Then God, in His sovereign power and will, takes our weak and fallible service, and accomplishes His will, like parting the Red Sea. It only made sense on Sunday morning when Jesus rose from the dead. So the emphasis of the chapter is on Gods working out His purpose through ordinary people who obey Him. It is a mighty nation, It is an ancient nation, A nation whose language you do not know, Nor can you understand what they say. . If youd like an interesting Bible study, take a look at the trials of Jesus. You truly never know God could be doing something right that we wouldnt understand even if He told us. WebThe one who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself; the one who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has given concerning His Son. Because God created all He can use anything in creation. Just as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things! (Rom. This is a true mystery, which we may explain in various ways but will never fully understand. His His words imply that all the torment will be tolerable. God uses all those who humble themselves before the cross, boasting only in him his strength, his wisdom, his righteousness, his accomplishment. I have not written a New York Times Bestseller, and no one has publicly endorsed, recommended, or vouched for me. also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing,But He does according to His will in the host of heavenAnd among the inhabitants of earth;And no one can ward off His handOr say to Him, What have You done?. Grace be with you. We know from the sowing and reaping principle that t here will be degrees of torment in the lake of fire. The terms Neo-Babylons and Chaldeans are used interchangeably for the people of that Empire. The new king was deposed after three months. Now if You slay this people as one man, then the nations who have heard of Your fame will say. When Moses spoke these words to all the sons of Israel, the people mourned greatly. Now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening as Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. His International Standard Version. 1:21). I have heard the complaints of the sons of Israel, which they are making against Me. In the process, we will also find an answer to a third question, Who are the sons of God in Gen. 6? If you like solving mysteries, you will love this, "Churches are going apostate inside their comfortable church buildings! The Prophet was told to look around him and see what was going on among the nations, observe! Israel stumbled at the stumbling stone, the suffering messiah (Romans 9:31-33). God No, its a mystery. His plan in doing so was to bless all people. Romans 8:28 says, For those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. All things includes both good and bad things. In spite of our slownessand even sinGod will bless and use us to fulfill His purpose of blessing all nations through Christ, because of our relationship to the Father through the Son. God I dont have any letters after my name. Even those who have a very low view of Gods sovereignty, if they pray, pray because God is perfectly sovereign, otherwise prayer would be an exercise in futility. This warning was made clear in the ancient covenant revealed long before through Moses in Deuteronomy 28. Embrace your weakness, so that the power of Christ may rest upon you to reveal Gods surpassing greatness (2 Corinthians 12:9). Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife? Why does God allow deception Christianity is not about religion, its about a life-changing relationship with the Son of God. Gods Prophet Jeremiah warned of Gods judgment. 21 Many are the plans in the mind of a man. But He is unique and who can turn Him?And what His soul desires, that He does. At first he ordered the Israelite babies to be killed at birth by the midwives (Ex. For God so loved the world he gave his only begotten son for those who believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life.. Verse Concepts. It even included the price Judas would receive for his act of treachery30 pieces of silver. God WebThe Scripture teaches that God achieves His purpose in unbelievers. As the persecution he inflicted was just the jump-start the early church needed to start taking the Gospel to the rest of the world. Habakkuk learned that the material success of the ungodly is not a reliable measure of their true success. God Uses Many People to Accomplish His Purposes When they offered him 30 pieces of silver, he readily accepted even though that was the going price for a slave. The fact that God ordains both the means and the ends should surely encourage us as we face our own trials. God Will Use Even You Stating that the plans of men are many but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand. God At the beginning of their sojourn, Joseph was ruler of Egypt, a son of Jacob, and watched over his own. Being a creative, innovative or highly effective leader is insufficient. But now, the grief of the Egyptians had subsided and was replaced with anger and regret. God often reveals himself in most unexpected ways. Here are some examples: Nor grumble, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the destroyer. It was their God, or at least the God of Moses, that just killed all the first born of Egypt. We need to be