His Story

Originally posted on June 16, 2006 – by Andre Piet

On the page I referred to earlier, I have come under quite a bit of fire for proclaiming the “horrible heresy” that God is the Author of history – of both good and evil. Especially the illustration elsewhere on this site (Ciske de Rat) received heavy criticism.

On those particular pages, I illustrate the truth of God as Creator with an author who writes a novel, introduces characters, devises a storyline, etc., etc. The entire content of the book is the creation of the author. Many struggle with the truth that no one has made themselves and that everything we are, have, and do is merely creation. People argue that if this were so, it would make God complicit in the evil in the world. But that is obviously not the case. An author stands above his book. A writer is not complicit in or liable for the misfortune in the book. If Ciske, for instance, commits a murder, fingers may be pointed in every direction (his parents, his environment, etc.), but no sensible person would ever consider blaming the author Piet Bakker. Guilt plays a role within the book. The author stands above that.

In parallel fashion, sinister figures such as a Pharaoh (or Hitler or… fill in the blank) play a role in the many dramas of history. In doing so, they incur guilt and are judged accordingly – even though they did not make themselves. A potter has the right to create whatever he pleases, without having to justify himself to the lump of clay. A character in the book also does not ask the author, “Why did you make me like this?” (cf. Rom. 9:20). Clay in the hand of the Potter, characters in the book of the great Author – that’s what we are. Nothing less and nothing more.

Just as an author is the creator of everything that takes place in a book, so God is the ‘Author’ of all of history. No one can undertake even a snap of the fingers by themselves. Just as a writer controls everything that happens down to the finest details, so it is with God. Nothing ever happens that surprises Him or that He had not foreseen. Of course not, for He Himself is the Creator of all. “Declaring from the beginning, the hereafter.” No molecule or galaxy, nothing exists or functions except by the grace of the Creator.

Just as an author is exalted above fate and chance in his book, so it is with the Creator. In the book, events occur by chance. So too in creation. Many things happen that we perceive as accidental, arbitrary, or meaningless. But make no mistake: chance, fate, and meaninglessness are also creations. The chance encounter in the book was deliberately conceived by the writer. It is the writer who causes things to ‘fall into place.’ Fate and arbitrariness are concepts that are valid on the level of the story. They do not apply to the author, for he created them with intent.

Finally: a book may only be judged once it is finished. No one writes a review while only halfway through. One should not do that with His Story either. The book of history is far from complete. Thrilling and captivating chapters are yet to come. Do not judge the Author while reading the passages that seem incomprehensible or repulsive. The Master Writer knows what He is doing! Everything takes place with right, that is, everything finds its place. The final chapter of the book of history will be an INCOMPARABLE happy end. All the ‘negatives’ of the previous chapters were in reality unfinished ‘positives.’ Nothing happened in vain. Everything had a purpose. Every letter, comma, and period is from His hand. And from no one else!

Delen: