God's Character:

The Best News in

the

Universe

by Dr. Elliot O. Douglin

Author of The New World Economic Order, The Hour of His Judgment is Come,

Ministration of Holy Angels, Absolute Rest and Principles of Sabbath Rest,

The True Church Prepares For Her Final Conflict, The Mystery Of Three Choices,

The Gathering Of The Nations, The Sealing Work, Abiding In Christ,

The Power of God's Word in the Science of Faith...

Copyright © 2001 by

Truth For The Final Generation

Contents

Chapter Six
The Origin And Nature Of Sin

Chapter Seven
The Wrath Of God

Chapter Eight
The Cross Reveals The Mechanism Of Divine Punishment

Chapter Nine
Lessons From The Book Of Job

Chapter Six
The Origin And Nature Of Sin

Sin was not always in the universe. It was definitely not created or caused by God. Sin developed in the mind of the hightest and most honored of the angels. Nothing is more clearly taught in the Bible than that God was in no way responsible for the development of sin or any of its consequences.

"He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God." 1 John 3:8,9.

"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." James 1:13.

"Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.

But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?

He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?" Matthew 13:24-28.

"This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all." 1 John 1:5.

"The Lord is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works." Psalm 145:17.

"For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed." Malachi 3:6.

The basis of sin is self-exaltation.

"How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High." Isaiah 14:12-14.

The definition of sin is "transgression of God's law." Sin is a principle at war with the principle of unselfish love, which is the foundation of God's Government.

"Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law." 1 John 3:4.

"He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love." 1 John 4:8.

"Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law." Romans 13:10.

The definition of sin, then, is "doing things by a way other than by God's way." But since God does everything right, sin means doing things in the wrong way. Sin is unrighteousnes in action, it uses power unrighteously. Sin separates righteousness from power and hence perverts the powers of creation into unrighteous destructive powers when not restrained by God's mercy.

The Nature of Sin

It is the nature of sin to separate us from God, to hide God's face from us.

"Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear." Isaiah 59:1,2.

Sin is, in fact, asking God to leave us alone, to depart from us.

"Which said unto God, Depart from us: and what can the Almighty do for them?" Job. 22:17.

Since sin separates creature from Creator it produces death.

"Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death." James 1:15.

"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 6:23.

"The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law." 1 Corinthian 15:56.

Because God is the fountain of life separation from God by sin produces death.

"For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light." Psalm 36:9.

"O Lord, the hope of Israel, all that forsake thee shall be ashamed, and they that depart from me shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken the Lord, the fountain of living waters." Jeremiah 17:13.

"For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water."Jeremiah 2:13.

Sin, then, is malignant, it produces destruction and death because it separates every detail of the structure and function of the affected part of creation from God's righteousness. The Holy Spirit must apply God's wisdom and Righteousness in Christ to every detail of the structure and function of creation in order for created things to be maintained in perfect structural and functional integrity. Sin separates from God and produces destruction and death.

"Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death." James 1:15.

"In the way of righteousness is life; and in the pathway thereof there is no death." Proverbs 12:28.

"For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the Lord. But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love death." Proverbs 8:35,36.

As mentioned before, sin originated in heaven in the mind of Lucifer. He opposed the law and the government of God. He declared that his way was better than God's way.

The warfare against God, His Government and His law began in heaven.

"And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him." Revelation 12:7-9

"Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord God; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created. Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth;

and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.

By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: there fore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee.

Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee. All they that know thee among the people shall be astonished at thee: thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt thou be any more." Ezekial 28:11-19.

"Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law… He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil." 1 John 3:4,8.

Satan deceived one third of the angels. He did this by telling lies on God's character, government and law.

"Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it." John 8:44.

Satan was the first creature to suggest that God's law was burdensome or grievous and that it ought not to be obeyed. But God declares that His commandments are not grievous.

"For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous." 1 John 5:3.

