Rape and the Sovereignty of God

A few days ago a firestorm erupted when Republican U.S. Senate candidate Richard Mourdock made the following statement in a debate with his Democratic opponent concerning abortion: "This is that issue that every candidate for federal, or even state, office faces, and I too stand for life. I know there are some who disagree and I respect their point of view and I believe that life begins at conception. The only exception I have is in that case [where] the life of the mother [is threatened]. I struggled with it for a long time, but I came to realize that life is a gift from God. And I think even when life begins in that horrible situation of rape that it is something that God intended to happen." Immediately, the news media and Democratic politicians jumped on this last sentence and cried "foul." They lambasted the candidate for claiming that God intended rape to happen. However, this does not seem to be what the candidate meant.

First, let's be fair to Mr. Mourdock and actually pay attention to what he said. After all, we certainly would not want someone to examine our statements before jumping to conclusions after misreading them. He is speaking of a "life" that comes from the "horrible situation of rape" being "intended to happen" by God. Not rape itself. This fits his biblical view that "life is a gift from God." He communicated that "life is a gift from God" regardless of the circumstances that bring it about. The Bible does teach that every life is fashioned by God (Psalm 139:13-16; Jeremiah 1:5) and that it is God Himself who gives the breath that makes one a "living soul" (Genesis 2:7). No qualifications are given pertaining to God's hand in creating and breathing life. Whether the life resulted from sinful sexual activity outside God's intention of marriage (both in co-habitation or adultery) or through rape does not change the fact that life itself originates from God. In fact, we are breathing now due to God giving us such breath to keep living. God could choose to withhold our next breaths and we would be dead. This perspective is actually not that controversial as it has been made out to be. Perhaps what seems so scandalous about the candidate's statement revolves around the connection between God's sovereignty and the evil act of rape. What does the Bible say about such things?

God is Sovereign
The Bible clearly presents God as sovereign; that He is in control of all things and that nothing occurs that He has not brought about or permitted. The Psalmist tells us that our God is in the heavens; He does all that He pleases (Psalm 115:3). God speaks through the prophet Isaiah and declares that the very reason He can predict the future with such accuracy is due to the fact that He is the One who plans the future. For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, "My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish My purpose" (Isaiah 46:9-10). He then illustrates this by revealing His plan to release the Israelites from their coming captivity through the means of a man named Cyrus, a man who would not be born until much later (v. 11). Also, Paul reminds us that God works all things according to the counsel of His will (Ephesians 1:11). So God is in control of all things that happen. This would include the evil acts of men. If God is not sovereign over evil then that means He must be subject to evil.

God in His Sovereignty Does Not Approve Evil But Permits It
Now we must be careful here and not go beyond what Scripture teaches. While God is revealed to us to be in control of everything that occurs, including sinful acts, God is never shown to approve such acts but rather to permit them. God cannot be said to commit evil Himself, directly cause it, or approve it because it goes against His holy and pure nature. Your eyes are too pure to approve evil, And You cannot look on wickedness with favor (Habakkuk 1:13). Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God," for God cannot be tempted with evil, and He Himself tempts no one (James 1:13). Yet, we do witness throughout Scripture God permitting man to execute the evil acts deriving from the evil intentions in their hearts. In fact, even Satan himself cannot perform his evil desires without God's permission. We see this in the account of Job. Satan could not torment Job without God granting him permission and even then he had to stay within God's set boundaries. And the LORD said to Satan, "Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand" (Job 1:12). The devil was not able to strike this righteous man physically until God later allowed him, and then with the prohibition that he would not take his life (Job 2:6). Even Job himself recognizes God's sovereignty over Satan and the evil that befell him (Job 1:21; 2:10). Likewise, Jesus informed His disciples that Satan had to demand to test them (Luke 22:31), indicating he could not act without God's permission.

This begs the question then, why does God permit such evil that He hates? One of the many amazing things about God is how He has chosen in His infinite wisdom and knowledge to permit some of the most horrendous evil acts in history to use them to achieve a greater purpose that glorifies Him. Take Joseph for instance. God permitted the evil sinful treachery of his brothers to throw him into the pit and sell him to the Ishmaelites for slavery (Genesis 37:12-36). God permitted Joseph to get falsely accused by Potipher's wife (Genesis 39:1-23) God had the power to intervene and stop such events from occurring but chose not to. This was because He had a greater purpose in store in allowing such sinful acts to occur.

It was through these sinful evil actions that Joseph later finds himself serving as the second highest in command in Egypt and able to provide for his family when the great famine arose. It was through this that God preserved Abraham's family and remained faithful to His promise He had made with the patriarch. In fact, Joseph recognized this himself in looking back at God's sovereign hand in everything. And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life. For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are yet five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. And God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors. So it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt (Genesis 45:5-8). As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today (Genesis 50:20). Joseph recognized that while his brothers had evil intentions in their wicked acts that God had a good intention in His permitting them to perform such acts, an intention that wound up saving their life. The same can be seen with the crucifixion of Christ where God planned to permit Satan to enter into Judas' heart to betray the very Son of God and the hatred of the Jews to have Him undergo what has been described to be the most horrendous punishment in history, that of crucifixion. He intended the greatest good out of the most terrible act of evil, using an act of sin to conquer sin!

The Evil of Rape and the Goodness of God
This now brings us back to the furor over the statement made by the congressional hopeful. God identifies rape as a sinful act and does not approve of it. In His law, it was acknowledged as a crime and in certain circumstances carrying the severe punishment of stoning (Deuteronomy 22:23-28). In fact, it is stated to be an evil act. So you shall purge the evil from your midst (v. 24). Yet a life conceived out of such a wicked and unjustifiable act could reveal God's goodness in spite of man's wickedness. God may have great plans for such a child, despite the unlawful circumstances of his birth. In fact, God has shown His grace in times past through those who have been conceived with what would be labeled as illegitimate means. Just look at Periz (Genesis 38) whom God showed grace to in including him as part of the lineage that would bring about His promised Messiah (Matthew 1:1-17; v. 3 in particular) or the judge Jephthah whose mother was a prostitute (Judges 11:1). Or the 12 sons of Jacob which would become the 12 twelve tribes of Israel, from which the Messiah would come. They came from unlawful polygamy. Jesus Himself probably was considered by many in His day as illegitimate as Mary's pregnancy occurring while Joseph being away would have led them to suspect foul play on her part.

A child's life should not be taken because of situations out of his or her control. While yes, the mother served as a tragic victim of a horrible crime, and this we should never downplay or forget, would it be right to turn around and add the baby as another victim? The only difference between an "unborn child" and one which has been "born" really is their location.

In conclusion rape is an evil, unjustifiable, sinful act committed by cowards who only claim to be men which God certainly does not approve of. Yet, God can bring about good in even the worst of circumstances with a child that might be born as a result. We have no right to choose whether or not that child should live or die because we ultimately are not his or her creator.

In Christ,
Lee
Soli Deo Gloria!!!