One may say, “Ah this evil! It is surely from the devil!” But if it is from the devil, then seek him for deliverance! Since you fear him so much why don’t you serve him? But if it be from the Lord, "Behold, this evil is from the LORD; why should I wait for the LORD any longer?" (2 Kings 6:33) So that the LORD may be feared. In accordance with what is written, "Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matthew 10:28) For the fear is due to Him who is highly respected; and without question, men subject themselves to one in authority; does anyone subject themselves to anyone who is taken lightly? This is certainly why idolatry is so abominable! Does a man fall down to the work of his own hands? Does a man exalt excrement? Or love their filth to their own destruction? Surely not! But man ought to fear God for from Him come both good and ill.
And this is according to the teaching: as the LORD God says, “That men may know from the rising to the setting of the sun That there is no one besides Me. I am the LORD, and there is no other, The One forming light and creating darkness, Causing well-being and creating calamity; I am the LORD who does all these.” (Isaiah 45:6-7) Furthermore He says, “See now that I, I am He, And there is no god besides Me; It is I who put to death and give life. I have wounded and it is I who heal, And there is no one who can deliver from My hand.” (Deuteronomy 32:39) And as it says of Him, “Who is there who speaks and it comes to pass, Unless the Lord has commanded it? Is it not from the mouth of the Most High That both good and ill go forth?” (Lamentations 3:37-38) And then it says, "The LORD kills and makes alive; He brings down to Sheol and raises up. The LORD makes poor and rich; He brings low, He also exalts. He raises the poor from the dust, He lifts the needy from the ash heap To make them sit with nobles, And inherit a seat of honor; For the pillars of the earth are the LORD'S, And He set the world on them.” (1 Samuel 2:6-8) And again, “The LORD said to him, "Who has made man's mouth? Or who makes him mute or deaf, or seeing or blind? Is it not I, the LORD?” (Exodus 4:11) So, “If a calamity occurs in a city has not the LORD done it?” (Amos 3:6)
"Will you speak what is unjust for God, And speak what is deceitful for Him? Will you show partiality for Him? Will you contend for God?” (Job 13:7-8) For we know very well the LORD will contend for Himself; He appeared to Job in a whirlwind. He visits the iniquity of the fathers upon the third and forth generations. So who are we you quarrel with our Maker? Or even question Him? Does He not question us? And aren’t we the ones who must answer? As He says, “Who is this that darkens counsel By words without knowledge? Now gird up your loins like a man, And I will ask you, and you instruct Me! Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding, Who set its measurements? Since you know.” (Job 38:2-5) And then He says, “Now gird up your loins like a man; I will ask you, and you instruct Me. Will you really annul My judgment? Will you condemn Me that you may be justified? Or do you have an arm like God, And can you thunder with a voice like His?” (Job 40:7-9)
So if anyone is contentious about their sufferings, saying, “Curse God and die!" (Job 2:9) We ought to say, “Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?" (Job 2:10) However it may be, the LORD does not execute evil, for “Your eyes are too pure to approve evil, And You can not look on wickedness with favor.” (Habakkuk 1:13) But He sends ministers of darkness to execute ill; as it was in Egypt, for the LORD sent “the destroyer” (Exodus 12:23) to strike the firstborn of the Egyptians; and He sent a destroying angel when David sinned by taking a census (2 Samuel 24:16). The LORD also sent an evil spirit to judge Abimelech for slaying his brothers on one stone (Judges 9:23). And He sent a deceiving angel to seduce Ahab (1 Kings 22:21-22); and He sent an evil spirit to torment Saul, son of Kish (1 Samuel 16:15); And when God, Most High, brings about the end of the world, He will release destroying angels from the abyss; as it says of them, “The four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released, so that they would kill a third of mankind.” (Revelation 9:15)
So much so that in one account of Scripture it states: “Now again the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and it incited David against them to say, "Go, number Israel and Judah."” (2 Samuel 24:1) But in another account of the same event, it says, “Then Satan stood up against Israel and moved David to number Israel.” (1 Chronicles 21:1) For the LORD God protects from evil, and if He so wills, He hands over to evil. He uses satan for His own good purposes, and sends him unto nations to execute judgement. “Now ask the beasts, and let them teach you; And the birds of the heavens, and let them tell you. Or speak to the earth, and let it teach you; And let the fish of the sea declare to you. Who among all these does not know That the hand of the LORD has done this, In whose hand is the life of every living thing, And the breath of all mankind?” (Job 12:7-10) For even the animals know, so we also ought to know these things.
