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1:21). Fourth, Gods command seemed impossible to obey. I didnt attend an Ivy League school. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 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. But among the leaders of the nation, only a few followed Christand they became secret believers for fear of persecution by their brethren. For who resists His will?, For He says to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.. What an honor to serve the King of kings. They thank me for posting my sermons on the internet. But through the lens of the New Testament, he is seen as a wicked man. They do whatever they want. We might make Jim Collins proud, but God yawns at our leadership abilities. He clings to his sin like a drowning man to an iron life preserver. Because God created all He can use anything in creation. They probably said things like, See, God isnt doing anything no body ever gets punished, it cant be very serious. They had forgotten the longsuffering of the True God who made all things, and who rules as King over all kings. Eternity will reveal how your faithful service was used by the Lord in amazing ways. Eventually, Pharaoh decided to use the Jews for slave labor. 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. Who would have had his own beliefs and gods that contradicted much of the Bible. Although God was at work in the betrayal, you couldnt see it that night. Those who turn in humble trust to the Lord, who rest in His work of redemption, who seek to walk in his ways, and who turn in humble repentance when they fail, will receive His righteousness, and blessing forever. Questions? 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. 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. 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. They had no weapons to fight Pharaohs army, no experience in war, no ability to defend themselves, and no way of escape. If so, did he have a choice? Comments? 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. 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. Because they did not believe in GodAnd did not trust in His salvation. This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask They scoff at kings, And princes are scorned by them. Its something we can clearly see within the pages of our Bible. 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. It will be a most terrible judgment. We know from the sowing and reaping principle that t here will be degrees of torment in the lake of fire. Impatience and failing to trust God is never helpful. He stands behind it indirectly, but He directly stands behind good. Another unlikely person used by God was King Cyrus of Persia. His son Jehoahaz became king. 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. 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. His betrayal proved that the Jewish leaders were far from innocent bystanders in the death of Christ. shall by no means see the land which I swore to their fathers, nor shall any of those who spurned Me see it. But our God is mightier than any office or country. 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. It was the tech team, the web master, the secretary, or whoever posted my sermon on line. God reigns over the nations; God sits on His holy throne ( Psalm 47:8 ). But as for you, your corpses will fall in this wilderness. Often in the confusion of life, we cant see the ends, much less the means God intends for us. We see the same thing after the Israelites cross the Red Sea and are attacked by the Amalekites (Ex. During his ministry his greatest opposition came from the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the scribes and the teachers of the Law. For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also; but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard. It is only as we look back that we see clearly that God was there all along, working behind the scenes for our good and his glory. He uses believers and unbelievers. 1:37). They deride every stronghold, For they heap up earthen mounds and seize it. God even gave prophecy through Isaiah that this very thing would take place. Those who look to themselves, will eventually and always reap their just punishment. God himself had foreordained every detail surrounding the death of his Son. God strengthened Cyrus so that he could conquer nations and overcome opposition Thus says the Lord God to His 2. When God desires to save someone, He raises up Christians to preach the gospel. C) We place our confidence in Gods ultimate purpose for us. Thus they plundered the Egyptians ( Exodus 12:36 ). 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. . Wisdom didnt guard him against a wandering heart. And that is okay. 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. At first he ordered the Israelite babies to be killed at birth by the midwives (Ex. Nor grumble, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the destroyer. This is the grace of God as revealed in His merciful covenant. The people of Israel, were backed up against the Red Sea with Pharaohs army charging at them. God calls the autistic man to give the most profound articulation of his simple faith. When the angel stretched out his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, the Lord relented from the calamity and said to the angel who destroyed the people, It is enough! Jump to Previous When we do that we become His instruments to accomplish His sovereign will. God sees. 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. You do not have His word abiding in you, for you do not believe Him whom He sent. Covenant judgment was about to be poured out upon Israel. I dont have any letters after my name. We see this all the way through the Bible. God uses pathetic people for his glorious purposes to show his superior power. so that they might escape from the devil's snare, even though they've been held captive by him to do his will. God didnt need to have Moses lift up his staff. Jump to Previous Judas professed Christ but he did not possess him, which is why he is in hell today. All of it happened according to Gods plan. But sometimes we forget that when God ordains a particular end, he also ordains the means to that end. What does it mean that God came from Teman (Habakkuk 3:3). The evil nations God was raising up to judge his rebellious people were self-centered. WebGod never does evil Himself. But they feared to do it during the Feast of Unleavened Bread because of the crowds that thronged Jerusalem. 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. 16 But for this purpose I have raised you up, to show you my power, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth. His plan in doing so was to bless all people. Their horses also are swifter than leopards, And more fierce than evening wolves. He may for a time use the ungodly to bring deserved chastising upon the hypocrites among His own people, and to show his uncompromising wrath upon those left to what we all deserve aside from the work of his grace. 