The parable of the talents in Matthew 25 also reveals some of the other falsehoods or lies which Satan told against God's character.

"Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine."Matthew 25:24,25.

Satan has charged that God is a tyrant (a hard God), that He is selfish, arbitrary, severe, and that He seeks His own aggrandizement while oppressing His creatures. Satan therefore asserts that creatures should be afraid of God.

But perhaps the most dangerous falsehood told by Satan was told to the human race through Adam and Eve.

God had informed our first parents that disobedience, (sin), would produce death.

Satan countered by telling them that they would not die, that seeking their own way would be harmless.

"But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." Genesis 2:17.

"Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die."Genesis 3:1-4.

Thus Satan has deceived the whole world into believing that ownwayness, which is sin, does not produce death.

As a result people blame everything else, except sin, for death. They especially blame God. The majority of people, even religious people, believe that the only problem with sin is that it makes God angry and causes Him to kill sinners. And many more believe that sinners will not die at all but will live forever in hell-fire. Indeed Satan has deceived the whole world.

"And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him." Revelation 12:9.

So far, then, we see that sin transgresses God's law, opposes God's Government, separates from God and ultimately, whenever it is finished, produces death. Sin is the root cause of all the sickness, disease, accidents, natural calamities, crime, lawlessness, destruction and death in the world.

Sin started in Heaven and entered our world when Adam and Eve gave in to Satan's temptation.

"Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:" Rom. 5:12.

Furthermore in order to establish his government of sin, Satan has promulgated lies about God's character and he has blackened God's reputation. That was why Jesus had to come to give us the revelation written down in 1 John 1:5.

"This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all." 1 John 1:5.

Yes friend, God is light and in Him is no darkness at all, therefore God cannot and can never be the source of sin or evil or death.

He is the fountain of life.

It is sin which causes separation from God and therefore produces all evil and ultimately produces death.

The sin problem which started in Heaven is now localized on our planet. The onlooking universe has watched, is watching and will watch the ongoing saga i.e. the great controversy between God and Satan.

God claims that no other way but His can work. He has warned that sin is the root cause of all the problems, all the evil and all the death in our world. He has declared that only His way of selfless love, truth, wisdom and righteousness can conquer sin and produce eternal peace.

Satan has charged that creatures can be happy and successful in their own way apart from God's way. Satan declares that sin does not produce death and so he blames God for sin, and its evil results and death.

Who is telling the truth?

Can God be trusted? Has He been telling us the truth? The falsehoods which Satan has promulgated have so deceived men and angels that God's name and government must be cleared, justified and vindicated. The Heavenly Sanctuary is representative of God's government.

The prophet Daniel informs us that the work of cleansing the Heavenly Sanctuary was to commence at the end of the 2300 prophetic days of Daniel 8:14. The cleansing of the Heavenly Sanctuary refers to the work of vindicating and clearing God's name, character and reputation from the false charges Satan and man have laid against God.

In order to cleanse the Heavenly Sanctuary God's people must reach the point where they so hate sin and love righteousness that they will make the victorious righteousness of Christ their own experience and thereby willingly and lovingly obey the law of love perfectly. At the same time they will manifest the harmlessness of God's ways by loving and forgiving their enemies as Jesus did on the cross.

By obeying God without the slightest deviation even in the face of death, and by loving and forgiving their enemies, THEY WILL PROVE SATAN WRONG AND GOD RIGHT and win the last battle in the long-standing conflict between light and darkness.

Chapter Seven
The Wrath Of God

The Bible leaves us in no doubt that God hates sin, and He abhors evil. It also leaves us in no doubt that God is not the source or cause of evil. There is no evil in God. In fact God so hates sin that He cannot even look at it.

"Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows." Hebrews 1:9.

"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. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. Do not err, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning." James 1:13-17.

"The Lord is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works." Psalms 145:17.

"This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth."1 John 1 :5,6.

"He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil… In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother." 1 John 3 :8,10.

