God will bring ultimate and final judgment upon all ungodliness. If so, did he have a choice? Gods Ability To Use Unlikely People Even Unbelievers. Here are some examples: We see this all the way through the Bible. But the fact of the matter is it wasnt me! This truth about Judas illustrates Gods control of every event in the universe. Now if You slay this people as one man, then the nations who have heard of Your fame will say,read more.Because the Lord could not bring this people into the land which He promised them by oath, therefore He slaughtered them in the wilderness. But now, I pray, let the power of the Lord be great, just as You have declared, The Lord is slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, forgiving iniquity and transgression; but He will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generations. Pardon, I pray, the iniquity of this people according to the greatness of Your lovingkindness, just as You also have forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now. So the Lord said, I have pardoned them according to your word; but indeed, as I live, all the earth will be filled with the glory of the Lord. for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. 4:5). WebGod will never set man's will aside and use him for a good purpose without his being willing to be used. You are going to need it as we search the Scriptures to answer these two questions. What an honor to serve the King of kings. Causing him to not let the people go. When we dont see the ungodly punished immediately, or when they seem to be successful in their evil ways, we should not assume that God is beaten or is pleased to turn His head. Things may seem impossible, and for men, they might be impossible, but nothing is impossible with God (Lk. Though absolutely sovereign, all knowing, all wise, and everywhere present, God uses sinners to accomplish His will. They mock authority and law, and believe that might makes right. They still look to their own strength and ability as if they were divine and answer to no authority above their own. Until that man turns from his sinwhich in his case means acknowledging his behavior as sinand runs to the Cross of Christ he cannot be saved. In fact, in one place in scripture, God said that what He was doing could not be understood even if He explained it. God doesnt need men, but God chooses to use men at times to accomplish His sovereign will. Christianity is not about religion, its about a life-changing relationship with the Son of God. There he said in 1 Corinthians 14:21, With men of other tongues and other lips I will speak to this people; And yet, for all that, they will not hear Me, says the Lord. He directly quoted the covenant warning of Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Deuteronomy. Then the Lord heard the sound of your words, and He was angry and took an oath, saying, Not one of these men, this evil generation, shall see the good land which I swore to give your fathers. He had great trust in the truth of God. I answer yes. God asks us to do things we cant do, because it makes us trust IN HIM, not ourselves. Our prayers do not alter Gods eternal decree. That doesnt lessen his guilt, but it does increase our appreciation of Gods sovereignty over the affairs of men. Stand by and see the salvation of the Lord which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see them again forever. We see this all the way through the Bible. The Lord did it, but He did it through Moses. We pray because God is sovereign and all powerful. I have received no honorary doctorates. Those who look to themselves, will eventually and always reap their just punishment. Comments? 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. So through his death, he can have everlasting life on earth. The gospel writers record many Old Testament prophecies that were fulfilled in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I dont speak on any circuits, have given no TED talks, and have been the keynote speaker less than once. A prophecy we can imagine would have seemed quite improbable to those who heard. The story of Judas teaches us that nothing happens by accident. The Pharisees came out and began to argue with Him, seeking from Him a sign from heaven, to test Him. by Bob Burridge 2013, 2015 Gods plan even extended to having Jesus buried in a borrowed tomb (see Isaiah 53:9). It was all the Lord. Questions? 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. Do not begrudge your weakness. When they offered him 30 pieces of silver, he readily accepted even though that was the going price for a slave. Israel as a nation had rejected the promises of Moses and the Prophets culminating in the demand for the death of Jesus, Gods Messiah. Gods Ability To Use Unlikely People Even Unbelievers. So continue to trust in Him and you wont be disappointed. Assyria had fallen when Nineveh, its capitol, was destroyed in 612 BC. It appears that between 11 PM Thursday night and 7:30 AM Friday morning, Jesus underwent six different hearingsone before Annas, two before Caiaphas, one before the Sanhedrin, and two before Pontius Pilate. Which is why they completely missed the Messiah when they stood right beside Him. But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or an ungifted man enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all;read more.the secrets of his heart are disclosed; and so he will fall on his face and worship God, declaring that God is certainly among you. Two verses later, in Rom. God strengthened Cyrus so that he could conquer nations and overcome opposition Thus says the Lord God to His 2. