CHAPTER 2 – WHY DOES GOD ALWAYS TAKE THE BLAME?

CHAPTER 2
WHY DOES GOD ALWAYS
TAKE THE BLAME?

Earlier we quoted Isaiah 45:7: “I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the Lord do all these things”.

In Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, under the word for “create,” we see the Hebrew word “BARAH,” (bawraw) which basically means “to make or create.” But it can also mean “select,” “feed,” “choose,” “cut down,” “dispatch,” “do,” “make (fat).” (Strong’s word number 1254).

Now, let us ask ourselves the question. Does God ever perform any of the above acts in such a way that the result is “evil”? Well, we would say He brought on all the evil in the world by creating Lucifer in the first place and by “selecting” him to be the leader of the angels so Lucifer could lead one-third of them astray.

God “fed,” or “sustained,” Lucifer from the start and “chose” him and “dispatched” him with important messages to all the angels. Lucifer was foremost in informing all the creation of God as to the plans of the Lord. Ezekiel 28:3, 14.

By placing Lucifer (his name meant “Light-bearer”) in such a high position, God took the risk of having Lucifer rebel and turn against Him.

But, since God is Omniscient (all-knowing: Isaiah 46:9, 10), He knew this would happen and had already made provision to meet the emergency.

Jesus had made a pledge to die for man before Lucifer rebelled, took one-third of heaven with him, and then led Adam and Eve astray. Revelation 13:8. Why then did God decide to let this happen when He realized all the suffering it would cause? The most satisfactory answer I have come up with is that God could not permit His creatures to be free moral agents, with the power of choice, if He made them robots, so they could never rebel against Him.

So, He made both angels and mankind with the option to serve or not to serve Him. To obey or not to obey. He saw down through the corridors of time that Lucifer would choose to go his own way and do his own thing, yet He created him anyway. Why? Because He knew in the final analysis His creation would be perfected. Rev 15:1-4 says that every creature will praise Him at the end of the Great Controversy.

So, instead of letting Lucifer and his angels suffer the consequences of their disobedience immediately, He chose to let sin run its course. He chose to shield His creatures from as much pain and sorrow as possible by sacrificing Himself.

The Father has suffered with His Son from the beginning, so that our suffering would not be as great. The God family has kept all of His fallen creation alive so as to let the demonstration run its full and ultimate course. Is this picture one of an arbitrary despot? Or is it the picture of a God who is total, pure love? Of a love that we cannot paint on a canvas or describe in words, but a love that we can experience only by letting Him live within our hearts?

I say it is the latter, which is the road of experience of allowing the blessed SAVIOR to lead us day by day, hour by hour and moment by moment. Jesus and His Father want to live in our hearts and control our lives. I feel the Lord’s presence in my life more and more as I try to tell others of His marvelous love and grace. It floods my soul more every passing day.

Revelation 13:8 tells us that the “Lamb,” or Jesus, was “SLAIN FROM THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD.” Since the Father and Son let these circumstances happen, they would take full responsibility for every mistake Lucifer and all of his angels (now demons) would ever make. They would also take the blame for every mistake every human would make after he fell into sin.

WHAT MAGNIFICENT, UNUTTERABLE, INDESCRIBABLE LOVE!!! So, a good God did not create a bad devil. No! A perfect, totally pure, infinitely loving God permitted a perfect angelic being known as Lucifer to come into existence, and Lucifer by his own choice, over an extended period of time, which we cannot know, transformed himself into a devil.

“THOU WAST PERFECT IN THY WAYS FROM THE DAY THAT THOU WAST CREATED, TILL INIQUITY WAS FOUND IN THEE.” Ezekiel 28:15. The sin was found in Lucifer, not in God. This, the Bible calls, THE MYSTERY OF INIQUITY. 2 Thessalonians 2:7.

WHERE SIN OCCURS GOD CANNOT WISELY
PREVENT IT FROM HAPPENING

Charles G. Finney, born August 29, 1792, was used of God in a most remarkable way in the middle of the 19th century. He was a dynamic preacher and educator, probably best known for the establishment of Oberlin College.

One of his most famous sermons was the heading I chose for this section. His text on this subject is found in Luke 17:1: “Then said he (Christ) unto the disciples, It is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come!”

An offense is defined in Webster’s dictionary as “a cause or occasion of sin.” It would seem that Christ here is acknowledging the sad fact that in a universe of “free choice,” the eruption of sin’s ugly head on some peaceful planet was inevitable.

But, as I said before, God chose to deal with such a possibility on a personal basis, taking the blame Himself, and using this seeming “disaster” as a lesson for all eternity.

