Get our Question of the Week delivered right to your inbox! Jump to Previous even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. 4:5). 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. He uses believers and unbelievers. Verse Concepts. 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. Moses didnt have any power to bring the ten plagues upon Egypt either. So the emphasis of the chapter is on Gods working out His purpose through ordinary people who obey Him. It was their God, or at least the God of Moses, that just killed all the first born of Egypt. So the emphasis of the chapter is on Gods working out His purpose through ordinary people who obey Him. 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. Even those who dont believe and even speak against. But most of the time we wont see it fully until we finally arrive in heaven. They were evil cowards who hated the Son of God but feared a popular uprising if they tried to arrest him. By his treachery he established the very cause he set out to destroy. But they feared to do it during the Feast of Unleavened Bread because of the crowds that thronged Jerusalem. He sent His son to pay a most costly price for the sin of His people, for those who trust in Him. We concluded that the Bible doesnt give us a final answer regarding why Judas betrayed Jesus Christ. Being a creative, innovative or highly effective leader is insufficient. The sheep representing believers who did Gods will and the goats representing unbelievers who do not do Gods will. His plan in doing so was to bless all people. In this period of Judahs last kings, the Prophets warned of the fulfillment of this covenant promise. Fourth, Gods command seemed impossible to obey. But through the lens of the New Testament, he is seen as a wicked man. Do you merely profess Christ and trust in your religious habits to save you, or do you possess Christ in your heart by faith? 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. But all of them come from the hand of the Lord. God uses all those who humble themselves before the cross, boasting only in him his strength, his wisdom, his righteousness, his accomplishment. But before his salvation took place God was still using Him. The evil ones believe pridefully that their own imagined gods have blessed them. The Neo-Babylonians were dominated by Chaldean kings. 1 John 5:14. 1:21). Peter told the early Christians that the Scripture had to be fulfilled. He meant that the betrayal had to happen the way it did. This is the attitude of the evil heart in all ages. 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. 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. An unlikely person to be used by God. Judas served Gods purposes even though what he did was wrong and he ended up in hell. The gospel writers record many Old Testament prophecies that were fulfilled in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. How long shall I bear with this evil congregation who are grumbling against Me? Now if You slay this people as one man, then the nations who have heard of Your fame will say. 14:11). 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). 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! First, we see the faith of Moses. Solomon was given a mind like no one before and like none even after him (1 Kings 3:12). 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. God uses all those who humble themselves before the cross, boasting only in him his strength, his wisdom, his righteousness, his accomplishment. Each time Moses would perform a mighty sign to convince Pharaoh of Gods power but each time God would harden his heart. 55:8-9). 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. God doesnt need men, but God chooses to use men at times to accomplish His sovereign will. 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. But My servant Caleb, because he has had a different spirit and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land which he entered, and his descendants shall take possession of it. His words imply that all the torment will be tolerable. 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. Most people in the world have no experience of lasting joy in their lives. 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? We live most of our days in Good Fridayenduring confusion, opposition, disappointment and the many tragedies of life. Providence means that God is in charge of the entire universe at all times and nothing happens outside his control. Yet, God used him to rebuild the temple and allow Jews to return to their land. 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. When God determines where we will end up, he also determines how we will get there. A lesson worth considering, but not the main lesson I want to focus on, is that God often put us into situations where only He can deliver us. God wanted the people of Israel to look to Moses as their God appointed human leader and deliverer. Causing him to not let the people go. The unbelievers, become confused, not remembering ever having the opportunity to serve Jesus. That doesnt make us anything more in Gods eyes. Often in the confusion of life, we cant see the ends, much less the means God intends for us. Just as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things! (Rom. Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? Our prayers aline us with Gods eternal decree. 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. 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. Even his enemies played into Gods handthough they did not know it at the time. The repentant show Gods unmerited grace to undeserving sinners, and reveal the merciful blessing and goodness of God. You truly never know God could be doing something right that we wouldnt understand even if He told us. I think we can learn some great lessons by answering these questions. Impatience and failing to trust God is never helpful. The new Pharaoh saw the Israelites as a plague in the land. God could by-pass us and do everything himself, but He does not. 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. 10:14-15). They thank me for posting my sermons on the internet. Jump to Previous We know from the sowing and reaping principle that t here will be degrees of torment in the lake of fire. God will use it even if you do not understand how. Everything fits into Gods plan. He stands behind it indirectly, but He directly stands behind good. Judas solved their problem by volunteering to betray the Lord. (Bible quotations are from the New King James Version of the Bible unless otherwise noted.). and they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. 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? Verse Concepts. God scoffs at any attempt by me or you to prove our worthiness. 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. 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. What does it mean that the righteous will live by faith (Habakkuk 2:4)? Other examples could be added to this list. Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? God picks the scrawniest little girl to lead off on his kickball team. 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. Will we show forth Gods glory in our obedience and in our receiving of His covenant blessing? This seems to be one of the reasons God had Moses lift up his staff and hands to divide the Red Sea. Were on a mission to change that. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. Training for Preachers and Teachers of God's Word, Want to know what an RSS feed is and how it works? Everything was planned by God down to the tiniest detail. The glory of His nature and attributes will be made known in full. At my own local church, and everywhere else I go, faithful men and women record my sermons in audio and sometimes video. 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. He stands behind it indirectly, but He directly stands behind good. 