Although these are so, evil spirits cannot be released without His permission, and they cannot do more than what He wills; as it says of them, “They were not permitted to kill anyone, but to torment for five months; and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings a man.” (Revelation 9:5) And, “The LORD said to Satan, "Behold, all that he has is in your power, only do not put forth your hand on him.” (Job 1:12) Then, “The LORD said to Satan, "Behold, he is in your power, only spare his life."” (Job 2:6) Although these spirits are subject to the will of God, in times past God sent nations to execute His judgements; as He did with the Babylonians, as He did with the Assyrians; but they exceeded His wrath, and went beyond His will (Zechariah 1:15); and David seeing this said, "I am in great distress. Let us now fall into the hand of the LORD for His mercies are great, but do not let me fall into the hand of man." (2 Samuel 24:14) So we see that these spirits do not execute evil by their own will, but they are subject to the will of God. So it is not they who we should fear, but God Almighty who executes righteous judgment through them.
“Why should any living mortal, or any man, Offer complaint in view of his sins?” (Lamentations 3:39) For, “You our God have requited us less than our iniquities deserve;” (Ezra 9:13) “He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.” (Psalms 103:10) For even today, God has left a remnant chosen by grace; for “Unless the LORD of hosts Had left us a few survivors, We would be like Sodom, We would be like Gomorrah.” (Isaiah 1:9) For “Your hands fashioned and made me altogether, And would You destroy me?” (Job 10:8) So death was never the will of God, but death came about because of the disobedience of sin, and reigned throughout all creation. “But there is forgiveness with You, That You may be feared.” (Psalms 130:4)
Furthermore these angels used to execute judgment will not escape the judgement of God; for God oftentimes uses ministers of evil to execute His purpose, but then destroys them. As it is pronounced against Babylon, who God used as instruments of destruction, “Thus says the LORD: "Behold, I am going to arouse against Babylon And against the inhabitants of Leb-kamai The spirit of a destroyer.” (Jeremiah 51:1) And as it says of the angels in the abyss, “God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to pits of darkness, reserved for judgment;” (2 Peter 2:4) But in regard to Israel it says, “'Therefore thus says the LORD, "I will return to Jerusalem with compassion; My house will be built in it," declares the LORD of hosts, "and a measuring line will be stretched over Jerusalem."' Again, proclaim, saying, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts, "My cities will again overflow with prosperity, and the LORD will again comfort Zion and again choose Jerusalem.”’” (Zechariah 1:16-17)
For now, God has been gracious to us. Yes, He has inflicted us, but will He not heal? He has bruised, will He not also bandage? He breaks, will He not repair? “For God has shut up all in disobedience so that He may show mercy to all.” (Romans 11:32) “The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 5:20-21) For He has broken so that He may heal; He has bruised so that He may bandage; and He has broken, to repair. He has taken into account sin, so that He may forgive us all. He has sent evil spirits, and He sends forth His Holy Spirit. He makes blind, but gives sight to the blind. He makes deaf, but He gives hearing to their ears. The LORD God does all these things; and He came down: Jesus, the Christ, the Son of God. He worked miracles, healing those who were born blind that the glory of God might be displayed in them (John 9:3). Men who died from illness were raised from their tombs because of the life of the Son of God; as He said to the dead man, "Lazarus, come forth." (John 11:43) And “The man who had died came forth.” (John 11:44) For God puts to death, as it says, “It is appointed for men to die once,” (Hebrews 9:27) but through Christ, all will be made alive; “For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.” (1 Corinthians 15:22)
For in times past God worked miracles of death to the people of Egypt, who did not believe in Him. Yes, He worked miracles of death in their midst and made His fame renown through them. But how much more now, as He works miracles of life to everyone who believes? For the Israelites were spared from the plagues and only witnessed them with their eyes. They were preserved, but Egypt was left in ruins. How much more today? For those who do not believe, they are cursed with plagues, but to those who do believe, they are blessed with life and peace with God. For when Moses put his hand in his cloak, “Behold, his hand was leprous like snow.” (Exodus 4:6) But when Christ came into the world, “A leper came to Him and bowed down before Him, and said, "Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean." Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, saying, "I am willing; be cleansed." And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.” (Matthew 8:2-3) For the signs God gave to Moses were signs of death, but when Christ came into the world, His signs were life and restoration.
