we also traveled down out our own intertestamental period of silence from heaven? Haven't wars and pervasive dissipation hit us hard and drilled unbelief into our minds and hearts? The attacks have been subtle, and very effective. Our unbelief—distrust toward God—drained the remnants of love toward Him and His discipline? Haven’t we written off our Father and His fatherly punishments?

“After the return from Babylon, much attention was given to religious instruction. All over the country, synagogues were erected, where the law was expounded by the priests and scribes. And schools were established, which, together with the arts and sciences, professed to teach the principles of righteousness. But these agencies became corrupted. During the captivity, many of the people had received heathen ideas and customs, and these were brought into their religious service. In many things they conformed to the practices of idolaters.” Ibid. p. 29. Wouldn’t this explain our rejection of the pioneers’ non-Trinitarian platform of eternal truth? Wouldn’t it explain the recent incursion of praise music and celebration worship? “The worship experience” no longer means obedience throughout the previous six days, and encouragement and loving exhortation from the pulpit to higher attainments in obedience, for the purpose of better and clearer communion with Jesus? Remembering the Sabbath day no longer means fellowship with God and man for 24 hours. Today Sabbath observance means worldly work until minutes before the sun sets Friday night, getting late to Sabbath School (if going at all), getting out of church by 12:00 noon so that we can have our Sabbath dinner, catching a Sabbath afternoon nap, waking up in time for Sabbath evening vespers, and then on to another week of worldly work until minutes before sunset Friday. Isn’t this conforming to apostate Protestant customs?

“While the Jews desired the advent of the Messiah, they had no true conception of His mission. They did not seek redemption from sin, but deliverance from the Romans. They looked for the Messiah to come as a conqueror, to break the oppressor’s power, and exalt Israel to universal dominion. Thus the way was prepared for them to reject the Saviour.” Ibid. p. 29. What was our reaction to Covid-19 and its wake-up call for the time of the end? Repentance? Or fleeing to the countryside? It could only be repentance if we turned to “the testimony of the True Witness” to the Laodiceans. No one can repent without the firm voice of the Spirit of truth resounding in their conscience. No one can afflict their soul, “agonizing” with God. Hear the description of true affliction of soul required of every Adventist whose faith will survive the coming blitzkrieg of trouble:

“I saw some, with strong faith and agonizing cries, pleading with God. Their countenances were pale and marked with deep anxiety, expressive of their internal struggle. Firmness and great earnestness was expressed in their countenances; large drops of perspiration fell from their foreheads. Now and then their faces would light up with the marks of God's approbation, and again the same solemn, earnest, anxious look would settle upon them.” Early Writings, p. 269

Does that describe our investigative judgment experience? Here is a more expanded version:

“Evil angels crowded around, pressing darkness upon them to shut out Jesus from their view, that their eyes might be drawn to the darkness that surrounded them, and thus they be led to distrust God and murmur against Him. Their only safety was in keeping their eyes directed upward. Angels of God had charge over His people, and as the poisonous atmosphere of evil angels was pressed around these anxious ones, the heavenly angels were continually wafting their wings over them to scatter the thick darkness.

As the praying ones continued their earnest cries, at times a ray of light from Jesus came to them, to encourage their hearts and light up their countenances. Some, I saw, did not participate in this work of agonizing and pleading. They seemed indifferent and careless. They were not resisting the darkness around them, and it shut them in like a thick cloud. The angels of God left these and went to the aid of the earnest, praying ones. I saw angels of God hasten to the assistance of all who were struggling with all their power to resist the evil angels and trying to help themselves by calling upon God with perseverance. But His angels left those who made no effort to help themselves, and I lost sight of them.” Ibid., p. 269,270.

Do you believe in evil angels? Do you believe they can cut off spiritual light from Jesus? Does this knowledge keep you from parties and nightclubs and carnivals and sports events? Is the love of Jesus taking over your inclination for worldly things and experiences? Is Protestant (and Adventist) America soon to go through this from a Rome controlled UN, and a Jesuit globally dominated governance and economy? Haven’t we seen a new religion and religious leadership in the denominations? A new generation in Protestant America has arisen that knows almost nothing of its origin in the Reformation. Protestantism is no longer even claimed by the churches. Just ask the people; all that most know is they are Evangelicals. Vatican II Ecumenism has been an amazing success. Rome has co-opted and subjugated every aspect of American life; but, irregardless, God still sees us as Protestant America. If He held out a new purpose for the Samaritans and the Jews 2,000 years ago, He still has a purpose for Protestantism and Adventism. The Early Rain is closing and the Latter Rain is soon to come.

