This week we continue our case for Christianity by dissecting the problem of evil. This is the biggest question asked of Christians today, and one often levied against the existence of God, so Christians must think deeply about it. This is the storyline of Christianity and this question, along with its answer, actually supports the truths of God’s Word in the Bible. The Christian worldview is the only one that can give us the best, and most reasonable, solution to the problem of evil, and it is yet one more piece of the big picture that we can share with skeptics and our atheist friends.

All class sessions include a time for prayer and reflection, an “apologetics” presentation, and a Bible study section. You will find the presentation notes, Bible study survey format and homework below. Example answers to the Bible study survey will be posted the week following the homework for your review, and or to use as a future leader’s guide.

Watch this week’s class presentation on this topic:

Presentation Notes

A Case for Christianity

Session Three: The Problem of Evil

REVIEW AND DISCUSS

Prayer cards: Take a minute and write your name on the index card provided, and add any special prayer request you might have. Exchange cards at the end of the class this evening.

At your table groups, do the following:

1.  What are the four important life skills for Christian growth, from our ministry statement, and which one did you focus on the most this week?

2.  What are the categories for the 39 books of the Old Testament, and the books within each?

3.  Recite the Memory Verse(s):

“But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.”

1 Peter 3:15-16 (NIV)

Apologetics Presentation

THE APOLOGETICS ROADMAP
The Christian Worldview has the best evidential answers, beyond a reasonable doubt, to life’s most important questions…

1. Why are you a Christian (and not of some other belief)?
2. What is a Christian Worldview (and does it affect your daily life)?
3. What is the importance of Truth in a worldview (versus relativism)?
4. Does God exist, and where did I come from? (The origin question)
5. If God exists, then why is there Evil and Suffering in the world? (The problem of evil)
6. Who am I, and what is my purpose in life? (The question of identity)
7. Are miracles possible (versus naturalistic explanations)?
8. How do we know the Bible is the Word of God? (Reliability and Transmission over time)
9. Who is Jesus (who do I say Jesus is)?
10. What is my destiny (what happens after we die)?

SHARING YOUR FAITH
Tactics: Asking or Answering a Question

1. Be a good listener
2. Clarify the question or answer
3. Define terms
4. Give your answer
5. Follow up

Tackling the problem of evil – Mary Jo Sharp, Christian Apologist on the “One Minute Apologist’s show”

1. Refine the objection – get common ground, know where they’re coming from when they’re talking about evil.
2. Define the term – evil (what do they think it means?)
3. Defend the Christian worldview because it best explains the problem of evil.

The Atheist’s Argument

1. If God is all good, He would want to eliminate all the evil in the world; and if God is all powerful, He could eliminate all the evil in the world.
2. *There is evil in the world and God has not stopped it.
3. Therefore (they say): God is not good or powerful, nor does He care or, He just does not exist.

*They are wrong in their assumption, because they have left out one important word:

1. If God is all good, He would want to eliminate all the evil in the world; and if God is all powerful, He could eliminate all the evil in the world.
2. *There is evil in the world and God has not stopped it. YET
3. There is an abundance of evidence from the Christian worldview for God’s existence, so this argument alone does not disprove God…

The problem of evil is with us today – atheism does not have an answer for its existence, nor a solution to the problem, BUT… CHRISTIANITY DOES!

As an atheist my argument against God was that the universe seemed so cruel and unjust. But how had I got this idea of just and unjust? A man does not call a line crooked unless he has some idea of a straight line. What was I comparing this universe with when I called it unjust?

-C.S. Lewis

What is evil?

According to Webster’s dictionary evil is defined as:

“The fact of suffering, misfortune, and wrongdoing; something that brings sorrow, distress, or calamity.”

What can we know about Evil?

• Evil is something, but evil is not some – thing;
• Something good made evil possible, and evil is solved by someone good (Jesus)

From the Christian Worldview…

• Evil is not a thing in and of itself, even though we often attribute it to a person, or an object, or an act of nature
• Evil is the absence of good, or the privation of good
• Evil is a corruption of the good
• Evil is not the opposite of good, it is the absence of goodness
• Evil is like a parasite of goodness

For example: evil is the absence of good, just as dark is defined in regards to the absence of light; cold is the absence of heat; and a donut hole is the absence of the donut!

“Badness is only spoiled goodness.”

-C. S. Lewis

Greg Koukl addresses this question and more at str.org

Did God create evil?

• God created all things good – seven times in Genesis chapter 1 God says “and it was good!”
• If evil is not a thing, then God did not create it – but He also knew it would be a consequence of this type of creation and chose to create it anyway! Why?
• Could it be that God has a plan, a purpose and a love for those He made in His image?