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. Now if You slay this people as one man, then the nations who have heard of Your fame will say. How long shall I bear with this evil congregation who are grumbling against Me? Those who were rebelling against God had become apathetic. God uses pathetic people for his glorious purposes to show his superior power. Understanding God in Troubled Times For he sees that even wise men die;The stupid and the senseless alike perishAnd leave their wealth to others. But we need to grow in faith and obedience. 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. Everyday Apostolic 2019 | All Rights Reserved, Gods Ability To Use Unlikely People Even Unbelievers, Canceling Church On Christmas Removes Christ From Christmas, Great Resources On Baptism In The Name Of Jesus, A Diluted Christianity: Oneness, Trinitarian, Or Is It All Just Irrelevant, Youre Not David Pastor Raymond Woodward, The Walking Bible Pastor Raymond Woodward, Wait On The Lord by James Wilson NAYC 2019, If I Shout/Lets Testify Medley FAC Sanctuary Choir. I have not written a New York Times Bestseller, and no one has publicly endorsed, recommended, or vouched for me. God is unimpressed. This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask However, he had Aaron and Hur hold up Moses arms and had Joshua lead the armies of Israel. Then his mind changes, and he transgresses; He commits offense, Ascribing this power to his god.. Pharaohs heart was hardened again. The ungodly show the futility of their rebellion, the awful penalty of sin, and the just wrath of God. 1 John 5:14. He sent His son to pay a most costly price for the sin of His people, for those who trust in Him. C) God uses all eventsgood and badto accomplish his purposes. Zechariah 11:13Judas would give the money back. So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires. Im not a founder, innovator, CEO, or visionary of any company. They looked to themselves for their power. Get your Bible. I sit on no boards. When Judas kissed Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, Peter impulsively grabbed his sword and started swinging. 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. Before the Apostle Paul wrote his letter he was known as Saul. But we learn that over time a new Pharaoh arose who did not know Joseph or respect what Joseph had done (Ex. This warning was made clear in the ancient covenant revealed long before through Moses in Deuteronomy 28. They were in an impossible situation with no way out. Because God created all He can use anything in creation. God has already determined the end from the beginning (Isa. Get our Question of the Week delivered right to your inbox! 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? God wanted the people of Israel to look to Moses as their God appointed human leader and deliverer. How will they preach unless they are sent? Paul, in writing to Corinth, corrected the Churchs misuse of speaking in foreign tongues. Jump to Previous This truth about Judas illustrates Gods control of every event in the universe. He has but one endto make us like Jesus. 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. God commissions the invalid retiree to uphold dozens, even hundreds of missionaries on the field. Thus they plundered the Egyptians ( Exodus 12:36 ). Remember my imprisonment. Moses didnt have any power to bring the ten plagues upon Egypt either. 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. God uses all those who humble themselves before the cross, boasting only in him his strength, his wisdom, his righteousness, his accomplishment. The people of Jacob were trapped. This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask Often in the confusion of life, we cant see the ends, much less the means God intends for us. Copyright 2002-2023 Got Questions Ministries. Other examples could be added to this list. But before his salvation took place God was still using Him. so that they might escape from the devil's snare, even though they've been held captive by him to do his will. 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). We see this clearly in the life of Christ. The repentant show Gods unmerited grace to undeserving sinners, and reveal the merciful blessing and goodness of God. Rejoice that Christ is all-sufficient and always dependable. Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God. God was about to turn to the Gentiles as He judged Israel as a nation for her unbelief. 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 Neo-Babylonians were dominated by Chaldean kings. You truly never know God could be doing something right that we wouldnt understand even if He told us. Sighing deeply in His spirit, He *said, Why does this generation seek for a sign? We see this all the way through the Bible. To put the matter that way raises several other questions: Was Judas predestined by God to betray Jesus? That doesnt make us anything more in Gods eyes. This could be the begging of a time of great growth for the church. Also, be sure to stop by our prayer wall. God uses all those who humble themselves before the cross, boasting only in him his strength, his wisdom, his righteousness, his accomplishment. 46:10). 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. 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. Anyone who resists God risks falling into spiritual deception (2 God answered him. Being a creative, innovative or highly effective leader is insufficient. Just as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things! (Rom. The glory of His nature and attributes will be made known in full. Jesus immediately restored the ear and told Peter to put down his sword. In our text, Ex. Why would God allow his Son to suffer such indignity at the hands of one who claimed to be his friend? As a place to begin, consider three verses dealing with Judas. God used this unlikely group of people to accomplish His greatest work and they had no idea. The Lord can never be blamed for evil, but evil does not take p. God never does evil Himself. His words imply that all the torment will be tolerable. 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. In the beginning Satan challenged Gods right to rule. He stands behind it indirectly, but He directly stands behind good. We are here and gone again. His silence spoke more loudly than the foolish claims of his lying accusers. 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. God doesnt need men, but God chooses to use men at times to accomplish His sovereign will. 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. 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). Gods Ability To Use Unlikely People Even Unbelievers. 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. Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? God Himself said that He used Pharaoh so that His name would be known on all the earth. 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.. Moses didnt have any power to divide the Red Sea. 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. WebJohn 3:16. 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. The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, How long shall I bear with this evil congregation who are grumbling against Me? For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. And a woman who has an unbelieving husband, and he consents to live with her, she must not send her husband away. I have received no honorary doctorates. We are called to be among his faithful people. They have no respect for the leaders of other nations. I am a preacher and Bible teacher. so that they might escape from the devil's snare, even though they've been held captive by him to do his will. Jesus responded to the false testimony by saying nothing at all. 