Knight, post 831-- Response? Sure! "who is he who says, and it comes to pass WHEN THE LORD HAS NOT COMMANDED IT?"
I specified that though the wicked can do nothing but what God allows, they do it with other motives than God's; and for that, they are judged. God's purposes in every event are ALWAYS holy, just, and good.
Do you remember Job? It is clearly shown there that Satan could do, was allowed to do, only that which God had purposed. Concerning your saying Satan was God's hit man--the Scriptural term is, "instrument."
Since you rudely ridicule what is clearly seen in Job and in David's numbering of the people, maybe you would like to see more:
In Isaiah 10, Assyria is the rod (an instrument) of God's anger, the
"staff in whose hand" is God's indignation. (v.5)
Want to see or hear more about the critical difference between motivations? In verse 6, we see God's motivation in His use of Assyria: "I will send him against an ungodly nation, and against the people of my wrath." Here you see that God's motivation in His use of Assyria is the exercise of judgement on His people for their wickedness. In all that Assyria does, it will be in accord with God's holy, just, and perfect will as He (God) exacts judgement. God "will give him (the assyrian) charge to seize the spoil, to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets." This, as was true in God's use of Satan concerning the numbering of the people, IS GOD'S PURPOSE which would be fulfilled through His use of Assyria, the rod (THE INSTRUMENT) of His anger.
But is that the Assyrian's motive? No! as I have stressed before, will involves more than the mere act. It involves the motivation in the act also. We shall see that the Assryian's motive was different from God's, and blameworthy--blameworthy enough to call for judgement upon Assyria also, even though God's motive throughout, in the same event, was HOLY and JUST and GOOD.
Now we see what God says about the Assyrian's motivation--"Yet he does not mean so, nor does his heart think so, but it is in his heart to cut off not a few nations." (v. 7)
In verses 8-11 we see that though the Assyrian is the rod of God's anger, the staff of His indignation, and will perform precisely that which God predetermined, yet the Assyrian (v.8-11) is. at the same time, exercising his OWN will: "He says" (v.8); "as my hand" (v.10); "as I have done...shall I not also do...?" (v.10,11)
THEREFORE it shall come to pass, when the LORD has performed all His work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, that He will say, "I will punish the fruit of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his haughty looks." For he says, "by the strength of my hand...by my wisdom...I have removed...have robbed...I have put down...my hand has found...I have gathered." (vv. 13-14)
Then God begins to speak to him about his arrogance--"Shall the ax boast itself against Him who chops with it? Or shall the saw exalt itself against Him who saws with it?" (v. 15a) Then, with a seeming tone of contempt for such arrogance, "As if a rod could wield itself against those who lift it up, or as if a staff could lift up as if it were not wood!" (v.15b)
THEN, THE PRONOUCEMENT OF JUDGEMENT FOR SUCH ARROGANCE--
"Therefore the Lord, the Lord of hosts will send leaness among his fat ones, and under his glory, He will kindle a burning, like the burning of a fire. So the Light of Israel will be for a fire, and His HOLY ONE for a flame; it will burn and devour his thorns and his briers in one day. And it will consume the glory of his forest and of his fruitful field, both soul and body; and they will be as when a sick man wastes away. Then the rest of the trees of his forest will be so few in number that a child could write them." (vv.16-19)
If you would like MORE examples of God's use of wicked instruments as He Himself is righteous in His motives and judgements even though they are WICKED and will accordingly be judged by God for their improper motivations, refer to the Bible--because it has many such examples.
Again, the term is not hit man, but "instrument... rod... ax... saw or staff of His indignation."
NOW--there are some who post on this forum who refuse to distinguish between God's motivations and purposes and the wicked motivations of those whom He uses as instruments. Then, when THEY, God's instruments, act out of evil motives and MURDER, these certain junior theologians delight in saying that God (if this were true) would ALSO be a murderer. Let them read the Bible a little, and reign in their unlearned tongue.
Heree, Lion; heree, Lion--kittie, kittie, kittie
