The Innocent with the Guilty?

By Jeff Curtis

The Old Testament contains the idea of group accountability. That is, the guilt of one person could contaminate a whole group of people; and the guilt of the group made individual members guilty, even though they may not have been directly involved in any wrongdoing. When “corporate guilt” is punished, the whole group is punished, even though not all are equally guilty. For example, in Joshua 7, God punished Achan’s individual sin by causing Israel to lose a battle at Ai, with the loss of thirty-six Israelite lives. The whole nation of Israel shared Achan’s guilt, and his punishment included the death of his whole family.

In a sense, the idea of community responsibility also applies today. When an individual breaks the law and goes to jail, everyone in his family pays a price for his wrongdoing. A member of the church who sins may suffer personal consequences, but his sin also hurts the entire church.

This concept may explain the destruction of the Midianite camp, including some who were innocent. They were all part of a guilty nation; therefore, all those in the Midianite camp were collectively guilty and deserving of punishment.

Another important factor in this event is the element of influence. If the Midianite male children had been allowed to live among the Israelites, they may have influenced the Israelites to turn away from God. Perhaps even at a very early age, they had become so engrossed in the Midianites’ false religion and low morality that their presence among the Israelites would have posed a continuing threat to Israel’s standing with God. Destroying the Midianite children, then, was like cutting out an infected part of the body in order to keep the infection from spreading.

The best view regarding the destruction of the innocent Midianites is simply to say, “God did it, and that means it was right and fair and just!” Too often, when questions are raised about God’s behavior, we try to solve the problem backward. We ask, “How can we show that God is just, fair, loving, and right.” Instead, we ought to proclaim that God is God: That means He is just, fair, loving and right – whether or not we can explain His actions.

Of course, the fact that God required the destruction of a group of people because of their sinfulness in Old Testament times doesn’t mean that He approves of the employing force to destroy unbelief or unbelievers today. Christ’s kingdom is “not of this world” (John 18:36). The only weapon Christians are authorized to use in their war against Satan, sin, and error is the Word of God (Ephesians 6:17).

When we say that God is unfair, we are like a lump of clay complaining because the potter hasn’t made it the way it wants to be. What right does the clay have to tell the potter how to go about his business? (Notice Romans 9:20-21). Saying, “I’m not going to believe in God because He allows or causes bad things to happen” is like saying, “Since the weather has caused damage to my home or my crops, I won’t believe in the weather anymore.” We can’t control the sun or the rain; but we cannot pretend they are nonexistent when they displease us. Similarly, we can’t dismiss God as nonexistent when He does not meet our expectations.

The thought of judging God is ridiculous. God is the source of our sense of fairness. We don’t need to presume to know more about justice than our Creator

“IF” – It’s A Big Word!

by Bill Fairchild

“If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:6-7).

Some of the most profound truths come in small packages! The word “if” is interesting for a number of reasons, not the least of which is when it appears in the Bible. The word “if’ speaks directly to our responsibility to God, the world, our family, friends, brethren, and life or death!

Most promises in the Bible have conditions and the word “IF” speaks to those conditions. Our responses to God’s commands affect our relationship with Him and determine our receiving from Him blessings, opportunities, or consequences.

“IF” is one of the first words a child begins to associate with logical thinking. Our children/grandchildren quickly get the significance of “If.”

For example, a big “if” that we hear around our house with the little ones is “If you will clean up your toys… we will go somewhere you would really like to go to!” Boom, the toys are picked up. Well, most of the time! When the little ones grow up into bigger ones it's “If you will just finish your homework or clean up your room, then you can go out and be with your friends.” Amazingly, what seemed tedious and was going to take forever suddenly becomes doable!

The use and frequency of this little word “IF” is not without significance in our daily lives, but when viewed in the Book of God, it suddenly becomes obscure and passed over without due thought to the intended lesson being introduced.

Jesus used the word “IF” frequently during His earthly ministry. Almost half of the 574 appearances in the New Testament of this little word are found in the four Gospels. Here is the point we want to emphasize - Jesus always put the “IF” on man’s side and never on God’s side! Interesting, isn’t it? Jesus was not bargaining. He was stating the truth! Look at the following statements by Jesus Himself and then consider the implications if not heeded:

“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.” (John 15:7) So, why wouldn’t we want to do as He says?

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34,35) So, why wouldn’t we want to love as He loved?

“You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.” (John 15:14) So, why wouldn’t we want to be a friend of Jesus?

“If you love Me, keep My commandments.” (John 14:15) So, do you love Him enough to keep His commandments?

Not one of us is perfect, that’s why Jesus Christ came down from heaven and gave His life, shed His blood to redeem us from the slavery of sin and reconcile us back to the One who created us, God! Make no mistake, He is for us (Psalm 56:9)!

So, what it always comes down to is this - are we going to choose His way or our way, life and obedience or self and disobedience? Each of us must make the call!

“Now by this we know that we know Him if we keep His commandments” (1 John 2:3).