Acts 2:23 tells us that Jesus was delivered up, by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death. 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. Yet, God used him to rebuild the temple and allow Jews to return to their land. WebThe Scripture teaches that God achieves His purpose in unbelievers. Moses was sent by the Lord multiple times to Pharaoh asking for the release of the Hebrews. 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? Is that a contradiction? So the emphasis of the chapter is on Gods working out His purpose through ordinary people who obey Him. God answered him. Including those who dont believe He exists. Remember my imprisonment. WebThe Scripture teaches that God achieves His purpose in unbelievers. Later Pilate gave in to pressure and ordered Jesus crucified. Though absolutely sovereign, all knowing, all wise, and everywhere present, God uses sinners to accomplish His will. Then we read this in Exodus 14:13-16: But Moses said to the people, Do not fear! The people of Jacob were trapped. 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. But all of them come from the hand of the Lord. You truly never know God could be doing something right that we wouldnt understand even if He told us. Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God. God will bring ultimate and final judgment upon all ungodliness. God knew that Pharaoh would change his mind about letting the people of Israel go and that he would pursue them to bring them back to Egypt. The trials that were meant to establish his guilt ended up establishing his innocence for all the world to see. Do not lament your insufficiency. Truly I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation.. He was ready to die for his Master and intended to take a few of the bad guys with him. Our accolades cannot merit us any greatness. The new Pharaoh saw the Israelites as a plague in the land. I was not a cum laude graduate. Gods Ability To Use Unlikely People Even Unbelievers. This week were looking at the other side of the equation. 2:11). International Standard Version. 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. God reigns over the nations; God sits on His holy throne ( Psalm 47:8 ). WebGod never does evil Himself. 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). 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. You are going to need it as we search the Scriptures to answer these two questions. Herod the Great tried to kill him in Bethlehem. The unbeliever has made an exchangethe truth for a lieand the devil is happy to facilitate the swap by presenting the sinner with a wide array of lies from which to choose. He stands behind it indirectly, but He directly stands behind good. For this reason God purposefully led the wondering multitude to a place where there was no possible way of escape from Pharaoh and his army, humanly speaking. God uses pathetic people for his glorious purposes to show his superior power. God is unimpressed. But they feared to do it during the Feast of Unleavened Bread because of the crowds that thronged Jerusalem. God reigns over the nations; God sits on His holy throne ( Psalm 47:8 ). The 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. When God does something completely different and unexpected (Numb. It was their God, or at least the God of Moses, that just killed all the first born of Egypt. In spite of all this they still sinnedAnd did not believe in His wonderful works. He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will. The sheep representing believers who did Gods will and the goats representing unbelievers who do not do Gods will. This shows the mercy and compassion of God to help the Israelites. For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? 28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. This week I ate lunch with a man who has recently become an acquaintance through an e-mail correspondence. They live as if there was no Creator, no moral law, no accountability. 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. 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. Because God created all He can use anything in creation. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills. 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. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. Just as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things! (Rom. 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. Though absolutely sovereign, all knowing, all wise, and everywhere present, God uses sinners to accomplish His will. His words imply that all the torment will be tolerable. Gods plan even extended to having Jesus buried in a borrowed tomb (see Isaiah 53:9). 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. They were in an impossible situation with no way out. Its okay to be a nobody, if in all you do, you serve Somebody. Israel stumbled at the stumbling stone, the suffering messiah (Romans 9:31-33). 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). God uses all those who humble themselves before the cross, boasting only in him his strength, his wisdom, his righteousness, his accomplishment. 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. Grace be with you. When we do that we become His instruments to accomplish His sovereign will. To say it another way, there is a man in hell today who has been there for 2000 years even though what he did advanced Gods plan to save the world. 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. 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. 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. . Gods Ability To Use Unlikely People Even Unbelievers. 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. 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. It was a period of apostasy and violence. God ordains the means and the ends of life. (Video #2), Lesson 2: Gods Use of the Ungodly Habakkuk 1:5-11. 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. Guiding our world whether we are able to see it or not. But most of the time we wont see it fully until we finally arrive in heaven. Having all the wisdom in the world didnt guarantee fidelity. This is a true mystery, which we may explain in various ways but will never fully understand. Things may seem impossible, and for men, they might be impossible, but nothing is impossible with God (Lk. Because God created all He can use anything in creation. The gospel writers record many Old Testament prophecies that were fulfilled in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. God has already determined the end from the beginning (Isa. Peter told the early Christians that the Scripture had to be fulfilled. He meant that the betrayal had to happen the way it did. I am not a rising star in any field, industry, or arena. 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. 46:10). And how long will they not believe in Me, despite all the signs which I have performed in their midst? They have no respect for the leaders of other nations. Paul used this verse from Habakkuk to warn the foolish despisers of the gospel. But it does mean everything will happen as God sees fit. Jesus immediately restored the ear and told Peter to put down his sword. One swing of his sword whacked off the ear of Malchus, servant to the High Priest. 1 John 5:14. Summary Most people in the world have no experience of lasting joy in their lives. God may ordain to use their wickedness, but this does not make it morally right. Is it true that God cannot look upon sin? And that is okay. God sees. It doesnt mean everything will also go perfectly or the way we hope. God wants to use those who look away from their self-sufficiency to his all-sufficiency. The Neo-Babylonians were dominated by Chaldean kings. 