Who Is God?
Declare the things that are going to come afterward, that we may know that you are gods; Indeed, do good or evil, that we may anxiously look about us and fear together. Isaiah 41:23 NASB
Going to come afterward – God challenges pretenders to His throne. “Tell us what is going to come afterward.” If the opponents can do this, then they qualify as gods. The phrase employs the Hebrew idiom, ‘ahor. Literally it means what is behind. Pictographically it would reveal a representation of what is behind your head, namely, the future. To tell what is to come afterward is the Hebrew idea of predicting the future. The verse implies that only God can do such a thing. Anyone claiming to have this predictive power is not only deluded but also idolatrous.
Perhaps we should tuck that away for a rainy day. The next time someone starts claiming to be able to predict what is “going to come afterward,” it might be useful to point to this text in Isaiah. The determined future belongs to God and to God alone. No man is able to predict with determined certainty what is going to happen “behind the head.”
But there is another challenge in this verse that isn’t so easily absorbed. Notice the words, “do good or evil.” How do I know who is God? Well, not only is God the only one who can offer predictive certainty about what will come, He is also the only one who can do both good and evil. Ah, we don’t like the implications of that statement (even if it comes from God Himself). So the ESV changes the words to “do good or do harm.” But the Hebrew is tareu, from ra’a, “to be bad, evil.” This is a lot more than simple calamity. This is the opposite of “good.” While its semantic range does include harm, misfortune and even wickedness, when opposed to tov (good) it should be taken in its abstract form, i.e., evil. So how do I know that some being is a god? Because that being can do good or evil. By implication, how do I know that YHVH is God? Because He can do both good and evil. He is the direct cause of both. Any being that makes a claim like this, and proves it to be true, must be God.
Most theology struggles with the idea that God can be the author of evil. Aquinas went so far in his attempts to deal with concepts like this that he proposed that evil really has no ontological existence on its own. It is merely the absence of good. But the theology just won’t stand in the face of claims in Isaiah (and this is not the only one) that YHVH is the author of everything. The emphasis is on sovereignty, the unique and unchallenged sovereignty of the one true God, YHVH. And if you stop to think about it, if God is truly absolutely sovereign, then nothing occurs without His interaction.
We might be able to live with the idea that only God can offer predictive certainty, but how do we do when it comes to evil? Are you ready to see the hand of God in every event? Or does the presence of evil cause you theological apoplexy? What would you think differently about life if you started with God’s total sovereignty?
Topical Index: evil, ra’a, future, ‘ahor, Isaiah 41:23
If YHVH is the author of both good and evil, does that make him capricious? How should we know what to expect in our lives? What can be counted on?
Capricious describes actions taken without consistency in pattern or purpose. God reveals that His actions are taken with ultimate purpose and consistent pattern. But this does not imply that He cannot do what we think to be evil (Hebrew is phenomenological in perspective). It means that whatever He does is determined by His patterns and purpose, even if we have no way of justifying these actions according to our patterns and purposes. In the end, we trust WHO He is, not what He does. And that is a matter of choice, an act of faith.
And yet, when Stephen preached to the crowds, was it not a long history lesson of what God had DONE – from which people could understand WHO he is? 😉
I was thinking along the same lines.
God gives permission to Ha Satan to torture Job and kill his family.
Yes, indeed He does. And this is not the only example of strange behavior. Perhaps our conception of God has been filtered by our own ethical attitudes.
Not only does YHVH give permission… But who’s idea was it to begin with? Satan presented himself to YHVH and He said “Have you considered my servant Job?”
Learning to Lean
~ Fear thou not; for I AM with thee: be not dismayed; for I AM thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of My righteousness ~ (Isaiah 43.10)
We need to be very cautious about making the mountain out of the molehill, even though we seem to be quite practiced, sometimes experts in doing this. – (Chicken Little, Have you heard? – The sky is falling.)
As I was pondering (sometimes I ponder as I wonder) this chosen words in this particular verse, or group of words within this one verse, I decided to read the entire 41st chapter of the book of Isaiah, to get the “context” of what was being said. – The big(ger) picture. This is always a “good thing” to do. – Why? Friend, we MUST know.. – the “rest of the story!”
How big is God? – I do have an answer!! And the answer is? (bigger!!). But, the “bigger” question.. – the “more better” question is…. Is God good?