“At the time of the birth of Christ the nation was chafing under the rule of her foreign masters, and racked with internal strife. The Jews had been permitted to maintain the form of a separate government; but nothing could disguise the fact that they were under the Roman yoke, or reconcile them to the restriction of their power. The Romans claimed the right of appointing and removing the high priest, and the office was often secured by fraud, bribery, and even murder. Thus the priesthood became more and more corrupt. Yet the priests still possessed great power, and they employed it for selfish and mercenary ends. The people were subjected to their merciless demands, and were also heavily taxed by the Romans. This state of affairs caused widespread discontent. Popular outbreaks were frequent. Greed and violence, distrust and spiritual apathy, were eating out the very heart of the nation. Hatred of the Romans, and national and spiritual pride, led the Jews still to adhere rigorously to their forms of worship. The priests tried to maintain a reputation for sanctity by scrupulous attention to the ceremonies of religion. The people, in their darkness and oppression, and the rulers, thirsting for power, longed for the coming of One who would vanquish their enemies and restore the kingdom to Israel. They had studied the prophecies, but without spiritual insight. Thus they overlooked those scriptures that point to the humiliation of Christ’s first advent, and misapplied those that speak of the glory of His second coming. Pride obscured their vision. They interpreted prophecy in accordance with their selfish desires.” Desire of Ages, p. 30a.

For the past century hasn’t Rome controlled Protestant America, its original peace-making affairs, and the nations under its leadership? Haven’t we seen our once peaceful country now speaking like the aggressor Dragon? Hasn’t the past two decades seen a strange turn-around from what was a godless society to a bold, aggravated shaking its fist at the God of its fathers?

“‘When the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son.’ Providence had directed the movements of nations, and the tide of human impulse and influence, until the world was ripe for the coming of the Deliverer. The nations were united under one government. One language was widely spoken, and was everywhere recognized as the language of literature. From all lands the Jews of the dispersion gathered to Jerusalem to the annual feasts. As these returned to the places of their sojourn, they could spread throughout the world the tidings of the Messiah’s coming.” Ibid., p. 32.

Isn’t the English language spoken around the world and everywhere recognized as the language of literature? Hasn’t Providence directed the movements of nations until the world is now ripe for the coming of its Deliverer? Aren’t the nations being united under a one-world government, a new world order? Don’t Adventists gather at General Conference Sessions so that during the Latter Rain they might spread “throughout the world the tidings of the Messiah’s coming”? Isn’t everything set up to repeat the great event of the first advent of Jesus, and of a shaking and birth of a redeemed of Israel?

“At this time the systems of heathenism were losing their hold upon the people. Men were weary of pageant and fable. They longed for a religion that could satisfy the heart. While the light of truth seemed to have departed from among men, there were souls who were looking for light, and who were filled with perplexity and sorrow. They were thirsting for a knowledge of the living God, for some assurance of a life beyond the grave. As the Jews had departed from God, faith had grown dim, and hope had well-nigh ceased to illuminate the future. The words of the prophets were uncomprehended.” Ibid., p. 32.

Haven’t we come to a condition that fulfills the prophecy from Isaiah?

“And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed: 

And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned. 

Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near Me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour Me, but have removed their heart far from Me, and their fear toward Me is taught by the precept of men: 

Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid. 

Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the LORD, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us? ” (Isa. 29:11-15).

Aren’t people becoming disillusioned in the preaching of unbiblical falsehoods? Aren’t they abandoning the churches for other options in the New Age, Wicca, and eastern mysticism, atheism and evolution from “science falsely so called”, or bringing those heathen concepts and practices into the churches?

“Among the Jews there were yet steadfast souls, descendants of that holy line through whom a knowledge of God had been preserved. These still looked for the hope of the promise made unto the fathers. They strengthened their faith by dwelling upon the assurance given through Moses, ‘A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; Him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever He shall say unto you.’ Acts 3:22….” Ibid., p. 34.

What else can go wrong with this world? It will get even worse.

“The deception of sin had reached its height. All the agencies for depraving the souls of men had been put in operation. The Son of God, looking upon the world, beheld suffering and misery. With pity He saw how men had become victims of satanic cruelty. He looked with compassion upon those who were being corrupted, murdered, and lost. They had chosen a ruler who chained them to his car as captives. Bewildered and deceived, they were moving on in gloomy procession toward eternal ruin,—to death in which is no hope of life, toward night to which comes no morning. Satanic agencies were incorporated with men. The bodies of human beings, made for the dwelling place of God, had become the habitation of demons. The senses, the nerves, the passions, the organs of men, were worked by supernatural agencies in the indulgence of the vilest lust. The very stamp of demons was impressed upon the countenances of men. Human faces reflected the expression of the legions of evil with which they were possessed. Such was the prospect upon which the world’s Redeemer looked. What a spectacle for Infinite Purity to behold! Sin had become a science, and vice was consecrated as a part of religion. Rebellion had struck its roots deep into the heart, and the hostility of man was most violent against heaven. It was demonstrated before the universe that, apart from God, humanity could not be uplifted. A new element of life and power must be imparted by Him who made the world.” Ibid., p. 36.

