God Himself said that He used Pharaoh so that His name would be known on all the earth. Gods plan even extended to having Jesus buried in a borrowed tomb (see Isaiah 53:9). I have an unimpressive family background and do not come from a long line of important people. What an honor to serve the King of kings. During his ministry his greatest opposition came from the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the scribes and the teachers of the Law. 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. In the providence of God, the betrayal by Judas actually advanced Gods purpose in the world. Philippians 3:4-7 - although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. Just as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things! (Rom. I answer yes. He stands behind it indirectly, but He directly stands behind good. 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. 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. Fit to be Used 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. Judas served Gods purposes even though what he did was wrong and he ended up in hell. 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. 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. But we learn that over time a new Pharaoh arose who did not know Joseph or respect what Joseph had done (Ex. 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. That doesnt lessen his guilt, but it does increase our appreciation of Gods sovereignty over the affairs of men. The gospels writers emphasize that although the Jewish leaders earnestly sought for witnesses who could testify against Christ, they found no one willing to come forward. In Acts 13:41 he said, Behold, you despisers, Marvel and perish! However, he had Aaron and Hur hold up Moses arms and had Joshua lead the armies of Israel. When Judas actually betrayed Jesus in the Garden, Peter immediately sprang to his defense. 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.. A man who lived in a time in which only Jews served the one true God. Often in the confusion of life, we cant see the ends, much less the means God intends for us. As they plotted how to murder Jesus they had no idea they were accomplishing Gods will. Wisdom didnt ensure obedience. God doesnt need men, but God chooses to use men at times to accomplish His sovereign will. The greater the pain, the harder it is to see Gods fingerprints. 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.read more.Yet if the unbelieving one leaves, let him leave; the brother or the sister is not under bondage in such cases, but God has called us to peace. 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. For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? Understanding God in Troubled Times Its something we can clearly see within the pages of our Bible. 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. 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. 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. Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife? He fought against God and hoped to destroy the early church. Are we becoming more like Jesus by the power of the Spirit? Why would God allow his Son to suffer such indignity at the hands of one who claimed to be his friend? WebThe Scripture teaches that God achieves His purpose in unbelievers. God God sometimes use evil to accomplish His plans (Habakkuk The people of Jacob were trapped. God Will Use Even You 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. Nothing that happened to Jesus that night or later on Good Friday made sense when it happened. We all understand that God intended that Jesus would die for the sins of the world. In spite of all this they still sinnedAnd did not believe in His wonderful works. This is a true mystery, which we may explain in various ways but will never fully understand. 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. Isaiah 28:11 warned, For with stammering lips and another tongue He will speak to this people. Jeremiah 5:15 said, Behold, I will bring a nation against you from afar, O house of Israel, says the LORD. God uses pathetic people for his glorious purposes to show his superior power. Nothing will ever be able to affect Gods will. Why? (see Acts 1:20). Then his mind changes, and he transgresses; He commits offense, Ascribing this power to his god.. Providence means that God is in charge of the entire universe at all times and nothing happens outside his control. Even Jesus cannot save a man who claims his sin is not really sinful. Grace be with you. Those who were rebelling against God had become apathetic. God Uses Many People to Accomplish His Purposes 3 But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison. 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. Sighing deeply in His spirit, He *said, Why does this generation seek for a sign? 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. . The coming of Messiah was unexpected. God has the amazing ability to do things that simply do not make sense to mankind. God blesses those in whom he stirs to obedience, and judges disobedience. At times, God enlisted non-believers to help His people through the ages. Everything fits into Gods plan. He uses believers and unbelievers. 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? 1 And Saul approved of his execution. They scoff at kings, And princes are scorned by them. God doesnt need men, but God chooses to use men at times to accomplish His sovereign will. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. 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. God reigns over the nations; God sits on His holy throne ( Psalm 47:8 ). When Moses spoke these words to all the sons of Israel, the people mourned greatly. God was about to turn to the Gentiles as He judged Israel as a nation for her unbelief. Things may seem impossible, and for men, they might be impossible, but nothing is impossible with God (Lk. 