Why does God hate sin? God hates sin because sin separates His creatures from Him and thereby destroys them.

"But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear." Isaiah 59:2.

"Evil shall slay the wicked: and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate." Psalm 34:21.

"For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish." Psalm 1:6.

Sin is telling God to depart. And God knows, and we need to know too, that when He departs the end-result is destruction.

"Hast thou marked the old way which wicked men have trodden? Which were cut down out of time, whose foundation was overflown with a flood: Which said unto God, Depart from us: and what can the Almighty do for them?" Job. 22:15-17.

"O Lord, the hope of Israel, all that forsake thee shall be ashamed, and they that depart from me shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken the Lord, the fountain of living waters." Jeremiah 17:13.

"And the destruction of the transgressors and of the sinners shall be together, and they that forsake the Lord shall be consumed." Isaiah 1:28.

Going back now to Isaiah 59:2 we see clearly that sin separates between creature and Creator and hides His face from His creatures.

"Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear." Isaiah 59:1,2.

Furthermore Isaiah 54:7,8 defines the mechanism of wrath as the hiding of God's face.

"In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer."Isaiah 54:8.

"How long, Lord? wilt thou hide thyself for ever? shall thy wrath burn like fire?" Psalm 89:46.

"Hide not thy face far from me; put not thy servant away in anger: thou hast been my help; leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation."Psalm 27:9.

"Lord, by thy favour thou hast made my mountain to stand strong: thou didst hide thy face, and I was troubled." Psalm 30:7.

"Hear me speedily, O Lord: my spirit faileth: hide not thy face from me, lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit." Psalm 143:7.

Now how does God exercise His wrath?

Perhaps the clearest New Testament answer (other than the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ) was given by Paul in Romans Chapter One.

In Romans 1:18 Paul states clearly that the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all sin.

"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;"Romans 1:18.

In Romans 1:19-23 Paul shows that there is no excuse for sin or godlessnesss. Then in verse 24 he also explains how God exercises wrath. Paul states in Romans 1:24.

"WHEREFORE GOD ALSO GAVE THEM UP .…"

Paul repeats this explanation in verse 26

"FOR THIS CAUSE GOD GAVE THEM UP.…"

And in verse 28

"… GOD GAVE THEM OVER…."

Paul is clear in Romans 1:18-28 that God excercises His wrath by "giving up" the sinner to reap the consequences of sin.

But where did Paul get this explanation from? The only scriptures available in his day were the scriptures of the Old Testament.

Can we find this explanation in the Old Testament?

Yes!

Wrath, in all its various linguistic descriptions, was inflicted upon Israel and Judah with frequent regularity in the Old Testament Era.

In Deuteronomy chapter 28, God, through Moses, had given to the Israelites a list of the blessings of obedience (Deuteronomy 28:1-15), and a very much longer list of the curses of disobedience (Deuteronomy 28:15-68).

Let us now examine the language used to describe the curses, as we examine some of the verses in Deuteronomy 28:15-68.

Consider these verses.

"The Lord shall send upon thee cursing, vexation, and rebuke, in all that thou settest thine hand unto for to do, until thou be destroyed, and until thou perish quickly; because of the wickedness of thy doings, whereby thou hast forsaken me.

The Lord shall make the pestilence cleave unto thee, until he have consumed thee from off the land, whither thou goest to possess it.The Lord

shall smite thee with a consumption, and with a fever, and with an inflammation, and with an extreme burning, and with the sword, and with blasting, and with mildew; and they shall pursue thee until thou perish.

The Lord will smite thee with the botch of Egypt, and with the emerods, and with the scab, and with the itch, whereof thou canst not be healed. The Lord shall smite thee with madness, and blindness, and astonishment of heart:

Then the Lord will make thy plagues wonderful, and the plagues of thy seed, even great plagues, and of long continuance, and sore sicknesses, and of long continuance. Moreover he will bring upon thee all the diseases of Egypt, which thou wast afraid of; and they shall cleave unto thee.

