God destroys no man. Everyone who is destroyed will have destroyed himself.
Everyone who stifles the admonitions of conscience is sowing the seeds
of unbelief, and these will produce a sure harvest. By rejecting the
first warning from God, Pharaoh of old sowed the seeds of obstinacy, and
he reaped obstinacy. God did not compel him to disbelieve. The seed of
unbelief which he sowed produced a harvest of its kind. Thus his
resistance continued, until he looked upon his devastated land, upon the
cold, dead form of his first-born, and the first-born of all in his
house and of all the families in his kingdom, until the waters of the
sea closed over his horses and his chariots and his men of war. His
history is a fearful illustration of the truth of the words that
“whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” Gal. 6:7. Did men
but realize this, they would be careful what seed they sow. {COL 84-5}
God had made it their privilege and their duty to enter the
land at the time of His appointment, but through their willful neglect
that permission had been withdrawn. Satan had gained his object in
preventing them from entering Canaan; and now he urged them on to do the
very thing, in the face of the divine prohibition, which they had
refused to do when God required it. Thus the great deceiver gained the
victory by leading them to rebellion the second time. They
had distrusted the power of God to work with their efforts in gaining
possession of Canaan; yet now they presumed upon their own strength to
accomplish the work independent of divine aid . “We have
sinned against the Lord,” they cried; “we will go up and fight,
according to all that the Lord our God commanded us.” Deuteronomy 1:41.
So terribly blinded had they become by transgression. The
Lord had never commanded them to “go up and fight.” It was not His
purpose that they should gain the land by warfare, but by strict
obedience to His commands . {PP 392}
The
Israelites crossed the river Arnon and advanced upon the foe. An
engagement took place, in which the armies of Israel were victorious;
and, following up the advantage gained, they were soon in possession of
the country of the Amorites. It was the Captain of the
Lord’s host who vanquished the enemies of His people; and He would have
done the same thirty-eight years before had Israel trusted in Him. {PP 435.1}
The
calm faith of their leader inspired the people with confidence in God.
They trusted all to His omnipotent arm, and He did not fail them. Not
mighty giants nor walled cities, armed hosts nor rocky fortresses, could
stand before the Captain of the Lord’s host. The Lord led the army; the
Lord discomfited the enemy; the Lord conquered in behalf of Israel. The
giant king and his army were destroyed, and the Israelites soon took
possession of the whole country. Thus was blotted from the earth that
strange people who had given themselves up to iniquity and abominable
idolatry . {PP 436.2}
The Israelites had not gained the victory by their own power; the conquest had been wholly the Lord’s ;
and as the first fruits of the land, the city, with all that it
contained, was to be devoted as a sacrifice to God. It was to be
impressed upon Israel that in the conquest of Canaan they were not to fight for themselves, but simply as instruments to execute the will of God ;
not to seek for riches or self-exaltation, but the glory of Jehovah
their King. Before the capture the command had been given, “The city
shall be accursed, even it, and all that are therein.” “Keep yourselves
from the accursed thing, lest ye make yourselves accursed . . . and make
the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it.” {PP 491.2}
The
utter destruction of the people of Jericho was but a fulfillment of the
commands previously given through Moses concerning the inhabitants of
Canaan: “Thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them.” Deuteronomy
7:2. “Of the cities of these people, . . . thou shalt save alive nothing
that breatheth.” Deuteronomy 20:16. To many these commands
seem to be contrary to the spirit of love and mercy enjoined in other
portions of the Bible, but they were in truth the dictates of infinite
wisdom and goodness. God was about to establish Israel in Canaan, to
develop among them a nation and government that should be a
manifestation of His kingdom upon the earth. They were not only to be
inheritors of the true religion, but to disseminate its principles
throughout the world. The Canaanites had abandoned themselves to the
foulest and most debasing heathenism, and it was necessary that the land
should be cleared of what would so surely prevent the fulfillment of
God’s gracious purposes . {PP 492.1}
The
inhabitants of Canaan had been granted ample opportunity for repentance.
Forty years before, the opening of the Red Sea and the judgments upon
Egypt had testified to the supreme power of the God of Israel. And now
the overthrow of the kings of Midian, of Gilead and Bashan, had further
shown that Jehovah was above all gods. The holiness of His character and
His abhorrence of impurity had been evinced in the judgments visited
upon Israel for their participation in the abominable rites of Baalpeor.
All these events were known to the inhabitants of Jericho, and there
were many who shared Rahab’s conviction, though they refused to obey it,
that Jehovah, the God of Israel, “is God in heaven above, and upon the
earth beneath.” Like the men before the Flood, the
Canaanites lived only to blaspheme Heaven and defile the earth. And both
love and justice demanded the prompt execution of these rebels against
God and foes to man. {PP 492.2}
Herod was
acquainted with the law of God, which says, “Thou shalt have no other
gods before Me” (Exodus 20:3); and he knew that in accepting the worship
of the people he had filled up the measure of his iniquity and brought
upon himself the just wrath of Jehovah.
