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. If your rsum is sparse, your intellect feeble, your skills unimpressive, and your wisdom just average, fret not. Often in the confusion of life, we cant see the ends, much less the means God intends for us. When God does something completely different and unexpected (Numb. Showing us that our God can and will use anyone even though they dont know Him. Do not lament your insufficiency. I have received no honorary doctorates. God is not the author of sin, but He can use sinful men to attain an objective. He stands behind it indirectly, but He directly stands behind good. God reigns over the nations; God sits on His holy throne ( Psalm 47:8 ). The Lord even tells Moses to do it, divide it! God doesnt need men, but God chooses to use men at times to accomplish His sovereign will. 28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. As for you, lift up your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, and the sons of Israel shall go through the midst of the sea on dry land. Zechariah 11:1230 pieces of silver (see Matthew 26:15). Gods Ability To Use Unlikely People Even Unbelievers. The Bible says, God was well pleased through the message preached to save those who believe (I Cor. Being a creative, innovative or highly effective leader is insufficient. A third reason God had Moses raise his staff and hands before dividing the Red Sea is that God delights to use sinners to accomplish His sovereign will. Because God created all He can use anything in creation. I think we can learn some great lessons by answering these questions. Though Israel was many, only the remnant will be saved (Romans 9:27). Philippians 3:4-7 - although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. They do whatever they want. God Himself said that He used Pharaoh so that His name would be known on all the earth. Two questions stand out: 1) Did Jesus actually descend into hell? They heap judgment on themselves. 4 Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word. It forces us to live by faith, which is how He wants us to live all the time because it gives Him glory. 28:25, The LORD will cause you to be defeated before your enemies; you shall go out one way against them and flee seven ways before them; and you shall become troublesome to all the kingdoms of the earth. Everything else in the story fits into Gods plan: The crown of thorns, the scourging, the trials, Pilates testimony, his verdict of death, a man to help carry the cross, the place of deathGolgotha, and the moment of death3 PM, the time when the Passover lambs were sacrificed at the Temple. God may ordain to use their wickedness, but this does not make it morally right. It will be a most terrible judgment. The sad story of Judas stands as a warning to religious people not to trust in their religion. 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. But we can find hope in knowing that God is in control, He works all things for our God, and no suffering we face know will even be able to cast a shadow on the glory we will receive in Heaven. 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. 2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. This warning was made clear in the ancient covenant revealed long before through Moses in Deuteronomy 28. Jesus responded to the false testimony by saying nothing at all. The Prophet was told to look around him and see what was going on among the nations, observe! When the angel stretched out his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, the Lord relented from the calamity and said to the angel who destroyed the people, It is enough! But to the rest I say, not the Lord, that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he must not divorce her. Copyright 2002-2023 Got Questions Ministries. When Judas kissed Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, Peter impulsively grabbed his sword and started swinging. God picks the scrawniest little girl to lead off on his kickball team. Covenant judgment was about to be poured out upon Israel. But now, the grief of the Egyptians had subsided and was replaced with anger and regret. The ungodly show the futility of their rebellion, the awful penalty of sin, and the just wrath of God. The manner of the judgment would be unexpected. God uses all those who humble themselves before the cross, boasting only in him his strength, his wisdom, his righteousness, his accomplishment. 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. 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. During his ministry his greatest opposition came from the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the scribes and the teachers of the Law. He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will. God often reveals himself in most unexpected ways. One of the most remarkable things about the Scriptures is how they preserve for us what we regard as our highest dignity, which is the right to exercise our own will. 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. He stands behind it indirectly, but He directly stands behind good. A second reason, related to the first reason, is that God knew that by doing His miracles through Moses, Moses would then in turn give glory to God. When Moses spoke these words to all the sons of Israel, the people mourned greatly. Solomon was DaVinci, Einstein, Bach, Jordan, Augustus, and Shakespeare rolled into one superior man. We know from the sowing and reaping principle that t here will be degrees of torment in the lake of fire. Zechariah 11:13Judas would give the money back. 14 But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him. Going to church wont make you a Christian any more than sleeping in a garage makes you a caror going to a donut shop makes you a cop. We see this all the way through the Bible. 1:37). The Lord will fight for you while you keep silent. Then the Lord said to Moses, Why are you crying out to Me? 14:16, God, who is all powerful and infinitely sovereign, tells Moses, lift up your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, and the sons of Israel shall go through the midst of the sea on dry land. Why didnt God just part the Red Sea? This is the attitude of the evil heart in all ages. But we need to grow in faith and obedience. In many cases without them even realizing that they were being used by God. Paul used this verse from Habakkuk to warn the foolish despisers of the gospel. Habakkuk 1:7-11, They are terrible and dreadful; Their judgment and their dignity proceed from themselves. WebWhat if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: 1 Peter 2:8 And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed. Because God does miracles by His own power. So the emphasis of the chapter is on Gods working out His purpose through ordinary people who obey Him. An unlikely person to be used by God. 