But I’ve discovered in the heart of God a mercy that often allows for exceptions to His very good rules.

The Father and the Son were in perfect agreement about marriage, for example. One man, one woman. Period. This is God’s perfect plan. It works that way. The other ways don’t work. Unless there is grace.

Jesus was adamantly opposed to the rules that had developed over the years since Moses, allowing divorce for just any reason. And with His strong hand He forced that pendulum back to where it belonged, at zero tolerance. Except.

Except fornication. One partner is unfaithful. The marriage vow is broken. What’s a person to do? Mercy says, I make an exception here. Mercy later speaks to one of Jesus’ apostles, Paul, and says that if two unbelievers are suddenly divided in their marriage by the fact that one gets saved, and the other one doesn’t, and the unbeliever wants to leave for that reason, let him or her go. No bondage. Find a believing spouse. Move on.

Our God is perfect and has a perfect plan for everything. But He’s a God of mercy, and exceptions.

I’m only here for the lost sheep of Israel, says Jesus. Then in actions that are shocking to His very Jewish Messianic disciples, He offers His life and health to a Samaritan, a Canaanite, a Roman centurion!

He was only doing what He saw the Father do. His Father after all had saved the first Canaanite, also a woman. Her name was Rahab. She was doomed to die in Jericho, a cursed woman if ever there was one. But one day she asked to be saved from the coming wrath, and the God of Israel saved her and made her an ancestor of the Christ.

Exceptions. Don’t marry outside the faith, God told His people. Jews, you can’t marry Gentiles. It will defile our race! But God’s hand was heavy on His people, for they had defiled themselves already, without Gentile assistance. And when God saw the heart of a sincere Moabite girl named Ruth, that it was toward His people and toward Him, He saved Ruth, added her to His family, and put her in the line that leads to Jesus too!

Watch out for rules. They weren’t made to be broken, for sure, but a merciful God may just bend one for His own purposes.

I don’t allow a woman to teach men, said Paul. Under normal circumstances that’s a good rule. People want a father’s touch in their church. Women are generally better as assistants to their men and to church leaders. Putting a woman at the helm is not a wise practice, and a woman can bring untold misery to the work of God.

But not all circumstances are normal. I wonder how Paul would react in China today, where male pastors are targeted and therefore often try to keep a low profile while women do the public ministry knowing the penalties against them might be less.

Cowardice, you say? Blatant disobedience, when we are all called to the cross, you say? But of course, you cannot judge until the persecution comes to you. And you may just have that opportunity some day…

I question the growing number of female leaders and teachers in the church even as I am saddened by so many women in the workplace, often taking the jobs of qualified men. It is a backward age, headed for judgment for sure. But I shall never go so far as to say that there are no exceptions to rules, even God’s rules. He must have His way, He is in fact the Lord of the harvest, He will do what He wants. Some women have prospered in leadership ministry, and many souls of our day look back to a woman who guided them through the darkness into God’s marvelous light.

There are exceptions. Some because of men, some because of the purposes of God. Jonah going to Gentile Nineveh, when the rule was only Jews! Naaman being cured, when all the Israelites could not believe in a living God being among them. Jesus working on the Sabbath, when He was the One Who made the rule about “Sabbath Keeping.” Israel’s land being taken from them, when the promise was so clear to Abraham that it was to be theirs forever. God withdrawing His blessing from people he swore to protect forever. People not being healed even in Jesus’ ministry, though He is all powerful and all merciful. Untold billions lost forever in Hell, though God is not willing for even one of them to be lost.

Lots of things in Scripture don’t seem to be according to the original plan. But it is God who made that plan. And he knows the turns to take on the road that will still get Him to the place He had in mind all along. He will get there, you know. And until I know that road perfectly, or you do, it’s probably best that we get out of the driver’s seat and let Him go where He wants without complaining or losing faith.