Theodicy or Fallacy? Suffering in a world of a loving God.
Key verse(s)/quote(s):
“Either God wants to abolish evil, and cannot; or he can, but does not want to. If he wants to, but cannot, he is impotent. If he can, but does not want to, he is wicked. If God can abolish evil, and God really wants to do it, why is there evil in the world?” - Epicurus, as quoted in “2000 Years of Disbelief”
“Then the LORD answered Job out of the storm. He said: “Who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge? Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me. “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand.” - Job 38:1-4
“Then Job answered the LORD : “I am unworthy — how can I reply to you? I put my hand over my mouth. I spoke once, but I have no answer— twice, but I will say no more.” - Job 40:3-5
Key takeaway(s):
- Humanity continually wishes to usurp God’s role as sole judge.
- God’s sovereignty demonstrated by His role as Creator is a continual reminder that the created (humans) cannot have the same wisdom as the Creator.
- Suffering can be used by God even if we can’t understand its purpose. His ways are higher than ours. (Isaiah 55:9)
- Worrying or complaining or questioning God = epic logic fail = epic faith fail
Overview:
As the scale of calamity increases for any disastrous…
What was the role of the prophets in Old Testament history?
Question:
What was the role of the prophets in Old Testament history?
Answer:
To understand the role of the prophets in the Old Testament (OT) one must begin with the origin of the word “prophet”. This word stems from the Greek “propheme” which literally means “to speak”. Often one thinks of a prophet in terms of predictions of the future and this is not always the case of the prophets. God called the OT prophets to speak of Him and heed warnings upon His people if they strayed. In effect they served as His messengers. In the earlier times, often prophets were “ordained” by “the spirit of the Lord” as they spoke on God’s behalf (e.g., 1 Samuel 10:10; 1 Kings 22:24). In later times, the language used to describe the anointing of the prophets became phrased as “the word of the Lord came to” the person (e.g., Jeremiah 1:2, 4; Ezekiel 1:3). Regardless of the terminology, the prophet was one who spoke in the name of God. Interestingly, the professions of these prophets varied from sheepherder, priest, agriculturalist, to scribe and as such wasn’t a distinguishing trait. In terms of message delivery, many of the early prophets spoke only to individuals, especially kings or other officials, while other, later prophets heralded their message to large crowds or an entire city.
Simply put, the prophets acted as God’s guiding and rebuking voice to His peoples. In the
What message from God did Hosea deliver to the people of his day?
Question:
What message from God did Hosea deliver to the people of his day?
Answer:
Hosea remains a prophet often overlooked in much of Bible study compared to the Major Prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, etc.) and yet, Hosea has a most unique story. To understand God’s message delivered through His prophet Hosea, one is required to begin with the shocking command God gave him - marry an “adulterous wife”. The Hebrew word used zânûn [pronounced zaw-noon] is unquestionably a harsh word that clearly communicates intentional infidelity and perhaps even a continual wilful adulterous individual. What a challenge Hosea was called upon to marry such a woman! With such a definitive and harsh God-given command, we must ask ourselves what the meaning is behind such a command. The prophet type that God set forth here is a clear illustration of Israel’s treatment of God and His continual rebuking and calling back which originates from the Love of God (Hosea 6:1-3, Hosea 3:1). In effect, Hosea became a living illustration of the relationship between God and Israel – one that was adulterous and sinful resulting in Hosea’s prophesying of judgment and restoration to God.
Simply put, God called out Israel (Hosea 4:1) for their lack of faithfulness (Hosea 5:7, 6:4, 11:12), love (Hosea 12:6), and knowledge of God (Hosea 4:6). The manifestations of these 3 criticisms came in the form of idolatry (baal worship – Hosea 9:10), lack of dependence on God (Hosea 3:4-5), lack of acknowledging God (Hosea 4:6) and more.
In the end, the hope that we…
