M: The snakes were in the area. Jesus commanded them to bite specific Jews and not to bite other specific Jews. He sent them on a errand. They obeyed.

A: Of course you can back that up with scripture and EGW.

M: Perhaps you don't know this about me - I believe Jesus employs the withdraw and permit principle of punishment. He uses His enemies to punish impenitent sinners. He uses evil men and evil angels. He also uses holy men and holy angels.

A: You also have said that God causes sickness, disease and death.

M: How do you feel about Jesus withdrawing and permitting men and angels to afflict and kill impenitent sinners? Would you prefer it if He allowed sin to run its natural course instead? For example, let their sinful lifestyle choices end their lives naturally (i.e. accident, cancer, heart disease, etc) instead of commanding men and/or angels to kill them prematurely.

A: IT IS THE SAME THING

M: How do you feel about Jesus permitting innocent men, women, and children to be afflicted and killed? For example, drunk drivers who kill people for reasons unrelated to any sins they may be guilty of (i.e. telling a white lie does not naturally result in dying at the hands of a drunk driver [as opposed to excessive drinking naturally results in cirrhosis of the liver]).

A: Do you believe in free choice? Could God have prevented the death of men, women and children by a drunk driver? What would it have taken? Stop the alcoholic from drinking? Prevent the sale of intoxicants? Prevent the transport of said intoxicants? Prevent the brewing of them? Prevent the growing of the raw ingredients? Prevent the sale of farming equipment that is used in the growing of the them? How far do you want to go? It is sin all along the way that is the problem. Sin that causes greed and selfishness. Sin is destructive to all that it touches. Sin is the problem that needs to be dealt with. God does not force the sinner, the use of force is not a principle of God's government. This is the great controversy!

Or, do you believe Jesus is forbidden to intercede and protect innocent men, women, and children from random acts of violence?

The snakes obeyed the will of God and bit the Jews.

This earth is the Lord's. Here it may be seen that nature, animate and inanimate, obeys His will. {5T 311.4}

God requires the service of all his creatures. Everything in nature obeys his will. {ST, August 24, 1882 par. 11}

There is much talk about God in nature, as if the Lord were bound by the laws of nature to be nature's servant. Many theories would lead minds to suppose that nature is a self-sustaining agency apart from the Deity, having its own inherent power with which to work. In this men do not know what they are talking about. Do they suppose that nature has a self-existing power without the continual agency of Jehovah? The Lord does not work through His laws to supersede the laws of nature. He does His work through the laws and properties of His instruments, and nature obeys a "Thus saith the Lord." {6T 186.1}

The God of nature is perpetually at work. His infinite power works unseen, but manifestations appear in the effects which the work produces. The same God who guides the planets works in the fruit orchard and in the vegetable garden. He never made a thorn, a thistle, or a tare. These are Satan's work, the result of degeneration, introduced by him among the precious things; but it is through God's immediate agency that every bud bursts into blossom. When He was in the world in the form of humanity, Christ said: "My Father worketh hitherto, and I work." John 5:17. So when the students employ their time and strength in agricultural work, in heaven it is said of them, Ye "are laborers together with God." 1 Corinthians 3:9. {6T 186.2}

APL, you seem to be okay with Jesus permitting innocent men, women, and children to be killed. Freewill is a powerful force - not even Jesus can prevent random acts of violence.