“We need to know God’s plan so that we can make sense of tsunamis, fires, cancers, strokes, rapes, tortures, and the fact that, except for the Lord’s return, the only thing that will prevent us from watching everyone we know die will be our own death. If we don’t understand that our good God can have a good purpose in allowing evil, we’ll live confused Christian lives.”

-Dr. Clay Jones, Biola University

If God didn’t create evil, where did it come from?

Three major factors in identifying sources of evil:

Factor #1: The value of freewill

• It would not be possible for things like love, relationship, and intimacy to exist without freewill.
• It would not make sense to create beings with freewill and not allow them the possibility to misuse it.
• To have the freedom to choose good, there has to be the possibility of choosing evil – this is moral freedom.
• Adam and Eve used their freewill, gambled and chose death over God’s offer of life with Him eternally in the Garden.

“Death is a result of rejecting the giver of life.”

– Nabeel Qureshi

We might ask: Why do I have to pay for Adam and Eve’s sin?

1. We are Adam and Eve’s children, and carry their DNA that was corrupted at the ”Fall” (Genesis 2-3)
2. Romans 3:23 tells us, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
3. 1 Corinthians 15:22 says, “For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.”

“To die in Adam both spiritually and physically supposes existence in Adam both as to soul and body.”

– William G.T. Shedd, Systematic Theologian

Some people use the excuse: “I was born this way” or “this is just the way I am”

• Yes, we were all born this way into sin because of the Fall, and this make us the way we all are, sinners.
• Thus, the importance of being born again!

To be born again takes care of spiritual death we are all destined for…

“Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews; this man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born, can he?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” Nicodemus said to Him, “How can these things be?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and do not understand these things? Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know and testify of what we have seen, and you do not accept our testimony. If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven, but He who descended from heaven: the Son of Man. As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”  John 3:3-16

And, we cannot blame God for our freewill choices:

When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

-James 1:13-15

… We’ll continue this presentation next week with the other major factors that attribute to the problem of evil.

“A Bible that’s falling apart, usually belongs to someone who isn’t!” 

BIBLE STUDY

Bible Study Survey Format

Old Testament

Category:         Torah               

Book:               Numbers         

1. Author: Who wrote the book and when?(Include anything you can find about the author and when it was written)

2. Audience: Who was it written to?(Include anything you can find about the people, the culture or societal norms, of that time period)

3. Purpose: Why was it written?(Include anything you can find about their circumstances and what was, or had been, going on)

4. Content: What is in each chapter? Basic: Write out chapter by chapter titles. Going Deeper: Add a short summary under your titles, 3-5 sentences Advanced: Look for these things to put in your summary notes: a.  Is there anything in this chapter that relates to one of the Covenants (Adamic, Abrahamic or Mosaic)? b.  Where’s Jesus? Is there anything in this chapter that foreshadows/pictures Jesus? c.  The Shelf: Note any questions or a’has you have about the chapter.

LET’S PRACTICE!

Review and Discuss your homework from this past week:

Discuss your study in the book of Numbers chapters 22-36, based on what level you worked from: This would complete #4 – Content from the Bible survey format…

• Basic: Write a title for each chapter (could include more than one depending on topics in that chapter).
• Going Deeper: Take notes to summarize the chapter (no more than three to five sentences). However, you can add to your summaries if you glean something important from your study partners.
• Advanced: Look for these things to put in your summary notes:

a. Is there anything in the chapter that relates to one of the Covenants (Adamic, Abrahamic or Mosaic)?

b. Where’s Jesus? Is there anything in the chapter that foreshadows/pictures Jesus?

c. The Shelf: Note any questions or a’has you have about the chapter.

APPLICATION:  Now that we’ve finished this book, discuss how Numbers can apply to us today, either personally or culturally: Are there lessons learned; are there reasons we should know this history; does it help us understand God’s character and love for His people and His foreshadowing the promise of His Son; etc.?

The following are example answers you can use to add to your own work, or use as a leader’s guide:

Chapter 22: Balak Summons Balaam; The Angel and Balaam and his Donkey

In this chapter we get the story of Balak, king of Moab, who is so fearful of Israel and what they had reported to have done to the Amorites that he summons Balaam, a sorcerer, to place a curse on the people of Israel. God told Balaam to not go with them, but then Balaam consulted the LORD a second time, and the LORD told him to go, but to only do what the LORD told him to do and speak.

