Split Decision

And he said to them, Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill? But they were silent. -- Mark 3:4

To save life or … To do good or … 

We are like the religious people gathered in the synagogue that Sabbath.  We are silent before God’s questions, the questions of life and death, good and evil, truth and illusion.  It is always lawful to heal, to save,  to do good.  Or is it?  Should we always be able to make the decision of who should live, who should die?  Are the issues of life ever beyond us?

Sometimes something or someone must die that another might live.  Sometimes good arises from what appears to be great harm.  If I keep everything carefully cut and separated, if I do not allow the elements to mingle, if I do not let my thoughts go too far, I can make judgments.  If it all comes down to heads or tails, I can decide.  Much of the time there is no reason to be indecisive.  Good and evil seem clear, in focus and obvious. 

Isaiah 38 tells a story of Hezekiah, a good and righteous king who fell ill.  The prophet was sent to the king to tell him to set his house in order for his death had been ordained, and he would not recover.  Hezekiah, receiving the news, turned his face to the wall and wept out a plea for mercy.  As Isaiah walked away from the king’s house, the Lord stopped him, turned him around, and sent him back to Hezekiah with a reprieve – he would be healed and given fifteen more years of life.  During that fifteen year period, a son was born to Hezekiah.  His name was Manasseh.  Hezekiah died when Manasseh was twelve years old, and the boy became king, reigning then for fifty-five years.  He was possibly the most wicked and idolatrous ruler ever in Jerusalem.  The reign of Manasseh sealed the fate of the kingdom and doomed Judah to destruction and exile.  If God had not shown mercy to Hezekiah, Manasseh would never have been born.  Would that have changed the ultimate outcome?  We cannot know.    

Did God do harm or good by extending a righteous man’s life?  God is good, and what He does is good, but, honestly, I am silent.  I trust God.  Not, just trust.  Not, only trust.  Not, I have no choice except to trust.  Trust.

Very recently I found myself laying out a problem before the Lord.  I could see an obvious and quite common solution to the problem.  There were steps I could take to resolve the situation, and, from my perspective, I would benefit or at least find a measure of peace by taking those steps.  But I think it would be wrong.  I know it would be wrong.  If I really trust God, I have to close the door on the natural man’s solution, endure the uncertainty, and continue on doing what I know is right.   

It is the Sabbath for us; we must rest in Him, even while doing the lawful good that is before us.  We can work and strive and struggle up to a point -- the six days of man, but the seventh day belongs to the Lord alone.