For when Moses took water from the Nile and poured it upon the ground, “The water which you take from the Nile will become blood on the dry ground.” (Exodus 4:9) But when Christ came into the world, He turned the water into wine (John 2:1-10). And without question, if water is blood, men should fear; but here, Jesus turned the water into wine for a joyous festival. For the good news of God has come, the righteousness which is from faith to faith in the Son of God. For just as Moses’ staff became a serpent (Exodus 7:8-13), so Christ judged the serpent on that cross “That through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.” (Hebrews 2:14-15)
And Aaron stretched out his hand over the Nile and out came swarms of frogs which came up on all the Egyptians (Exodus 8:1-7). As a result of these plagues, it says of Pharaoh, “He hardened his heart and did not listen to them, as the LORD had said.” (Exodus 8:15) But without question, when Jesus performed a miraculous catch of fish, making them come up out of water by the disciple’s net, Peter fell down on his face and said, "Go away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man!" (Luke 5:8) “For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death.” (2 Corinthians 7:10) So the plagues of death caused worldly sorrow in Pharaoh and the Egyptians, but the signs that Christ performed led to godly sorrow to repentance to life.
In regard to Aaron striking the dust and turning it into gnats (Exodus 8:16-32), I say that in Christ, the promise given to Abraham is made full; as stated, "I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth, so that if anyone can number the dust of the earth, then your descendants can also be numbered.” (Genesis 13:16) For we who believe in Jesus Christ are Abraham’s descendants, sons of God by the Spirit of the Son. For, “If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's descendants, heirs according to promise.” (Galatians 3:29) And what’s more miraculous than one man, and as good as dead, turning into a multitude of nations by the promise and fulfillment of God? And are we all not but dust? As it is written, “The LORD God formed man of dust from the ground.” (Genesis 2:7) “For I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham.” (Luke 3:8)
Furthermore the livestock and the crops of the Egyptians were destroyed. Their very food was taken away from them as punishment. Their crops were stripped by locusts (Exodus 10:14-15); and their livestock died of pestilence (Exodus 9:1-7). But when Christ came into the world, those that were hungry were fed, even a great multitude, He fed them with “only five loaves and two fish.” (Matthew 14:17) Multiplying the few provisions for the great multitude and leaving with more bread than they originally had! And He was doing this on more than one occasion for those who believed in Him and followed Him. He fed them with spiritual food, bread from heaven, and fed them with provisions for the flesh.
Is there fault with the LORD? Are not His judgements just and fair? As it says, “The LORD will strike Egypt, striking but healing; so they will return to the LORD, and He will respond to them and will heal them.” (Isaiah 19:22) "For when the earth experiences Your judgments The inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.” (Isaiah 26:9) For His wounds are so that men would “RETURN, AND I WOULD HEAL THEM.” (Matthew 13:15) And He breaks so that they may come; as it says, “Fill their faces with dishonor, That they may seek Your name, O LORD. Let them be ashamed and dismayed forever, And let them be humiliated and perish, That they may know that You alone, whose name is the LORD, Are the Most High over all the earth.” (Psalms 83:16-18) For when they find Him, “He heals the brokenhearted And binds up their wounds.” (Psalms 147:3)
And furthermore Moses threw soot from a kiln into the air and it became boils breaking out with sores on man and beast. But when Christ came into the world, He healed 10 lepers, saying to them, "Go and show yourselves to the priests." And as they were going, they were cleansed.” (Luke 17:14) For they came to Him and said, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!" (Luke 17:13) And because they trusted in His mercy, they received their hope. And not without cost, for just as God sent a “darkness over the land of Egypt, even a darkness which may be felt." (Exodus 10:21) He also sent His Son into the world to be the light of the world; and just as God took the lives of the firstborn of the Egyptians, He gave His firstborn Son as a ransom for sin, even the sins of the whole world, to work life in everyone who believes.