(Continued-Chapter VII-God's Moral Government Of The Universe)

The same liberties and limitations are reflected in I Corinthians 10:13: "There hath no temptation taken you but such as man can bear: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation make also the way of escape, that ye may be able to endure it." From this quotation it is, therefore, clear that the apostle had Satan and the powers of evil specifically in mind. Under certain conditions the Lord gives the devil permission to subject the children of God to temptation; but He always puts a limitation to his activity; he is never allowed to put a temptation before any saint which is too strong for him. On the other hand, whenever the Lord suffers a demon to tempt one of His children, He always opens up a way of escape in order that His own need not yield in the least but come off victorious.

An account of our Lord's visit to the country of the Gadarenes is found in Matthew 8:28-34. Upon His arrival, Jesus met a man possessed by demons who cried out, "What have we to do with thee, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?" Not far from them a herd of swine was feeding. The demons besought Jesus, saying "If thou cast us out, send us away into the herd of swine." Our Lord granted their request, "And he said unto them, Go" (Matt. 8:29-32).

These demons recognized Jesus as the Son of God. They also realized that they were placed under limitations, and that their ultimate doom was a place of torment. Moreover, they knew that they had to get permission from Him before they could enter the swine. From the scriptural facts which we have been studying, we ascertain that the powers of evil under the leadership of Satan are granted certain liberties, but are confined within bounds. They are restricted especially in their approach and their activity toward the saints of God. For this glorious fact we praise God.

Particularly in these days, which are the last of this dispensation, are we thankful that the Lord has put Satan and evil spirits under limitation regarding their activity toward the people of God. We who know God in Christ should in one sense of the term flee from the devil but in another sense should resist him, strong in our faith. He is a conquered foe and cannot prevail against the weakest child of God if the latter will but take his stand upon the Scriptures and trust God for strength to give him victory.

C. God's Permitting Evil To Run Its Course

Frequently we are at a loss to understand why wrong conditions continue to exist, and evil, wicked men seemingly are allowed to prosper. We hear many people asking, Why does God permit evil since He is all-powerful and can banish wickedness from the earth with one fell stroke? The answer is that in His moral government He permits evil and wickedness to run their course. Under a moral regime He is forced to do this, otherwise His government would be unethical. In considering this question, let us remember that Satan and the forces of evil under him are endowed with the power or free choice--within the limitations that we have examined in the preceding section. God must of necessity respect this endowment of freedom.

As examples of this principle, let us look at the antediluvians. In Genesis 6:1-6 we are told that the human family plunged to the depths of sin and became so very corrupt in their nature that the imaginations of their hearts were only evil continually. Their minds had become steeped in evil and immorality: the reflections of their thoughts--the imaginations of their hearts--were only evil continually. When mankind reached this point, evil had run its course, and the world was ripe for judgment. To permit such a wicked stock to propagate its species would have been an unkindness on the part of the Lord to unborn generations, who so coming into the world would only plunge to greater depths of sin in this life and go out into the future without God and without hope in the world. The Lord therefore exterminated that wicked generation as an act of mercy.

When the Lord entered into a covenant with Abraham, He told him that his seed would be sojourners in a country not their own, that they would be afflicted for four hundred years, and that at the conclusion of this period, in the fourth generation, they would return from Egypt to their own land. The reason for their having to wait until that time is stated in these words: "... for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet full" (Gen. 15:16). The Lord knew that the Canaanites were on the toboggan, so to speak, rushing madly to the depths of sin, but that they would not reach the depths until the expiration of the period foretold. In other words, He declared that He would allow evil to take its course and would not exterminate these degenerates until they had filled to overflowing the cup of their iniquity. When men or nations thus take the fatal plunge toward the abyss of sin and iniquity, the Lord allows them to continue until sin has run its course. When they reach the end, the stroke of judgment follows.

This principle will enable us to understand why it is that God allows evil and why wicked nations, as well as individuals, continue in a seeming state of of prosperity and peace. In studying the question of the problem of evil, we must bear in mind this important principle, which is always operative under God's moral government.

D. God's Use Of The Nations In Keeping Peace And In Punishing Aggressors

Immediately after the Flood God authorized the establishment of civil government to punish the wicked and to keep order. This fact is set forth in Genesis 9:5,6.

5 And surely your blood, the blood of your lives, will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it: and at the hand of man, even at the hand of every man's brother, will I require the life of man. 6 Whom sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.

Paul in Romans, chapter 13, sounded the same note with reference to civil powers and God's using them to punish evildoers.

The Lord also uses one nation to punish another for its sins. This principle is set forth in Isaiah 10:5-27. Here the prophet in the most dramatic manner addressed the Assyrian, calling him the rod of God's anger, the staff in whose hand was His indignation. He explained his meaning in the following words:

6 I will send him against a profane nation, and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge, to take the spoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets. 7 Howbeit he meaneth not so, neither doth his heart think so; but it is in his heart to destroy, and to cut off nations not a few.

