Gods sign of judgment was that they would hear foreign language on the streets of Jerusalem, speaking in a language they did not understand. His purpose in creation will stand. This is a true mystery, which we may explain in various ways but will never fully understand. So the emphasis of the chapter is on Gods working out His purpose through ordinary people who obey Him. and they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. You are going to need it as we search the Scriptures to answer these two questions. But we learn that over time a new Pharaoh arose who did not know Joseph or respect what Joseph had done (Ex. In fact, in one place in scripture, God said that what He was doing could not be understood even if He explained it. And, "Who Are The Sons of God in Genesis 6? In Acts 2 God poured out His Holy Spirit on the disciples who spoke on the streets of Jerusalem in the languages of the Gentiles who were present. Solomon was given a mind like no one before and like none even after him (1 Kings 3:12). 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. Their chargers charge ahead; Their cavalry comes from afar; They fly as the eagle that hastens to eat. My ministry is small locally, but gigantic because of the faithful service of others. But sometimes we forget that when God ordains a particular end, he also ordains the means to that end. Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? 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. But they feared to do it during the Feast of Unleavened Bread because of the crowds that thronged Jerusalem. Eventually, Pharaoh decided to use the Jews for slave labor. Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.. 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. Gods covenant warned from the beginning that if Israel fell into sin God would use a foreign heathen nation to bring judgment upon them. Those who were rebelling against God had become apathetic. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. 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. Recent events may not have gone how you hoped and the signs may seem bleak. 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. Judas didnt know it, and neither did the disciples, but Gods fingerprints were all over his act of betrayal. It will be a most terrible judgment. Remember my imprisonment. Thus they plundered the Egyptians ( Exodus 12:36 ). He stands behind it indirectly, but He directly stands behind good. The fact that God ordains both the means and the ends should surely encourage us as we face our own trials. (Bible quotations are from the New King James Version of the Bible unless otherwise noted.). Gods Ability To Use Unlikely People Even Unbelievers. Summary Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Anyone who resists God risks falling into spiritual deception (2 Unbelievers Are blinded by the God of this world 2 Corinthians 4:4 Verse Concepts 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). So continue to trust in Him and you wont be disappointed. The greater the pain, the harder it is to see Gods fingerprints. 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. Were they to march into the sea holding their little ones, driving their cattle, and pushing their elderly? Get your Bible. Were they to voluntarily all drown? Most people in the world have no experience of lasting joy in their lives. I find it remarkable how consistently the New Testament writers see the hand of God in the events surrounding the death of Christ. When Moses spoke these words to all the sons of Israel, the people mourned greatly. We turn now to consider how the sin of Judas served many good purposesnone of which were seen that night and none of which diminish his true moral guilt. 1:15-16), later to be thrown in the Nile (Ex. God has sinners pray and answers the prayers of sinners that are according to His will, getting glory for himself. Other examples could be added to this list. The repentant show Gods unmerited grace to undeserving sinners, and reveal the merciful blessing and goodness of God. God sovereignly saves sinners, yet, He often uses sinners to accomplish His sovereign will. First, the people of Israel were for the most part leaderless. The Lord can never be blamed for evil, but evil does not take p. God never does evil Himself. He told Moses, Tell the sons of Israel to go forward. But how? Lesson 7 The Interpretation of Scripture, Lesson 5a Boundaries of the Doctrine of Creation, Primeval Chronology by Dr. William Henry Green, Lesson 8 Gods Special Providence & Miracles, Lesson 10 Assurance of Grace and Salvation, Lesson 2 Christian Liberty and Liberty of Conscience, Lesson 3 The Regulative Principle of Worship, Lesson 4a The Elements of Regulated Worship, Lesson 4b The Elements of Regulated Worship, Lesson 1 An Overview of Special Eschatology, Lesson 2 -The Great Tribulation of Matthew 24, Lesson 3 The Millennium of Revelation 20, A Guide for Small Group Bible Study Leaders, Defending the Biblical Faith by what God Shows Us, Lessons in the Westminster Shorter Catechsim, The Inspiration of the Treasured Word of God, Summary of the 45th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in America, The Holy Spirit In the Ministry of the Word, The Necessity of Biblical Love in the Believers Life, Keep Your Bible Skills Sharp and Ready (part 2), Keep Your Bible Skills Sharp and Ready (Part 1). This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask They heap judgment on themselves. But most of the time we wont see it fully until we finally arrive in heaven. Gods plan even extended to having Jesus buried in a borrowed tomb (see Isaiah 53:9). His betrayal proved that the Jewish leaders were far from innocent bystanders in the death of Christ. 21 Many are the plans in the mind of a man. He uses believers and unbelievers. Training for Preachers and Teachers of God's Word, Want to know what an RSS feed is and how it works? Gods plan even extended to having Jesus buried in a borrowed tomb (see Isaiah 53:9). His words imply that all the torment will be tolerable. The thing he values the most is dragging him down to eternal damnation. 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. International Standard Version. The sad story of Judas stands as a warning to religious people not to trust in their religion. His plan in doing so was to bless all people. A complete answer is impossible for who has known the mind of the Lord (Isa. 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. 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. He uses believers and unbelievers. Each time Moses would perform a mighty sign to convince Pharaoh of Gods power but each time God would harden his heart. 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. Including those who dont believe He exists. 