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Though used of God to complete his plan, those who crucified our Lord were still personally wicked and godless in what they did. But Moses said to the Lord, Then the Egyptians will hear of it, for by Your strength You brought up this people from their midst, and they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. God could by-pass us and do everything himself, but He does not. Even today there are those who are arrogant and have no honor for God as He reveals Himself in Scripture. And how will they hear without a preacher? Psalm 109:8Replaced by another manMatthias (see Acts 1:20). 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. 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. During this period, foreign powers invaded Israel again and again, and inside the nation known as Gods people, evil and immorality raged. God had not yet told Moses what He was going to do, but Moses knew the Lord did not redeem the Israelites from Egypt to have them slaughtered. Sighing deeply in His spirit, He *said, Why does this generation seek for a sign? I am sure God has many reasons for doing the things He does in the way and timing of His choosing, but lets consider some likely reasons He used Moses, a sinner, to be the instrument of His sovereign, miraculous work of dividing the Red Sea. I have heard the complaints of the sons of Israel, which they are making against Me. The people of Jacob were trapped. Copyright 2002-2023 Got Questions Ministries. But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or an ungifted man enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all; the secrets of his heart are disclosed; and so he will fall on his face and worship God, declaring that God is certainly among you. The new Pharaoh saw the Israelites as a plague in the land. Zechariah 11:13Judas would give the money back. 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. As they plotted how to murder Jesus they had no idea they were accomplishing Gods will. Jump to Previous For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. Judas solved their problem by volunteering to betray the Lord. And, "Who Are The Sons of God in Genesis 6? Eternity will reveal how your faithful service was used by the Lord in amazing ways. Why tell Moses to lift up his staff and stretch out his hand over the see and be the instrument God would use to divide the sea? Did Jesus Descend Into Hell? Often in the confusion of life, we cant see the ends, much less the means God intends for us. The fact that God ordains both the means and the ends should surely encourage us as we face our own trials. Although Judas appears to be acting solely on his own initiative, it is clear that his betrayal fits into a larger pattern of eventsone that is orchestrated by the unseen hand of the Living God. In our text, Ex. God has sinners pray and answers the prayers of sinners that are according to His will, getting glory for himself. 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. Everything was planned by God down to the tiniest detail. The unbeliever has made an exchangethe truth for a lieand the devil is happy to facilitate the swap by presenting the sinner with a wide array of lies from which to choose. You will say to me then, Why does He still find fault? But most of the time we wont see it fully until we finally arrive in heaven. He stands behind it indirectly, but He directly stands behind good. Say to them, As I live, says the Lord, just as you have spoken in My hearing, so I will surely do to you; your corpses will fall in this wilderness, even all your numbered men, according to your complete number from twenty years old and upward, who have grumbled against Me. He has not brought us this far to cause us to fail. When Judas actually betrayed Jesus in the Garden, Peter immediately sprang to his defense. Because God does miracles by His own power. God didnt want to lead the people around the Red Sea by the way of the Philistines knowing they might get scared and run back to Egypt (Ex. Now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening as Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. A man who lived in a time in which only Jews served the one true God. Each time Moses would perform a mighty sign to convince Pharaoh of Gods power but each time God would harden his heart. God is not the author of sin, but He can use sinful men to attain an objective. 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. God wanted the people of Israel to look to Moses as their God appointed human leader and deliverer. Including those who dont believe He exists. Grace be with you. 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.. Before the Apostle Paul wrote his letter he was known as Saul. 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! 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. And goes on to say, How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? God will surely judge all rebellion, secret and open. They make a joke out of those who dare to not submit to them. Paul used this verse from Habakkuk to warn the foolish despisers of the gospel. While not all became believers, many felt a strong attraction to his message. Peter didnt see it, he only saw the treachery of Judas. Its okay to be a nobody, if in all you do, you serve Somebody. Do not lament your insufficiency. The fact that God ordains both the means and the ends should surely encourage us as we face our own trials. But what they do is not going to bring them true blessing. C) We place our confidence in Gods ultimate purpose for us. The new king was deposed after three months. But they feared to do it during the Feast of Unleavened Bread because of the crowds that thronged Jerusalem. God will use it even if you do not understand how. 2:11). 21 Many are the plans in the mind of a man. We are called to be among his faithful people. God calls the autistic man to give the most profound articulation of his simple faith. When he went before Pilate, the Roman governor received an urgent message from his wife: Dont have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him (Matthew 27:19). Then God, in His sovereign power and will, takes our weak and fallible service, and accomplishes His will, like parting the Red Sea. Recent events may not have gone how you hoped and the signs may seem bleak. What Jesus Wants Emphasized In His Church! 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. 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 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. Moses didnt have any power to divide the Red Sea. The people of Israel, were backed up against the Red Sea with Pharaohs army charging at them. In the eyes of the Jews, Saul would be seen as a warrior of the faith. But our God is mightier than any office or country. The ungodly show the futility of their rebellion, the awful penalty of sin, and the just wrath of God. Today, the weapons of force have improved, yet all the more they take whatever they want, and give only when it serves their purpose. Jesus responded to the false testimony by saying nothing at all. Thats where the judgment will come from. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth (Isaiah 53:7). International Standard Version. God sovereignly saves sinners, yet, He often uses sinners to accomplish His sovereign will. When you find yourself in a tight spot and you cant see any way of deliverance, have faith in God, obey His Word, and wait for the salvation of the Lord. The Lord can never be blamed for evil, but evil does not take p. God never does evil Himself. 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. God ordains the means and the ends of life. Wisdom didnt guard him against a wandering heart. We live most of our days in Good Fridayenduring confusion, opposition, disappointment and the many tragedies of life. Habakkuk 1:5, Look among the nations and watch Be utterly astounded! How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? 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. Here are the two great texts to keep in mind regarding Gods providence and our own personal experience: The first is the famous statement by Joseph to his brothers in Genesis 50:20, You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good. The second comes from the familiar words of Romans 8:28, And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. These verses teach us that God is able to take the worst things that happen in life and turn them for our good and his glory. God then raised up Moses and his brother Aaron as instruments to deliver the people of Israel from cruel bondage. This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And the Lord had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they granted them what they requested. Verse Concepts. Thanks for your interest! Another unlikely person used by God was King Cyrus of Persia. We see this all the way through the Bible. In the words of a 19th century writer, hatred, treachery and deceit will not prevail against the church of God. 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. I cant charge an exorbitant hourly fee for my time. Nothing is ever left to chance with God. They all come for violence; Their faces are set like the east wind. But God gave the command, Moses obeyed the command, and in a sense Moses divided the Sea, as the Lord commanded, and in a more ultimate sense God did the miracle and divided the Red Sea. Literal Standard Version. When we pray, we strive to pray according to Gods will (I Jn. This week I ate lunch with a man who has recently become an acquaintance through an e-mail correspondence. WebGod was about to turn to the Gentiles as He judged Israel as a nation for her unbelief. Now if You slay this people as one man, then the nations who have heard of Your fame will say. Other examples could be added to this list. It becomes all the more bold in lawlessness. International Standard Version. Were they to march into the sea holding their little ones, driving their cattle, and pushing their elderly? Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? 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. Be encouraged, child of God. WebThe Scripture teaches that God achieves His purpose in unbelievers. They live as if there was no Creator, no moral law, no accountability. But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. I sit on no boards. There are so many amazing things in these few verses. The Neo-Babylonians were dominated by Chaldean kings. (Video #2), Lesson 2: Gods Use of the Ungodly Habakkuk 1:5-11. Their horses also are swifter than leopards, And more fierce than evening wolves. Fourth, Gods command seemed impossible to obey. WebGod never does evil Himself. 14 But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him. It is a warning to Israel that if they should break Gods covenant, calamity will come upon them revealing the wrath of the offended God. We know from the sowing and reaping principle that t here will be degrees of torment in the lake of fire. The fact that God ordains both the means and the ends should surely encourage us as we face our own trials. Stating that the plans of men are many but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand. But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh remained alive out of those men who went to spy out the land. 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.. 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. But God did just that and used a sinning Gentile to begin the process of restoring Israel. Pharaohs heart was hardened again. Be encouraged Christian, God intends to use you in all your multifaceted weakness and obscurity for his glory. He could have just caused them to drop dead. He stands behind it indirectly, but He directly stands behind good. But we need to grow in faith and obedience. Do not lament your insufficiency. Wisdom alone, though, is insufficient. He stands behind it indirectly, but He directly stands behind good. I have not written a New York Times Bestseller, and no one has publicly endorsed, recommended, or vouched for me. 