reminded again and again that we are like grass disposable, temporary, fleeting, momentary. Everyday Apostolic 2019 | All Rights Reserved, Gods Ability To Use Unlikely People Even Unbelievers, Canceling Church On Christmas Removes Christ From Christmas, Great Resources On Baptism In The Name Of Jesus, A Diluted Christianity: Oneness, Trinitarian, Or Is It All Just Irrelevant, Youre Not David Pastor Raymond Woodward, The Walking Bible Pastor Raymond Woodward, Wait On The Lord by James Wilson NAYC 2019, If I Shout/Lets Testify Medley FAC Sanctuary Choir. Thus they plundered the Egyptians ( Exodus 12:36 ). At times, God enlisted non-believers to help His people through the ages. It doesnt mean everything will also go perfectly or the way we hope. He used sinners to accomplish His sovereign will. There are so many amazing things in these few verses. 5:14). Yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief; Immediately the boys father cried out and said, I do believe; help my unbelief.. They looked to themselves for their power. When Isaiah 53:1 speaks of the future coming of the Messiah, literally it says, who would have believed the thing reported? His birth as a baby who would grow up, suffer and die was most unexpected. But he chose instead to allow himself to be arrested, knowing that this would fulfill Gods plan. Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? Philippians 3:4-7 - although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. Comments? Really, its just fine. Eventually, Pharaoh decided to use the Jews for slave labor. While not all became believers, many felt a strong attraction to his message. Surely you shall not come into the land in which I swore to settle you, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun. They will be held guilty. 28:49, The LORD will bring a nation against you from afar, from the end of the earth, as swift as the eagle flies, a nation whose language you will not understand. Questions? But My servant Caleb, because he has had a different spirit and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land which he entered, and his descendants shall take possession of it. I am not a rising star in any field, industry, or arena. God calls the autistic man to give the most profound articulation of his simple faith. According to the number of days which you spied out the land, forty days, for every day you shall bear your guilt a year, even forty years, and you will know My opposition. The fact that we cant conceive of free choice coexisting with Gods predestination simply reminds us once again that he is God and we are not. In spite of all this they still sinnedAnd did not believe in His wonderful works. God will bring ultimate and final judgment upon all ungodliness. He sent His son to pay a most costly price for the sin of His people, for those who trust in Him. The one who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself; the one who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has given concerning His Son. The articles posted on this website are here to provide information about the Bible and specific topics related to the Reformed Faith along with it's application in our daily thoughts and activities. Though absolutely sovereign, all knowing, all wise, and everywhere present, God uses sinners to accomplish His will. The Pharisees came out and began to argue with Him, seeking from Him a sign from heaven, to test Him. 13:17). Wisdom didnt guard him against a wandering heart. God will use it even if you do not understand how. 28:36, The LORD will bring you and the king whom you set over you to a nation which neither you nor your fathers have known, and there you shall serve other gods wood and stone. Remember my imprisonment. Its something we can clearly see within the pages of our Bible. God How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? So the emphasis of the chapter is on Gods working out His purpose through ordinary people who obey Him. So then tongues are for a sign, not to those who believe but to unbelievers; but prophecy is for a sign, not to unbelievers but to those who believe. Were they to march into the sea holding their little ones, driving their cattle, and pushing their elderly? We should never presume to say to an unbeliever, God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life. We cant know that. 1 John 5:14. We live most of our days in Good Fridayenduring confusion, opposition, disappointment and the many tragedies of life. When Moses spoke these words to all the sons of Israel, the people mourned greatly. In the healthiest churches, we find a holy conspiracy between pastors who gladly care for the sheep, and sheep who do what they can so that the pastors might serve joyfully. The sheep representing believers who did Gods will and the goats representing unbelievers who do not do Gods will. During this period, foreign powers invaded Israel again and again, and inside the nation known as Gods people, evil and immorality raged. Understanding God in Troubled Times More insights from your Bible study - Get Started with Logos Bible Software for Free! In the providence of God, the betrayal by Judas actually advanced Gods purpose in the world. Judas didnt know itand doesnt get any credit for itbut his dastardly deed actually fulfilled predictions given by the Holy Spirit