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. In the beginning Satan challenged Gods right to rule. God uses all those who humble themselves before the cross, boasting only in him his strength, his wisdom, his righteousness, his accomplishment. We have one life to use, and the usefulness of that one life depends not on our rsum or even how much we know. However, he had Aaron and Hur hold up Moses arms and had Joshua lead the armies of Israel. God was revealing that He was going to use this ungodly power for judgment upon his own straying people. And did not believe in His wonderful works. I might preach to 100 people on Sunday morning in my own little church, but I preach to thousands over the internet. "Equipping and encouraging people to keep believing in Jesus", Copyright 2020 Keep Believing Ministries. Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God. 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.. The mind of evil changes from bad to worse being taken in by successes in conquest. So the emphasis of the chapter is on Gods working out His purpose through ordinary people who obey Him. His plan in doing so was to bless all people. Christianity is not about religion, its about a life-changing relationship with the Son of God. The people of Israel, were backed up against the Red Sea with Pharaohs army charging at them. Finally, they suborned perjury by putting forward false witnesses who produced contradictory testimony. The Lord can never be blamed for evil, but evil does not take p. God never does evil Himself. How long shall I bear with this evil congregation who are grumbling against Me? C) God uses all eventsgood and badto accomplish his purposes. Gods covenant warned from the beginning that if Israel fell into sin God would use a foreign heathen nation to bring judgment upon them. God sees. We should never presume to say to an unbeliever, God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life. We cant know that. God asks us to do things we cant do, because it makes us trust IN HIM, not ourselves. The thing he values the most is dragging him down to eternal damnation. Steven Lee is the Pastor of Preaching & Vision at. That doesnt lessen his guilt, but it does increase our appreciation of Gods sovereignty over the affairs of men. by Bob Burridge 2013, 2015 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. Fourth, Gods command seemed impossible to obey. Here we see that when believers are doing the will of God, obeying the Word of God, and serving even the least of the Saints, they are Gods instruments, doing Jesus will, ministering to Jesus people, His body, His bride. It is not our responsibility to determine how God will use us, but it is our responsibility to be faithful to obey the Word of God. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. God has the amazing ability to do things that simply do not make sense to mankind. 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! Be encouraged Christian, God intends to use you in all your multifaceted weakness and obscurity for his glory. I sit on no boards. Were they to voluntarily all drown? The evil nations God was raising up to judge his rebellious people were self-centered. But if anyone says to you, This is meat sacrificed to idols, do not eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you, and for conscience sake; I mean not your own conscience, but the other mans; for why is my freedom judged by anothers conscience? Causing him to not let the people go. 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. 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. I cant charge an exorbitant hourly fee for my time. But we need to grow in faith and obedience. Philippians 3:4-7 - although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. Do not begrudge your weakness. They live as if there was no Creator, no moral law, no accountability. WebThe Scripture teaches that God achieves His purpose in unbelievers. God has already determined the end from the beginning (Isa. Anyone who resists God risks falling into spiritual deception (2 Remember my imprisonment. Even his enemies played into Gods handthough they did not know it at the time. 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. Two verses later, in Rom. For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also; but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard. No buildings, streets, or hospitals have been named in honor of me. 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. 46:10). But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills. C) We place our confidence in Gods ultimate purpose for us. 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. . In Jeremiah 13:20 it said, Lift up your eyes and see Those who come from the north . Jeremiah 25:32 says, Behold, disaster shall go forth From nation to nation, And a great whirlwind shall be raised up From the farthest parts of the earth., Habakkuk 1:6, For indeed I am raising up the Chaldeans, A bitter and hasty nation Which marches through the breadth of the earth, To possess dwelling places that are not theirs.. During our conversationwhich lasted two hours and was both cordial and very frankI told him that his religion could not save him. But the fact of the matter is it wasnt me! Is it true that God cannot look upon sin? 1 And Saul approved of his execution. He wants us to trust in Him, to rely on Him, to cry out to Him, and then give Him glory for delivering us. The Lord did it, but He did it through Moses. When Judas actually betrayed Jesus in the Garden, Peter immediately sprang to his defense. But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.. We might be a life-hacking, productivity guru. We return now to the original question: Why did God allow Judas to betray Jesus? And the Lord had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they granted them what they requested. Anyone who resists God risks falling into spiritual deception (2 God is unimpressed by our collection of readers, likes, retweets, friends, connections, or admirers. The fact that God ordains both the means and the ends should surely encourage us as we face our own trials. 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. When God desires to save someone, He raises up Christians to preach the gospel. Which caused the church to grow rapidly. He didnt accept evil apathetically, he was appalled by it. But among the leaders of the nation, only a few followed Christand they became secret believers for fear of persecution by their brethren. 10:14-15). New American Standard Bible Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. Because they did not believe in GodAnd did not trust in His salvation. 