Our world is like a lesson book for the universe. Someone may ask, “But is it worth all the heartache and suffering?” Yes, it is. God says it is, and I believe He speaks the truth. Proverbs 8:8. But, He even gives a wonderful promise that after this “vale of tears is past,” it will never happen again. Listen: “WHAT DO YOU IMAGINE AGAINST THE LORD? HE WILL MAKE AN UTTER END: AFFLICTION SHALL NOT RISE UP THE SECOND TIME.” Nahum 1:9. “And they (the redeemed) sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, great and marvelous are thy works, Lord God Almighty: just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee, for thy judgments (decisions) are made manifest.” Revelation 15:3, 4.

FINNEY’S FINAL CONCLUSION

Finney came to the conclusion that even though “sin, under the government of God, cannot be prevented,” it was nevertheless “utterly inexcusable as to the sinner….” In V. R. Edman’s book, Finney Lives On, p. 192.

He also concluded that “God’s government over men is moral,” and is known by every intelligent creature. I agree with this, as God’s Spirit can and does impress each person with a knowledge of Himself to a greater or lesser extent according to the circumstances (Romans 2:11-16; Psalms 87:4-6).

The Psalmist David declared that God has revealed the truth of His “Glory,” to all the world by the stars at night. And it is true: “THE HEAVENS DECLARE THE GLORY OF GOD.” Psalm 19:1.

His glory is really His character, or a transcript of the Ten Commandments, which tell us what God is really like. We see this on Mount Horeb (Sinai) where Moses received the Law, Exodus 34:4-7.

Through the Holy Spirit, the Law of God is impressed on every human heart and mind (emotions and intelligence) which proves that God’s name or character, His glory, is known to every intelligent person, and God will be able to decide on this basis who really wants to become one with Him at His Second Coming.

Finney also says, “By the term moral I mean that it governs by motives, and does not move by physical force. It adapts itself to mind, not matter.” By this, he means that God controls matter by one set of rules, but His intelligent creatures by another. The first is by physical laws and the second by moral, which He governs through our conscience. When we break the moral law, the physical law reacts against us from within and without, and we suffer. This is the “law of sin and death,” (Romans 8:2) being activated by our disobedience.

God controls the planets by the agency of physical law, and His creatures by moral law. In God’s government over the human mind all is voluntary; nothing is coerced as by physical force. Finney concluded, as does the Bible, that God is not to blame for sin, and yet because of God’s love and compassion, He takes the blame so we will not have to suffer. “FOR HE HATH MADE HIM TO BE SIN FOR US, WHO KNEW NO SIN; THAT WE MIGHT BE MADE THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD IN HIM.” 2 Corinthians 5:21.

Even though it is not God’s fault that Lucifer rebelled, or that Adam and Eve fell into sin, the God-family has taken the blame so They can pay the bill. Revelation 5 shows this.

Let us examine two Scriptures, “The Lord killeth, and maketh alive: he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up.” 1 Samuel 2:6. “See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand. For I lift up my hand to heaven, and say, I live for ever.” Deuteronomy 32:39,40.

Hannah and Moses both spoke under the inspiration of God’s spirit, and yet they described God in terms or words of their own understanding. We know Satan is the one who kills, but because God allows him to do it, God takes the blame. Hannah and Moses no doubt believed this too. The Bible progressively reveals God’s true character culminating with the life of Christ, the fullest revelation of His character.

We could read verses 40-43, which quote God as saying that He is responsible for destruction with the sword and all the blood it sheds. He says that He will render vengeance on all His enemies. Is it any wonder that people think of the God of the Old Testament with fear and even disgust? But, why does God do this? Why does He take the blame?

I have asked many people this important question, and few have ever been able to give me the right answer. I have prayed on this matter much and asked God for wisdom to understand it myself. Why does God always take the rap? Why does He always play the “heavy,” and say, “I did it”?

TWO BASIC ANSWERS

First of all, God knows we cannot bear the guilt and blame, so He takes it upon Himself. It is too much for us to bear. “Surely he hath borne our grief’s, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” Isaiah 53:4,5.

We have no idea how weak we are. It is the protection of God over all creation which keeps this planet from self-destructing. And this watch care has been over us since time began. Yes, Christ’s efficacious atonement has been applied to every age from the beginning.

From the moment Jesus, the Son of God, made the agreement with the Father to become man’s redeemer, He became the LAMB SLAIN FROM THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD. Revelation 13:8.

