Ch1. (Par. 8 & 9) (a) How might you illustrate the difference between allowing wickedness to exist and causing it? (b) Why would it be unfair for us to find fault with God’s decision to allow mankind to pursue a wayward course?
Ch. 1 Paragraph 8 & 9
8, 9. (a) How might you illustrate the difference between allowing wickedness to exist and causing it? (b) Why would it be unfair for us to find fault with God’s decision to allow mankind to pursue a wayward course?
"8For example, think about a wise and loving father with a grown son who is still living at home with his parents. When the son becomes rebellious and decides to leave home, his father does not stop him. The son pursues a bad way of life and gets into trouble. Is the father the cause of his son’s problems? No. (Luke 15:11-13) Similarly, God has not stopped humans when they have chosen to pursue a bad course, but he is not thecause of the problems that have resulted. Surely, then, it would be unfair to blame God for all the troubles of mankind.
9God has good reasons for allowing mankind to follow a bad course. As our wise and powerful Creator, he does not have to explain his reasons to us. Out of love, however, God does this. You will learn more about these reasons in Chapter 11. But rest assured that God is not responsible for the problems we face. On the contrary, he gives us the only hope for a solution!—Isaiah 33:2."
a) When the father in the illustration refrains from stopping his son from leaving home and living his life whatever way he chooses, he is not causing his way of life, he is not causing him to suffer. If his son chooses to smoke, for instance, and then gets lung cancer, his father did not cause the lung cancer, the smoking did, right? And by way of extension the son brought it on himself by making a foolish decision to smoke. In fact, the father likely taught his son right from wrong, and we know that smoking is bad for us, its common knowlege, so how could those things be blamed on the father?
b) In the same way it is unfair to blame the choices we make as sinful humans on God. Adam and Eve were fully informed- they had a relationship with Jehovah God, even spoke to him. But they chose to leave Jehovah's good course and follow Satan.
*** Bible Citations ***
(Luke 15:11-13) Then he said: “A certain man had two sons. 12 And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the part of the property that falls to my share.’ Then he divided his means of living to them. 13 Later, after not many days, the younger son gathered all things together and traveled abroad into a distant country, and there squandered his property by living a debauched life.
(Isaiah 33:2) O Jehovah, show us favor. In you we have hoped. Become our arm every morning, yes, our salvation in the time of distress.