Also every sickness, and every plague, which is not written in the book of this law, them will the Lord bring upon thee, until thou be destroyed."Deuteronomy 28:20,21,22,27,28,59,60,61.

Each of these texts describes Israel's punishment as striking them by a direct decree or a direct act of God.

But wait a minute!

Let us turn in our Bibles to Deuteronomy Chapter 31 verses 16-18.

"And the Lord said unto Moses, Behold, thou shalt sleep with thy fathers; and this people will rise up, and go a whoring after the gods of the strangers of the land, whither they go to be among them, and will forsake me, and break my covenant which I have made with them.

Then my anger shall be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them, and I will hide my face from them, and they shall be devoured, and many evils and troubles shall befall them; so that they will say in that day, Are not these evils come upon us, because our God is not among us? And I will surely hide my face in that day for all the evils which they shall have wrought, in that they are turned unto other gods."

Verse 17 explains very clearly the meaning and mechanism of wrath. When the Israelites forsook God by rejecting His loving invitations and warnings, He forsook them, His face was hid from them and all the evils which befell them happened because God was not among them.

It is very clear then that the mechanism of God's wrath is the separation caused by sin. It is this separation between God and sinners that produces the "punishment."

For futher confirmation refer to the following texts:

"Evil shall slay the wicked: and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate." Psalm 34:21.

"But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear." Isaiah 59:2.

"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. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death." James 1:13-15.

"Then my anger shall be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them, and I will hide my face from them, and they shall be devoured, and many evils and troubles shall befall them; so that they will say in that day, Are not these evils come upon us, because our God is not among us?"Deuteronomy 31:17.

The punishments do not come by the direct decreee or direct infliction by God. NO! The punishments come from sin itself as it separates from God.

The problem with us is that we try to understand God's wrath in terms of human wrath, but this is one thing we should never do. The reason is written down in James 1:20.

"For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God."

Human wrath transgresses God's law and therefore is sin. God's wrath is righteous it does not act contrary to God's law of love. God exercises His wrath by giving up those who reject Him. This "giving up" may be partial or complete as we shall learn from later studies.

To further clarify this point, consider Hosea 11:7,8,9.

"And my people are bent to backsliding from me: though they called them to the most High, none at all would exalt him. How shall I give thee up, Ephraim? how shall I deliver thee, Israel? how shall I make thee as Admah? how shall I set thee as Zeboim? mine heart is turned within me, my repentings are kindled together. I will not execute the fierceness of mine anger, I will not return to destroy Ephraim: for I am God, and not man; the Holy One in the midst of thee: and I will not enter into the city." Hosea 11:7,8,9.

God asked His ancient people a question in Hosea 11:8. "HOW SHALL I GIVE THEE UP, EPHRAIM? How shall I deliver thee Israel?"

And notice (in verse 8) that in giving them up He would be making them as Admah and Zeboim, cities of the plain, which were destroyed with Sodom and Gomorrah (See Genesis 14:2; 19:24, 25). This principle in these verses will be important in our understanding of the flood and who/what brought about the flood.

But understand from verse 9 that His giving them up was equivalent to:

(i) executing the fierceness of His anger and

(ii) destroying them.

Hosea chapter 11 verse 7,8,9 then, establish the following identity of meanings:

GOD'S WRATH = HIS GIVING THEM UP = THE EXECUTION OF HIS FIERCE ANGER = HIS DESTROYING THEM

And remember Isaiah 59:2 and 54:8 which explain that God's wrath is the hiding of His face caused by sin. It is the terrible separation, caused by sin, which produces destruction according to the principles of Jer. 17:13 and James 1:13-15.

Another term employed in scripture to describe wrath is the term HE SPARED NOT. Consider 2 Peter 2 verses 4,5,6.

"For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;

And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly." 2 Peter 2:4,5,6.