And so from time immemorial until He died on the cross, our precious Lord Jesus became both our SAVIOR AND DELIVERER. And throughout all eternity, the CROSS OF CHRIST will be the exhaustless science and theme of redeemed humanity. “Never will it be forgotten that He whose power created and upheld the unnumbered worlds through the vast realms of space, the Beloved of God, the majesty of heaven, He whom cherub and shining seraph delighted to adore-humbled Himself to uplift fallen man;…That the maker of all worlds, the arbiter of all destinies, should lay aside His glory and humiliate Himself from love to man will ever excite the wonder and adoration of the universe.” GC 651.

The second reason I have discovered why Jesus always takes the blame is so He can remain in control of our lives. There are only two forces in this world which influence our mind for good or for evil: Jesus and Satan. If a father refuses to be responsible for the actions of his child, he will soon lose custody of that child and forfeit his right to influence his life for good or for evil.

The same principle holds true in God’s case. Since He is our Creator, He is our Father, and thus responsible for our actions, good or bad. Unless He is willing to take the blame for our actions, He would forfeit all right to intervene in our behalf for purposes of mercy. He could not send His holy Angels to protect us from deception or bodily injury, unless He was willing to pay the price of our redemption. We broke His covenant and that is sin. “The wages of sin is death.” (Romans 6:23). His death is a demonstration of what will happen to us if we reject his love.

BIBLE PROOF THAT GOD DOES TAKE THE BLAME

People, however, continue to be puzzled as to why Christ in the Old Testament is always saying, “I did it. Let me take the blame.”

For example, in 1 Chronicles 10:13,14, the Lord takes the blame for Saul’s death, when verses 4 and 5 clearly state that Saul committed suicide.

And in the book of Job, where it is crystal clear that Satan is the DESTROYER who destroyed Job’s children and property with wind, fire and with the sword and ravaged his body with boils, God (Christ) declares, “Has thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? And still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause.” Job 2:3.

The Living Bible gives this interesting paraphrase of the same verse. “And he has kept his faith in me despite the fact that you persuaded me to let you harm him without any cause.”

Here, the Living Bible, gave the true meaning of the Scripture. It is sad that many people who claim to believe the Bible are not quite as interested in making it clear who the destroyer is as they are in exalting their own self-righteousness.

You would not believe how many professed Christians write to me, saying, “Jesus Christ DOES kill people.”

How sad it is to see people misunderstand the beauty of the Father’s character in Christ. Do you realize, my friend, that God the Father was crucified with Christ, His only Son, on the cross? 2 Corinthians 5:19

But in Isaiah 53:10, we read that it pleased the Lord (God the Father) to bruise him; he hath put Him (Jesus, in the garden and on the cross) to grief. Here, God the Father is taking the blame for killing His own Son at Golgotha.

IS GOD A LIAR?

I used to wonder why Christ was so vehemently opposed when He was here on earth, but I don’t wonder anymore. It was because He was revealing the true character of the Father. Satan doesn’t really care what we do in our religious services and personal lives, as long as we do not reveal the true character of God. This exposes him more than anything else. That is why he has gotten the religious world involved in so many “good works” programs and”spiritual gimmicks” which are designed to make us feel good and think that we have attained and earned our acceptance with God. But, really, that is just so much rubbish.

Satan is just laughing his head off at us, for he knows as long as he can keep us on his pseudo-spiritual merry-go-round, he doesn’t have to worry. As long as he can keep us deceived as to what our true work on earth really is (to reveal the character of God in our lives) he can continue to live and reign on this planet and keep the Great Controversy going on and on endlessly. Yes, as long as Satan can keep religious people so involved in doing the work of the Lord that they forget the Lord of the work, their damnation is assured!

Too many religions depend upon outward show to demonstrate their piety and dedication to God. They think that the height of zeal for God is to always be busy doing something for the “cause.” Such an attitude can lead to feelings of pride and self-sufficiency, which often leads to the substitution of business methods used by the world, which inevitably leads us away from our dependence upon God and His Spirit.

But, friend of mine, I have some good news for you. That isn’t going to happen always, for God’s true character is going to be understood, preached, and lived-out in the lives of a few chosen people called the Elect who will stand through the last great conflict and fully display the truth about God the Father, just as Jesus did. Matt. 24:24.

It will be the most terrible ordeal a person could imagine, and in one’s own strength he could never make it, but the Elect will stand through it by permitting the Holy Spirit to demonstrate through them the full and final display of His love.

God isn’t a liar. He only hates sin, not us. He doesn’t play favorites, nor does He make people sick, or cause accidents, nor does He maim, torture, or kill people. If God could be blamed for just one of those sins, He could be blamed for them all.

But you cannot indict God on the basis of circumstantial evidence, and that is all you have in the Old Testament. The Flood is circumstantial evidence. Sodom and Gomorrah are two more examples of circumstantial evidence often brought forward to prove God kills people.

