Did God Send Evil Spirits?

Sometimes when studying God's Word, the avid Bible student will come across a passage that is more than just difficult to understand. In fact, it may just be downright hard to understand. Sometimes this passage may lead the student to a temporary battle with confusion and questions concerning God and His nature.

Such is the case with passages like Judges 9:23, 1 Kings 22:20-23, 2 Chronicles 18:20-22, and even passages in the New Testament like 2 Thessalonians 2:11 where "God sent a strong delusion, that they might believe a lie". Does this mean that God sends or sent evil spirits to people? Does this mean that God caused or causes people to sin? Don't these things defy the nature of God?

Let us begin by establishing the nature of God. The Lord is holy (Isaiah 6:3), and it is established that he cannot lie (Titus 1:2). Thus, any lying that may be done must be attributed to some other being. As we continue to observe the nature of God we see that he does not tempt man (James 1:13-15). In fact, James gives a rather stern warning not to say that when we are tempted that we are tempted by God. He clarifies the point further by saying that when we are tempted, we are tempted by our own desires. Not only does God not tempt us, he keeps the faithful Christian from being tempted beyond that which they can handle (1 Corinthians 10:13). This along should be sufficient to realize that God is not to blame when man falls prey to his temptations.

Let us continue by examining the nature of these passages. In Judges 9 and 1 Kings 22 we see an evil spirit being sent to man. Notice in 1 Kings 22 that in vs. 19 this account is presented from the standpoint of a vision. Wayne Jackson notes that it is "highly symbolic; it is folly to press it as though it were a literal circumstance". He further writes:

"…there is a common idiom in sacred literature by which the permissive will of God is expressed in forceful, active jargon. For example, the Lord is said to have "deceived" His people (Jer. 4:10), or to have given them "statutes that were not good" (Ezek. 20:25). In the New Testament, God is characterized as sending a strong delusion that some might believe a lie and be condemned (2 Thes. 2:11-12).

All of these passages simply indicate that when men are determined to disobey their Maker, He will allow them to follow the base inclination of their own hearts."

All of these things can relate to the type of situation described in Romans 1:18-32. There we read that God "gave them up" or "gave them over" to their iniquity. Surely when man abandons God, the Lord will allow him to suffer from his evil devising.

Examine also briefly the nature of these "spirits". God is the creator of all, and none other is eternal (without beginning or ending, Isa. 45:5-6). These spirits were not created by God as a temptation, because God does not tempt man (cf. James 1:13). God will not tolerate any sin in heaven (Revelation 21:27), and so as beings rebelled against Him (2 Peter 2:4; Jude 6) they were cast out. Even the devil (who had a beginning, 1 John 3:8) sinned and suffers the same fate. All of these things, and the imagery described in 2 Chronicles 18 point toward the fact that as created beings, these spirits had an opportunity to be obedient to God or to choose rebellion. Many chose disobedience. James writes of the demons that believe and tremble, but are still not obedient to God (Jas. 2:19). The ability to choose is a similarity between us and them. The sad truth is, though, that these beings also have no benefit from Christ's blood (Hebrews 2:16) and no hope of redemption. In making such decisions they become subject to eternal punishment.

From all of these things realize this: God ultimately gives His creation the right to choose obedience or disobedience. Even in the cases where spirits lied, the hearers had an opportunity to choose to heed or flee the lie. In heeding a lie, they fell victim to their own desires based on what they heard. God does not tempt man.

Footnotes:

Jackson, Wayne. Does God Condone Lying?. http://www.christiancourier.com/articles/686-does-god-condone-lying

Winkler, Dan. Angels: The Ministers of Heaven. Pp 20-21. Winkler Publications 2005

 

“Life After People”

I was sitting in my living room trying to make myself sleepy a few nights ago when I saw something that made me wake up instantly. I was channel surfing, and I came across a show on the History Channel titled Life After People. I had heard of the program before, but I hadn't watched it. For anyone who has neither seen nor heard of this program the premise is simple. It explores what would happen to all of the great and wondrous works that humans have built after no humans are left to take care of them. It shows what the world would be like after one week, one month, one year, 10 years, one thousand years, and so on. Why are there no people around? Simple: Because some great and catastrophic event (most likely a disease) has caused all of humankind to be extinct, just like the dinosaurs. This is approached by the "documentary" as inevitable fact.

I want to first notice that there are some things that the program has spot on. There will be a day when no man walks upon the face of the earth. There will be a day when nothing that man has ever built will stand as a testament to him. There will be a day when all of the things that man has devised in this world and for this world will be shown to be fruitless and pointless. Where this "documentary" strays from the truth is in exploring the idea that all of these things will happen on different days.

Does it occur to you that evolution has to have its reverse? If the world came about slowly, and as an accident, then its demise must be slow and agonizing. This program attempts to compare the life and death of the human race with the life and death of the evolutionary idea dinosaurs. We are just another race destined to extinction. In my mind, this type of reasoning also lowers mankind to the level of mere animals. The claim is that we'll die just like they did.

This fallacy is not confined to science. Some, claiming to be Christians have taught similar doctrines. There are some of these ideas that are part of Preteristic doctrine. Those who believe that Christ has already come a second time (they claim his second coming is figurative) and that he will not be coming back as is described in passages such as Matthew 24:36-44, 25:31-46, 2 Corinthians 15, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:11, and 2 Peter 3:10-13 subscribe to the same manner of thought. God is not going to destroy the earth. It will just wither away.

Remember what Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 4:17? When the Lord comes to take those who are faithful to Heaven with Him, there will indeed be those who are "alive and remain" on this earth. The implication is that the judgment will happen before mankind is ever "extinct". Peter also handles this issue very plainly and clearly. In 2 Peter 3, Peter wrote to remind Christians (vs. 1) that there will be those who come who question the second coming of Christ and the ensuing and immediate judgment and destruction of the earth. In verse 3 Peter tells them that "scoffers will come", walking "according to their own lusts". What are they scoffing about? Peter says in verse 4 that they are scoffing because "all things continue as they were from the beginning". Where is the promise of Christ's second coming?

In verses 5-7 he wrote this:

"For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men."

What are you saying Peter? He's saying that just as God created with the power of his own words the earth and the heavens, then destroyed them by his word during the flood, so the world is held and "preserved" now by that same word. In other words, everything in the Universe is held together by that same power: the Power of God. The Christian can rest assured that there will not be some strange, tragic epidemic which destroys all of mankind and leaves this world behind. Peter makes it clear that the earth and all of those things on it are reserved "for fire until the day of judgment". The judgment of man and the destruction of the earth are indeed the same day.