Don’t ask why God allows horrific things to happen to people, we are told by Satan’s false prophets.  Always ask what you can do for those who have been harmed by such things as so-called “natural disasters,” pandemics, depressions, wars, etc.

Why not ask why?  The Holy Bible is filled with examples that highlight THE singular answer–SIN–which God defines thusly: “To transgress the Law is sin, for sin is the transgression of the Law” (1 Jn. 3:4).  The Ten Commandments are His summary of the entire Bible, Genesis to Revelation.  Church people hate the Law, which God loves.  Be reminded that to break one commandment is to break the entire Law (Jam. 2:10).  Also be reminded that not one word, not one jot or tittle can be changed, added to or removed from the Law (Mat. 5:18) as long as heaven and earth stand (Lk. 16:17).  Remember also that commandment #4 is included in the Law (Exo. 20:8-11), and that it is so important to God that He made a special covenant with those who call themselves by His name in which He made the weekly 7th day (Saturday) Sabbath a “sign” that proved that they were His people, that they were sanctified, that the Sabbath day observance is an everlasting covenant between God and His people and that to reject that sign results in spiritual death.

The Sabbath covenant is “everlasting,” which means that it is in effect today for those who have become spiritual Israelites by embracing Jesus Christ as their LORD.  The sign of His Lordship over us is our obedience to His and His Father’s Law.  The importance of this rule was voiced by Jesus Himself when He stated that OBDEIENCE TO THE LAW IS THE ONLY WAY WE PROVE OUR LOVE FOR THEM (Jn. 14:15,23; 15:10/ Mat. 19:17).  I recommend reading those New Testament verses carefully before moving on.  Your eternity depends on your reaction to those verses.

With that in mind let us turn to First Corinthians chapter 10 for some real life proof of what is written above.  Though the Corinthian Church was comprised of Gentile converts, we find the Apostle Paul reminding the people about the Lord’s dealings with the ancient Israelites whom He had recently brought out of Egyptian captivity using great signs and wonders.  In the first three verses Paul reminds the church of how the Lord opened the Red Sea so that they could walk across it on dry land, of how He spiritually baptized them in the sea, of how He miraculously provided quails for them to eat and brought water out of a rock.  In verse four Paul reminded the Corinthians that the One whom they worshiped as their Savior and Lord was the same One who freed the ancient Israelites, identifying Him as “the Rock that followed them, and that Rock was CHRIST.”  Jesus of Nazareth was at one time “the Word” (Jn. 1:1-4,14) Who created all things in the beginning and was the God of the Old Testament.  Read the series by that name.  Key word–Old.  Recall that He does not change, neither does His Law, neither does His command to obey it, neither are the consequences for failing to do so.

In verse five Paul told the church that God had been angry with the Israelites after bringing them out of Egypt, so angry that, over the next 40 years, He killed off everyone over 20 years of age.  Why was He angry?  SIN.  Read Numbers 13:1-33 and 14:22-35.  In verses 6-11 of the focal passage Paul warns the church then and now of how God cursed those who did not obey Him.  In verses 6 and 11 he makes a very important point: GOD’S TREATMENT OF ANCIENT ISRAEL HAD BEEN RECORDED BY MOSES AND THE PROPHETS AND PRESERVED TO THAT DAY.  THE LESSONS RECORDED THEREIN WERE TO BE USED AS TEACHING TOOLS FOR THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH.  THOSE LESSONS APPLY TO THE CHURCH TODAY.

The world as man has known it will come to an end with the return of Jesus Christ to earth.  At that time His firstfruits will be resurrected, will enter Jerusalem with Him and will assist Him in the creation of the Kingdom of God.  Read The Kingdom of God and The Three Resurrections.  Key words–Kingdom and Three respectively.  Recall that in Ephesians 2:20 we are told that the New Testament Church was founded on the teachings of both the prophets and the apostles.  The Apostle Peter described the prophets as “holy men of old” who spoke (and wrote) as they were moved by the Holy Spirit, the same Holy Spirit under whose power the New Testament apostles spoke and wrote.  Recall also that the apostles taught the early Church out of the Old Testament which the Bereans studied to see if what Paul was telling them was true.  The apostles taught the first Christians out of the Old Testament–the only Scripture in existence at that time (Acts 17:10-12).  The New Testament would not be codified until 90-100 A.D. after 11 of its writers were dead.

There are numerous Biblical examples in which God reminds religious man about His “sowing and reaping Law” which states that what a man sows he reaps many times over, whether good or bad.  He stated that “He who sows the wind reaps the whirlwind.”  However, He was kind enough to condense this all-important Bible-length lesson down into two chapters: Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28.  Let us turn to Deuteronomy 28 where, as is the case in Leviticus 26, He lays out His sowing and reaping Law as plainly as is possible.  Here is where God takes us into the “why” part of man’s earthly walk.  As you will see, the why part is by far the most important question.

In the first 14 verses of the chapter the Almighty makes it clear that if we obey His Law He will bless us with an abundance of good things involving every aspect of life.  It is obvious that this is His will for His most prized creation.  However, beginning with verse 15 He warns that if we do not obey Him He will curse us with every kind of cursings which involve every aspect of life.  As Moses told the Israelites, and us, in Deuteronomy 30:19 and 20, we have two choices: life and death or blessing and cursing, “… therefore choose life so that you and your children can have life” and God’s promised blessings.  Later, as the next generation prepared to enter the Promised Land, Joshua told them that they had many gods from which to choose: the true God or the gods of the heathen among whom they would live.  We know how that turned out.  LESSON BEING TAUGHT TO THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH.

Today we have the same choices.  Today’s gods are secular rather than spiritual.  Among them are money, fame, sex, entertainers, things, and the most powerful of all–the god who controls all false gods, Satan.  As Deuteronomy 28 has shown us, we determine which god we serve and thereby choose whether we will be blessed or cursed by the one true God who said through the Psalmist (26:2): “there is no curse without a cause.”  Which is why TRUE SAINTS ASK WHY.  CINO’s (Christians in name only) refuse to ask why and reject God’s Word on the subject when confronted with it.  Why?  Because the cause of the curses is the one doing the asking.  A comic strip character from my youth summed it up as well as can be done.  He said: “We have met the enemy and he is us.”  LESSON REJECTED BY THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH.

I will close with this final reminder of just how demanding the Biblical God is relative to obedience to His Law.  Recall the rich man who asked Jesus what he must do to be saved (Mk. 10).  After talking with him, Jesus told him that “ONE THING” (sin) would prevent him from inheriting eternal life.  Though Jesus “loved him” (vs 21) He rejected him because of “one thing.”  If he would eliminate that “one thing” and keep it eliminated until death he would be rewarded with eternal life upon Christ’s return.

We must never forget that we are no longer dealing with sweet baby Jesus in the manger.  Like the rich man, we are dealing with the Lion of the Tribe of Judah.  Ask yourself: why is He called the LION–THE MOST VICIOUS ANIMAL OF ALL?  The Lion is angry toward those who claim to love Him but refuse to obey His Law.  As the age-old hymn says, “You can run on (sin) for a long time, but be sure God Almighty’s gonna cut you down.”  Don’t let the devil’s smiling, smooth-talking, “it’s all good, just repent,” instant salvation peddlers lead you astray.  STUDY GOD’S WORD TO LEARN HOW TO PLEASE HIM.  THEN DO IT.  L.J.