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. for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. They will be held guilty. Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife? It only made sense on Sunday morning when Jesus rose from the dead. He stands behind it indirectly, but He directly stands behind good. He could have just caused them to drop dead. God Can Use Unbelievers part 1: Cyrus 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?. 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. Your children, however, whom you said would become a preyI will bring them in, and they will know the land which you have rejected. God is not the author of sin, but He can use sinful men to attain an objective. In fact, in one place in scripture, God said that what He was doing could not be understood even if He explained it. They sweep through like the strong winds from the East gathering up captives that number like the grains of sand. 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. 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. During our conversationwhich lasted two hours and was both cordial and very frankI told him that his religion could not save him. Fit to be Used 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. Judas didnt know itand doesnt get any credit for itbut his dastardly deed actually fulfilled predictions given by the Holy Spirit hundreds of years before he was born. This truth about Judas illustrates Gods control of every event in the universe. Unbelievers Are blinded by the God of this world 2 Corinthians 4:4 Verse Concepts Summary Moses give the Israelites specific instruction and visible representation from the invisible God. It even included the price Judas would receive for his act of treachery30 pieces of silver. 1 John 5:14. Habakkuk 1:5, Look among the nations and watch Be utterly astounded! Sign up to join over 20,000 subscribers receiving our weekly sermon email. But as for you, your corpses will fall in this wilderness. 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. This week I ate lunch with a man who has recently become an acquaintance through an e-mail correspondence. God has the amazing ability to do things that simply do not make sense to mankind. Do not lament your insufficiency. verses about Unbelievers 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. The ungodly show the futility of their rebellion, the awful penalty of sin, and the just wrath of God. You are going to need it as we search the Scriptures to answer these two questions. God promised to precede Cyrus and destroy all opposition that Cyrus would face: 'I will go before you and make the 3. Why does God allow deception How beautiful! Moses was an instrument, a tool, a vessel for Gods use, and so are we all. I think we can learn some great lessons by answering these questions. 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. The people of Israel, were backed up against the Red Sea with Pharaohs army charging at them. He stands behind it indirectly, but He directly stands behind good. They had been in Egypt under Egyptian task masters for 400 years. Anyone who resists God risks falling into spiritual deception (2 They were in an impossible situation with no way out. For he sees that even wise men die;The stupid and the senseless alike perishAnd leave their wealth to others. Thus they plundered the Egyptians ( Exodus 12:36 ). Here are some examples: 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. International Standard Version. Bible Hub If youd like an interesting Bible study, take a look at the trials of Jesus. Here are some examples: You have entered an incorrect email address! 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. I cant charge an exorbitant hourly fee for my time. 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 Prophet was told to look around him and see what was going on among the nations, observe! Remember my imprisonment. And, "Who Are The Sons of God in Genesis 6? 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). Paul, in writing to Corinth, corrected the Churchs misuse of speaking in foreign tongues. 4:5). 2 Devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him. The sad story of Judas stands as a warning to religious people not to trust in their religion. 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. Do not begrudge your weakness. 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. If your rsum is sparse, your intellect feeble, your skills unimpressive, and your wisdom just average, fret not. 14 But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him. He stands behind it indirectly, but He directly stands behind good. The book of proverbs also gives us insight into this. We know from the sowing and reaping principle that t here will be degrees of torment in the lake of fire. 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. Though used by God for his purposes, the ungodly are still evil. 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.. Gods plan even extended to having Jesus buried in a borrowed tomb (see Isaiah 53:9). Unbelievers Are blinded by the God of this world 2 Corinthians 4:4 Verse Concepts Yet He was still able to accomplish His will through them. Paul also made this clear in Romans 9-11. 1:21). 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. Tell the sons of Israel to go forward. 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. Because they did not believe in GodAnd did not trust in His salvation. Egypt and the Neo-Babylonians were competing for world dominance. God Works His Will 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. But what they do is not going to bring them true blessing. He stands behind it indirectly, but He directly stands behind good. God then raised up Moses and his brother Aaron as instruments to deliver the people of Israel from cruel bondage.