And the answer (to this) is? ALWAYS. Yes. Always- and? – all the time!
We need to not only see (understand) the “big picture”, but also realize,recognize and remember (to God) it’s all small!
Friend, ~ is there ANYTHING too hard for the LORD? ~ And the answer is? – Nope.
What will it take to fully “incarnate” this into our being? ~ Fear thou not; for I AM with thee: be not dismayed; for I AM thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of My righteousness ~ (Isaiah 43.10)
Yes. How can this be? Repitition? Do we learn (yes) by repitition? Very well then.. – let’s do this!! (All together now.. let’s repeat the words of God together! Fear not! Fear not! Fear not! (need some more practice?) I do.
Friend, if God says something once, – (once should be enough) we should listen- (don’t you think? – or do you think at all?). If He says, “Adam, Eve, – don’t eat the fruit!” (rather clear instructions, – wouldn’t you say?) – And yes, we do know the rest of the story.. – at least, some of us do! But I can’t fault either Adam or Eve, – I am guilty of this also- “also learning, – the hard way!”
But when God (our God and the Father of all comfort) says, “Fear Not..” -not once… not twice, but how many times?? Bunches.. – Shall we list them all? Post them on the doors of our house, maybe? Hang signs everywhere? Bumper stickers? T-shirts? Tats? He said, “Fear not.” Adam, – Eve, “fear not!”
Friend, truth is timeless. This song, was written in 1787. That (I did the math) is 227 years ago. What? (he inquired) has changed? Absolutely “nuthin!” God said, (we do pay attention to what He says, – right?)
~ I AM the LORD. I change not. ~ Get it? Got it? Good.
(inspired by Isaiah 43. 1-7)
How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word!
What more can He say than to you He hath said
Who unto the Savior for refuge have fled?
In every condition, — in sickness, in health,
In poverty’s vale, or abounding in wealth,
At home and abroad, on the land, on the sea, —
The LORD, the Almighty, thy strength e’er shall be.
“Fear not, I AM with thee, oh, be not dismayed,
For I AM thy God and will still give thee aid;
I’ll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,
Upheld by My righteous, omnipotent hand.
“When through the deep waters I call thee to go,
The rivers of sorrow shall not overflow;
For I will be with thee thy troubles to bless
And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.
“When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,
My grace, all-sufficient, shall be thy supply.
The flames shall not hurt thee; I only design
Thy dross to consume and thy gold to refine.
“E’en down to old age all My people shall prove
My sovereign, eternal, unchangeable love;
And when hoary hairs shall their temples adorn,
Like lambs they shall still in My bosom be borne.
“The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose
I will not, I will not, desert to his foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I’ll never, no never, no never, forsake!”
~ Fear thou not; for I AM with thee: be not dismayed; for I AM thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of My righteousness ~ (Isaiah 43.10)
Hi Carl.
Your words today echo my heart. I like your idea of a bumper sticker that says Fear Not!
The Father does indeed repeat this many times and you would think that we would get it sooner rather than later. This whole issue of fear is something that my husband and I are walking through in a big way currently.
I am okay with the fact that God is the author of *everything*. I do not have to fully understand all of the nuances of this. What I come back to is that He knows His own and He tells me over and over to not be afraid even thru the fire or flood. He is with me.
I never seem to stop learning and that is a good thing. When one is on a journey, things change as the journey progresses. Y-H will never stop teaching us or refining us each time doing perfectly what only He can do.
Such a great post today Skip. I hear what you are saying about predicting the future. I am not listening any more to those who claim to do that. It makes me crazy (really) and life goes on anyways. I am watchful but trying not to lean into the multitude of predictions out there anymore.
That God knows is enough for me. Is it not His own creation anyways? Am I not simply a creature as well?
God identified Himself several times to the people of Israel as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
Didn’t YHWH create the walking talking naked snake?
And did the walking talking naked snake deceive Havvah? or was the snake only being a snake? following his YHWH given instincts? This may seem like off topic questions….but if the snake deliberately decived Havvah then wasn’t that false (at that time…which after the fall became bad, or evil)?
This post raises a lot of questions. What is it supposed to accomplish? How does/should this affect us in daily life? (I’m asking this is a sincere question. I’m not upset or angry…just wondering) Should we just accept whatever happens as from God? If so, why do we pray for God to intervene on our and other peoples’ behalf? Why do we try to make this world a better place by praying and working to see His Kingdom come, if everything that happens already is under his control or is His will?