On the way, the angel of the LORD stood in front of Balaam and his donkey, and the donkey tried three times to stop Balaam, but Balaam threaten the donkey and the LORD open the donkey’s mouth to speak the warning to Balaam who then finally saw the angel of the LORD who, except for the donkey’s intervention, was ready to kill Balaam for the disobedience of going to Balak. Balaam confesses his sin, and the angel of the LORD let him continue on, “but only to speak the word which I tell you.”

JF = The angel of the LORD is a Christophany. We know this because of His actions and His words, especially when He allows Him to continue on (He didn’t need to consult God), and with the statement “but only to speak the word which I tell you.” This indicates it was the LORD Himself.

Chapter 23: The Prophecies of Balaam

This chapter continues the story of Balak and Balaam, and we find Balaam still trying to please Balak by going to the LORD, and God gives Balaam exactly what to say, and Balaam ends up blessing Israel instead of cursing them as Balak had wanted, in fact he blesses them twice in this chapter, and will again in the next. Balaam does state to Balak that he could only speak what God puts in his mouth.

C = In verses 9-10 there is a prophecy in the blessing that relates to the Abrahamic Covenant about the Nation of Israel in great number and in being protected by the LORD.

JF = In verse 21 we see a statement about Israel directly from God foreshadowing Jesus’ kingly line and future: “The LORD his God is with him, and the shout of a king is among them.”

Chapter 24: The Prophecy from Peor

Balaam, yet a third time, looks to the wilderness and speaks a prophecy and blessing by the Spirit of God towards Israel. Then Balak’s anger burns towards Balaam, but Balaam then gave a discourse against Balak and his people as to what the people of Israel would eventually do to them and the other nations that are against Israel (Moab, Edom, Seir, Amalek, Kenite, Asshur and Eber).

C/JF = Verse 7 “his seed will be by many waters and his kings shall be higher than Agag.” The seed promise from the Adamic Covenant, and the promise of a king (from the later Davidic Covenant that is unfolded from the others)

C = Mosaic covenant in the promise of protection and cursing of those who curse Israel (verse 9).

JF = Verse 17 gives us a reference to Jesus as the star and scepter (kingship) rising. This is used as a reference to Jesus later on with the phrase “bright and Morning Star” (2 Peter 1:19; Revelation 22:16)

Chapter 25: The Sin of Peor; The Zeal of Phinehas

In this chapter we read how some of the people of Israel joined with some of the daughters of Moab, which angered the LORD because they began to worship Baal of Peor. The LORD told Moses to have the men executed who had done this thing in order to stop the plague that the LORD had put on the people (24,000 died by the plague). God also gave a promise to Phinehas, son of Aaron, a promise of peace and a perpetual priesthood because of his faithfulness to the LORD in this matter (he had killed a man from the tribe of Simeon and the woman he had brought into the camp who was from a prominent leader in Midian to stop the rebellion that would have joined Israel to foreign worshippers).

Note: Later we find out that Balaam had counseled Balak to give women to the Israelites as a way to take them over – See Numbers 31:16.

Chapter 26: The Second Census of the Nation; Census of a New Generation

In this chapter the LORD give a command for a second census to take place on those 20 year and older (men who are able to go to war). In verse 51 we read that the total was 601,730 which is just about the same number they started with (in chapter 1:46). We note in verse 64-65 that there was not a man left from the original census, except Caleb and Joshua.

C = This relates to God’s promise in the Abrahamic Covenant of a Nation of people and the coming promise of occupying the Land (they were not destroyed, and remained relatively the same number).

JF = In verses 19-22 we read about the sons of Judah, specifically Perez and his son Hezron, who are in the direct lineage of Jesus (Matthew 1:3).

Chapter 27: A Law of Inheritance; Joshua to Succeed Moses

Here we read about daughters of Zelophehad who came before Moses to ask for an inheritance because there were no brothers and their father had died. Moses took it before the LORD and the LORD gave a command that if there are no sons, then the daughters are eligible for the inheritance.

Note the importance of bringing everything before the LORD as Moses did here.

We also read in this chapter where the LORD has Moses appoint Joshua over the people to take his place, and Moses laid hands on him and set him before Eleazar the Priest and before all the people to commission him just as the LORD commanded.

JF = Just like Jesus, Moses interceded on behalf of the people, and made sure that they would have a leader when he was gone, just as the LORD had commanded. Joshua would be that man to lead the people into the Promised Land. Joshua’s name means Jeshua, which mean Jesus, and Joshua’s life would also foreshadow that of Jesus’.

Chapter 28: Instructions Concerning Offerings; Laws for Offerings

In this chapter we read about the regulations God gave concerning daily offerings, Sabbath offerings, and monthly offerings. We also get a reminder of what was expected for both the Passover and the Festival of Weeks. These are being re-given as a reminder to this new generation.