We now come to a crucial point. Jesus suffered the wrath of God for us.

"For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." 2 Corinthians 5:21.

"What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?" Romans 8:31, 32.

God spared not the angels who sinned.

God spared not the pre-flood world.

God spared not the cities of the plain: Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboim.

God spared not His Son!

"Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all." Isaiah 53:4-6.

Now the critical question.

Will He spare us? Yes, but only in Christ!

"Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward;

How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him."Hebrews 2:1-3.

Chapter Eight
The Cross Reveals The Mechanism Of Divine Punishment

"What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?" Romans 8:31, 32.

Jesus was not spared, He was given up for us all.

In order to be our Substitute and Surety Jesus had to suffer the full punishment of sin for all mankind. God His Father could not spare Him in any way. God had to treat Him in the same way that the unrepentant sinner will be treated in the day of executive judgement.

"For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." 2 Corinthians 5:21.

"But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear." Isaiah 59:2.

"For the wages of sin is death…" Romans 6:23 first part.

"But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man." Hebrews 2:9.

Jesus bore the punishment which was our just due. He had to suffer the full wrath of God against sin for us.

"Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all…

Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand."Isaiah 53:4-6, 10.

The Bible speaks of two deaths, first and second. The first is the death of the body and the unconscious sleep of the soul. The second death is destruction of body and soul in the final executive judgement.

"And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell."Matthew 10:28.

"These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep. Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well. Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep. Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead. And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe; nevertheless let us go unto him."John 11:11-15.

"He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death." Revelation 21:7,8.

Both the first and the second deaths are caused by sin.

"Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned." Rom. 5:12.

"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 6:23.

"Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death." James 1:15.

Jesus therefore had to taste, experience and die both deaths in order to be our complete Substitute, Surety and Saviour.

"But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man." Hebrews 2:9.

Satan inspired the Jews and Romans to kill Jesus' body.

The sins of the whole world separated His soul from God thereby inflicting the second death upon Him.

"Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death:

and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors." Isaiah 53:12.

By examining carefully how Jesus died on the cross we shall be able to understand the mechanism by which God's wrath, His fierce anger, His justice, His punishing, His smiting, His destroying the sinner, operates!

In the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus began to experience the terrible separation which the weight of all the sins of the whole world would cause. In words of burning anguish He uttered:

"MY SOUL IS EXCEEDING SORROWFUL, EVEN UNTO DEATH: TARRY YE HERE AND WATCH WITH ME." Matthew 26:38.

As the anguish increased He fell on His face and prayed

"And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?

Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done." Matthew 26:39-42.

In fact Mark indicates that He prayed three times in all. (See Mark 14:41).

At last His mind was fixed, He would save mankind at any cost to Himself. What infinite love!

During His "trial" He clearly stated that no man could have had any power to hurt Him unless the Father had "given Him up."

"Then saith Pilate unto him, Speakest thou not unto me? knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee? Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin."John 19:10,11.

This is what Paul meant in Romans 4:25 and in Romans 8:32.

"Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification." Romans 4:25.

"He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?" Romans 8:32.

Yes! God the Father did not spare His Son but delivered Him up. God gave Jesus up to the terrible consequences of sin.

"Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree."Galatians. 3:13.

At the physical level His enemies tortured His body and heaped ridicule upon His mind.

At the spiritual level, the iniquity of the whole world was laid upon Jesus and separated His entire being from God thereby producing the sufferings and actuality of the second death.

As Jesus experienced the terrible separation which sin causes between the soul and God, He cried out: (Matthew 27:46).

"MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAST THOU FORSAKEN ME?"

Please read the whole of Psalm 22.

Question: What killed Jesus?

Answer: The sins of the whole world separated Him from God the Father and killed Him. Our sins hid His Father's face from Christ. The Father forsook His Son.

"For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." 2 Corinthians 5:21.

"Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors." Isaiah 53:12.

