"Is There Injustice With God?" - The Issue of God's Sovereignty

The answer to this question is related to the issue of sovereignty.  As we have seen, the Creator has the right to rule over the earth and all those dwelling in it.  (Psalm 24:1; Revelation 4:11) Early in human history, however, Jehovah's sovereignty was challenged.  How did this  come about?  Jehovah commanded the first man, Adam not to eat from a certain tree in the garden that was his paradise home.  And if he disobeyed?"  "You will positively die," God told him. (Genesis 2:17)  God's command worked no hardship  on Adam or his wife, Eve.  Nevertheless, Satan convinced Eve  that God was being unduly restrictive.  What if she did eat from the tree?  Satan told Eve outright "You positively will not die.  For God knows that in the very day of your eating from it your eyes are bound to be opened and you are bound to be like God, knowing good and bad." -Genesis 3:1-5.

In this statement Satan implied not only that Jehovah had withheld cruel information from Eve but also that He had lied to her.  Satan was careful not to question the fact of God's sovereignty.  But he did challenge the rightfulness, deservedness, and righteousness of it. In other words, he maintained that Jehovah was not exercising His sovereignty  in  a righteous way and in the best interests of His subjects. 

Subsequently, both Adam and Eve disobeyed Jehovah by eating from the forbidden tree.  Their disobedience  put them in the line to receive the punishment of death, just as God had decreed.  Satan's lie raised some vital questions. Does Jehovah truly have the right to rule mankind, or should man rule himself?  Does Jehovah exercise his sovereignty in the best possible way?  Jehovah could have  used his almighty power to destroy the rebels  right then and there.  But the questions raised pertained to God's rulership not his power .  If anything might have called his rulership  into question even further. The only way. The only way to determine whether humans could successfully rule themselves, independent of God, was to let time pass.


Next time "Is There Justice with God" -Conclusion of The Issue of God's Sovereignty

From the book: Draw Close to Jehovah