{"id":11896,"date":"2019-10-05T16:14:49","date_gmt":"2019-10-05T21:14:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/?p=11896"},"modified":"2019-10-05T16:14:49","modified_gmt":"2019-10-05T21:14:49","slug":"where-is-god-when-mass-murder-strikes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/where-is-god-when-mass-murder-strikes\/","title":{"rendered":"Where Is God When Mass Murder Strikes?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\t

by David Dann<\/p>\n

\"\"The psalmist poses the following question: \u201cWhy do You stand afar off, O <\/em>LORD? Why do You hide in times of trouble?<\/em>\u201d (Psalms 10:1). As he describes the wicked man in the same passage, the inspired writer goes on to say, \u201cHe sits in the lurking places of the villages; in the secret places he murders the innocent; his eyes are secretly fixed on the helpless<\/em>\u201d (Psalms 10:8). The same questions as those posed by the psalmist often come to mind each time the wicked perpetrate unprovoked acts of violence against the innocent.<\/p>\n

In recent weeks we have been bombarded with multiple accounts of seemingly random acts of mass murder in different parts of the country. The first of these involved a man shooting people at the Gilroy Garlic Festival in northern California, killing three and wounding twelve, before being shot and killed by police officers. The second incident involved a man shooting people at a Wal-Mart in El Paso, Texas, leaving twenty-two dead and dozens injured before being apprehended by the authorities. The third incident took place in a crowded part of Dayton, Ohio, in which a man shot twenty-six people, killing nine of them, before being shot and killed by police officers.<\/p>\nWhy were wicked men allowed to carry out such horrific acts of violence? Where was God as these tragedies of wickedness were unleashed upon these unsuspecting people? Could not the Almighty Creator of heaven and earth have prevented such atrocities from ever taking place? While we may not have detailed answers to these and other similar questions that arise, please consider the following
\nbiblical response to these questions concerning God and the tragedy of mass murder:\n

God Created Man Upright<\/h2>\n

According to the Genesis account of the creation, \u201cGod created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them,\u201d and at the conclusion of His work of creation, \u201cThen God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good<\/em>\u201d (Genesis 1:27, 30). God did not create man as depraved, wicked, and destined to commit mass murder. Instead, as the inspired wise man writes, \u201cTruly, this only I have found: that God made man upright, but they have sought out many schemes<\/em>\u201d (Ecclesiastes 7:29). God created man upright with the ability to choose right from wrong. Unfortunately, men often choose to do wrong, rather than live up to God\u2019s intentions and expectations. Sadly, each of these acts of mass murder stands as yet another monument to the fact that \u201call have sinned and fall short of the glory of God<\/em>\u201d (Romans 3:23).<\/p>\n

God Has Given Man Instruction that Would Prevent the Tragedies of Wickedness<\/h2>\n

God sent His Son into the world, in part, to show and to teach His creation how to live acceptably before Him. Along these lines, Jesus said, \u201cTherefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets<\/em>\u201d (Matthew 7:12) and, \u201cYou shall love your neighbor as yourself<\/em>\u201d (Matthew 22:39). The Savior\u2019s own example demonstrated this principle in that He \u201ccommitted no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth<\/em>\u201d (I Peter 2:22). While God never promised to forcibly prevent the violence of the wicked, He has lovingly provided instruction through His word that, if followed, would prevent all senseless acts of violence and every single instance of mass murder.<\/p>\n

God Will Judge Man for His Sins<\/h2>\n

Of the judgment, the apostle Paul writes, \u201cFor we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad<\/em>\u201d (II Corinthians 5:10). While we may question why a murder was allowed to happen, we are not left with any questions as to what will become of those who have committed murder, should they refuse to repent. The apostle John clearly states: \u201cyou know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him<\/em>\u201d (I John 3:15). Furthermore, \u201cmurderers\u201d are listed among those who \u201cshall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death<\/em>\u201d (Revelation 21:8). These episodes of mass murder serve as reminders that God will deal with the wicked in the final judgment.<\/p>\n

Conclusion<\/h2>\n

So, where was God during these recent shootings? He was where He has always been, for, \u201cThe LORD looks down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there are any who understand, who seek God<\/em>\u201d (Psalms 14:2). These recent mass murders simply show that our loving God and His perfect will have been ignored and pushed aside by a rebellious world. And yet, God still \u201cdesires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth<\/em>\u201d (I Timothy 2:4). Have you submitted yourself to His will?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

by David Dann The psalmist poses the following question: \u201cWhy do You stand afar off, O LORD? Why do You hide in times of trouble?\u201d (Psalms 10:1). As he describes the wicked man in the same passage, the inspired writer goes on to say, \u201cHe sits in the lurking places of the villages; in the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[27],"tags":[406,182,188],"class_list":["post-11896","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-article","tag-murder","tag-suffering","tag-trials"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":89671,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/is-it-wrong-to-send-someone-to-jail-knowing-that-they-will-likely-die-there\/","url_meta":{"origin":11896,"position":0},"title":"Is it wrong to send someone to jail knowing that they will likely die there?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"August 23, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Hi Mr Hamilton, I hope you're doing well. I had a question if you don't mind answering. My wife and I recently had a trial against her rapist, and he got sentenced to 50 years in prison with all his charges. She heard it's a sin to sentence someone\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":88679,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/skewed-views-of-god\/","url_meta":{"origin":11896,"position":1},"title":"Skewed Views of God","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"July 15, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"by David Gibson The Book of Psalms records several wrong views of God: No God \"The fool says in his heart, 'There is no God.' They are corrupt; they do abominable deeds . . .\" (Psalm 14:1). How can someone say there is no God, in view of all the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":7809,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/how-can-god-command-us-not-to-murder-when-god-murdered-people-in-the-old-testament\/","url_meta":{"origin":11896,"position":2},"title":"How can God command us not to murder when God murdered people in the Old Testament?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"November 14, 2006","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I am a Christian and I was wondering how we deal with the question: \"How can God command us not to murder when God murdered sometimes mass amounts of people in the Old Testament?\" Thanks. Answer: You're having difficulty understanding this because of your imprecise usage of words. God,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":7701,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/could-a-murderer-of-innocent-children-go-to-heaven\/","url_meta":{"origin":11896,"position":3},"title":"Could a murderer of innocent children go to heaven?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"November 3, 2006","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Do you feel that the man who shot and killed those little girls the other day in Pennsylvania has any possibility of spending eternity with the Lord Jesus Christ? He did say that he wanted them to pray for Him at one point in his rampage. Please be specific\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2345,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/psalms-22\/","url_meta":{"origin":11896,"position":4},"title":"Psalms 22","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"January 25, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Text: Psalms 22 \u00a0 I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Life can get very difficult at times and we can easily get overwhelmed by the struggle. What do we do? II.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Why doesn\u2019t God do something? - Psalms 22:1-5 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0We not only want a solution, we also have a time in mind that we want it solved\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Audio"","block_context":{"text":"Audio","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/audio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":63774,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/why-is-evil-allowed\/","url_meta":{"origin":11896,"position":5},"title":"Why Is Evil Allowed?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"December 23, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Ecclesiastes 8:6-13 \u00a0 I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0It has happened again. Incomprehensible horror has struck to kill innocent children. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0But we want to know why? Why did it happen? Why couldn\u2019t it be stopped? \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0B.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0I\u2019ve seen guns blamed, drugs blamed, psychological problems blamed, schools blamed, and, yes, even God\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Audio"","block_context":{"text":"Audio","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/audio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11896","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11896"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11896\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11896"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11896"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11896"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}