Sabbath: Rebellion in a Perfect Universe
Image © Pacific Press
Sabbath Afternoon
Read for This Week’s Study: 1 John 4:8, 1 John 4:16; 1 John 4:7-16; Ezekiel 28:12-19; Isaiah 14:12-15; Revelation 12:1-17.
Memory Text: “How you have fallen from heaven, you star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, you who defeated the nations!” (Isaiah 14:12, NASB).
Many thinkers have tried to explain the origin of evil. Some suggest that evil always has existed because, in their view, good can be appreciated only in contrast to evil. Others believe that the world was created perfect but, somehow, evil emerged. For example, in Greek mythology, evil started when the curious Pandora opened a sealed box out of which flew all the evils of the world (this myth, however, does not explain the origin of the evils supposedly hidden in that box).
By contrast, the Bible teaches that our loving God is all-powerful (1 Chronicles 29:10-11) and perfect (Matthew 5:48). All that He does must likewise be perfect (Deuteronomy 32:4), which includes how He created our world. How, then, could evil and sin appear in a perfect world? According to Genesis Chapter 3, the fall of Adam and Eve brought sin, evil, and death here.
But that answer raises another issue. Even before the Fall, evil already had existed, manifested by the “serpent,” who deceived Eve (Genesis 3:1-5). Hence, we need to go back, even before the Fall, in order to find the source and origins of the evil that so dominates our present existence and that at times can make it pretty miserable.
Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, October 1.
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Rebellion!!
The root of all the universe's problems.
There is perfect order but a being or person thinks they know a better way and they rebel!
This quarter we will see the result of rebellion and the LORD's solutions.
This quarter's lessons will hopefully open the treasure chest of God's Truth! I find the word ‘love’ to be inadequate when trying to express the spiritually based, creative, and self-sustaining power of the Love of our Creator when describing the establishing/creating of the Laws governing His Creation. Similarly, the word ‘evil’ is difficult to recon with in life when considered in its spiritual context.
But we have two examples which help us define God’s ‘Love’ and that which we call ‘evil’: Jesus Christ submitting His free will and instead following the Will of the Father throughout His life, even unto physical death, which establishes True Life; and Lucifer, the Son of the Morning, using his free will to exalt himself and attempt to usurp the power of the Creator, so forging and following his own way leading unto eternal death.
Rebellion is only possible in the context of being chosen/experienced by a free being. What is a free being? A being who is endowed with the freedom of independent thought; to make and apply his choice based on a free will. If we truly believe that all things are created by a benevolent Creator, than all sentient beings in earth and heaven are created in this same way.
We are free to chose our destiny. Being ‘free’, though, only means that we are free to apply that which we ‘know’ of life and apply it to that which we choose. By the Creator established spiritual values and standards are implicit in each ‘choice’, containing and expressing the basic spiritual building blocks that govern the universe and our heart when making a 'free' choice. God's standards and values come from, are representative of, and part and parcel of that which True Life consists of – God’s Nature.
When, like Lucifer, one decides to go against God’s Nature, this being finds him/herself in the realm of ‘rebellion’ – attempting to establish ‘existence’ outside the Nature of Life’s Creator. God's Nature/Identity is ‘Love’, the ‘Law of God’ being based on His Nature; therefore ‘Love’ is synonymous with the Creator’s Law which reflects/is God's Nature/Identity.
Truly, I can see no other law/way of Life existing outside His creative, self-sustaining, everlasting, universal Law of Love.
Love originates from God because God is love. Sin is a by-product of God's love. God's very loving nature planted the free will to choose to love in his creation. Choosing not to love (rebellion) is the birth of evil. It is as true as then as now. Love is of God, which is why love is far more powerful and conquers evil anytime and also at the cross. Evil brings so much pain and misery, but love surpasses all that. Looking forward to the promises of love overcomes the fear and pain of evil. Love always wins.