And there are many other instances, such as the death of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram; and the 250 princes; not to mention Nadab, Abihu, and Uzzah.

Oh, how people love to use these stories to prove that God is a killer. They can hardly wait to watch God kill all the dirty sinners during the seven last plagues, and their mouth is just watering to see the wicked burned up in the Lake of Fire after the 1,000 years, while they stand at a safe distance saying, “Burn, baby, burn,” or very piously shaking their heads as they declare, “Give it to them, God. They deserve every bit of it, for we warned them enough times that we were right, and they just wouldn’t listen.”

Is that the kind of God you serve, my friend? If it is, then you serve the death-god, Satan, the great deceiver, and he has deceived you about the true character of God. For the same God that doesn’t break the Tenth Commandment (thou shalt not bear false witness) also does not break the Sixth:” thou shalt not kill.” (murder or execute). Same Hebrew word.

The Bible testifies to the truthfulness of God. “God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent.” Numbers 23:19. “For what if some did not believe? Shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, that thou mightest be justified in thy sayings and mightest overcome when thou art judged.” Romans 3:4. Compare Revelation 15:3,4. Proverbs 8:6-9. The cross vindicated God, but He has let this world of sin continue on to permit Satan and man to see the full and total result of their own willfulness. The universe must be permitted to see where sin finally leads…to total self-destruction. God is telling the truth when He declares, “THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH.” Romans 6:23. Francis Schaeffer has some interesting comments on God’s truthfulness and quotes the Westminster Confession to make a point: “First, the Bible tells men and women true things about God. Therefore, they can know true things about God. One can know true things about God because God has revealed himself. The word God was not content-less to Reformation man. God was not an unknown philosophic other because God had told men about himself. As the Westminster Confession (1645-1647) says, ‘when God revealed his attributes to people, the attributes are not only true to people but true to God.’ That is, when God tells people what he is like, what he says is not just relatively true but absolutely true. As finite beings, people do not have exhaustive truth about God, but they can have truth about God; and they can know, therefore, truth about that which is the ultimate universal. And the Bible speaks to men and women concerning meaning, morals, and values.” Francis A. Schaeffer, How Should We Then Live?, pp. 84, 86.

CHRIST CLEANSED OUR TEMPLE

In order to demonstrate this ultimate universal to the universe, the Son of God humbled Himself and came to this dark world as a little baby, born in a stable in Bethlehem, under the Law of “Sin and Death.” Gal. 4:4; Rom. 8:1-3. This is the same law each of us are born under. In order for Christ to cleanse the temple of our fleshly tabernacle, He had to dwell in it for a time (33 years) and prove that the law could be kept under such circumstances. He did this and cried out in triumph on the cross, “IT IS FINISHED.” He had justified and cleansed this sinful body of flesh and now gives it to us that we might live. The bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. John 6:51. Jesus fought the battle of life just as we must fight it….in a body of sinful flesh, Rom. 8:3. “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; wherefore in all things it behooved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest” ….Hebrews 2:16, 17. The cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary in type in the Old Testament on the day of atonement (tenth day of the 7th month), had a personal fulfillment in the life of Jesus, who called His body a “TEMPLE.” The Jews then said to Him, ‘What sign will you show us for Your doing these things?’ Jesus replied, ‘DESTROY THIS TEMPLE (or sanctuary) and in three days I will rebuild it.’” John 2:18, 19, Modern Language Version. The KJV says, “Will raise it up,” referring to the resurrection.

Christ fully “justified,” and cleansed and finished this body temple for each of us. He began where Adam failed or lost, and won. Jesus took up from where Adam fell and redeemed not only Adam’s mistake and failure, but the sin and failure of every human being since. But, He did it at a tremendous disadvantage, not having the same advantage Adam had in his pre-fall state. Jesus took upon His sinless nature, our sinful, fleshly nature, but He never sinned, therefore He was never a sinner. His mind was sinless and pure. He did not gravitate toward evil. He was repulsed by it. But He never had an advantage over us. In fact He had tremendous disadvantages due to the power He could use, but didn’t. Matt. 4:1-11.

