This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand. Yet, God used him to rebuild the temple and allow Jews to return to their land. 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. 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.. Our accomplishments do not justify our existence. God doesnt need men, but God chooses to use men at times to accomplish His sovereign will. 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. Literal Standard Version. We know from the sowing and reaping principle that t here will be degrees of torment in the lake of fire. 1:37). No, its a mystery. Egypt made his brother, Jehoiakim, the new king over the Jews. 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. Soon they will be raised up from that struggle to full power. Literal Standard Version. Lest he misunderstand, I also told him that going to Calvary Memorial Church cannot save anyoneor help save anyone. WebGod will never set man's will aside and use him for a good purpose without his being willing to be used. Consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 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, shall by no means see the land which I swore to their fathers, nor shall any of those who spurned Me see it. That is what moving forward would require, or so it seemed. God reigns over the nations; God sits on His holy throne ( Psalm 47:8 ). 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. But before his salvation took place God was still using Him. God strengthened Cyrus so that he could conquer nations and overcome opposition Thus says the Lord God to His 2. Peter told the early Christians that the Scripture had to be fulfilled. He meant that the betrayal had to happen the way it did. 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. The manner of the judgment would be unexpected. Judas didnt know it, and neither did the disciples, but Gods fingerprints were all over his act of betrayal. They were in an impossible situation with no way out. We see this all the way through the Bible. Eternity will reveal how your faithful service was used by the Lord in amazing ways. So through his death, he can have everlasting life on earth. God promised to precede Cyrus and destroy all opposition that Cyrus would face: 'I will go before you and make the 3. Then God, in His sovereign power and will, takes our weak and fallible service, and accomplishes His will, like parting the Red Sea. Though absolutely sovereign, all knowing, all wise, and everywhere present, God uses sinners to accomplish His will. Even his enemies played into Gods handthough they did not know it at the time. 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. The repentant show Gods unmerited grace to undeserving sinners, and reveal the merciful blessing and goodness of God. 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. That doesnt lessen his guilt, but it does increase our appreciation of Gods sovereignty over the affairs of men. Scripture even points to the fact that God used Cyrus even though he didnt know God. It doesnt mean everything will also go perfectly or the way we hope. 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 total number of prophecies is well over 100. He has not brought us this far to cause us to fail. Were they to voluntarily all drown? What an honor to serve the King of kings. Paul used this verse from Habakkuk to warn the foolish despisers of the gospel. Why? 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. . He betrayed the Lord but ended up vindicating him. Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God. This truth about Judas illustrates Gods control of every event in the universe. Today, the weapons of force have improved, yet all the more they take whatever they want, and give only when it serves their purpose. That literally means, I find no basis for any of the charges brought against this man. In modern terms, you might call it a Summary Judgment in favor of Jesus. Guiding our world whether we are able to see it or not. God is not finished with you yet, so dont give up on him. 4:5). He told Moses, Tell the sons of Israel to go forward. But how? But He is unique and who can turn Him?And what His soul desires, that He does. I have an unimpressive family background and do not come from a long line of important people. Sign up to join over 20,000 subscribers receiving our weekly sermon email. First, the people of Israel were for the most part leaderless. Did Jesus Descend Into Hell? Do not begrudge your weakness. 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. How beautiful! Verse Concepts. The evil ones believe pridefully that their own imagined gods have blessed them. He fought against God and hoped to destroy the early church. When God does something completely different and unexpected (Numb. They were the ones who asked for valuables from the people of Egypt, who were so fearful and stricken with grief that they gave the departing Israelites their riches, literally paying the Jews to leave Egypt (Ex. Judas professed Christ but he did not possess him, which is why he is in hell today. Does God sometimes use evil to accomplish His plans (Habakkuk 1:5-11)? They gather captives like sand. Summary I am not a rising star in any field, industry, or arena. We all understand that God intended that Jesus would die for the sins of the world. Jesus said the unbelievers failed to give him food, drink, nurse him in His sickness, or visit Him in prison. In 605 Egypt was defeated by the Neo-Babylonians at Carchemish. Even today there are those who are arrogant and have no honor for God as He reveals Himself in Scripture. And did not believe in His wonderful works. God scoffs at any attempt by me or you to prove our worthiness. The new Pharaoh saw the Israelites as a plague in the land. Our accolades cannot merit us any greatness. What does it mean that God came from Teman (Habakkuk 3:3). Just as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things! (Rom. Things may seem impossible, and for men, they might be impossible, but nothing is impossible with God (Lk. Truly I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation., Truth Of God Is denied by Unbelievers, the Truth of God Is denied by Unbelievers, Unbelievers Are blinded by the God of this world, Unbelievers Will be classed with outbreaking sinners in eternity, Unbelievers Their lifetime spent in vanity, Unbelievers Shall be judged by God's word in the last day, Will be classed with outbreaking sinners in eternity, Shall be judged by God's word in the last day. Then his mind changes, and he transgresses; He commits offense, Ascribing this power to his god.. Grace be with you. 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. Israel stumbled at the stumbling stone, the suffering messiah (Romans 9:31-33). And goes on to say, How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? Judas solved their problem by volunteering to betray the Lord. God has the amazing ability to do things that simply do not make sense to mankind. Often in the confusion of life, we cant see the ends, much less the means God intends for us. They all come for violence; Their faces are set like the east wind. As a place to begin, consider three verses dealing with Judas. Do not begrudge your weakness. Remember my imprisonment. God is still using unlikely people to accomplish His will on earth today. 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. They heap judgment on themselves. Who would have had his own beliefs and gods that contradicted much of the Bible. 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). 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. God can use anyone and anything. 4 Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word. All rights reserved. 2) If Jesus did descend into hell, why? Two questions stand out: 1) Did Jesus actually descend into hell? You do not have His word abiding in you, for you do not believe Him whom He sent. We see this all the way through the Bible. 