The journey to understand God’s nature, especially when confronting perplexing passages in Scripture, is much like searching for hidden treasures. My path from gold mining to "Word mining" took a pivotal turn when I first became a believer. Freshly arrived in Oklahoma for Bible school, I found myself wrestling with the Book of Job. How could a loving God seemingly hand over one of His faithful servants to Satan, allowing him to suffer such severe losses? This question drove me to my knees, seeking divine clarity. The answer I received led to a collaboration with my Bible school classmate, Professor Tassos Lycurgo, and together we explored a perspective that reshaped my understanding of God’s role in Job’s story.
Another intriguing scriptural puzzle is found in the parallel accounts of David’s census in 1 Chronicles 21:1 and 2 Samuel 24:1. These passages recount the same event, yet one attributes the incitement to Satan and the other to God. This apparent contradiction isn’t just an oversight; it’s an invitation to delve deeper into the layers of Scripture. Discovering these parallel accounts was a turning point for me. It hinted at the rich, complex layers within the Bible, where deeper truths await those willing to look beyond the surface.
To make sense of this, it’s important to grasp the concept of God as the "First Cause." God is the one who sets everything in motion, yet He often works through secondary causes—like Satan or human decisions—to accomplish His sovereign purposes. Thomas Aquinas, in his Summa Theologica, provides a foundational discussion on the concept of God as the First Cause, exploring how God’s actions initiate all subsequent events without being the direct agent of every single one . E.W. Bullinger’s Figures of Speech Used in the Bible further explains how Scripture sometimes attributes actions directly to God when, in fact, He permits other agents to carry them out . This understanding helps clarify why 2 Samuel attributes David’s incitement to God, while 1 Chronicles credits Satan. In the grand scheme, God is allowing events to unfold within His sovereign plan.
David’s decision to conduct a census was more than just a numbers game—it was a violation of the law, which required a ransom for each person counted to prevent a plague, as outlined in Exodus 30:12. David ignored this requirement, and a plague ensued, fulfilling what Paul later described in 1 Corinthians 15:56: “The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law.” This illustrates how the law can set a trap, with sin triggering the consequences, a concept well-articulated by theologians like Richard Swinburne in his analysis of divine causality .
This brings us back to the story of Job. Unlike the traditional interpretation that suggests God allowed Job’s suffering to test him, Professor Tassos and I discovered a deeper truth: God was actually intervening to deliver Job, not initiating his suffering. The story isn’t about a wager between God and Satan but about God setting boundaries and ultimately restoring Job. This fresh perspective shifts the narrative from one of despair to one of hope and divine faithfulness, a perspective echoed in modern theological discussions, such as those by Alvin Plantinga on the problem of evil .
It’s also worth noting that Kenneth E. Hagin, the founder of the very Bible school where Professor Tassos and I met, played a significant role in shaping my understanding of Scripture. Hagin’s teachings, particularly his emphasis on God’s goodness, were foundational in our studies. Later, the professor and I would become instructors at campuses of the same school, continuing to share these insights with others.
Just as I now use a digital amanuensis to articulate my thoughts in various styles and tones, the Bible was written through different human agents, each reflecting their unique time, culture, language, and worldview. This diversity is part of what makes Scripture so rich and layered, inviting us to explore its depths and uncover the treasures within, as discussed by scholars like David Bentley Hart in The Experience of God .
In examining the stories of David’s census and Job’s trials, we see the intricate balance between divine sovereignty and human agency. God, as the First Cause, allows events to unfold within His grand design, ensuring that His ultimate purpose—our good—prevails. By understanding these layers, we can approach Scripture with confidence, knowing that even in life’s most challenging moments, God’s plan is always for our ultimate benefit.
References
Bullinger, E.W. Figures of Speech Used in the Bible. London: Eyre & Spottiswoode, 1898.
Explains the idiomatic expressions in Scripture where actions are attributed to God in a permissive sense, rather than as direct causation.
Aquinas, Thomas. Summa Theologica. Translated by the Fathers of the English Dominican Province. New York: Benziger Bros., 1947.
Discusses the concept of God as the First Cause and how all things proceed from God's initial act of creation.
Craig, William Lane. The Cosmological Argument from Plato to Leibniz. London: Macmillan, 1980.
Provides historical development of the cosmological argument, including God as the First Cause.
Davies, Brian. The Thought of Thomas Aquinas. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1992.
An accessible introduction to Aquinas' theology, including his arguments for God as the First Cause.
Morris, Thomas V. Our Idea of God: An Introduction to Philosophical Theology. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1991.
Discusses the philosophical attributes of God, including the concept of God as the First Cause in creation and history.
Plantinga, Alvin. God, Freedom, and Evil. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Publishing, 1974.
Explores the problem of evil, including how divine causality interacts with human freedom.
Schleiermacher, Friedrich. The Christian Faith. Edited by H.R. Mackintosh and J.S. Stewart. New York: T&T Clark, 1999.
Addresses how God operates as the First Cause while maintaining human freedom.
Swinburne, Richard. The Existence of God. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 2004.
Provides arguments for the existence of God, discussing God as the First Cause in both classical and modern contexts.
Tillich, Paul. Systematic Theology, Vol. 1. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1951.
Covers the nature of God, including the notion of God as the First Cause within the framework of existential theology.
Hart, David Bentley. The Experience of God: Being, Consciousness, Bliss. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2013.
Explores God in the context of different religious traditions, including the discussion of God as the foundational First Cause.
Notes
Amanuensis - Historically, an amanuensis was a person employed to write or type what another dictated or to copy manuscripts. In this context, "digital amanuensis" refers to the use of digital tools (like AI) to articulate thoughts in various writing styles, tones, and tempos.
First Cause - A philosophical concept that denotes God as the initial source of all that exists, who sets everything into motion, allowing secondary causes to operate within His sovereign will.
Census Law - A biblical mandate found in Exodus 30:12, requiring a ransom payment during a census to prevent a plague, which David failed to observe, leading to divine judgment.
Bullinger’s Idiom of Permission - A concept in biblical interpretation where actions are attributed to God in a permissive sense rather than a direct causative sense, helping to reconcile difficult passages where God appears to be the author of actions carried out by others.