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12 Wherefore it shall come to pass, that, when the Lord hath performed his whole work upon mount Zion and on Jerusalem, I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his high looks (Isa. 10:6,7,12).

The wicked nation was Israel, the chosen people of God. The Assyrian was none other than the cruel, ruthless Sennacherib, king of Assyria, whom God used to punish His disobedient people. According to this prophecy, after God had accomplished His purposes through this ruthless aggressor, He would punish him. In Isaiah 37:36-38 we find the record of the fulfillment of this threat. The Lord also used Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, in punishing Israel for her sins. In Jeremiah 51:20 He spoke of Babylon as His "battle-axe and weapons of war."

His using one nation to punish another is again seen in Habakkuk 1:5-11:

5 Behold ye among the nations, and look, and wonder marvelously; for I am working a work in your days, which ye will not believe though it be told you. 6 For, lo, I raise up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, that march through the breadth of the earth, to possess dwelling-places that are not theirs. 7 They are terrible and dreadful; their judgment and their dignity proceed from themselves. 8 Their horses also are swifter than leopards, and are more fierce than the evening wolves; and their horsemen press proudly on yea, their horsemen come from far; they fly as an eagle that hasteth to devour. 8 They come all of them for violence; the set of their faces forwards; and they gather captives as the sand. 10 Yea, he scoffeth at kings, and princes are a derision unto him: he derideth every stronghold; for he heapeth up dust, and taketh it. 11 Then shall he sweep by as a wind, and shall pass over, and be guilty, even he whose might is his god.

The Old Testament is replete with examples of this divine practice, and what God did in Old Testament times, He is still doing today. He fights fire with fire. At the proper time He punishes the nation which He has already used because of its own sins.

E. The Contribution Of Evil To Man's Good And God's Glory

God rules the universe--He is sovereign. Man, too, is sovereign in the little sphere of his individual being. God rules and overrules. Man proposes; God disposes. "The lot is cast into the lap; But the whole disposing thereof is of Jehovah" (Prov. 16:33). Many men seek--in their own striving and conniving--to reach certain objectives by winning the favor of others who are in places of influence and importance. One who understands the real principle involved will never attempt to do this, in view of Solomon's statement found in Proverbs 29:26: "Many seek the ruler's favor; But a man's judgment cometh from Jehovah." Why does the Almighty thus overrule the free acts of both righteous and wicked men. He is making all things contribute to the good of His people and to His own glory. Even man's wickedness contributes ultimately to the advancement of God's purpose. "Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee: The residue of wrath shalt thou gird upon thee" (Ps. 76:10). Jehovah hath made everything for its own end; Yea, even the wicked for the day of evil" (Prov. 16:4).

The teaching of these quotations, studied in the light of Romans 8:28--"And we know that to them that love God all things work together for good, even to them that are called according to his purpose"--is to the effect that God is overruling all the wicked acts of evil men and is making them contribute to the advantage of His saints and to the advancement of His personal glory. Ultimately, when we shall see and know fully even as we are known, we shall understand that even the wickedness of Satan and men, in the economy of God, have been potent factors in the accomplishment of His eternal plans and purposes. When a person sees this sublime truth, he can no longer be critical. On the other hand, knowing that God is protecting him and is making all things contribute to his good, he will rejoice in the decisions which God makes relative to evil and its touching his life.

F. The Delay In The Execution Of Judgment

Another fundamental principle which renders the present situation more complex is that of God's delaying the execution of His wrath upon sinners. This principle is set forth in different ways.

1. In the Case of the Children of God

The Lord in His prenatal state, together with two angels, appeared as a man to Abraham (Gen., chaps. 18,19). After the departure of the angels for Sodom, the Lord remained behind and conversed with Abraham, divulging to him His plan for the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah. Abraham immediately began to plead with Him to spare the cities of the Plain, especially Sodom, because of the presence of certain righteous individuals in it. Finally the Lord promised that He would spare the city if ten righteous people could be found therein. The facts as they were, showed that there were not even ten; hence the city had to be destroyed. Had there been but ten righteous citizens, judgment would have been stayed and evil would have been permitted to continue.

The same principle is operative in II Peter 3:9,10: "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some count slackness; but is longsuffering to you-ward, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance" (vs. 9). An examination of the context shows that the Apostle Peter was speaking of the Tribulation Period, when God's judgments will fall upon the earth and purge the world of wicked, evil characters. In the verse just quoted the apostle urged the brethren to consider that a delay in bringing punishment upon evildoers is evidence of His long-suffering. Postponement of summary judgment upon the world is an indication that God is endeavoring to reach as many people as possible with the gospel, for it is not His wish "that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."

Another illustration of delaying judgment upon wickedness because of the presence of the children of God is the parable of the tares and wheat (Matt. 13:24-30, 36-43). The servants asked their overlord if they should weed out the tares from among the wheat. His reply was in the negative, lest in the removal of the tares the wheat would be injured. Both were therefore allowed to grow together until the time of harvest. At that season the wheat would be gathered together into the garner, but the tares would be cast into the fire and burned. By this parable our Lord meant to teach that for good and sufficient reasons He allows the wicked to live along with the righteous. Life is so very complex that to uproot them would bring injury to the godly. Jesus enunciates this as one of the principles governing the present order and explains the presence of evil in the world today. At the close of this age, however, the Lord will purge out all the wicked, and the righteous shall shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of the Father--the millennial reign of the Messiah.

