Jehovah Is the God of Love

WHAT HISTORY HAS DEMONSTRATED

Imagine what life would be like if God did not have love for mankind.  We merely have to look at the awful history of this world with its human rulerships under its unloving and wrathful god, Satan the Devil.  (2 Corinthians 4:4; 1 John 5:19; read Revelation 13:9, 12)  This shows us how horrible the future would be if the universe were to function without the operation of God's love.

When rebelling against Jehovah's rule, the Devil influenced the first human pair to do the same.  He challenged the rightfulness and righteousness of God's universal sovereignty. In effect, Satan claimed that his rule would be better than that of the Creator.   (Genesis 3:1-5) Though Jehovah permitted Satan to try to prove his side  of the issue, such permission was temporary. In his great wisdom, Jehovah has allowed enough time to pass to expose very clearly the inadequacy of any rule other than his.   The miserable record of mankind shows that neither human nor Satan can provide what we need in the way of good rulership.

Just in the past 100 years, over 100 million people have been killed in the wars of the nations. Today, world conditions keep getting worse.   This is just what God's Word foretold what would happen in "the last days" of the present system of things when "wicked men and impostors [would] advance from bad to worse. (2 Timothy 3:1, 13)  History has demonstrated beyond any doubt the truthfulness of what the Bible says:  "I well know, O Jehovah, that man's way does not belong to him. It does not belong to man who is walking even to direct his step." (Jeremiah 10:23)  No, Jehovah did not create humans with the ability or the right to direct their affairs independent of him.

In addition to showing how futile human rule is, God's temporary permission of wickedness  serves another long-range purpose. It provides permanent testimony  that only God's rule can be successful.  After Jehovah destroys wickedness and those who cause it, if anyone ever again would challenge Jehovah's way of ruling in love, there would  be no need for God to permit the challenge to stand. He could use what has happened in mankind's history  as the just reason to remove such rebels quickly, not allowing them to establish wickedness once again.  

Next time: Jehovah Is the God of Love -JEHOVAH'S LOVE ALREADY SHOWN

From The Watchtower magazine