"But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear." Isaiah 59:2.

"In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer."Isaiah 54:8.

"And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" Matthew 27:46.

Our Lord Jesus suffered the hiding of His Father's face. He suffered the wrath of God for us!

The cross therefore confirms the truth that sin produces death by separation from God.

The cross proves that sin whenever it is finished produces death.

The cross proves God right when He said that sin produces death.

The cross proves Satan wrong when he asserted that sin does not cause death.

The cross proves that we all have a genuine choice in the great conflict between light and darkness.

If we choose righteousness we are choosing eternal life.

If we choose unrighteousness we are choosing the second death, and it is sin itself which will destroy us.

"Evil shall slay the wicked: and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate." Psalm 34:21.

"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 6:23.

"O Lord, the hope of Israel, all that forsake thee shall be ashamed, and they that depart from me shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken the Lord, the fountain of living waters." Jeremiah 17:13.

Chapter Nine
Lessons From The Book Of Job

We have already learnt that notwithstanding the language of the Old Testament, a careful search of the Bible reveals passages of scripture which contain the principles of correct interpretation by which the mechanism underlying the execution of Divine Judgements may be understood.

One such passage, indeed an entire Book of the Bible, is the Book of Job, which was written by Moses to explain the mechanism underlying this principle.

The account begins with a description of Job, his character, his possessions and his concern for his children's salvation. There can be no doubt about Job's loyalty to God and to righteousness.

"There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil. And there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters. His substance also was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she asses, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the east. And his sons went and feasted in their houses, every one his day; and sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them. And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually." Job 1:1-5.

At this point the scene changes. There is a special meeting of special persons with God. Strangely enough Satan is present.

"Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them." Job 1:6.

God asks Satan some questions.

"And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?" Job. 1:8.

Satan's answer is a malicious one. He implies that Job is serving God merely for the rewards and not because of any genuine love for righteousness.

"Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land." Job 1:9,10.

Now comes the crucial moment. Satan challenges God over Job!

"But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face." Job. 1:11.

Pay careful attention to the language. Satan tells God to put forth His hand and touch all Job's possessions.

Let us see now how God "puts forth" His hand "to touch" Job's possessions.

"And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord." Job. 1:12.

It is clearly seen that the way God puts forth His hand to touch Job's possessions is by handing them over, giving them up, to Satan and permitting Satan to destroy them.

Notice too that God does not "hand over" Job's body to Satan's power at this time.

Soon after God "put forth His hand and touched Job's possessions", meaning, soon after God handed over Job's possessions to Satan, a series of disasters strikes Job.

"And there was a day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house: And there came a messenger unto Job, and said, The oxen were plowing, and the asses feeding beside them:

And the Sabeans fell upon them, and took them away; yea, they have slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The fire of God is fallen from heaven, and hath burned up the sheep, and the servants, and consumed them; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.

While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The Chaldeans made out three bands, and fell upon the camels, and have carried them away, yea, and slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house:

And, behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee." Job 1:13-19.

Let us list the calamities which strike Job.

1. Enemies, called the Sabeans, attack and take away all his oxen and donkeys and kill the attendants.

2. The fire of God falls from heaven and burns up sheep and servants.

3. Another set of enemies, called the Chaldeans, kills the servants attending the camels and steals the camels.

4. A wind-storm destroys the house where Job's children are assembled and kills all ten children and their attending servants.

Next is described Job's reaction to the horrible news.

"Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord. In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly." Job 1:20-22.

Notice the language in verse 21. "The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away..."

But how did the LORD take away?

The LORD "took away" His possessions by permitting Satan to destroy them.

Job Chapter 2 opens with another meeting of the sons of God and Satan is among them again. And again God asks him some questions about Job.

"Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the Lord. And the Lord said unto Satan, From whence comest thou? And Satan answered the Lord, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.

And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause." Job 2:1-3.