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. C) God uses all eventsgood and badto accomplish his purposes. Be encouraged, child of God. And how long will they not believe in Me, despite all the signs which I have performed in their midst? God can use even you even me. God has the amazing ability to do things that simply do not make sense to mankind. Strategically, this appeared to be a very unwise move, unless you are God. These lessons simply teach us that God can take that which is evil and use it for his own good purposes. 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. 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. 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. In the beginning Satan challenged Gods right to rule. Moses give the Israelites specific instruction and visible representation from the invisible God. But Habakkuks confusion was not doubt. I am the trustee of nothing more than my personal belongings. Their end will be most awful. They had fast horses and were more fierce (more alert, fierce, and sharp) than the hungry wolves that come out to hunt in the evening. But 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 trials that were meant to establish his guilt ended up establishing his innocence for all the world to see. Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God. 12:35-36). Steven Lee is the Pastor of Preaching & Vision at. Wisdom alone, though, is insufficient. They move ahead as a determined army spreading violence. Matthew 26:3-5 informs us that the leaders of the Jews were looking for an opportunity to arrest Jesus and put him to death. Today, the weapons of force have improved, yet all the more they take whatever they want, and give only when it serves their purpose. Two questions stand out: 1) Did Jesus actually descend into hell? Your children, however, whom you said would become a preyI will bring them in, and they will know the land which you have rejected. Im not a founder, innovator, CEO, or visionary of any company. 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. 1:37). But we need to grow in faith and obedience. Remember my imprisonment. Even today there are those who are arrogant and have no honor for God as He reveals Himself in Scripture. The ungodly show the futility of their rebellion, the awful penalty of sin, and the just wrath of God. Paul used this verse from Habakkuk to warn the foolish despisers of the gospel. Moses was sent by the Lord multiple times to Pharaoh asking for the release of the Hebrews. God was rejecting their national privilege, and turning to the Gentiles to populate his Covenant Nation on Earth. Christianity is not about religion, its about a life-changing relationship with the Son of God. WebThe Scripture teaches that God achieves His purpose in unbelievers. And goes on to say, How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? Two verses later, in Rom. In fact, in one place in scripture, God said that what He was doing could not be understood even if He explained it. The fact that God ordains both the means and the ends should surely encourage us as we face our own trials. 2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. He fought against God and hoped to destroy the early church. All of it happened according to Gods plan. Until finally it came to the Red Sea where the Egyptian army was destroyed and the tale spread across the world to the glory of God. Gods Prophet Jeremiah warned of Gods judgment. Our accomplishments do not justify our existence. 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. Though absolutely sovereign, all knowing, all wise, and everywhere present, God uses sinners to accomplish His will. So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires. I am not a rising star in any field, industry, or arena. Gods Ability To Use Unlikely People Even Unbelievers. God doesnt need men, but God chooses to use men at times to accomplish His sovereign will. While not all became believers, many felt a strong attraction to his message. 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 people of Jacob were trapped. I find it remarkable how consistently the New Testament writers see the hand of God in the events surrounding the death of Christ. He even turns wicked hearts to serve his Sovereign purpose. The greater the pain, the harder it is to see Gods fingerprints. We see this all the way through the Bible. Because God created all He can use anything in creation. Habakkuk learned that the material success of the ungodly is not a reliable measure of their true success. 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. 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. 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. So He brought their days to an end in futility And their years in sudden terror. If we lack wisdom, we should ask God for it (James 1:5). We pray because God is sovereign and all powerful. But our God is mightier than any office or country. When we do that we become His instruments to accomplish His sovereign will. He had great trust in the truth of God. "Equipping and encouraging people to keep believing in Jesus", Copyright 2020 Keep Believing Ministries. WebGod never does evil Himself. 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. 3 But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison. You have entered an incorrect email address! God has the amazing ability to do things that simply do not make sense to mankind. He uses believers and unbelievers. Thats generally the way life is for all of us. Jesus waved him off by declaring, All this was done that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled (Matthew 26:56). It was all the Lord. First, the people of Israel were for the most part leaderless. But He is unique and who can turn Him?And what His soul desires, that He does. Many believed they were going to die and complained to Moses (Ex. Habakkuk 1:7-11, They are terrible and dreadful; Their judgment and their dignity proceed from themselves. At times, God enlisted non-believers to help His people through the ages. God strengthened Cyrus so that he could conquer nations and overcome opposition Thus says the Lord God to His 2. Egypt made his brother, Jehoiakim, the new king over the Jews. by Bob Burridge 2013, 2015 Click here. The people of Israel, were backed up against the Red Sea with Pharaohs army charging at them. The Prophet was told to look around him and see what was going on among the nations, observe! The Prophet Habakkuk wrote during the troubled times before Judahs captivity. But we learn that over time a new Pharaoh arose who did not know Joseph or respect what Joseph had done (Ex. Do not begrudge your weakness. WebGod will never set man's will aside and use him for a good purpose without his being willing to be used. At the beginning of their sojourn, Joseph was ruler of Egypt, a son of Jacob, and watched over his own. Are we becoming more like Jesus by the power of the Spirit? Anyone who resists God risks falling into spiritual deception (2 God doesnt need men, but God chooses to use men at times to accomplish His sovereign will. God has already determined the end from the beginning (Isa. Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife? Judas didnt know it, and neither did the disciples, but Gods fingerprints were all over his act of betrayal. But as for you, your corpses will fall in this wilderness. This week I ate lunch with a man who has recently become an acquaintance through an e-mail correspondence. Recent events may not have gone how you hoped and the signs may seem bleak. Through one mans treachery, Jesus proves himself a man of peacenot a man of war. God is not the author of sin, but He can use sinful men to attain an objective. 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. God was about to turn to the Gentiles as He judged Israel as a nation for her unbelief. 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. 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.

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