The same
angel who had come from the royal courts to rescue Peter, had been the
messenger of wrath and judgment to Herod. The angel smote Peter to
arouse him from slumber; it was with a different stroke that he smote
the wicked king, laying low his pride and bringing upon him the
punishment of the Almighty . Herod died in great agony of mind and body, under the retributive judgment of God. {AA 151,152.}
Lot returned sorrowfully to his home and told the story of his failure.
Then the angels bade him arise and take his wife and the two daughters
who were yet in his house and leave the city. But Lot delayed. Though
daily distressed at beholding deeds of violence, he had no true
conception of the debasing and abominable iniquity practiced in that
vile city. He did not realize the terrible necessity for God’s judgments to put a check on sin .
Some of his children clung to Sodom, and his wife refused to depart
without them. The thought of leaving those whom he held dearest on earth
seemed more than he could bear. It was hard to forsake his luxurious
home and all the wealth acquired by the labors of his whole life, to go
forth a destitute wanderer. Stupefied with sorrow, he lingered, loath to
depart. But for the angels of God, they would all have perished in the
ruin of Sodom. The heavenly messengers took him and his wife and
daughters by the hand and led them out of the city.
Here the angels left them, and turned back to Sodom to accomplish their work of destruction . {PP 160.}
The people first beheld the destruction of the works of their own
hands. Their splendid buildings, and the beautiful gardens and groves
where they had placed their idols, were destroyed by lightning from
heaven, and the ruins were scattered far and wide. The altars on which
human sacrifices had been offered were torn down, and the worshipers were made to tremble at the power of the living God, and to know that it was their corruption and idolatry which had called down their destruction. {PP 99.2}
As the violence of the storm increased, trees, buildings, rocks, and
earth were hurled in every direction. The terror of man and beast was
beyond description. Above the roar of the tempest was heard the wailing
of a people that had despised the authority of God. Satan himself, who was compelled to remain in the midst of the warring elements, feared for his own existence.
He had delighted to control so powerful a race, and desired them to
live to practice their abominations and continue their rebellion against
the Ruler of heaven. He now uttered imprecations against God, charging Him with injustice and cruelty.
Many of the people, like Satan, blasphemed God, and had they been able,
they would have torn Him from the throne of power. Others were frantic
with fear, stretching their hands toward the ark and pleading for
admittance. But their entreaties were in vain. Conscience was at last
aroused to know that there is a God who ruleth in the heavens.
A single angel destroyed all the first-born of the Egyptians, and
filled the land with mourning. When David offended against God by
numbering the people, one angel caused that terrible destruction by
which his sin was punished. The same destructive power exercised by holy angels when God commands, will be exercised by evil angels when he permits . There are forces now ready, and only waiting the divine permission, to spread desolation everywhere. {GC88 614.2}
God’s judgments were awakened against Jericho. It was a stronghold. But t he
Captain of the Lord’s host Himself came from heaven to lead the armies
of heaven in an attack upon the city. Angels of God laid hold of the
massive walls and brought them to the ground .–3T 264
Korah would not have taken the course he did had he known that all the directions and reproofs communicated to Israel were from God. But he might have known this. God had given overwhelming evidence that He was leading Israel. But Korah
and his companions rejected light until they became so blinded that the
most striking manifestations of His power were not sufficient to
convince them; they attributed them all to human or satanic agency . The
same thing was done by the people, who the day after the destruction of
Korah and his company came to Moses and Aaron, saying, “Ye have killed
the people of the Lord.” Notwithstanding they had had the most
convincing evidence of God’s displeasure at their course, in the
destruction of the men who had deceived them, they dared to
attribute His judgments to Satan, declaring that through the power of
the evil one, Moses and Aaron had caused the death of good and holy men.