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. Is it true that God cannot look upon sin? WebGod Can Use Unbelievers part 1: Cyrus 1. We when we dont know if something is Gods will, we pray, Yet not my will but yours be done (Mt. God is unimpressed by our collection of readers, likes, retweets, friends, connections, or admirers. Jesus said to them, If you were blind, you would have no sin; but since you say, We see, your sin remains. Solomon was given a mind like no one before and like none even after him (1 Kings 3:12). Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. For I will work a work in your days Which you would not believe, though it were told you.. Nothing that happened to Jesus that night or later on Good Friday made sense when it happened. I might preach to 100 people on Sunday morning in my own little church, but I preach to thousands over the internet. The fact that God ordains both the means and the ends should surely encourage us as we face our own trials. 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. Are we becoming more like Jesus by the power of the Spirit? Philippians 3:4-7 - although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. He has not brought us this far to cause us to fail. Jesus waved him off by declaring, All this was done that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled (Matthew 26:56). When Moses spoke these words to all the sons of Israel, the people mourned greatly. I also answer yes. It is a mighty nation, It is an ancient nation, A nation whose language you do not know, Nor can you understand what they say. . And the Lord had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they granted them what they requested. He is the preeminent insider who knew Jesus as well as anyone has ever known himyet in the end never really knew him at all. 14 But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him. The phrase all this refers to the betrayal, the circumstances surrounding it, and the circumstances flowing from it. Solomon was DaVinci, Einstein, Bach, Jordan, Augustus, and Shakespeare rolled into one superior man. Gods plan even extended to having Jesus buried in a borrowed tomb (see Isaiah 53:9). Moses was an instrument, a tool, a vessel for Gods use, and so are we all. If youd like an interesting Bible study, take a look at the trials of Jesus. (see Acts 1:20). They wanted him dead and used Judas as a convenient means to that ugly end. We all understand that God intended that Jesus would die for the sins of the world. The manner of the judgment would be unexpected. 3 But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison. 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. 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. 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. 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. Be encouraged Christian, God intends to use you in all your multifaceted weakness and obscurity for his glory. 10:14-15). 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. The fact that God ordains both the means and the ends should surely encourage us as we face our own trials. Here are some examples: They sweep through like the strong winds from the East gathering up captives that number like the grains of sand. So the emphasis of the chapter is on Gods working out His purpose through ordinary people who obey Him. In spite of all this they still sinned And did not believe in His wonderful works. 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. God has sinners pray and answers the prayers of sinners that are according to His will, getting glory for himself. The evil ones believe pridefully that their own imagined gods have blessed them. Their end will be most awful. He used sinners to accomplish His sovereign will. God can use anyone and anything. Unbelievers Are blinded by the God of this world 2 Corinthians 4:4 Verse Concepts The book of proverbs also gives us insight into this. 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. 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? 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. This week I ate lunch with a man who has recently become an acquaintance through an e-mail correspondence. "Equipping and encouraging people to keep believing in Jesus", Copyright 2020 Keep Believing Ministries. 1:8). We need to remember that God uses the foolish. He told the people that Pharaohs army would be wiped out, though he did not know how. God is not the author of sin, but He can use sinful men to attain an objective. We return now to the original question: Why did God allow Judas to betray Jesus? A man who lived in a time in which only Jews served the one true God. God reigns over the nations; God sits on His holy throne ( Psalm 47:8 ). But we can find hope in knowing that God is in control, He works all things for our God, and no suffering we face know will even be able to cast a shadow on the glory we will receive in Heaven. The Lord will fight for you while you keep silent. Then the Lord said to Moses, Why are you crying out to Me? Then God, in His sovereign power and will, takes our weak and fallible service, and accomplishes His will, like parting the Red Sea. And Jesus said, For judgment I came into this world, so that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may become blind. Those of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these things and said to Him, We are not blind too, are we? Jesus said to them, If you were blind, you would have no sin; but since you say, We see, your sin remains. Grace be with you. All of these people are unlikely choices to be used by God since they didnt truly know or believe in Him. Though there were still many who had remained faithful, others no longer followed the words of the Prophets. International Standard Version. All rights reserved. The Pharisees believed they were serving God but in reality, they didnt even know Him. In Acts 1:16 Peter declared that the Scripture had to be fulfilled. He meant that the Old Testament predictions (he cites Psalm 69:25 and Psalm 109:8) regarding Judas were bound to come true. 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. 10:17 Paul writes, So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the Word of Christ. When we preach the gospel to someone and they come to saving faith, we dont boast that we have saved them but that God has saved them, though we were the instruments of Gods saving work. I find it remarkable how consistently the New Testament writers see the hand of God in the events surrounding the death of Christ. And how will they hear without a preacher? even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. 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. Going to church wont make you a Christian any more than sleeping in a garage makes you a caror going to a donut shop makes you a cop. And Jesus said, For judgment I came into this world, so that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may become blind., Those of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these things and said to Him, We are not blind too, are we?.