When we pray, we strive to pray according to Gods will (I Jn. the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces, and assign him a place with the unbelievers. What does it mean that God came from Teman (Habakkuk 3:3). Pentecost was a sign to the unbelieving of Israel that they had broken the covenant and stood deserving of Gods judgment and wrath. But what they do is not going to bring them true blessing. At the beginning of their sojourn, Joseph was ruler of Egypt, a son of Jacob, and watched over his own. In this wilderness they shall be destroyed, and there they will die. As for the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land and who returned and made all the congregation grumble against him by bringing out a bad report concerning the land, even those men who brought out the very bad report of the land died by a plague before the Lord. 3 But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison. 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. But we need to grow in faith and obedience. God Himself said that He used Pharaoh so that His name would be known on all the earth. God promised to precede Cyrus and destroy all opposition that Cyrus would face: 'I will go before you and make the 3. Tell the sons of Israel to go forward. Jesus says much the same thing in his famous prayer just before Judas arrives: None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that the Scripture would be fulfilled (John17:12b). The repentant show Gods unmerited grace to undeserving sinners, and reveal the merciful blessing and goodness of God. Thanks for your interest! Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? Truly I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation.. For I work a work in your days, a work which you will by no means believe, Though one were to declare it to you., Jeremiah also spoke of the same thing about which God warned Habakkuk. and they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. When Moses spoke these words to all the sons of Israel, the people mourned greatly. 1 And Saul approved of his execution. For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? Consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 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. God may ordain to use their wickedness, but this does not make it morally right. Nothing is ever left to chance with God. Causing a sacrifice to take place that would open salvation up to all people. So through his death, he can have everlasting life on earth. The Prophet was told to look around him and see what was going on among the nations, observe! God uses pathetic people for his glorious purposes to show his superior power. In 605 Egypt was defeated by the Neo-Babylonians at Carchemish. God uses all those who humble themselves before the cross, boasting only in him his strength, his wisdom, his righteousness, his accomplishment. Being a creative, innovative or highly effective leader is insufficient. 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. Then his mind changes, and he transgresses; He commits offense, Ascribing this power to his god.. Although God was at work in the betrayal, you couldnt see it that night. 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. They had been in Egypt under Egyptian task masters for 400 years. (Bible quotations are from the New King James Version of the Bible unless otherwise noted.). Even those who dont believe and even speak against. He has not brought us this far to cause us to fail. Guiding our world whether we are able to see it or not. Finally, they suborned perjury by putting forward false witnesses who produced contradictory testimony. Egypt and the Neo-Babylonians were competing for world dominance. Summary We see this all the way through the Bible. Psalm 69:25Reputation destroyed forever. They intend to be their own god. 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! This truth about Judas illustrates Gods control of every event in the universe. Because God created all He can use anything in creation. WebJohn 3:16. It doesnt mean everything will also go perfectly or the way we hope. He didnt accept evil apathetically, he was appalled by it. But it does mean everything will happen as God sees fit. If your rsum is sparse, your intellect feeble, your skills unimpressive, and your wisdom just average, fret not. Today, the weapons of force have improved, yet all the more they take whatever they want, and give only when it serves their purpose. God ordains the means and the ends of life. 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). Moses give the Israelites specific instruction and visible representation from the invisible God. Zechariah 11:1230 pieces of silver (see Matthew 26:15). Fifth, and the point I want to focus on, is that the Lord 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. I find this very interesting and encouraging. 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. We see this all the way through the Bible. WebGod was about to turn to the Gentiles as He judged Israel as a nation for her unbelief. The Lord did it, but He did it through Moses. 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. Pastor, Expository Preacher, Author, Trainer of Preachers and Bible Teachers. 1:37). God answered him. Why did a holy God allow such evil to continue? He could have rained fire and brimstone down on them. 2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. Comments? 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. The Lord said to Moses, How long will this people spurn Me? In the eyes of the Jews, Saul would be seen as a warrior of the faith. 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. All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, But He does according to His will in the host of heaven, will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion. We are here and gone again. How beautiful! We all understand that God intended that Jesus would die for the sins of the world. God can use even you even me. 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? I have heard the complaints of the sons of Israel, which they are making against Me. But among the leaders of the nation, only a few followed Christand they became secret believers for fear of persecution by their brethren. 