A SERIES ON THE PRINCIPLES OF BIBLE INTERPRETATION:
READ: GENESIS 18:25 THE JUDGE OF ALL THE EARTH SHALL DO RIGHT
That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked:
and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?
Although our text is asked as a question, yet it is a rhetorical
question i.e. the answer is heavily implied within. Of course the
Judge/earth (God Himself) does right & it is a fixed Bible
principle in interpretation that whatever God does in any given
situation cannot be faulted. If you come to a portion/Bible & in
order to arrive at some kind/understanding, you conclude:
"Well…God erred here…He shouldn't have done that!" then
your interpretation is not the mind/Spirit of God i.e. you shouldn't
have done that. You erred. Our text was used by Abraham in prayer as he
sought to almost bargain with God in sparing Sodom. Abraham's concern
was for the righteous people who lived in Sodom (Lot) and he based His
pleading/prayer on this thought: That the Judge of all the earth could
not punish the righteous with the wicked for that would not be right.
An unmoveable principle. It is unconditional. 3 thoughts:
1) SOME CLEAR CASES WHERE THERE IS LITTLE DISPUTE:
A/ The cases of extreme wickedness. Sodom itself (context) is a good
example. If were to study the perversions/Sodom - which goes beyond
homosexuality - we would wonder not why God wiped it from the
face/earth…but why He gave them space/opportunity to repent.
This could be said of many situations in the Bible. No one challenges
the thought that Adolf Hitler or Stalin is in hell or any of those
depots who blot human history. Some even comment: "Hell: too good for
them?"
B/ The cases of poetic justice: Listen to David/Psalm 9:15-17 The
heathen are sunk down in the pit that they made: in the net which they
hid is their own foot taken. The LORD is known by the judgment which he
executeth: the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. Higgaion.
Selah. The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that
forget God.
Who can doubt the righteousness/God in such cases. Is there not a
corresponding "Amen!" in our hearts when we see the wicked reap what
they have sown? If it were known (or better still: appreciated) that
God does intervene in many occasions to prevent the wicked from further
inflicting others & does so in such cases of poetic
justice…would God not be glorified more in men's hearts? It is
only the blindness of men to the reality that He is not.
C/ Those cases where God rewards deeds/kindness. Not that there is
merit is them, but nevertheless often good often follows good. Why is
this? Because Judge/all the earth does right. Them that honour me, I
will honour (1 Samuel 2:30) Blessed are the pure/heart
etc., No one doubts the Justice/God in His rewards to those who seek to
do His righteous will & who are a threat to none & a blessing
to all. With all his faults, Lot was basically a good man &
subsequently he was rescued out of Sodom. Even his rescue &
especially the aftermath was measured/balanced to reflect his basic
position & yet take account of his unwarranted compromises.
2) SOME NOT SO CLEAR (TO US) CASES:
"Not so clear to us cases" This is because we have greatly limited
knowledge. Our information is limited. Our understanding of
why's/wherefore's is limited. Our wisdom as to how best to respond is
limited. Sometimes we are too quick to judge & that even of God.
Our text should be a brake on such folly on our part.
A/ Where God withholds material benefits in some cases. Why are their 3rd world countries etc., 2 different valid viewpoints:
[i] Could blame men for the hunger etc., Although failure/crops etc.,
yet the hunger often stems from greed/government corruption etc., We
could sit tight here & refuse to budge.
[ii] Although man is responsible, yet God allows it to happen.
Again…might trace the root cause to sin (Adam) but why do some
eat quite well & others don't? Why are some areas of the world
relatively safe/prosperous to live in (despite their great sins) &
others not? Ans:- The Sovereignty of God which respects His own maxim:
That He must ever do that which is right.
No one who argues against God judging sin one way in one place &
apparently is more lax elsewhere, ever argues that we should all be
judged according to the more severe measure. Underlying argument is
that sin should not be judged at all! But not so (text)
B/ It is sometimes hard to understand why (both inside/Bible &
outside) why infants often perish for the sins/fathers. Whole
Canaanite/Amalakite families., were all to be wiped out.
Ans:- Every child born is born in sin, so strictly speaking there are
no innocents. True: innocent of actual sin, but Adam's guilt is imputed
to every single one born/woman. However, it is believed, not
least on the basis/text, that any human being to fails to reach the
age/understanding/accountability is covered by the redeeming
blood/Jesus Christ. We just have to stand back & take these words
by faith.
C/ Those passages which teach that God withheld spiritual benefits. A
classic example is: Matthew 11:20-21 Then began he to upbraid the
cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they
repented not: Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if
the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and
Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.
But they weren't. Repentance had been withheld from these people. Not
given the privileges of others. Perished in their sins. Why does God
not deal with each sinner separately & equally? What if He did
& damned us all as we richly deserve in hell? No man is in hell who
does not deserve to be there. There are no innocent sufferers in hell.
Wonder is not that God hated Esau…rather: He should ever love
Jacob.
3) WHY OUR TEXT STANDS SO FIRM:
A/ God must always do right for He is inherently righteous. High
Priestly prayer: O righteous Father (John 17:25) Again: There is
no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none
beside me. (Isaiah 45:21) In God: no darkness (unrighteousness)
at all.
B/ It is not for us with our severe sin inflicted limitations to judge
God as to what is/is not righteous. Israel tried that in Ezekiel 18:25 Yet
ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. Hear now, O house of Israel;
Is not my way equal? are not your ways unequal? How can sinful men sit
in judgement over God? Who do we think we are?
C/ As indicated above, such a text requires and indeed often tests our
faith. That cannot be a bad thing. What must it be like then to
get/heaven & to see how even the most appalling incidents redounded
to the glory/God?
As they will: God makes the wrath of man to praise Him (Psalm 76:10)
Not for us to run too far ahead. Only when the final story is told can we come to a conclusion.
D/ The wicked themselves when dealt with by God never rightly complain.
True…Cain complained: My punishment is greater than I can bear
but this compliant was totally unwarranted. Had God dealt with him
there and then as he had dealt with Abel, then the punishment would
have been ultimate & immediate. Consider: Rich man/hell never once
complained on injustice. Judas never complained of injustice.
In closing: Our text encourages us to be content with such things as we
have. None/us are worthy (as Jacob said) even of the least of God's
mercies (Genesis 32:10) & yet they are new each morning. God does
no man any wrong. If He should mark our iniquities…then who
should stand? Heaven would be a pretty empty place. Whenever you read
the Bible & you come to things hard to be understood…never
violate our text. Better to suspend an answer than to charge God with
any folly/sin.