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. Anyone who resists God risks falling into spiritual deception (2 As a place to begin, consider three verses dealing with Judas. Even his enemies played into Gods handthough they did not know it at the time. For the unbelieving husband is sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through her believing husband; for otherwise your children are unclean, but now they are holy. 28 who says of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, saying of Jerusalem, She shall be built,, and of the temple, Your foundation shall be laid. . Through one mans treachery, Jesus proves himself a man of peacenot a man of war. He uses believers and unbelievers. Wisdom didnt ensure obedience. To put the matter that way raises several other questions: Was Judas predestined by God to betray Jesus? All of these people are unlikely choices to be used by God since they didnt truly know or believe in Him. If one of the unbelievers invites you and you want to go, eat anything that is set before you without asking questions for conscience sake. God promised to precede Cyrus and destroy all opposition that Cyrus would face: 'I will go before you and make the 3. Email Jack. That pagan nation was struggling against Egypt for dominance. 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. His plan in doing so was to bless all people. When we do that we become His instruments to accomplish His sovereign will. Summary 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. Therefore if the whole church assembles together and all speak in tongues, and ungifted men or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are mad? The Pharisees believed they were serving God but in reality, they didnt even know Him. He does this for obvious reasons. Verse Concepts. God has the amazing ability to do things that simply do not make sense to mankind. God wants to use those who look away from their self-sufficiency to his all-sufficiency. 10 people that God used to accomplish his purposes I. Paul: The one with a shameful past and challenging present (4:18) Colossians 4:18 - I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. When Judas kissed Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, Peter impulsively grabbed his sword and started swinging. 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. They do whatever they want. How beautiful! Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? WebGod Can Use Unbelievers part 1: Cyrus 1. He reminded Peter that he could call for 12 legions of angels72,000 highly trained, heavily armed members of the Angelic Defense Leagueto come to his rescue at any moment. Jesus immediately restored the ear and told Peter to put down his sword. God has already determined the end from the beginning (Isa. When we reach a dead end in our own resources, God can part the sea of the impossible and get us through, but I digress. How will they preach unless they are sent? Those who read my words are in many different situations: May I repeat what I just said: He has not brought us this far to cause us to fail. so that they might escape from the devil's snare, even though they've been held captive by him to do his will. Will we show forth Gods glory in our obedience and in our receiving of His covenant blessing? 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. The way to heaven is only Jesus and Jesus only.. Everything fits into Gods plan. So the emphasis of the chapter is on Gods working out His purpose through ordinary people who obey Him. He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will. They had no weapons to fight Pharaohs army, no experience in war, no ability to defend themselves, and no way of escape. C) God uses all eventsgood and badto accomplish his purposes. They will be held guilty. 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. Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? The coming of Messiah was unexpected. This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask Paul also made this clear in Romans 9-11. Is it true that God cannot look upon sin? 55:8-9). But we learn that over time a new Pharaoh arose who did not know Joseph or respect what Joseph had done (Ex. Yet both declare His awesome glory. 2) If Jesus did descend into hell, why? I have heard the complaints of the sons of Israel, which they are making against Me. His words imply that all the torment will be tolerable. WebJohn 3:16. 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. God answered him. At my own local church, and everywhere else I go, faithful men and women record my sermons in audio and sometimes video. 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. So the emphasis of the chapter is on Gods working out His purpose through ordinary people who obey Him. Pastor, Expository Preacher, Author, Trainer of Preachers and Bible Teachers. Jesus, in the Olivet Discourse, gave the parable of the sheep and the goats. I am the trustee of nothing more than my personal belongings. Are we becoming more like Jesus by the power of the Spirit? Amen. Now relax your hand! And the angel of the Lord was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. He uses believers and unbelievers. 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.. God Himself said that He used Pharaoh so that His name would be known on all the earth. Anxiety, worry, anger, never help remedy the situation, they are emotions that compound our trials and betray that in our hearts we dont believe God, dont trust God, and dont think He is good. Because God created all He can use anything in creation. Pentecost was a sign to the unbelieving of Israel that they had broken the covenant and stood deserving of Gods judgment and wrath. (see Acts 1:20).
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