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. 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. Egypt made his brother, Jehoiakim, the new king over the Jews. Unbelievers Are blinded by the God of this world 2 Corinthians 4:4 Verse Concepts Be encouraged Christian, God intends to use you in all your multifaceted weakness and obscurity for his glory. And that is okay. God reigns over the nations; God sits on His holy throne ( Psalm 47:8 ). 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. He has many means to accomplish that holy purposeincluding some that are difficult to understand. (1 Corinthians 1:2629). First, we see the faith of Moses. 2) If Jesus did descend into hell, why? Israel as a nation had rejected the promises of Moses and the Prophets culminating in the demand for the death of Jesus, Gods Messiah. 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. Here are some examples: Gods plan even extended to having Jesus buried in a borrowed tomb (see Isaiah 53:9). He dealt with his doubts and confusion in the right way, he turned to God, not to his own understanding. I am not a rising star in any field, industry, or arena. 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). 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. 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. That doesnt make us anything more in Gods eyes. In their very act of oppression, they unknowingly serve the glory of the Creator. During this period, foreign powers invaded Israel again and again, and inside the nation known as Gods people, evil and immorality raged. We know from the sowing and reaping principle that t here will be degrees of torment in the lake of fire. Often in the confusion of life, we cant see the ends, much less the means God intends for us. In those moments we often feel alone in the chaos of circumstances as life tumbles in around us. God is still using unlikely people to accomplish His will on earth today. God uses all those who humble themselves before the cross, boasting only in him his strength, his wisdom, his righteousness, his accomplishment. 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? Remember my imprisonment. It was the tech team, the web master, the secretary, or whoever posted my sermon on line. If we lack wisdom, we should ask God for it (James 1:5). 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 total number of prophecies is well over 100. How can I believe in the goodness of God when there is so much evil in the world? God scoffs at any attempt by me or you to prove our worthiness. God is not finished with you yet, so dont give up on him. 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. God 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. Judas didnt know it, and neither did the disciples, but Gods fingerprints were all over his act of betrayal. Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife? When God desires to save someone, He raises up Christians to preach the gospel. 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. God often reveals himself in most unexpected ways. Our prayers aline us with Gods eternal decree. Remember my imprisonment. The fact that God ordains both the means and the ends should surely encourage us as we face our own trials. Is that a contradiction? It doesnt matter if you have theology degrees or mothered a dozen healthy, happy children or started several 501(c)3s to feed the poor and end trafficking. Your children, however, whom you said would become a preyI will bring them in, and they will know the land which you have rejected. Solomon was DaVinci, Einstein, Bach, Jordan, Augustus, and Shakespeare rolled into one superior man. We need to be reminded again and again that we are like grass disposable, temporary, fleeting, momentary. WebGod Can Use Unbelievers part 1: Cyrus 1. His plan in doing so was to bless all people. Then God, in His sovereign power and will, takes our weak and fallible service, and accomplishes His will, like parting the Red Sea. 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.. so that they might escape from the devil's snare, even though they've been held captive by him to do his will. 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. 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 has sinners pray and answers the prayers of sinners that are according to His will, getting glory for himself. God uses all those who humble themselves before the cross, boasting only in him his strength, his wisdom, his righteousness, his accomplishment. He could have just caused them to drop dead. 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. 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. 14 But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him. They do whatever they want. God will surely judge all rebellion, secret and open. 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. A God who can bring something good out of betrayal can be trusted to accomplish his work in your life. 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). Even Jesus cannot save a man who claims his sin is not really sinful. Thus they plundered the Egyptians ( Exodus 12:36 ). God uses pathetic people for his glorious purposes to show his superior power. His covenant is always enforced. 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?. And the Lord had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they granted them what they requested. Moses didnt have any power to bring the ten plagues upon Egypt either. There are so many amazing things in these few verses. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Not one of these men, this evil generation, shall see the good land which I swore to give your fathers. C) God uses all eventsgood and badto accomplish his purposes. He stands behind it indirectly, but He directly stands behind good. God wants to use those who look away from their self-sufficiency to his all-sufficiency. They have no respect for the leaders of other nations. Dont get me wrong, wisdom is important. Im not a founder, innovator, CEO, or visionary of any company. Christianity is not about religion, its about a life-changing relationship with the Son of God. Providence means that God is in charge of the entire universe at all times and nothing happens outside his control. This brings us face to face with the doctrine of Gods providence, which means, A) God has a plan that includes everything that happens in the universe, and, B) Gods plan extends to the tiniest details of life, and. 1 John 5:14. In 609 Judahs King Josiah was killed in battle against Egypt. Paul, in writing to Corinth, corrected the Churchs misuse of speaking in foreign tongues. He betrayed the Lord but ended up vindicating him. For I will work a work in your days Which you would not believe, though it were told you.. Grace be with you. His silence spoke more loudly than the foolish claims of his lying accusers. He told Moses, Tell the sons of Israel to go forward. But how? Sign up to join over 20,000 subscribers receiving our weekly sermon email. When Judas actually betrayed Jesus in the Garden, Peter immediately sprang to his defense. The Pharisees came out and began to argue with Him, seeking from Him a sign from heaven, to test Him. I dont speak on any circuits, have given no TED talks, and have been the keynote speaker less than once. 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. All of our resources exist to guide you toward everlasting joy in Jesus Christ. The fact that God ordains both the means and the ends should surely encourage us as we face our own trials. God reigns over the nations; God sits on His holy throne ( Psalm 47:8 ). The Neo-Babylonians were dominated by Chaldean kings. Jesus point is clear, The King will answer and say to them, Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.. God was rejecting their national privilege, and turning to the Gentiles to populate his Covenant Nation on Earth. He wants us to trust in Him, to rely on Him, to cry out to Him, and then give Him glory for delivering us. And goes on to say, How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? God uses all those who humble themselves before the cross, boasting only in him his strength, his wisdom, his righteousness, his accomplishment. 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. In the time of the New Testament after the resurrection of Jesus Christ, we see the expansion of Gods Covenant to include Gentile believers drawn to the Savor by the Gospel. God promised to precede Cyrus and destroy all opposition that Cyrus would face: 'I will go before you and make the 3. Here are five specific prophecies that were fulfilled when Judas betrayed Jesus: Psalm 41:9Close friend will betray Christ (see John 13:18). God uses pathetic people for his glorious purposes to show his superior power. God is unimpressed. God has already determined the end from the beginning (Isa. WebThe Scripture teaches that God achieves His purpose in unbelievers. 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. As they plotted how to murder Jesus they had no idea they were accomplishing Gods will. Just as He did with Pharaoh who placed no faith in the God of Israel. God is not the author of sin, but He can use sinful men to attain an objective. We know from the sowing and reaping principle that t here will be degrees of torment in the lake of fire. Pharaohs heart was hardened again. 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. Habakkuk 1:5, Look among the nations and watch Be utterly astounded! Recent events may not have gone how you hoped and the signs may seem bleak. Two questions stand out: 1) Did Jesus actually descend into hell? Habakkuk 1:7-11, They are terrible and dreadful; Their judgment and their dignity proceed from themselves. Anyone who resists God risks falling into spiritual deception (2 As far as Pilate was concerned, he was ordering an innocent man put to deathwhich is why he tried to wash his hands of the whole affair. Remember my imprisonment. I run into people in different countries or am contacted by those from different countries who have been blessed by my preaching. And the Lord had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they granted them what they requested. Thats generally the way life is for all of us. 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. Israel stumbled at the stumbling stone, the suffering messiah (Romans 9:31-33). The sad story of Judas stands as a warning to religious people not to trust in their religion. God didnt need to have Moses lift up his staff. Wisdom didnt guard him against a wandering heart. Fourth, Gods command seemed impossible to obey. And, "Who Are The Sons of God in Genesis 6? God has the amazing ability to do things that simply do not make sense to mankind. Including those who dont believe He exists. When God does something completely different and unexpected (Numb. Peter told the early Christians that the Scripture had to be fulfilled. He meant that the betrayal had to happen the way it did. The story of Judas teaches us that nothing happens by accident. 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. 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. Because they did not believe in GodAnd did not trust in His salvation. He stands behind it indirectly, but He directly stands behind good. Because God created all He can use anything in creation. He who rejects Me and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day. Soon they will be raised up from that struggle to full power. This is a true mystery, which we may explain in various ways but will never fully understand. As Christians, we have nothing to fear or worry about because we know that God is in control. They all come for violence; Their faces are set like the east wind. Their horses also are swifter than leopards, And more fierce than evening wolves. Here are some examples: 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. Impatience and failing to trust God is never helpful. In the same way, you wives, be submissive to your own husbands so that even if any of them are disobedient to the word, they may be won without a word by the behavior of their wives. Thus they plundered the Egyptians ( Exodus 12:36 ). Though there were still many who had remained faithful, others no longer followed the words of the Prophets. Do you merely profess Christ and trust in your religious habits to save you, or do you possess Christ in your heart by faith? 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..