2. In the Case of Israel

Why has Israel suffered as she has? Her history is written in blood. Why must she endure these unprecedented persecutions of the present day? Why does a righteous God permit the anti-Semites to triumph over His chosen, beloved people? The answer is found in the following quotation:

18 And therefore will Jehovah wait, that he may be gracious unto you; and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for Jehovah is a God of justice; blessed are all they that wait for him. 19 For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem; thou shalt weep no more; he will surely be gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry; when he shall hear, he will answer thee (Isa. 30:18,19).

The Lord God of Israel would like graciously to deliver her at this very moment, but under His moral government--which is the only one possible--He cannot. He must therefore wait, as He declares in this passage. What is the hindering cause? This: "... and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you [Israel]." God wants to be gracious; He desires to deliver His people; He longs to extend mercy to her like a flowing stream; but He cannot because she has not exalted Him. When, however, she realizes her sins, comes back to Him, enthrones Him in her praises, and accepts her rejected Redeemer, He will then most graciously and immediately bring the longed-for deliverance.

According to the prophetic word, she will see her mistake, will confess her national sin, and will accept her long-rejected Messiah. Seeing her penitentially thus exalting the Lord, Isaiah in a vision most dramatically uttered this heart-thrilling prediction:

17 Awake, awake, stand up, O Jerusalem, that hast drunk at the hand of Jehovah the cup of his wrath; thou hast drunken the bowl of the cup of staggering, and drained it. 18 There is none to guide her among all the sons whom she hath brought forth; neither is there any that taketh her by the hand among all the sons that she hath brought up. 10 These two things are befallen thee; who shall bemoan thee? desolation and destruction, and the famine and the sword; how shall I comfort thee? 20 Thy sons have fainted, they lie at the head of all the streets, as an antelope in a net; they are full of the wrath of Jehovah, the rebuke of thy God.

21 Therefore hear now this, thou afflicted, and drunken, but not with wine: 22 Thus saith thy Lord Jehovah, and thy God that pleadeth the cause of his people, Behold, I have taken out of thy hand the cup of staggering, even the bowl of the cup of my wrath; thou shalt no more drink it again; 23 and I will put it into the hand of them that afflict thee, that have said to thy soul, Bow down, that we may go over; and thou hast laid thy back at the ground, and as the street, to them that go over (Isa. 51:17-23).

In this prophecy Israel lies prostrate, having drunk of the cup of Jehovah's wrath. In this helpless condition, the prophet hears Jehovah speaking gently to her, telling her that He has taken out of her hand the "cup of staggering" even the "bowl of the cup" of His wrath and that He is putting it into the hands of her enemies, who shall drink, to the dregs, His indignation and wrath. In this pictorial manner the prophet saw the time when God will deliver Israel and let the thunderbolts of His judgment fall in deadly accuracy upon the enemies of His people. The word of God with reference to Israel will be fulfilled, and she will yet be delivered.

In His moral government God, respecting the freedom of choice, with which He endowed His creatures, is forced to allow evil to continue, and at times even to predominate over the righteous--until His people take the right attitude and permit Him to bring summary judgment upon the wicked. We should therefore endeavor to maintain our proper relationship and attitude toward our blessed Lord and toward the wicked, awaiting the time when He will deal with the problems of evil and purge the world of all sin.

G. Final Expulsion Of Satan And Evil From The World

According to Isaiah 24:21-23 the Lord will, at the end of the Tribulation, incarcerate the hosts of "the high one on high"--Satan and all his evil forces--together with the kings of the earth, consigning them to the pit of the abyss where they will remain for "many days"--the thousand years of the reign of our Lord. During this period the inhabitants of the world will not suffer any attacks from them. The reign of righteousness will be the order of the day. There will be no disorders in the realm of nature. All disputes between individuals and nations will be settled by Jehovah and His saints, who will reign with Him over this earth. The world's Golden Era is yet before us.

At the end of the millennial reign Satan will be unloosed in the earth for a short season and will attempt to deceive the nations. After that brief period the judgment of the great white throne will be set. Satan and all the wicked will be consigned to their eternal abode, the lake of fire which is the second death (Rev. 20:10-15). At that time the present material universe will pass out of existence (Rev. 20:11).

After that event, God will create the eternal order. All things will be new. Nothing from the present contaminated universe will enter into the construction of that new everlasting creation.

At that time the problem of evil will have been solved--once and for all. The Lord will have worked out the perplexing question of His permitting evil in His universe. Throughout the numberless ages in the future His plans will continually unfold, will prove an eternal blessing to saved humanity, and will be a demonstration of His holiness, righteousness, love, and mercy.