Expert: Marvin Howard - 2/15/2008

Question
Hello! Once AGAIN it is I... David. ahahah I'm very thankful for all the many wonderful answers to my past  questions. I'm sure there will be alot more so, please don't get frustrated if I have questions back to back. If you honestly want to know why I ask so many questions... It's because I would love to grow more as a christian and to also be a couple steps ahead when I enter college to major in theology. I know that with your help and your wisdom in the scriptures, I can achieve that goal. Now, I'm kind of confused about the scripture Isaiah 45:7. Could you please explain it for me. Also, alot of people ask why God causes pains and sorrows and... I'm just stuck. I feel weak, knowing that I have no quick response to these questions. Can you please help me. Thank you once again.

Answer
Hi!

David, I do not mind answering questions, even if they are all from you. My weekends are almost totally reserved for school and church, so I may not be able to answer immediately, but keep the questions coming for as long as needed. After all, that is why I am doing this; to help people. I offer my congratulations as you study theology. It is a worthwhile ambition if you can keep yourself true to the word while ignoring unscriptural traditions.

Once again, I must apologize for the shortsightedness of the AllExperts forum, for it will not allow me to present text for your consideration in Hebrew. The best I can do is give you the proper pronunciations of the words.

I believe I see two questions in your query. I will try to answer both. In the first, I assume you are having difficulty with the fact that God created evil. The rest is simply a declaration of who He is, and the coming of Jesus. Before we continue, the word for God in Isaiah 45:5 is the plural, el-o-heem'. This is before the difference in jobs of the several members is discussed. This means that all parts of God are involved in this, each with a different function.

Let’s look at the Hebrew for both words, “create,” and “evil.”

baw-raw'
A primitive root; (absolutely) to create; (qualified) to cut down (a wood), select, feed (as formative processes): - choose, create (creator), cut down, dispatch, do, make (fat).

raw-aw'
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.]

Of interesting note, and something I did not know before my Pentateuch class at OABS (http://www.oabs.org), this verb, baw-raw', is theologically significant in that it can have no subject other than God; only God can create in this manner (something from nothing). This is the teaching of W.E. Vine.

Since man can create evil, but this evil can only be created by God, then it necessarily follows that this evil is not what we would normally consider. In looking at the various possibilities for meaning, several present themselves as possibly being created by God.

1st Corinthians 10:13, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”

James 1:13-14, “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: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.”

God did create Satan. Even though God does not tempt us Himself, He does allow Satan to tempt us (the best example I can see is recorded throughout the book of Job). The purpose of this permission granted to Satan is plain.

1st Peter 1:7, “That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:”

God allows trial, difficulty, adversity, affliction, distress, and more to strengthen us. Our faithfulness in this proves our faithfulness toward God. Indirectly, through the creation of Satan, God did create this system. However, it is the moral agency given to Satan that allows him to visit these trials on us in an attempt to have us for company in the hereafter. While some would consider these evil, we are instructed to count them as joy (James 1:2).

This brings us to your second question. It is one that I answered at AllExperts.com a few years ago, and one I just addressed in my homework at OABS this afternoon, though in different words. Please allow me to finish my response to you with this section of my homework.

What healing is discussed By Jesus? How could it occur in advance of His suffering? How is this applicable to us, today?

We are carnal men, trying to understand spiritual things. Yes, Jesus is fully God. Even while in the flesh and fully man, He was still God.

The blood of bulls and goats can’t take away sin (Hebrews 10:4). It never could. Salvation of the obedient people was always predicated on the coming of Messiah. This applied to both Jews and Gentiles. They were under different laws, but each had to be amenable to his own. For the Jews, this was the Levitical Law.

Jesus was able (and did) to forgive sins and heal while on earth. While He was here in the flesh, we were being prepared for the coming of a New Law, applicable to all man, regardless of nationality, race, or sex. Today, we are under this law; the law of Grace. He was and is the testator of the New Covenant/Testament. Please note the following in this same vein:

Hebrews 9:16-17, “For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth.”

This is how it was possible for Jesus to tell men (such as the thief on the cross) they were forgiven, with no further actions required on their part, even though these requirements are plainly laid out in scripture. Only those desiring non-obedience deny the existence of these.

In changing from the Old to the New, the New was made to cover the Old, thus providing justice for those lost, and mercy for those saved. Each instance is predicated on obedience. While Jesus was not yet slain, He had the right to change the laws as He saw fit. While He still maintains ability to change things, for Him to do so now would be unfair to those gone before. This would be unjust, and since God is infinite justice, He will not allow this to be done.

Jesus (and His disciples after Him) used healing to prove He was from God; they were His credentials (John 3:2 and others). Today, the records (Scriptures) containing these miracles are the credentials which we are authorized to use. This is in accordance with prophecy. If we say something different from the Word of God, we are shown to not be speaking for Him, or following Him; we are, instead, to be the oracles of God (1st Peter 4:11).

His stripes didn’t give Him His power: He brought it with Him from Heaven. His stripes never physically healed anyone, or we would have record of such. His stripes healed us spiritually. How? He was demonstrating the depth of His obedience to the Father: even unto death (Philippians 2:8).

If we are obedient, it is correct to say we are saved now (Mark 16:16, 1st Peter 3:21, etc.). What isn’t correct is the false doctrine of “Once Saved, Always Saved.” Galatians 5:4 plainly states we can fall from this grace. Also, please observe the following:

Hebrews 6:4-6, “For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.”

Being singular, it is not possible for “the heavenly gift” to mean anything other than salvation. Yet, those with it can fall away.

When we are saved, we are saved from sin: this is in the present tense. Being saved from our sins is what will keep us from going to (save us from) Hell. Please note the following parable of Jesus:

Matthew 18:21-35, “Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven. Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants. And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents. But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. The servant therefore fell down, and worshiped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion and loosed him, and forgave him the debt. But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellow servants, which owed him a hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest. And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt. So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done. Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow servant, even as I had pity on thee? And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.”

The man, once forgiven, was required to repay his original debt. It was once forgiven, but no longer. Why? In this instance, it is because he did not act with the same compassion as his lord. The parable closes by saying God the Father acts in the same way. Instead of being forgiven of money debt, the debt is sin. In any case, we see here that those forgiven (saved) can once again become unforgiven (no longer saved). The price (wages) of this sin is death (Romans 6:23). If the sins are reapplied to our account, so then is the penalty.

So, we see, salvation is used scripturally in two forms; both present and future tense. Thus, it occurs in two stages; one present and one future. You must maintain the present in order to obtain the future.

David, I do really enjoy answering questions from you. Many questions received are Pharisaical in nature, trying to prove my position in the Bible to be wrong or inaccurate. I answer these, but they are far more of a labor than are yours. Your questions come from a position of one that is sincerely seeking knowledge. I count you as a blessing to me and to my ministry.

In His Service,
Marvin Howard
http://www.geocities.com/preacherman_1962