THE INCARNATION ALONE PROVES HE WOULD NEVER DESTROY

By that one unselfish act alone, of taking on a body of flesh to die for us, we can know that Jesus is a life-God, not a destroyer. And the fact that Lucifer (Satan) is the one who led the Jews to take His life, by crucifixion, proves beyond a doubt, that he is indeed the death God. Even the Bible itself declares Satan to be the Destroyer in Rev. 9:11. And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit (grave), whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name APOLLYON. The marginal reading defines the noun APOLLYON as “A DESTROYER.” In Psalm 106:37, the word for “DEVILS,” is “SHED,” meaning DESTROYER OR SPOILER. The reason I am pinpointing the definition of the word DESTROYER, is because many people believe the word DESTROYER sometimes refers to God or Jesus. *See Note: In regard to the name Apollyon, we should mention that some theologians interpret Rev. 9:11 as applying to Christ, not Satan. They see this angel as delivering the dead from the pit because He has the “keys” of hell and death, Rev. 1:18. The word “fall” in 9:11 should be translated “descend” or “alight.” Christ is here “destroying” death, not people. They cite Exodus 12:23, as proof-that Christ Jesus, our Lord, killed the firstborn. But, did He do it? Would our Holy, Precious Jesus do that? No, of course, He wouldn’t. The text clearly states that the DESTROYER is the one who killed the firstborn of Egypt. The Hebrew word in that text is “SHACHATH,” which means to “mar, corrupt or to destroy.” We know that Jesus never mars or corrupts. No, Satan and mankind do that, but not Jesus or His Father. Have you ever heard of DEVILED EGGS? What does it mean to “devil” something? Why, it means to chop, cut, and smash it into little pieces, and that is exactly what Satan, the destroyer does, and then blames God for it, and the Lord usually does not argue, but says, YES, I DID IT. JESUS ALWAYS TAKES THE BLAME SO HE CAN BE OUR SAVIOR. ISN’T HE WONDERFUL! PERHAPS HE IS ALSO TRYING TO SHIELD HIS BELOVED LUCIFER, WHO REBELLED AGAINST HIM. IS GOD CAPABLE OF THAT KIND OF LOVE? I BELIEVE HE IS. I CANNOT COMPREHEND IT, BUT I ACCEPT IT AND WANT TO SHARE IT. DON’T YOU?

*The concept of killing and death in the book of Revelation moves very close here in Rev 9 to the ultimate, Divine concept Jesus and Paul taught, i.e. that in dying we live. “Whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it.” “I die daily.” I Cor 15:31. “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me:” Gal 2:20.

Furthermore, the Greek word translated “fall” in Rev. 9:1 is from “pipto” which is from “peto” Strong’s 4098, 4072 meaning to “light on,” which is the same as “descend.” Actually, the name Apollyon could have a dual meaning in Rev 9:11 in that it first applies to Lucifer, who truly was the first “star” who fell from heaven with one third of his angels and became the first Angel of the bottomless pit (grave) for 6,000 years. But then Jesus descended into a body of flesh, died and went to this same bottomless pit to rescue all of his creation, including Lucifer and his fallen angels. By conquering death Jesus received the key to save everyone by unlocking the bottomless pit or grave.

THE BIBLE ALWAYS MAKES GOD RESPONSIBLE FOR EVIL

And so that is why the Scriptures always make God sovereign over every event in history. Whether it is good or evil, the Bible makes God responsible. He always takes the blame in order to protect His children. I know it is not easy to understand, yet for every difficult text, there is always another verse to shed light on the true meaning of that scripture. For example, “Now consider this, ye that forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver.” Psalm 50:22. Most people would take this to mean that God will tear in pieces those who do not serve Him. If one doesn’t dig any deeper, that is all you will get. This is “surface reading.” But let us dig deeper with another Psalm. “O Lord my God, in thee do I put my trust: save me from all them that persecute me, and deliver me; lest he (a third personality, Satan, is introduced here) tear my soul like a lion, rending it in pieces, while there is none to deliver.” Psalm 7:1, 2. Jesus is the deliverer, but only for those who call upon Him. The Lord is addressed as the One who can SAVE. But, the one who rends or tears in “pieces” is a third party. However, he is not directly pointed out, but safely kept in the background. It was not until Jesus came in the flesh, that God permitted the finger to be put on Satan, in order to save the people. And even then, Satan brought it upon himself by coming out into the open to oppose Christ when Jesus came to deliver demon possessed people and to help others. “How God annointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power; who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with Him.” Acts 10:38. And so Satan exposed himself as a murderer and a killer when he crucified Jesus on the cross. This was his fatal mistake, but he had no choice if he wished to continue his rebellion against His Creator. His only other option was to repent and admit he was wrong and Christ was right. This, Satan would not do at that time, but the day is coming when he will be “brought to ashes.” Satan will be destroyed and Lucifer will be re-born. Ezekiel 28:6-18. “Behold, I make all things new.” Rev. 21:5. “The last enemy” to be destroyed is death itself. 1 Cor. 15:26. “Death and hades (the grave) will be cast into the Lake of Fire.” Rev. 19:14. Much more will be explained in the rest of this book.