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. Egypt made his brother, Jehoiakim, the new king over the Jews. An unlikely person to be used by God. 16:30), when he uses you or others, delivering you from your trials, be sure to praise, thank, and give Him all the glory for sovereignly using sinners. How will they preach unless they are sent? We see this all the way through the Bible. 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. Though used of God to complete his plan, those who crucified our Lord were still personally wicked and godless in what they did. But we need to grow in faith and obedience. In the beginning Satan challenged Gods right to rule. 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. Zechariah 11:13Judas would give the money back. 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. His covenant is always enforced. The book of proverbs also gives us insight into this. In the beginning Satan challenged Gods right to rule. You do not have His word abiding in you, for you do not believe Him whom He sent. 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. . During his ministry his greatest opposition came from the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the scribes and the teachers of the Law. God often reveals himself in most unexpected ways. We know from the sowing and reaping principle that t here will be degrees of torment in the lake of fire. When we pray, we strive to pray according to Gods will (I Jn. A man who lived in a time in which only Jews served the one true God. They were evil cowards who hated the Son of God but feared a popular uprising if they tried to arrest him. God uses pathetic people for his glorious purposes to show his superior power. God will surely judge all rebellion, secret and open. Causing a sacrifice to take place that would open salvation up to all people. 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. So He brought their days to an end in futility And their years in sudden terror. Although God was at work in the betrayal, you couldnt see it that night. During our conversationwhich lasted two hours and was both cordial and very frankI told him that his religion could not save him. The Prophet was told to look around him and see what was going on among the nations, observe! If so, did he have a choice? Or see articles from other writers we feature Here. God promised to precede Cyrus and destroy all opposition that Cyrus would face: 'I will go before you and make the 3. Verse Concepts. God could have had the earth swallow up the Amalekites. And he was an exalted and successful king. or will we in our rebellion demonstrate the just curse of His covenant warnings? In their very act of oppression, they unknowingly serve the glory of the Creator. God has already determined the end from the beginning (Isa. Does God sometimes use evil to accomplish His plans (Habakkuk 1:5-11)? Joseph made Egypt phenomenally wealthy during the years of the famine. Habakkuk learned that the material success of the ungodly is not a reliable measure of their true success. Two questions stand out: 1) Did Jesus actually descend into hell? This doesnt erase tragedy or transform heartache, but it gives us a divine perspective on the hard times of life that enables us to keep on going when wed rather give up and quit. Jesus said to them, If you were blind, you would have no sin; but since you say, We see, your sin remains. God even gave prophecy through Isaiah that this very thing would take place. But all of them come from the hand of the Lord. Habakkuk 1:5, Look among the nations and watch Be utterly astounded! In Jeremiah 13:20 it said, Lift up your eyes and see Those who come from the north . Jeremiah 25:32 says, Behold, disaster shall go forth From nation to nation, And a great whirlwind shall be raised up From the farthest parts of the earth., Habakkuk 1:6, For indeed I am raising up the Chaldeans, A bitter and hasty nation Which marches through the breadth of the earth, To possess dwelling places that are not theirs.. 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. As a place to begin, consider three verses dealing with Judas. We see this all the way through the Bible. 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. When they offered him 30 pieces of silver, he readily accepted even though that was the going price for a slave. And the Lord had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they granted them what they requested. Why bother praying to a God who isnt? Things may seem impossible, and for men, they might be impossible, but nothing is impossible with God (Lk. Later Pilate gave in to pressure and ordered Jesus crucified. God has the amazing ability to do things that simply do not make sense to mankind. God promised to precede Cyrus and destroy all opposition that Cyrus would face: 'I will go before you and make the 3. Nothing will ever be able to affect Gods will. shall by no means see the land which I swore to their fathers, nor shall any of those who spurned Me see it. 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. 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. Through one mans treachery, Jesus proves himself a man of peacenot a man of war. 5:14). 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. They scoff at kings, And princes are scorned by them. WebGod was about to turn to the Gentiles as He judged Israel as a nation for her unbelief. 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. This week I ate lunch with a man who has recently become an acquaintance through an e-mail correspondence. By his treachery he established the very cause he set out to destroy. God reigns over the nations; God sits on His holy throne ( Psalm 47:8 ). God has the amazing ability to do things that simply do not make sense to mankind. 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. We see this all the way through the Bible. Because God created all He can use anything in creation. Your children, however, whom you said would become a preyI will bring them in, and they will know the land which you have rejected. His plan in doing so was to bless all people. They gather captives like sand. If youd like an interesting Bible study, take a look at the trials of Jesus. 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. 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.. 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. We see this all the way through the Bible. At times, God enlisted non-believers to help His people through the ages. Gods Prophet Jeremiah warned of Gods judgment. We concluded that the Bible doesnt give us a final answer regarding why Judas betrayed Jesus Christ. Strategically, this appeared to be a very unwise move, unless you are God. Though absolutely sovereign, all knowing, all wise, and everywhere present, God uses sinners to accomplish His will. 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.. Jump to Previous Herod the Great tried to kill him in Bethlehem. Prayer is one of the means God uses to accomplish His sovereign will and get glory for himself. We are saved by living faith in the Son of Godnot by outward religious observance. 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.