Why?

Jeremiah 22:1-8

There are many difficult questions arising from scripture. For example: Why did God put trees in the middle of the Garden of Eden that He did not want man to touch? We might imagine what was in the mind of God, but really there is no concrete answer to this question. This is why we need to talk about faith.

What defines our faith? Is it a temporal thing such as believing a chair will hold us when we sit down on it, or is it something much deeper? In the instance of the chair, how would we explain why we believe the chair will hold us? Is it because we can see it has 4 evenly positioned legs? Is it because it is made of sturdy material that we feel will support our weight? Is it what some would describe as blind faith, believing that anything in the form of a chair was made for the purpose of weight-bearing, and therefore we can trust it?

Think about it. What do we actually see that proves there is a God? How does God impact our hearts, our feelings? How do we know there is a God whom we can trust?

Back to the garden….Adam and Eve walked and talked with God in the perfect place He had created to be their home. Visually, audibly they knew God. Suddenly they demonstrated the reality of a new knowledge – the knowledge of evil. For the first time they experienced guilt and fear after disobeying God, a significant change from their previous pleasure in His presence. Sadly, removed from their beautiful garden home their faith was no longer visual or companionable. Their social contact with God was limited. Why?

They were separated from Him by their sin. And they knew it. By virtue of eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil they now recognized evil. They had experienced perfection, but that was gone forever. No wonder God was so upset by their independent thinking, their desire for control, their disregard for His wisdom and plan. Now living in different circumstances the question asked by King David applied to their situation: “Why do the heathen rage?” (Psalm 2:1). David unveiled the resolution of world leaders to rebel against the Lord. How like today this is!

Jeremiah poses the same question “Why”? In context the Lord was warning the Israelites that people of other nations will ask “Why has the Lord done such a thing to this great city?” (Jeremiah 22:8), when God destroys it. “If” – that big little word so full of meaning, is used twice in this chapter to discuss the consequences of obedience or disobedience.

Reflection:

God gave humankind the ability to choose. Why? That ability distinguishes us from other created beings. Our “will” identifies us with the God in whose image we are made. Capable of kindness, compassion and forgiveness, man is indeed unique. Why then is man, through scientific research today trying so hard to identify us with the animal kingdom? Is it not another ploy of the Evil One? Why do we choose to grieve the Holy Spirit by our indifference to His direction, by our rejection of Jesus’ love, by our disobedience of God’s laws? Many questions remain beginning with “Why?”

by Marilyn Daniels (MarilynDaniels.net)