Following on from what I have mentioned in the Introduction regarding looking at things to see if there is more to understand, I have looked more closely at the memory verse - Isaiah 14:12. One thing I noticed was that the verb variously translated "have been cut/cast/thrown down" is a Niphal verb form. As I understand, this essentially means that the verb is in what is referred to as "middle voice" - as contrasted with "active" or "passive". While some modern languages have middle voice, English is not one of them. Consequently, because 'English' language only knows and uses active or passive, the English-based mind automatically slots into one or the other of these interpretations/understandings.
What does this mean and why does it even matter? Middle voice means that there is only one party involved, not two. Thus, what is happening is originating from within that one party and is also affecting that same party as a result. Consequently, this 'star of the morning' is 'cut/cast/thrown-down' by his own nature and character this is, well, inherently fallen. So, something outside of this 'star of the morning' has not done the cutting down. Rather, the nature and character that the 'star of the morning' has embraced and continues to embrace is inherently producing and perpetuating the cutting/casting/throwing down. The dynamics of what constitutes a fallen nature are causing and have caused the fall. This accords perfectly with the dynamic summarised much later in Galatians 6:8 - those that sow to (ie, cultivate) the flesh will reap destruction from that flesh.
I propose that this is a significant aspect, along with other significant aspects, to keep in mind as we take a fresh look at the origin, nature and impacts of sin, death and dying.
What do you think?
Phil, your idea is not incorrect if you consider/analyze this single passage/word by itself. When we include other passages of scripture related to the topic, we realize that Satan has no ability to create or destroy any soul, including his own. Satan is a creature as you and I are, and dependent upon a greater power for life and death of the living soul. No creature can destroy his soul any more than he could create it, which the resurrection day(either one) will prove when the souls of suicide victims will be resurrected and judged by God, who alone can create or destroy His creation.
Consider/analyze Revelation 22:12, which I find very interesting on this matter.
The beginning and ending of every creature is from Christ/God(who has no beginning or ending Himself). It is HE who rewards according to the works of every living soul. Would Satan(or anyone) prepare their own destruction(Matt 25:41)? Wouldn't he want to rob God of His just act if he could?(reasoning from Satan's foolish perspective of course, since God finds no pleasure in punishing rebels, which must be done to restore perfect peace to all creation.)
Consider also Matt 10:28, and notice the symbol used: "Gehenna"(often translated: hell), where, among other things, bodies would be burned for sanitary reasons. Could the dead bodies kindle those fires, or even bring themselves to the place of burning? Doesn't this seem significant that Jesus would use this illustration when teaching whom we should fear?
Thanks, Phil, for pointing out an alternate interpretation of Isa. 14:12. It is interesting in that it suggests that Satan's expulsion from heaven was not arbitrary, but that he unfitted himself for the company of heavenly beings.
Beyond that, I know that it is not safe to put too much stock in individual Hebrew expressions, since meaning very much depends on context in that language. I tend to trust the collective wisdom of specialists in Hebrew culture and languages (the people who translated the Old Testament) more than any individual's interpretation.
I just did a quick check of half a dozen languages, and they all sound *very* similar to the KJV with all having the idea of the "star" being actively "cut down" to the earth. (I'm only fluent in two languages, but I never imagined how useful my 3 years of high school Latin would turn out to be!)
Here's an interesting page on BibleHub:
https://biblehub.com/multi/isaiah/14-12.htm
Then test an online translation app with that verse. 😊
I just thought of another analogy to consider on this matter of who destroys the soul. When an orchard owner finds an infected branch on a fruit tree, he must remove and burn it in order to save the tree/orchard. The branch doesn't remove itself or light itself on fire. In fact, it depends on its connection to the tree for its life, and once infected, can only infest the rest of the tree and eventually the entire orchard, or be cured of its infection. Jesus taught that the universe has One Sovereign/husbandman(John 15:1,2). He plants, He prunes, He purges.
As creatures of free will, we are left to choose whether we will be an infectious or fruit-bearing branch in God's orchard(government). In Isa 14:9 the Lord refers to Satan as "an abominal branch".
amen