This weekend I’ve been reading through your post “Balancing Act: Parts 1&2” (I think it’s brilliant!) and so many things fell into place for me concerning the curse on the land and how it affects us and how sorrow entered the world. Our world is now “layered” – we see God’s goodness, glory, harmony, etc, but also sorrow. But…when Yeshua came he talked so much about changing the sorrow into gladness, healing the sick etc To me that shows that some things in the world are not God’s will – that seem obvious – knowing His character, and we are to continue Yeshua’s work doing what he did. How would we sincerely be able to tell the girl who has been sexually abused since childhood by her father that God was in control during that time? Or the kids who lose their parents in tragic accident? I know…these are questions often asked…do we have answers?
I know God can use everything for His glory and purposes, but does everything originate from Him?
Well said and great questions I’ve struggled with as well. I think it is quite obvious that we cannot accept EVERY tragic event as being in the will of God because of his sovereignty. If that were the case, how could you explain God’s sorrow over the state of the world when he told Noah to build a boat? How could you explain Yeshua’s grief over the state of the cities he speaks against? But… To believe God can ONLY do good takes away sovereignty. What do we do with the passage that speaks of God hardening Pharoah’s heart?
I had my 40 years in my desert to ponder this, most of it spent being very angry and feeling abandoned. I never turned my back on love, though. Even though it stayed a disaster. I just felt that, even though I was doing the best I could, it wasn’t working for me. That was what it seemed.
But I eventually started noticing some things. I noticed that there was ‘my’ standard of righteousness; what I thought I should do, and also what I thought God ‘should’ do. I worked HARD from my end within that paradigm, but none of it ever seemed to pan out. I seemed to always be on the losing end, and God seemed equally impotent.
I finally got so sick and tired, I threw up my hands and became willing to re-consider the whole thing. And what do you know, when I went to look at the bottom of my motivations and beliefs, what did I find? What I THOUGHT I knew and was acting on, and what I actually was, were two different things. My actual working FEELINGS about God, and likewise, my actual motivations, were largely fear-based. No faith on the ground: even though I was trying to the uttermost to DO right, because it was based on fear, the outcomes were leaving me a day late and a dollar short. The evil in my life was creaming me.
I began realize that it did not have to be so hard. I could have chosen to trade in my working standards long ago, and become humble enough to question my paradigm, but I was too afraid. As long as I insisted that I define righteousness and goodness, I was stuck with that outcome. I backed up and repented for being angry at God for the disaster, and humbled up enough to allow that I was a player too, not just Him. What I was fearing was coming upon me, and my landscape looked bleak because I was setting the limits through my lack of faith – my fear. The evil was there because I was the one insisting that it had to be the way I happened to see it. I was working from my paradigm, because I had did not trust my faith in His.
It was pride. Not until I was flat on my back, with no fight left in me, did I get to a place that I was willing to just let God be God. At that point, things started to shift. The evil receded, and the blessings showed up.
I have wondered if evil (spelled My Own Way) exists because we are the ones that are letting it project itself through us, and that the things we hate the most, which are the baleful EFFECTS of our collective insistence that we walk our own perspectives out, might not be the brakes, the motivations for change, that create the way for us to turn around before we go right on over the cliff. Yes, disaster seems tailored to perfect our faith, but I saw in my life that at any point I could have handed over MY interpretation of God’s goodness, which would have opened up that path through the bleak landscape of my life. I had to quit being mad about the evil before I could accept that I was the one insisting that it get played by my rules. I even got to where I could thank Him for all the curses of my life, because they showed me the holes in my relationship with Him that I COULD NOT SEE. When I embraced the whole sword thrust of those curses, the fight changed: what was working against me before started working for me. I CAN be more than a conqueror through Him Who loves me!
Preach it sista!
I was also 40 when the same thing happened to me.
I have wondered if evil (spelled My Own Way) exists because we are the ones that are letting it project itself through us,….
Hi Laurita, it’s interesting that you see this and I would like to share what I’ve learned and am experiencing in regards to this very aspect that you’ve stated. I’ve started to share this a number of times but wasn’t convinced of the timing. Perhaps now that it’s “out in the open” it’ll seem a bit more consumable.
