Where is god? why does he not intervene?

Photo CR: Kenneth Hagin

The number one question asked when tragic hits a community, a family, or a nation. Where is God? Why does He not intervene? Which eventually leads to this statement. He could have stopped this if He wanted to. These are understandable probing questions that we should examine. 
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significant event in mankind’s history

To understand or to begin to attempt to fairly address these questions. We got to go back to a significant event in mankind’s history. And the best authority on this is our Holy Scriptures.
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At Genesis chapter 1, at verse 26, reads.
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“Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness; and let them rule over the fish… birds… cattle… the earth, and every creeping that creeps on the earth.”

This event is significant. And we got to understand what is taking place here to understand why God cannot just pop up every time mankind creates a disastrous event in our life and solve it at the snapped of a finger. 

THE LEGAL TRANSACTION

When God decided, He was going to create a human race to resemble and represent Him on the earth. He did not create us and then placed a programmable chip in us so that we will automatically respond appropriately to His every command. He could have, but that is not what He opted to do. Instead, He took our spirit beings, gave us a soul (a physical body), coded each of our DNA so that we could reflect His characteristics perfectly, and then equipped us with the ability to freely choose if we want to obey or not.

Then God made a legal transaction that changed the game. We see this at Genesis 1:26. Let’s look at a different Bible version of that Scripture. 
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​God said, “Let us (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) make mankind in our image, after our likeness, and let them have complete authority over…. (AMCP)
… They will reign over…. (NLT)
… They can be responsible for…. (MSG)
… Them have dominion over…. (ESV)
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Right there, God was making a legal transaction between Himself and man. God legally removed Himself from the affairs of man and gave man full responsibility to take care of what rightfully belongs to Him on His behalf.

Now, let’s not misconstrue what I am saying here. Because God is not aloof (distant, hands-off, or a far-off God). That is far from His nature, and this is clearly shown throughout the Bible. So, to understand what God did at Genesis 1:26, let’s look at a few examples. 
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HOW YOU GOVERN AND MANAGE IS KEY

One way we can understand this is through a legal transaction through the foster care system. A young couple is looking to adopt a child. Upon being matched with a child, the guardian who is represented by the foster care agency draws up all the required legal documents to transfer all legal parents' rights to the new parents. For the new parents to be granted legal rights over the child, the biological parents must first relinquish all their parental rights. Once this is done, the biological parents no longer are legally responsible or have the right to make decisions for the child. All their rights are legally turned over to the new parents. The new parents are now responsible for making all moral, health, financial, and social decisions for the child.

This is what God was doing at Genesis 1:26. Just like the biological parents completely removed themselves from the responsibility of caring and making decisions for the newborn and passing that right onto another. Similarly, when God decided to create the human race. He elected to pass onto this race all His legal rights and authority to govern over them. He provided them with a roadmap to show them the best way for them to live and govern themselves. (Compare to Deuteronomy chapter 28). But allowed men to decide if they want to follow that path or not.

Now, as we examine history over the years. Some have chosen to follow God’s roadmap, while others have not. And these outcomes have resulted in different results for individuals and groups. But we are not focusing on that today. Because we only have addressed half of our original question – where is God? Why does He not intervene in mankind’s affairs? Which eventually leads to this statement. He can stop all forms of corruption if He wants to. And these are true. We must acknowledge that. God is well capable of doing so. 

But if we do not have a clear understanding of what has taken place at Genesis 1:26, then we misinterpret what appears to be a lack of intervention on God’s part. Which triggers us to ask those natural probing questions – WHERE IS GOD! WHY DOESN’T HE INTERVENE! HE CAN IF HE WANTS TO!

Genesis 1:26 gives us the foundational answer we are seeking to answer those questions. And simply put. God has given man full authority to be responsible for, to rule over, to reign over, to have dominion over; that is, complete authority over the entire earth and all of its intricate parts.

Let me explain it another way. You work for a large company like Samsung Electronics. The owner of the company comes by your office one day and says to you. I am promoting you to the CEO of my company to run all its operations. You accept the new role. Now, the owner still owns the company, but what he has done legally is transfer the rights he has as the owner to govern over his business and make decisions to you. As a result, the owner completely backs away from all business activities and trusts that you will manage all his affairs well. Now, remember, the owner is only transferring to you his power and authority to make decisions for the company on his behalf. So, if it ever gets to a point, where bad decision making and poor management or leadership on your part is about to destroy his company. He can remove you from your position, and rescue and restore his company. 

Again, this is what has occurred at Genesis 1:26. God has given to the sons of man the legal authority to manage the affairs of the earth well. (See Psalm 115:16). Therefore, whenever problems occur on the earth, technically, based on the principle there at Genesis 1:26. It is man’s responsibility, not God’s, to fix them. But we can go deeper than that. Because technically, if man was leading, governing and managing over the affairs of the earth in a just way in the first place. Then there will never be a need for corrective actions to correct problems.

This is why God has given to the sons of man the ability to “bind” and “loose” things on the earth. [“Bind” and “loose” are legal actions and terms.] So, when things go wrong or haywire on the earth, in our country, in our community, in our homes, or with us as individuals, we have the authority to bind and loose them. But to achieve the full benefit of these legal actions, we have to always first, look within – at us (1 Corinthians 13:4-6). Where did we go wrong in our decision-making process, in the way we are leading, managing or governing that has resulted in the problems that exist or that have overtaken us?

Now, when we examine ourselves with integrity, this does not necessarily answer those questions for us when problems or tragedy occurs - why God has not come to our rescue or prevented the bad outcome altogether? This is extremely difficult to answer because this can go so many different ways. After all, there are too many factors that can come into play. For instance, there are some situations where God did intervene, while there are many situations where God did not. And it didn’t matter if you are a Christian or not. God works in mysterious ways. 

There have been situations where God blessed His people. Just as there have been situations where God has blessed unbelievers. (Compare to Matthew 5:45). God has punished or extended judgment on both – the righteous and the unrighteous. Just the same, there have been situations where God rescued His people from scary situations. And He has done the same for unbelievers. But God has in cases chosen not to intervene, resulting in not only unbelievers but also servants of God losing their lives. There are just too many factors that can come into play that we will never really be able to get a clear answer to why God did or did not intervene in a situation. Not unless God reveals the truth concerning a matter to His loyal prophets [in some cases, He will reveal to other servants, but He usually reveals it to His prophets (compare to Amos 3:7)].

What we need to understand is this. The plight we find ourselves in is at our own doing – the hands of man. Therefore, we the people, have to take responsibility for that – our own faults and failures within our society and personal lives.

If we want God to intervene in this mess we have before us today, because we see where this nation is heading if He doesn’t. We got to acknowledge our part in this. And plea guilty before a mighty and gracious God. Enter a plea of guilty.

“God, I am guilty.” And then state your role in this nation’s current mess. “I am guilty of….” And then ask God for His forgiveness. For ignoring His promptings, His warnings, His true prophets and servants who declared to the people what they need to know and do. “God, I repent. Please forgive me for my actions….” Rename those actions if you feel it's necessary. And then ask God to intervene. To save us, this nation from its fallen state. Ask for more time to get our lives right, our nation right in align with God’s intentions for us and this nation. And then after that, it is completely up to God. God will have to weigh us, this nation, His Church, we the people in the balance. He will have to weigh all the factors and decide if it is more just to act and intervene in our affairs? Or is it more just for us to feel the full penalty of our sins and for God not to intervene. Either way, we have to trust His decisions are always right, just, and fair.