It was this act that sealed their doom. They had
committed the sin against the Holy Spirit, a sin by which man’s heart is
effectually hardened against the influence of divine grace. “Whosoever
speaketh a word against the Son of man,” said Christ, “it shall be
forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall
not be forgiven him.” Matthew 12:32. These words were spoken by our
Saviour when the gracious works which He had performed through the power
of God were attributed by the Jews to Beelzebub. It is through the
agency of the Holy Spirit that God communicates with man; and those who
deliberately reject this agency as satanic, have cut off the channel of
communication between the soul and Heaven . {PP 404-5}
The
Lord is regarded as cruel by many in requiring His people to make war
with other nations. They say that it is contrary to His benevolent
character. But He who made the world, and formed man to dwell upon the
earth, has unlimited control over all the works of His hands, and it is
His right to do as He pleases, and what He pleases with the work of His
hands. Man has no right to say to his Maker, Why doest Thou thus? There
is no injustice in His character. He is the Ruler of the world, and a
large portion of His subjects have rebelled against His authority, and
have trampled upon His law. He has bestowed upon them liberal blessings,
and surrounded them with everything needful, yet they have bowed to
images of wood and stone, silver and gold, which their own hands have
made. They teach their children that these are the Gods that give them
life and health, and make their lands fruitful, and give them riches and
honor. They scorn the God of Israel. They despise His people, because
their works are righteous. “The fool hath said in his heart, there is no
God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works” (Ps. 14:1). God
has borne with them until they filled up the measure of their iniquity,
and then He has brought upon them swift destruction. He has used His
people as instruments of His wrath, to punish wicked nations, who have
vexed them, and seduced them into idolatry. {2SM 333.1}
Quotes which seem to support the idea that God does not kill.
The
Saviour in His miracles revealed the power that is continually at work
in man’s behalf, to sustain and to heal him. Through the agencies of
nature, God is working, day by day, hour by hour, moment by moment, to
keep us alive, to build up and restore us. When any part of the body
sustains injury, a healing process is at once begun; nature’s agencies
are set at work to restore soundness. But the power working through
these agencies is the power of God. All life-giving power is from Him.
When one recovers from disease, it is God who restores him.
Sickness, suffering, and death are work of an antagonistic power. Satan is the destroyer; God is the restorer . {MH 112–113}
We cannot know how much we owe to Christ for the peace and protection
which we enjoy. It is the restraining power of God that prevents mankind
from passing fully under the control of Satan. The disobedient and
unthankful have great reason for gratitude for God’s mercy and
long-suffering in holding in check the cruel, malignant power of the
evil one. But when men pass the limits of divine forbearance, that
restraint is removed. God does not stand toward the sinner
as an executioner of the sentence against transgression; but He leaves
the rejectors of His mercy to themselves, to reap that which they have
sown . Every ray of light rejected, every warning despised
or unheeded, every passion indulged, every transgression of the law of
God, is a seed sown which yields its unfailing harvest. The Spirit of
God, persistently resisted, is at last withdrawn from the sinner, and
then there is left no power to control the evil passions of the soul,
and no protection from the malice and enmity of Satan. The destruction
of Jerusalem is a fearful and solemn warning to all who are trifling
with the offers of divine grace and resisting the pleadings of divine
mercy. Never was there given a more decisive testimony to God’s hatred
of sin and to the certain punishment that will fall upon the guilty. {GC
36.1}
Satan is the destroyer. God cannot bless
those who refuse to be faithful stewards. All He can do is to permit
Satan to accomplish his destroying work . We see
calamities of every kind and in every degree coming upon the earth, and
why? The Lord’s restraining power is not exercised. The world has
disregarded the word of God. They live as though there were no God. Like
the inhabitants of the Noachic world, they refuse to have any thought
of God. Wickedness prevails to an alarming extent, and the earth is ripe
for the harvest. {6T 388–389}
Men have become bold in
transgression. The wickedness of the inhabitants of the world has almost
filled up the measure of their iniquity. This earth has almost reached the place where God will permit the destroyer to work his will upon it .
The substitution of the laws of men for the law of God, the exaltation,
by merely human authority, of Sunday in place of the Bible Sabbath, is
the last act in the drama. When this substitution becomes universal, God
will reveal Himself. He will arise in His majesty to shake terribly the
earth. He will come out of His place to punish the inhabitants of the
world for their iniquity, and the earth shall disclose her blood and
shall no more cover her slain. {7T 141.1}
God keeps a
reckoning with the nations. Not a sparrow falls to the ground without
His notice. Those who work evil toward their fellow men, saying, How
doth God know? will one day be called upon to meet long-deferred
vengeance. In this age a more than common contempt is shown to God. Men
have reached a point in insolence and disobedience which shows that
their cup of iniquity is almost full. Many have well-nigh passed the
boundary of mercy. Soon God will show that He is indeed the living God. He
will say to the angels, “No longer combat Satan in his efforts to
destroy. Let him work out his malignity upon the children of
disobedience; for the cup of their iniquity is full. They have advanced
from one degree of wickedness to another, adding daily to their
lawlessness. I will no longer interfere to prevent the destroyer from
doing his work .” {RH, September 17, 1901 par. 8}
God could have destroyed Satan and his sympathizers as easily as one can cast a pebble to the earth; but He did not do this. Rebellion
was not to be overcome by force. Compelling power is found only under
Satan’s government. The Lord’s principles are not of this order. His
authority rests upon goodness, mercy, and love; and the presentation of
these principles is the means to be used. God’s government is moral, and truth and love are to be the prevailing power. {DA 759.1}