In Isaiah, one of the words for an idol is “aven” (66:3, elsewhere translated iniquity, trepass, wickedness, etc.) and is related to “aiyn” which means (sort of) non existing, and another (used often) is “eliyl”, meaning good for nothing or vanity, etc. and is related to the term “el” or the “not of choice”. I mention this because of what Paul claims in regards to idols as being demons and that we ought not to partake of the table of them.
If (and that’s a big if) these are the terms that Paul had in mind, it would seem probable that they or it ( evilness in general) has no power of it’s own other than what we lend to it ourselves. The story that comes to mind in regards to this is the narrative regarding the sons of Judah and how they were killed by YHWH for spilling their seed on the ground instead of impregnating the wife of the dead brother. I know that sounds a bit obscure, but try to think of it like this. The seed (or strength) that was to be used under covenant (in faith) was improperly handled and instead brought destruction, as said elsewhere, whatever is not done of faith is sin.
I’m learning that it’s most likely that the evil things that have power over me are using the power I gave to them, they have none of their own because they’re “nots”. The strength I have, I’ve been given as a gift. To be used in the context of the covenant. If I misuse it (not of faith, even if it’s “good”) then I build an idol or empower some being who is a not.
I think you’re right, all we really have to do is surrender our own will to and for His, and we can save ourselves a lot of trouble .Please don’t think that what I have presented here overcomes the absolute sovereignty of God. It isn’t intended that way, nor would I imply such a thing. I’m only sharing some considerations of the mechanics of the issues I’m in the midst of discovering. (sometimes, (most times) the hard way )
YHWH bless you and keep you………..
Hi back, Robert. You got me thinking for a good while. Something really clicked for me when you connected idol, vanity, evil, and may I add “imaginations of their evil hearts”.
What do you do when you love someone, see all their good stuff, accept all their not-there stuff and see it as things to be worked out, but run smack into the wall of their rejection, projection, and fear? Now what kind of deflection to the tremendous power of love is this? Can we talk about what evil is, and where its power comes from?
I am quite sure that there is a good amount of power being expended to keep me alive and to keep the choices in front of my face fair. I have to say that first. I have felt the raw hatred of evil at certain junctures of my life, and was very sure that I was marked for annihilation. Some of those times I never have figured out how in the flesh I am still alive. I had one incidence that I was completely sure that I was flung toward a door corner, but ended up gently on the floor at least 30 degrees to the side. I was equally sure that I had not turned in the slightest. That was the weirdest time. If that was not the work of angels, I don’t know what.
But in all the places where I see there has been a breakdown of relationship, I think I can see that there are always two sets of choices that could be made: one, to react to the view seen with the eyes of fear, guilt, shame or bitterness, or two, to invest in faith that love could be true in that place. Without fail, if the choice of love is rejected, and a choice is made in one or more of the wrong spirits above, disaster invariably shows up.
To me, evil seems to be a tear in the fabric of reality that generates this intolerable vacuum that sucks all the other real stuff around it out of function and order, and tangles it all up on the ground. I think it is true that evil exists only in the heart: is truly made-up nonsense – the rest is collateral damage.
So many of the precious people in my life have been really messing with the new age. I hope I am not going to step on any toes here, as I live with some of these folks, and love and are good friends with a bunch more, but seriously, when people start talking about “energy”, what are they saying? Especially when it comes to ‘healing’. But what I see are people who, at bottom, are not at peace; are tired, hurting and sick themselves. Not one person I know who is messing with this is in good health, or very happy either. It has seemed to me that they have been handed a power cord but then got directions to plug it into their own tails. I see them losing faster than they gain. It is true that humans will worship power. But the problem with the humanism crowd seems to be that it is investing in some spiritual Keynesian economic debt-based structure that leaves a body, at the very last, broke and alone.
The power evil had in my life, I gave it. Fear freezes you. We were never promised freedom from evil, but we were promised that it did not have to defile us. Faith is what conquers fear. Fear is a spirit not from God. Fear worships a power not from God. Fear says that something other than God is greater than He. Someone please correct me, but so far I have figured that the power that we were given; the Yatzer-ha-ra, isn’t it, that in turn we are to willingly choose to get transformed onto the yatzer-ha-tov, is, I believe, the “all power” we were given to become the sons of God. Thats a lotsa power to misuse, isn’t it? I think the devil is only allowed to use the power over ourselves that we give him against us. That’s about as fair as you can get it, isn’t it?