hundreds of years before he was born. The Lord can never be blamed for evil, but evil does not take p. God never does evil Himself. International Standard Version. In Acts 2 God poured out His Holy Spirit on the disciples who spoke on the streets of Jerusalem in the languages of the Gentiles who were present. Steven Lee is the Pastor of Preaching & Vision at. Get your Bible. Habakkuk 1:5, Look among the nations and watch Be utterly astounded! Third, it is necessary for us to remain silent, to not fret, grumble, or complain, while we wait for the Lord to deliver us from whatever trial we are suffering. God promised to precede Cyrus and destroy all opposition that Cyrus would face: 'I will go before you and make the 3. His covenant is always enforced. How will they preach unless they are sent? WebGod also testifying with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will. God doesnt need men, but God chooses to use men at times to accomplish His sovereign will. God God He stands behind it indirectly, but He directly stands behind good. C) God uses all eventsgood and badto accomplish his purposes. He may for a time use the ungodly to bring deserved chastising upon the hypocrites among His own people, and to show his uncompromising wrath upon those left to what we all deserve aside from the work of his grace. WebAnd then they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the Devil, who had caught them and made them obey his will. In spite of our slownessand even sinGod will bless and use us to fulfill His purpose of blessing all nations through Christ, because of our relationship to the Father through the Son. God is unimpressed by our collection of readers, likes, retweets, friends, connections, or admirers. When Judas actually betrayed Jesus in the Garden, Peter immediately sprang to his defense. For he sees that even wise men die;The stupid and the senseless alike perishAnd leave their wealth to others. For this reason God purposefully led the wondering multitude to a place where there was no possible way of escape from Pharaoh and his army, humanly speaking. I, the Lord, have spoken, surely this I will do to all this evil congregation who are gathered together against Me. All of these people are unlikely choices to be used by God since they didnt truly know or believe in Him. Impatience and failing to trust God is never helpful. So through his death, he can have everlasting life on earth. They have heard that You, O. But what they do is not going to bring them true blessing. The Lord said to Moses, How long will this people spurn Me? Anyone who resists God risks falling into spiritual deception (2 We are here and gone again. In many cases without them even realizing that they were being used by God. One swing of his sword whacked off the ear of Malchus, servant to the High Priest. So while many American Christians worry about what will take place in the coming years I find peace in knowing that God can use even the most unlikely candidates to accomplish His will. God can use anyone and anything. God uses pathetic people for his glorious purposes to show his superior power. 18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. In this period of Judahs last kings, the Prophets warned of the fulfillment of this covenant promise. Solomon was DaVinci, Einstein, Bach, Jordan, Augustus, and Shakespeare rolled into one superior man. Jesus Sends Out the You will say to me then, Why does He still find fault? God wanted the people of Israel to look to Moses as their God appointed human leader and deliverer. Wisdom didnt ensure obedience. They have heard that You, O Lord, are in the midst of this people, for You, O Lord, are seen eye to eye, while Your cloud stands over them; and You go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night. They make a joke out of those who dare to not submit to them. They intend to be their own god. They all come for violence; Their faces are set like the east wind. The thing he values the most is dragging him down to eternal damnation. Jesus said the unbelievers failed to give him food, drink, nurse him in His sickness, or visit Him in prison. "Equipping and encouraging people to keep believing in Jesus", Copyright 2020 Keep Believing Ministries. Because God created all He can use anything in creation. In their very act of oppression, they unknowingly serve the glory of the Creator. Their chargers charge ahead; Their cavalry comes from afar; They fly as the eagle that hastens to eat. Believer, dont think that your faithful service to your local body of believers is insignificant or accounts for little or nothing. After God redeemed Israel from Egypt through a series of ten miraculous plagues, he had Moses lead the people of Israel out of Egypt near the shore of the Red Sea. Nothing is ever left to chance with God. Yet both declare His awesome glory. He was ready to die for his Master and intended to take a few of the bad guys with him. But God did just that and used a sinning Gentile to begin the process of restoring Israel. Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? His plan in doing so was to bless all people. I believe that t he Lord is here suggesting that the eternal torment that unbelievers will experience will be on a scale from more tolerable to less tolerable. In Acts 1:16 Peter declared that the Scripture had to be fulfilled. He meant that the Old Testament predictions (he cites Psalm 69:25 and Psalm 109:8) regarding Judas were bound to come true. 2) If Jesus did descend into hell, why? God doesnt need men, but God chooses to use men at times to accomplish His sovereign will. Everything was planned by God down to the tiniest detail. Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? He betrayed the Lord but ended up vindicating him. Our accolades cannot merit us any greatness. Compared to you or me, King Solomon had it all wisdom, wealth, fame, power. Email Jack. He could have rained fire and brimstone down on them. International Standard Version. But Habakkuks confusion was not doubt. The very first verse my daughter ever memorized was Isaiah 40:8, The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever. It seemed like an odd one to begin with, but now in retrospect it might have been the best one. They had fast horses and were more fierce (more alert, fierce, and sharp) than the hungry wolves that come out to hunt in the evening. But the Jews, becoming jealous and taking along some wicked men from the market place, formed a mob and set the city in an uproar; and attacking the house of Jason, they were seeking to bring them out to the people. However, he had Aaron and Hur hold up Moses arms and had Joshua lead the armies of Israel. He recognized what was evil because he believed Gods law. You have entered an incorrect email address! 1:8). God himself had foreordained every detail surrounding the death of his Son. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. For I will work a work in your days Which you would not believe, though it were told you.. If God did the miracles without Moses, amazing things would have happened, but the people would not have known what was going on or what to do. God God sometimes use evil to accomplish His plans (Habakkuk Do not begrudge your weakness. The story of Judas teaches us that nothing happens by accident. The people of Jacob were trapped. This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask These lessons simply teach us that God can take that which is evil and use it for his own good purposes. I believe that t he Lord is here suggesting that the eternal torment that unbelievers will experience will be on a scale from more tolerable to less tolerable. All four gospel writers agree that three times Pilate rendered the same verdict regarding Jesus: I find no fault in him (John 19:6 NKJV). WebGod was about to turn to the Gentiles as He judged Israel as a nation for her unbelief. My ministry is small locally, but gigantic because of the faithful service of others. 1 In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing: 2 Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. God Uses Many People to Accomplish His Purposes I am a preacher and Bible teacher. Why does God allow deception They live as if there was no Creator, no moral law, no accountability. God will surely judge all rebellion, secret and open. Thats where the judgment will come from. The Bible says, God was well pleased through the message preached to save those who believe (I Cor. He stands behind it indirectly, but He directly stands behind good. Through one mans treachery, Jesus proves himself a man of peacenot a man of war. Our prayers aline us with Gods eternal decree. I find it remarkable how consistently the New Testament writers see the hand of God in the events surrounding the death of Christ. The greater the pain, the harder it is to see Gods fingerprints. But it does mean everything will happen as God sees fit. All of it happened according to Gods plan. Or see articles from other writers we feature Here. Egypt made his brother, Jehoiakim, the new king over the Jews. And that is okay. Gods covenant warned from the beginning that if Israel fell into sin God would use a foreign heathen nation to bring judgment upon them. Jesus is truly the lamb without blemish who died for the sins of the world (John 1:29). Moses was sent by the Lord multiple times to Pharaoh asking for the release of the Hebrews. So continue to trust in Him and you wont be disappointed. The Israelites and the church did face some tough times and we may too. Your sons shall be shepherds for forty years in the wilderness, and they will suffer for your unfaithfulness, until your corpses lie in the wilderness. And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed (Genesis 12: 3). so that they might escape from the devil's snare, even though they've been held captive by him to do his will. An unlikely person to be used by God. Why did a holy God allow such evil to continue? Egypt and the Neo-Babylonians were competing for world dominance. We return now to the original question: Why did God allow Judas to betray Jesus? Though absolutely sovereign, all knowing, all wise, and everywhere present, God uses sinners to accomplish His will. He wants us to trust in Him, to rely on Him, to cry out to Him, and then give Him glory for delivering us. We see this clearly in the life of Christ. A most astonishing way of fulfilling that prophesy. The Prophet Habakkuk wrote during the troubled times before Judahs captivity. His silence spoke more loudly than the foolish claims of his lying accusers. We might be a life-hacking, productivity guru. Copyright 2002-2023 Got Questions Ministries. God