Don’t we see a new pervasive recklessness toward the few years of existence we get? Aren’t we seeing vice spread from top to bottom of this once privileged Protestant world? Can’t we say again “What a spectacle for Infinite Purity to behold! Sin [has] become a science, and vice [is] consecrated as a part of religion. Rebellion [has] struck its roots deep into the heart, and the hostility of man [is] most violent against heaven”?

“The Jews were scattered everywhere, and their expectation of the Messiah’s coming was to some extent shared by the Gentiles. Among those whom the Jews styled heathen were men who had a better understanding of the Scripture prophecies concerning the Messiah than had the teachers in Israel. There were some who hoped for His coming as a deliverer from sin. Philosophers endeavored to study into the mystery of the Hebrew economy. But the bigotry of the Jews hindered the spread of the light. Intent on maintaining the separation between themselves and other nations, they were unwilling to impart the knowledge they still possessed concerning the symbolic service. The true Interpreter must come. The One whom all these types prefigured must explain their significance. Through nature, through types and symbols, through patriarchs and prophets, God had spoken to the world. Lessons must be given to humanity in the language of humanity. The Messenger of the covenant must speak. His voice must be heard in His own temple. Christ must come to utter words which should be clearly and definitely understood. He, the author of truth, must separate truth from the chaff of man’s utterance, which had made it of no effect. The principles of God’s government and the plan of redemption must be clearly defined. The lessons of the Old Testament must be fully set before men.”

Aren’t we fulfilling Israel’s history to a “T”? Adventists are everywhere in the world, though few in number. Isn’t it time for the “true Interpreter of scripture to come” Isn’t it time for the Messenger of the covenant to speak in the Latter Rain? Mustn’t His voice be heard in the churches? “Christ must come to utter words which should be clearly and definitely understood. He, the author of truth, must separate truth from the chaff of man’s utterance, which [has] made it of no effect.” “The lessons of the [Bible and Spirit of Prophecy] must be fully set before men.”

And despite the aggravated despite shown heaven, “And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk: neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts” (Rev. 9:20,21), the Latter Rain of Christ’s powerful presence will reach the least expected candidates of eternal life.

“The battle of Armageddon will be fought. And that day must find none of us sleeping. Wide awake we must be, as wise virgins having oil in our vessels with our lamps. The power of the Holy Ghost must be upon us and the Captain of the Lord’s host will stand at the head of the angels of heaven to direct the battle. Solemn events before us are yet to transpire.

Trumpet after trumpet is to be sounded; vial after vial poured out one after another upon the inhabitants of the earth. Scenes of stupendous interest are right upon us and these things will be sure indications of the presence of Him who has directed in every aggressive movement, who has accompanied the march of His cause through all the ages, and who has graciously pledged Himself to be with His people in all their conflicts to the end of the world. He will vindicate His truth. He will cause it to triumph. He is ready to supply His faithful ones with motives and power of purpose, inspiring them with hope and courage and valor in increased activity as the time is at hand.” Selected Messages, bk. 3, p. 426.

Jesus will be in our midst personally, presently in Spirit, before He comes personally, visibly.

“Instead of destroying the world, God sent His Son to save it. Though corruption and defiance might be seen in every part of the alien province, a way for its recovery was provided. At the very crisis, when Satan seemed about to triumph, the Son of God came with the embassage of divine grace. Through every age, through every hour, the love of God had been exercised toward the fallen race. Notwithstanding the perversity of men, the signals of mercy had been continually exhibited. And when the fullness of the time had come, the Deity was glorified by pouring upon the world a flood of healing grace that was never to be obstructed or withdrawn till the plan of salvation should be fulfilled. Satan was exulting that he had succeeded in debasing the image of God in humanity. Then Jesus came to restore in man the image of his Maker. None but Christ can fashion anew the character that has been ruined by sin. He came to expel the demons that had controlled the will. He came to lift us up from the dust, to reshape the marred character after the pattern of His divine character, and to make it beautiful with His own glory.” Desire of Ages, p. 37.

In all the bad that God has authorized and is already on the way, He will have been good the whole time. In the world we will have tribulation. But, says our God, be of good cheer. He will overcome the world, and make His children more precious than the fine gold of Ophir.