I think it means that if we are hidden in the ark the flood will not destroy us, and if our door post and lintel have been washed with the blood of the lamb and we go inside and stay in our place until judgement of God passes over, and if our lives are hid in Messiah, the KING OF GLORY, and we keep the commandments of God (Torah) and the testimony of Messiah as a witness to Him, we will overcome the Beast that “GOD” sends to test the inhabitants of the earth to see whom they will worship when our faith seems to be bringing on nothing but more persecution.
The third century gentile church failed the persecution test and broke away from the Apostolic faith and practices. We live in the aftermath of the strong delusion that proceeded from it even today.
But God in His infinite mercy and pity for us who want the truth and are willing to walk in it even if it means walking alone, is revealing this delusion to us and calling us to sound the awakening alarm to any and all who have ears to hear.
These things are written down and preserved to warn us not to do the same thing the third century apostates did and pass it on to the next generation and prepare a people for the Coming of “THE DAY OF THE LORD” .
Read the book of Revelations in that light and repent!
Hi Skip,
You probably did not have this in mind when you wrote this blog: Who is God? I just want to say that it is a great question to ask ourselves at any time but it is a particularly good question to ask during this month of ELUL as we hopefully prepare to hear the awesome awakening shofar blast on Yom Teruah. This is the blast that will awaken the “first fruits” to a new life beyond our wildest dreams with a glorious new body that will never again experience pain and death. Mankind does not have life inherent in ourselves. Even the short 60 to 85 years HE typically gives us in the here and now comes from HIM.
Who is God then?
He is our source of life both human and eternal. And the sooner we all acknowledge before Him our utter dependence on Him, the better our perspective on life will be, right? This perspective should help us get away from the arrogance and foolish vanity and clownish demonstrations of self importance we see being manifested all around us. This God of ours tells us that He likes to work with people of a humble disposition. Through Isaiah He said:
“I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with those who are contrite and humble in spirit,: (Isaiah 57:15)
I find reading and meditating on Isaiah chapters 40 to 66 is one place where God reveals, at least in part, a piece of the answer to this intriguing question: Who is God?
We still have about 14 days in ELUL until festival of Yom Teruah.To all you wonderful readers of TW, with your permission, I suggest that you read and ponder those chapters of Isaiah and you may find yourself enjoying the most meaningful Fall feasts ever!
Skip, I so agree with you pointing to the sovereignty of God over His Creation as the answer to the question: did God create evil? Surely, as Creator and Owner of His Creation he is free to do with it as He wishes? But there is no record of Him extending that right to anyone else. In a revealing statement, Isaiah tells us about God:
“But now, YHVH, you are our Father, we are the clay. And You are our Former; and we are your handiwork.” (Isaiah 64:8) (JP Green)
What court in the land allows the pottery to challenge the Potter? I do not know of any, do you?
Really, I think HE has got us all tied up and its time to surrender to this God we have gotten to know , don’t you? :-))
Agree. Also ponder: God is author of both good and evil, but that does not mean He executes both. What I mean is that as absolute sovereign, He could do whatever He desires, but what He desires and does is good, not evil. To suggest that God cannot do evil is to remove His free will. To say that He can but chooses not to is to honor Him as eternally faithful BY CHOICE, not by abstract attribute.
Skip…this clarifying comment was quite helpful. Wish you had included it in your 9/9 TW, “Who is God?” Unfortunately, many people will never see it because they don’t read the comments. Many will be left with the impression that God IS capricious and vindictive.
To say that He can but chooses not to is to honor Him as eternally faithful BY CHOICE, not by abstract attribute.
And so are created in yet another aspect of His image. Choice!
Yes! He can do anything at any time, but He is God and not man. He does not change even though He could if He so desired. This is what makes Him God – His constancy.
good word
Is God totally sovereign in the sense that He is meticulously in control of every minute detail that happens on the earth. Thats very much Augustine theology which leads to extreme views.A child gets raped so just accept it because God is sovereign. If you get sick that’s Gods sovereign will so you cant pray for healing because you would be opposing Gods will. Maybe God is not meticulously in control but he is in charge. Why would He tell us to pray His kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven if He wasn’t in control. We have two forces who are constantly opposing Gods will on earth; Mans fee will and the devil. Surely you have evil in the earth because not everything is subject to Him yet. There comes a time when we He puts all things under His feet.