1.  In the Old Testament, God killed the people for their sins, and God was cursing the people for their sins.  According to the book of Genesis, we were created by God in his image.  But these sins and curses have come from God.  Adam and Eve disobeyed God, so sin entered into this world.  But for God to kill the people, curse the human beings, and destroy all the animals and plants is this not a sin to Him?  Why is it not a sin to God?  Is sin only for human beings and not for God?

2.  Genesis Chapter 7 – The Great Flood.

In this great flood God destroyed all the human beings, animals, birds, and even the vegetation which were living on this earth, except for Noah’s ark and the animals and birds saved by Noah. God was thinking that this world had sinned, so he must destroy all those things.  However, God did not destroy the earth, sky, moon, sun, and stars.

God did not destroy Satan and his sinful activities in the floods.  Why?  Then again, along with Noah’s family, sin again entered into this world.  What was the use of this great flood?  

Answers:

Our perspective first is that we have total trust in the Father’s perfect character.  He is the standard of love, wisdom, justice and power. We should consider it not a thought to even attempt to ever judge his motives or character (Isa. 55:8-9, Eze.18:24-28, Isa. 11:2-4, Luke 6:37).  We are reminded in Genesis 18:23-25 that when God had informed Abraham of his decision to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham did not understand why. He respectfully pleaded with God to save them if he could even find as few as 10 righteous. God allowed this negotiation as a lesson for us. God’s wisdom, justice and love was reinforced by the fact that Abraham could not even find 10 persons.  Only Lot and his immediate family were rescued (and we would add, based upon Lot’s behavior, his character was even corrupted). We say God showed his love in that he destroyed the people to save them from reaching such a deterioration of character that their heart condition might never be redeemable or teachable.  

God knew that human death was not final. Understand that the death of disobedient human beings is not eternal.  It only becomes so by the end of the Millennial Kingdom. The scripture is clear that all (both good and bad) will be resurrected (John 5:28-29, 1 Cor. 15:22). Those that are faithful to God receive a better resurrection (spirit nature). To all others, they receive a resurrection (to a terrestrial nature) of teaching, development and testing – often called judgment (mistranslated damnation) in scripture – which ends with the great white throne of judgment (Rev. 20:11, Matt. 25:31-46). This is the whole purpose of Christ’s Kingdom (millenium). This is so that ALL will have the opportunity to everlasting life whether in heaven as spirit beings or those on earth in an Eden-like world free of sin.  Understanding this resurrection power and intent was the whole reason that God recognized, in Abraham, faith in God’s character and word, which was the driving force for Abraham to initiate the sacrifice of his son Isaac (Gen. 22:2). Because Abraham had ultimate faith in God, he was willing to sacrifice Isaac, knowing that there was a future resurrection (Gen. 22:11-12).  This promise was fully realized in time, by the actual sacrifice of the Son of Man, Jesus Christ, the only begotten son of God.  In recognizing Abraham’s faith, God made a promise that he would bless him and multiply his descendents (Gen. 22:16-17).  Prior to this, his name had been changed from Abram to Abraham and God made a covenant that he “shall be the father of a multitude of nations” (Gen 17:4-6).

Just as parents at times spank or punish their children for disobedience, we do so for their teaching, testing, and growth so they may be able to have the experience to make the appropriate or right decisions as they mature.  So too, God is allowing us as mankind to learn the lessons of sin and death.  Not just because he is the most powerful being that exists or that he is in control, but because he loves us! (Prov.13:24, Prov. 22:15, Prov.10:13) 

He wants what is best for us and wants us to fully understand good and evil before mankind is actually and finally on trial for his life.  Since we are unique, created in his image and must ultimately exercise our own free will, he wants to ensure we make our choices having understood all the effects and consequences of our decisions.  If mankind rejects his ways at the end of Christ’s Kingdom reign, man will have no excuses or defense.  Attached is a link to an article explaining the issues regarding God allowing evil at this time. https://chicagobible.org/permission-of-evil/

Regarding the great flood, we are told in scripture that the world had become most sinful and violent. (Gen. 6:11-13) Most of this is because the genetic make-up of mankind had become perverted and distorted by the hybridization of man with angelic beings who had left their spirit natures and materialized in the form of super humans. They began to have off-spring with human women (Gen. 6:2-3).  These super-human hybrids were called Nephilim.  By intermingling with the human species, there had become very few lines of pure human DNA that was in Adam. The result of the influence of these rebellious angels and their offspring was that they thought in their hearts about evil all the time (Gen. 6:5-6).  There is speculation that these may have also interfered with or experimented with God’s creation and perverted animal and or plant life as well.  We are told that only Noah was “perfect in his generations.”  We know that Noah was up-right and walked with God.  We think the scriptural implication is much deeper, however, that Noah’s family DNA or genetic make-up was purely human being, NOT corrupted by angelic DNA. 

