Choose life ∙

Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life so that you and your descendants might live! – Deuteronomy 30:19

Isaiah 5:20-25

 20 What sorrow for those who say that evil is good and good is evil, that dark is light, and light is dark, that bitter is sweet and sweet is bitter.

 21 What sorrow for those who are wise in their own eyes and think themselves so clever.

 24 Therefore, just as fire licks up stubble and dry grass shrivels in the flame, so their roots will rot and their flowers wither. For they have rejected the law of the LORD of Heaven’s Armies; they have despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.

 25 That is why the LORD’s anger burns against his people, and why he has raised his fist to crush them. The mountains tremble, and the corpses of his people litter the streets like garbage. But even then the LORD’s anger is not satisfied. His fist is still poised to strike!

The 9/11 attacks were a shock, but they should not have come as a surprise. Islamist extremists had given plenty of warning that they meant to kill Americans in large numbers indiscriminately.

“The most important failure was one of imagination. We do not believe leaders understood the gravity of the threat” (911commission.gov/report). They had somehow lost the ability to conceive of pure evil. Many Americans embracing the goodness in people had become “evil skeptics.”

What can be done? The 9/11 Commission Final Report recommends that to prepare and protect against such threats and attacks; we must recognize the malicious intent of pure evil.

Evil in the broad sense, which includes moral evils, tends to be the sort of evil referenced in theological contexts, such as in discussions of the problem of evil (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy). The discourse regarding pure evil and absolute good moves beyond the philosophical to the theological. When the existence of the Father is denied, so is the reality of pure evil. Claiming that others are evil has caused actual harm in the history of humanity. However, the likelihood of the ideological abuse of a concept of evil and attributing it to others is insufficient reason to abandon the construct.

Children of the King, who stand firmly upon the truth of the Word of God, believe in absolute good and absolute evil. Evil people inhabit the fallen world in which we live. Regrettably, evil people are dedicated to doing evil and bringing harm to the Father’s purposes and particularly the children of the King.

1 Kings 21:25 No one else so completely sold himself to what was evil in the LORD’s sight as Ahab did under the influence of his wife, Jezebel.

REFLECT & PRAY

“The wheels of justice turn slowly, but grind exceedingly fine” (Sun Tzu).

Father we live in an age where good has been considered evil, and evil has been considered good. May we choose to take a firm stand for good and for life.

INSIGHT

Both evil and injustice touch the heart of the Father. He is not neutral or passive.

Isaiah 5:24-25

 24 For they have rejected the law of the LORD of Heaven’s Armies; they have despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.

 25 That is why the LORD’s anger burns against his people, and why he has raised his fist to crush them. The mountains tremble, and the corpses of his people litter the streets like garbage. But even then the LORD’s anger is not satisfied. His fist is still poised to strike!

However, the Father does not always act immediately. As a result, the consequences are often disastrous collateral damage.

Ecclesiastes 8:11 When a crime is not punished quickly, people feel it is safe to do wrong.

Ecclesiastes 8:11 Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed quickly, therefore the hearts of the sons of men among them are given fully to do evil.

When justice against evil is not executed in a timely fashion, or not at all, the outcome is more evil.

Ecclesiastes 8:11 is not merely about failed justice. Instead, it reveals the evil and depravity found in the human heart. People are incentivized to do evil when they see that evil goes unpunished.

“If evil deeds were punished right away, then people would be deterred from doing wickedness . . .. But justice is so painfully slow that some people think they can get away with murder, both literally and figuratively” (Ryken). And worse, it moves from individuals to groupthink. Groupthink is a psychological phenomenon that occurs within a group of people in which the desire for harmony or conformity in the group results in irrational or dysfunctional decision-making” (Wikipedia). This results in confirmation bias of the individual members of the group.

Confirmation bias is the tendency to process data by looking for, or interpreting, information that is consistent with one’s existing beliefs. Such a biased approach is mainly unintentional and often illogical and slanted.

“When people do not believe in God, they misunderstand why life matters and lose their foundation for righteous living, and therefore they turn their hearts toward evil”  (Ryken).

In simple terms, it must be okay because everybody else is doing it. And it escalates from there. Traditional values are pushed aside and replaced by the current groupthink consensus and standards of behavior.

All too often, false piety and legality cloak injustice. Deeds of darkness are supported by silent acquiescence or overt complicity. However, evil deeds and injustice touch the Father. In the cosmic order of things, the Father is at work to make things right and bring about justice.

Isaiah 42:16 I will lead blind Israel down a new path, guiding them along an unfamiliar way. I will brighten the darkness before them and smooth out the road ahead of them. Yes, I will indeed do these things; I will not forsake them.

The Father is committed and will triumph. Peace and justice will prevail in the kingdom to come and for all eternity. The true King of kings and the restoration of all things is coming.

Revelation 19:6

 6 Hallelujah, for the Lord God omnipotent reigns.

 11 Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. Its rider was named Faithful and True, for he judges fairly and wages a righteous war.

 14 The armies of heaven, dressed in the finest of pure white linen, followed him on white horses.

 15 From his mouth came a sharp sword to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod. He will release the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty, like juice flowing from a winepress.

 16 On his robe at his thigh was written this title: King of kings and Lord of all lords. 

Isaiah 5:20-21

 20 What sorrow for those who say that evil is good and good is evil, that dark is light, and light is dark, that bitter is sweet and sweet is bitter.

 21 What sorrow for those who are wise in their own eyes and think themselves so clever.

Every child of the King is called upon to stand against evil. We are to choose life and not death. We are to choose to do good and not evil.

Deuteronomy 30:19 I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. . .. Oh, that you would choose life . . .!

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© Dr. H 2023