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. At times, God enlisted non-believers to help His people through the ages. From the earliest days of Jesus life we find the Jewish leaders conspiring against him. I find it remarkable how consistently the New Testament writers see the hand of God in the events surrounding the death of Christ. This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask God wanted the people of Israel to look to Moses as their God appointed human leader and deliverer. shall by no means see the land which I swore to their fathers, nor shall any of those who spurned Me see it. Even those who dont believe and even speak against. Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites live in the valleys; turn tomorrow and set out to the wilderness by the way of the Red Sea. The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, How long shall I bear with this evil congregation who are grumbling against Me? Then his mind changes, and he transgresses; He commits offense, Ascribing this power to his god.. And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. Through one mans treachery, Jesus proves himself a man of peacenot a man of war. God promised to precede Cyrus and destroy all opposition that Cyrus would face: 'I will go before you and make the 3. In spite of all this they still sinned And did not believe in His wonderful works. International Standard Version. As with the raising of Moses hands by Aaron and Hurt, sharing the gospel, or praying, God delights in and receives glory for himself, when we submit to His will, live by faith, and obey His Word. Lest he misunderstand, I also told him that going to Calvary Memorial Church cannot save anyoneor help save anyone. In fact, in one place in scripture, God said that what He was doing could not be understood even if He explained it. But as for you, your corpses will fall in this wilderness. Grace be with you. Holman Old Testament Commentary: Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah by Trent Butler. Jump to Previous God sovereignly saves sinners, yet, He often uses sinners to accomplish His sovereign will. We live most of our days in Good Fridayenduring confusion, opposition, disappointment and the many tragedies of life. The way of the wicked is like darkness;They do not know over what they stumble. Do not begrudge your weakness. It doesnt mean everything will also go perfectly or the way we hope. And He *said to them, Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, Move from here to there, and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you. 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. The phrase all this refers to the betrayal, the circumstances surrounding it, and the circumstances flowing from it. Compared to you or me, King Solomon had it all wisdom, wealth, fame, power. That leads me to ask a simple question: Are you a professor or a possessor? Wisdom didnt guard him against a wandering heart. For he sees that even wise men die;The stupid and the senseless alike perishAnd leave their wealth to others. God didnt need to have Moses lift up his staff. but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand. Yet He was still able to accomplish His will through them. The evil ones believe pridefully that their own imagined gods have blessed them. His covenant is always enforced. Judas professed Christ but he did not possess him, which is why he is in hell today. Philippians 3:4-7 - although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. We need to be reminded again and again that we are like grass disposable, temporary, fleeting, momentary. Does God sometimes use evil to accomplish His plans (Habakkuk 1:5-11)? If youd like an interesting Bible study, take a look at the trials of Jesus. Get your Bible. Two questions confront us as we consider the story of Judas: Last weeks sermon dealt with the first question. in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. The unbelievers, become confused, not remembering ever having the opportunity to serve Jesus. The sheep representing believers who did Gods will and the goats representing unbelievers who do not do Gods will. Jesus immediately restored the ear and told Peter to put down his sword. 3 But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison. One final point is in order. Often in the confusion of life, we cant see the ends, much less the means God intends for us. Summary He is working all things after the counsel of His will (Eph. Every evil in the world must somehow serve Gods purpose. This is a true mystery, which we may explain in various ways but will never fully understand. God is not finished with you yet, so dont give up on him. Do not begrudge your weakness. Surely all the men who have seen My glory and My signs which I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness, yet have put Me to the test these ten times and have not listened to My voice. Judas served Gods purposes even though what he did was wrong and he ended up in hell. One swing of his sword whacked off the ear of Malchus, servant to the High Priest. 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. The coming of Messiah was unexpected. Gods Ability To Use Unlikely People Even Unbelievers. You are going to need it as we search the Scriptures to answer these two questions. 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. A prophecy we can imagine would have seemed quite improbable to those who heard. I have not written a New York Times Bestseller, and no one has publicly endorsed, recommended, or vouched for me. We need to remember that God uses the foolish. WebWhat if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: 1 Peter 2:8 And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed. But we learn that over time a new Pharaoh arose who did not know Joseph or respect what Joseph had done (Ex. So He brought their days to an end in futility And their years in sudden terror. The fact that God ordains both the means and the ends should surely encourage us as we face our own trials. Because God created all He can use anything in creation. Pharaohs heart was hardened again. I am the trustee of nothing more than my personal belongings. The purpose of www.drivennails.com is to help train expository preachers in sermon construction and delivery, to train inductive Bible study writers and teachers, and to edify the saints with the Word of God. This doesnt erase tragedy or transform heartache, but it gives us a divine perspective on the hard times of life that enables us to keep on going when wed rather give up and quit. Verse Concepts. Tell the sons of Israel to go forward.
Olivia Cruises Cancelled,
Residential Street Parking Laws Ohio,
Tiffany And Love Perfume Rollerball,
Taurus Child Cancer Mother,
Articles G