God decided in his wisdom that he would destroy all the corrupted life on the earth.  He would provide an ark, a means to preserve the good during the judgment of the evil, in order preserve the life of the good and re-establish mankind on earth. These Nephilim, not being human, would be completely destroyed for eternity (as God had not created them nor intended them to be created).  God punished these rebellious angels by destroying their physical bodies as well as their off-spring and putting them in a state of restraint until a time of judgment (2 Pet. 2:4).

Sin was not completely destroyed in the flood, because it was not the right time for mankind to have learned all the necessary lessons of sin and death.  God also did not destroy free will in the flood. Since man, even in Noah and his family, was still under the influence of sin in a fallen world, sin was not destroyed.  But it will be in time. In Christ’s Kingdom, God’s principles will be taught purely (Zeph. 3:9, Psa. 22:29-31, Psa. 85:13, Psa. 98:9).  During that time, Jesus and his church will rule, teach, and develop the hearts of all mankind (Ezek. 11:19, Ezek. 36:23-27).  Sin and death will not be destroyed completely upon the earth until God’s plan is complete and everyone of free will has been justly judged for eternal life or death after the resurrection during the millennium. Then the curse of sin will be defeated and death destroyed along with it forever (Rev. 20:14-15). 

Is it okay for an Adventist pastor to baptize a member whose name is from a Hindu God? We are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, and are called by name by God. How would God look at someone with a Hindu name?   

Answer:

Although names can be full of powerful meanings and have generational or cultural significance, we believe a name given by ones parents has no literal bearing upon whether God would decide to call that person into divine relationship, whether that person would answer the call, or whether we as servants or pastors of God can determine if one should or should not consecrate themselves to God in baptism merely based upon their name. 

Let us be clear here, anyone who would perform a baptism in the name of God (representing him in this spiritual ceremony – Psa. 63:4) has a duty and responsibility to ensure the one being baptized fully understands the significance and the meaning of the vow they are about to make (Psa. 61:5) and somewhat interpret the heart of the one making the consecration unto God, so as to ensure it is not done out of irreverent fear but of love for God and by an earnest desire to have a spiritual relationship with him. It would not be appropriate for a pastor NOT to baptize one who exhibits the right heart condition and sincere desire to become a child of God merely because of some worldly or traditional reason as one’s given name (Rom. 8:38-39).

When one consecrates to Jehovah as evidenced in baptism, one becomes a new spiritual creation (2 Cor. 5:17).  His old ways, character, and personality begin to conform and change to the principles and character of God through his Holy Spirit, his written word and the example and teachings of Jesus Christ. The old things of that person are forgiven him (Gal. 6:15).  God sees him in a new and different way regardless of what the world sees.  In this Gospel age, we are given a new name by God, a spiritual name (Rev. 2:17) and that name is written in the Book of Life (Rev. 20:12).  From the point of baptism on, we make a new name for ourselves among mankind as well.  Not by changing one’s literal name, but by one’s character and growth in spirit and the reflection of the love of God toward those around us (Isa. 62:2).  God will use those consecrated ones as living stones to build his spiritual temple for the blessing of all mankind (Rev. 3:12).  All other concerns do not matter, for one baptized will make their own name known before man and God (Prov. 10:7). 

In scripture, names are used and have meaning to educate us to principles God wanted us to learn.  The literal therefore represented the spiritual lesson.  We see that Abram’s name was changed by God to Abraham (Gen. 17:5).  We see that Saul’s name was changed to Paul (Acts 13:9).  We see that Jesus changed Simon’s name to Peter (John 1:42).  In these instances, a spiritual truth was shared with us.  It was not that their name changed or that we should change our names once baptized, their character, faith, or reverence toward God changed. None of those men changed physically, they were the same person as before. But they changed spiritually. That is what gives them a new name. Today, we do not need the example of changing a name or worrying about one that may have earthly meaning, we have the word of God. Our name becomes new because our mind becomes new. We take on the mind of Christ.