1:15-16), later to be thrown in the Nile (Ex. The Lord said to Moses, How long will this people spurn Me? So He brought their days to an end in futility And their years in sudden terror. His words imply that all the torment will be tolerable. 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. Copyright 2002-2023 Got Questions Ministries. But now, the grief of the Egyptians had subsided and was replaced with anger and regret. A complete answer is impossible for who has known the mind of the Lord (Isa. What does it mean that the righteous will live by faith (Habakkuk 2:4)? The coming of Messiah was unexpected. or will we in our rebellion demonstrate the just curse of His covenant warnings? When God desires to save someone, He raises up Christians to preach the gospel. His plan in doing so was to bless all people. Though used by God for his purposes, the ungodly are still evil. 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. He didnt accept evil apathetically, he was appalled by it. First, we see the faith of Moses. The Bible says, God was well pleased through the message preached to save those who believe (I Cor. In spite of all this they still sinned And did not believe in His wonderful works. God then raised up Moses and his brother Aaron as instruments to deliver the people of Israel from cruel bondage. Many believed they were going to die and complained to Moses (Ex. That pagan nation was struggling against Egypt for dominance. 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. Strategically, this appeared to be a very unwise move, unless you are God. God is unimpressed. Here is my answer: He allowed Judas to betray Jesus so that Jesus could become the Savior of the world. 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 will surely judge all rebellion, secret and open. Gods plan even extended to having Jesus buried in a borrowed tomb (see Isaiah 53:9). Wisdom didnt ensure obedience. He could have rained fire and brimstone down on them. You are going to need it as we search the Scriptures to answer these two questions. The Lord will fight for you while you keep silent. Then the Lord said to Moses, Why are you crying out to Me? Are we becoming more like Jesus by the power of the Spirit? 46:10). Most people in the world have no experience of lasting joy in their lives. 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. Moses was an instrument, a tool, a vessel for Gods use, and so are we all. Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife? For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. Jump to Previous So continue to trust in Him and you wont be disappointed. Causing him to not let the people go. The fact that God ordains both the means and the ends should surely encourage us as we face our own trials. In fact, in one place in scripture, God said that what He was doing could not be understood even if He explained it. 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. 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? Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? God strengthened Cyrus so that he could conquer nations and overcome opposition Thus says the Lord God to His 2. 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. We might make Jim Collins proud, but God yawns at our leadership abilities. WebGod was about to turn to the Gentiles as He judged Israel as a nation for her unbelief. For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? 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. We should never presume to say to an unbeliever, God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life. We cant know that. WebGod was about to turn to the Gentiles as He judged Israel as a nation for her unbelief. He mustered his army and went after the Jews in hot pursuit. But as for you, your corpses will fall in this wilderness. In our text, Ex. This is a true mystery, which we may explain in various ways but will never fully understand. I find it remarkable how consistently the New Testament writers see the hand of God in the events surrounding the death of Christ. ", Writing & Teaching Inductive Bible Studies. Yet He was still able to accomplish His will through them. At times, God enlisted non-believers to help His people through the ages. But through the lens of the New Testament, he is seen as a wicked man. Gods Ability To Use Unlikely People Even Unbelievers. Recent events may not have gone how you hoped and the signs may seem bleak. He could have just caused them to drop dead. 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. Anyone who resists God risks falling into spiritual deception (2 This was Moses advice to the people of Israel when facing the imminent threat of death, and it is true for us as well when facing any trial. 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. This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask Thats generally the way life is for all of us. Gods plan even extended to having Jesus buried in a borrowed tomb (see Isaiah 53:9). Because God created all He can use anything in creation. Many that people can plan to do much but is God that will always have the final say. But we need to grow in faith and obedience. Christianity is not about religion, its about a life-changing relationship with the Son of God. Gods Ability To Use Unlikely People Even Unbelievers. 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. That doesnt make us anything more in Gods eyes. But as for you, your corpses will fall in this wilderness. Why did a holy God allow such evil to continue? When Moses spoke these words to all the sons of Israel, the people mourned greatly. Questions? And how long will they not believe in Me, despite all the signs which I have performed in their midst? I didnt attend an Ivy League school. He clings to his sin like a drowning man to an iron life preserver. The Lord can never be blamed for evil, but evil does not take p. God never does evil Himself. 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. How can I believe in the goodness of God when there is so much evil in the world? (1 Corinthians 1:2629). 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. Two verses later, in Rom. His story is unique in that he claims to be a Christian even though he has chosen a way of life that God calls an abomination. They do whatever they want. Anyone who resists God risks falling into spiritual deception (2 In this period of Judahs last kings, the Prophets warned of the fulfillment of this covenant promise. I am the trustee of nothing more than my personal belongings. A) We bow in submission before the mysterious ways of God. Thanks for your interest! God was rejecting their national privilege, and turning to the Gentiles to populate his Covenant Nation on Earth. Thus they plundered the Egyptians ( Exodus 12:36 ). They had been in Egypt under Egyptian task masters for 400 years. The greater the pain, the harder it is to see Gods fingerprints. The evil nations God was raising up to judge his rebellious people were self-centered. The Lord did it, but He did it through Moses. 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. Just as He did with Pharaoh who placed no faith in the God of Israel. Impatience and failing to trust God is never helpful. Peter didnt see it, he only saw the treachery of Judas. The Pharisees came out and began to argue with Him, seeking from Him a sign from heaven, to test Him. He chooses to use sinners to accomplish His sovereign will, often in ways we dont even understand. But now, I pray, let the power of the Lord be great, just as You have declared, 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., but indeed, as I live, all the earth will be filled with the glory of the. 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).
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