JF = With all of these offerings the people of Israel were to get a vivid reminder that sin demanded a blood sacrifice. Especially with the Passover we again get the picture of Jesus as our pure and spotless Lamb of God that fully and finally made atonement for the sins of His people, once for all.

Chapter 29: Offerings of the Seventh Month; The Festival of Trumpets; The Day of Atonement; The Festival of Tabernacles

These reminders continue in this chapter will the guidelines for festivals and specifically the Day of Atonement which pictures Jesus ultimate fulfillment once and for all.

From the Jesus’ Bible: “The Old Testament sacrificial system was complex and costly. These sacrifices were never meant to be a means whereby people by their own merit, could procure a relationship with God. They were meant to be offerings of joy, acts of worship, an outpouring of praise to the God who had already redeemed them. Sacrifices are not meant to make one right before God, only Jesus can do that.”

Chapter 30: The Law of Vows

This short chapter reviews God’s requirement of making vows: To the LORD, between a man and his wife, and between a father and his young daughter still living at home (v. 16 sums it up).

Note: We will notice in this book, as well as the next, we get a consistent repeating of Laws already given in Exodus and Leviticus. This can be seen as important, and also goes to the fact that the people then, as we do today, forget so easily the things of God.

Chapter 31: Vengeance of the Midianites; The Slaughter of Midian; Division of the Booty

Here we read about God’s last command to Moses, before he dies, to have the Israelites take vengeance on the Midianites. We read that in the killing of the men of Midian that they also killed Balaam (this means he ended up with them after all). The people were reprimanded by God for not killing the women (and young boys who could take revenge) who had been part of the plot of Balaam, and they were killed, and a plague also struck Israel for this neglect. The Israelites were also allowed to keep the spoils that were left, according to the Word of the LORD.

Chapter 32: The Transjordan Tribes; Reuben and Gad Settle in Gilead

In this chapter we get a turn of events as the people prepare to go into the Promised Land. Before going in the tribe of Reuben and Gad made a request to have the land before the Jordan River and promised to still fight for the rest of the Nation of Israel until they had all settled into the Land of Promise on the other side of the Jordan. God agreed through Moses with a warning, and the tribes of Reuben, Gad and a half-tribe of Manasseh agreed to fulfill their duty to the Nation.

Chapter 33: Camped on the Plains of Moab; Review of the Journey from Egypt; Law of Possessing the Land

Here Moses records and reviews the journey that the people of Israel had taken over the past 40 years from Egypt to this point where they are ready to go into the Promised Land.

Chapter 34: Instruction for Apportioning Canaan

In this chapter the boundaries are laid out for the land Canaan that was promised to the Nation of Israel. Each tribe, through their appointed leader, were assigned lots of the land as their inheritance.

C = The Abrahamic Covenant is in view here with the portioning out of the Promised Land to each of the tribes as their promised inheritance.

JF = From the Jesus’ Bible: “Because of the gift of Jesus, the Father qualifies believers to participate in an inheritance that they could never deserve. In addition, unlike the children of Israel, the church does not receive and earthly inheritance of tangible significance. The earthly inheritance is one of hope, joy, and peace that comes through knowing they have a right relationship with God and a secure eternal destiny through Jesus Christ.”

Chapter 35: Cities for the Levites; Cities of Refuge

This chapter lays out the towns appointed for the Levites within the allotment for each tribe. There are also cities of refuge that were to be designated in six of the towns of the Levites, 3 on one side of the Jordan, 3 on the other side. These were for people who had committed serious crimes such as murder to flee until it could be adjudicated. Even if accidental, the accused could flee there for safety from the accusers.

JF = From the Jesus’ Bible: “The cities of refuge also pointed forward to Jesus, an even better sanctuary and means of dealing with the sins of God’s people. All are guilty of sin and, if forced to stand trial before God alone, would be condemned to eternal punishment; however, God’s people can take hold of Christ as their refuge. He offers them forgiveness from their sins and escape from the death they all deserve (Jn.8:51).”

Chapter 36: Inheritance by Marriage

In review of the previous command that an inheritance could be given to the daughters where there was no son, however, to clarify, they must marry within their tribe in order for the land to stay with them. It may not be transferred to another tribe because of intertribal marriage.

The concluding verse 13 sums up the purpose of the book in that it states that “these are the commands and regulations the LORD gave through Moses to the Israelites on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho.”

Note: This last verse confirms two apologetics: 1) Moses is the author; 2) the history is accurate in geography and location prior to entering the Promised Land.