Pastors baptizing called ones with names of Hindu gods has no spiritual effect, as those gods are not the living God, Jehovah.  What is important is the new spiritual name those baptized are given and if their name is written in God’s memory.  Let all of us live up to that new name, and unto the one who called us (1 Cor. 7:17-19). 

See Joshua 7:10 – 26

Achan admitted that he sinned against God and told Joshua everything about his sin, but God did not excuse him. Why?

In the 24th and 25th verse, Achan was the only person who sinned against God. But all his family members, including his sons and daughters were punished or sentenced to death by stoning. Why did this happen?

Were Achan’s animals also stoned to death? If animals are innocent and they don’t have the knowledge of sin, then why did God punish Achan’s animals? 

In this world and at Joshua’s time, there are so many people who are not believing Jehovah. Why does he not take any action on other people who are not believers of Jehovah?

Why did God’s mighty power not spread all over the world?

Answer

We must begin by setting the context that the Jews and Achan were under the Law Covenant (of Moses) at the time. We will remind you that with Joshua, the newly appointed earthly leader of the Jews, they had just spent 40 years in the wilderness for the sins of only a portion of the people. Not all had revolted and worshipped idols while God was giving Moses the law on tablets. Not all grumbled when they had no meat (Num. 11:4-5), water (Exod. 17:2), or the comforts of Egypt. But the whole nation (all the Jewish people) was subject to the correction and judgment that God had imposed upon them, both obedient and disobedient. Another example was the serpents which God allowed to terrorize the people (Num. 21:5-6). He did however offer relief for those with faith to trust in God when they viewed the standard with the copper serpent affixed to it.

Achan had sinned against a specific prohibition God had directed.  The spoils from Jericho were devoted to God and his sin was against God and was most grievous (see 1 Sam 2:25). God wanted his people to be pure, separate from sin and to possess the land set aside purely for them (Exod. 19:5-6, Exod. 33:16, Deut. 14:2, Deut. 26:18).

God had structured each military engagement as a teaching tool and example for the people that he was the one giving them the victories and guiding their way. They were to follow the law and his instructions completely to every jot and tittle (Lev 18:23-30). Achan disobeyed and in fact did not come clean and tell the truth until it was obvious, even to his family who had seen the riches and material. They also did not say anything, nor rebuke or exhort Achan to give back the riches. Achan was the leader of his family along with his wife who was somewhat in collusion as she had to know of the ill-gotten loot as well. In Jewish culture, Achan would have been responsible for teaching obedience and the principles of God and the Law to his family. If the teachings from which all in the family receive their education in character is corrupted, will not those exposed to it be corrupted as well? (1 Kings 15:26, 22:52) God was trying to keep the people pure and had already given specific elements of the Law to the people. The sole purpose was to “cut off sin from among the people” (Num 15:31). The animals and material wealth of Achan had also been perverted by disobeying, taking what is God’s, and intermingling the animals and goods with his own. Thus was Achan
introducing “leaven” into what was meant to be an “unleavened” people, a peculiar people, a separated people. The loss to Ai damaged the faith of the people and caused the deaths of many Jewish soldiers. God always deals with sin. 

As far as the innocent animals or people (children), recall that in the great flood, all things that breathed upon the earth except those within Noah’s Ark perished. That included children, animals, etc. We must trust God’s wisdom, judgment, and love to determine when he thinks mercy will not help or would be detrimental. We see that the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah was actually a mercy because of their gross wickedness. One point that should also be raised is that human beings’ death is never in vain. The scripture is clear that all (both good and bad) will be resurrected (John 5:28-29, 1 Cor. 15:22). Those who were good will have a resurrection of life and those that are evil will have a resurrection of pure teaching, development and testing. This is the whole purpose of Christ’s Kingdom (millenium). This is so that ALL will have the opportunity to everlasting life whether in heaven as spirit beings or those on earth to everlasting life in an Eden like world free of sin. God created man in his image, not animals. God will always provide for life on earth and will ensure the earth endures forever (Eccl.1:4).