Notice again the language at the end of verse 3 where God says that Satan moved Him (God) to destroy Job without cause!

Obviously the term "God destroyed him without cause" means God permitted Satan to destroy him without cause.

Well, Satan challenges God again! And God takes up the challenge! He hands over Job's body, but not his life, into Satan's hand.

"And Satan answered the Lord, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life. But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face. And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life."

Satan goes forth from God's presence and smites Job with horrible skin boils from head to foot.

"So went Satan forth from the presence of the Lord, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown. And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal; and he sat down among the ashes." Job. 2:7-8.

It is at this point that others, namely his wife and three special friends, are brought into the picture.

Firstly, his wife tells him to let go his righteousness and his loyalty to God.

"Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die." Job. 2:9.

Job maintains his commitment and loyalty to God and His righteousness.

He rebukes his wife for her folly.

"But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips." Job. 2:10.

Notice again the language in verse 10.

"What? Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?"

But how did Job receive evil from the hand of God? God permitted Satan's government of sin to strike Job with evil.

Job 2:11 introduces Job's three friends who come to comfort him.

"Now when Job's three friends heard of all this evil that was come upon him, they came every one from his own place; Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite: for they had made an appointment together to come to mourn with him and to comfort him." Job. 2:11.

When Job's three friends heard of all the evil that came upon him, they came…

Note carefully that all the calamities which befell Job are called evil. This is a very interesting point because we know that God is never the source of evil. God never does evil, He only permits it.

In the ensuing chapters (8-37) Job and his three friends talk to each other concerning the evil which befell Job.

The three friends have good logic and make excellent points but they all miss the crucial and central issue in the story of Job.

Job's friends argue that Job must have sinned otherwise such evil could not have come upon him. His friends assert that God is punishing Job because he has done some secret sin.

Job maintains that he has not departed from God by any sin.

Eventually God speaks (Chapters 38-41) to Job. He simply asks Job certain questions to shew how finite we are and how infinite He is.

Job's answer to God is one of submissive repentance.

"Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes." Job 42:6.

God rebukes Job's friends for not saying the right thing about Him. And after Job intercedes for them, God turns the captivity of Job and gives him twice as much as he had before.

"And the Lord turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before. Then came there unto him all his brethren, and all his sisters, and all they that had been of his acquaintance before, and did eat bread with him in his house: and they bemoaned him, and comforted him over all the evil that the Lord had brought upon him: every man also gave him a piece of money, and every one an earring of gold.

So the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning: for he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she asses. He had also seven sons and three daughters. And he called the name of the first, Jemima; and the name of the second, Kezia; and the name of the third, Kerenhappuch.

And in all the land were no women found so fair as the daughters of Job: and their father gave them inheritance among their brethren. After this lived Job an hundred and forty years, and saw his sons, and his sons' sons, even four generations. So Job died, being old and full of days." Job 42:10-17.

Notice again the language of Job 42:11. His relatives and friends comforted him concerning "all the evil the LORD had brought upon him."

How had God brought evil upon Job? By handing him over to, and permitting, Satan to afflict him with evil.

The history of Job is very important. It was generally believed by ancient peoples including the Jews that every affliction by God upon an individual (or family) was the penalty of some wrong doing, either of the victim or of his or her parents. Thus the way was prepared for the Jews to reject Jesus. He who "hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows" was looked upon by the Jews as "stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted;" and they looked upon Him with scorn and contempt. (Isaiah 53:3,4).

It was Satan, the author of sin and all its results, who had led men to look upon disease and death as proceeding from God, as punishment arbitrarily inflicted on account of sin. But the history of Job shows that suffering is inflicted by Satan, and is overruled by God for purposes of mercy.

Moreover the history of Job also teaches us that God permits Satan to bring adversity upon true Christians in order to answer certain charges and prove certain points in the great controversy between God and Satan.

God must demonstrate that His people will remain loyal to His government in spite of all the pressure which Satan can apply.