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! Then God, in His sovereign power and will, takes our weak and fallible service, and accomplishes His will, like parting the Red Sea. When Judas actually betrayed Jesus in the Garden, Peter immediately sprang to his defense. His plan in doing so was to bless all people. The Israelites and the church did face some tough times and we may too. He uses believers and unbelievers. God has the amazing ability to do things that simply do not make sense to mankind. Pastor, Expository Preacher, Author, Trainer of Preachers and Bible Teachers. Sign up to join over 20,000 subscribers receiving our weekly sermon email. Assyria had fallen when Nineveh, its capitol, was destroyed in 612 BC. God has sinners pray and answers the prayers of sinners that are according to His will, getting glory for himself. But our God is mightier than any office or country. They wanted him dead and used Judas as a convenient means to that ugly end. 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. 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. His purpose in creation will stand. Our prayers do not alter Gods eternal decree. God strengthened Cyrus so that he could conquer nations and overcome opposition Thus says the Lord God to His 2. In fact, in one place in scripture, God said that what He was doing could not be understood even if He explained it. He stands behind it indirectly, but He directly stands behind good. The ungodly show the futility of their rebellion, the awful penalty of sin, and the just wrath of God. 4:5). but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand. He used sinners to accomplish His sovereign will. But through the lens of the New Testament, he is seen as a wicked man. 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. 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. God had not yet told Moses what He was going to do, but Moses knew the Lord did not redeem the Israelites from Egypt to have them slaughtered. 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. Peter didnt see it, he only saw the treachery of Judas. It can be fairly said that the common people by and large respected Jesus and responded positively to his message. International Standard Version. 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. It becomes all the more bold in lawlessness. Summary 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.. The unbeliever has made an exchangethe truth for a lieand the devil is happy to facilitate the swap by presenting the sinner with a wide array of lies from which to choose. Philippians 3:4-7 - although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. Habakkuk learned that the material success of the ungodly is not a reliable measure of their true success. He betrayed the Lord but ended up vindicating him. 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. Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? We might be a life-hacking, productivity guru. I am the trustee of nothing more than my personal belongings. God doesnt need men, but God chooses to use men at times to accomplish His sovereign will. We see this all the way through the Bible. 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. Joseph made Egypt phenomenally wealthy during the years of the famine. The evil nations God was raising up to judge his rebellious people were self-centered. But to the rest I say, not the Lord, that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he must not divorce her. Do not begrudge your weakness. 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. Jesus waved him off by declaring, All this was done that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled (Matthew 26:56). This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. In this period of Judahs last kings, the Prophets warned of the fulfillment of this covenant promise. God promised to precede Cyrus and destroy all opposition that Cyrus would face: 'I will go before you and make the 3. He stands behind it indirectly, but He directly stands behind good. Jesus said the unbelievers failed to give him food, drink, nurse him in His sickness, or visit Him in prison. In heaven, each mans praise will come to him from God, and God will be glorified for sovereignly using sinners for His good purposes (I Cor. Providence means that God is in charge of the entire universe at all times and nothing happens outside his control. I have an unimpressive family background and do not come from a long line of important people. Why would God allow his Son to suffer such indignity at the hands of one who claimed to be his friend? 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. 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. Today, the weapons of force have improved, yet all the more they take whatever they want, and give only when it serves their purpose. A most astonishing way of fulfilling that prophesy. 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? Those who look to themselves, will eventually and always reap their just punishment. The fact that God ordains both the means and the ends should surely encourage us as we face our own trials. We should never presume to say to an unbeliever, God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life. We cant know that. Judas didnt know it, and neither did the disciples, but Gods fingerprints were all over his act of betrayal. Believer, dont think that your faithful service to your local body of believers is insignificant or accounts for little or nothing. They intend to be their own god. Jump to Previous Before the Apostle Paul wrote his letter he was known as Saul. 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). or will we in our rebellion demonstrate the just curse of His covenant warnings? 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. They move ahead as a determined army spreading violence. Even Jesus cannot save a man who claims his sin is not really sinful. Do not lament your insufficiency. WebGod was about to turn to the Gentiles as He judged Israel as a nation for her unbelief. Scripture even points to the fact that God used Cyrus even though he didnt know God. They make a joke out of those who dare to not submit to them. Even those who dont believe and even speak against. This is the grace of God as revealed in His merciful covenant. 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. That doesnt make us anything more in Gods eyes. I find it remarkable how consistently the New Testament writers see the hand of God in the events surrounding the death of Christ. 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? God will deal with them according to his plan, but first, He will use them for His own covenant judgment. Jesus said to them, If you were blind, you would have no sin; but since you say, We see, your sin remains. 12:35-36). How can I believe in the goodness of God when there is so much evil in the world? Jump to Previous Thats where the judgment will come from. 2 Devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him. WebGod Can Use Unbelievers part 1: Cyrus 1. All of our resources exist to guide you toward everlasting joy in Jesus Christ. 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 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. During this period, foreign powers invaded Israel again and again, and inside the nation known as Gods people, evil and immorality raged. Im not a founder, innovator, CEO, or visionary of any company. Though absolutely sovereign, all knowing, all wise, and everywhere present, God uses sinners to accomplish His will. Our accomplishments do not justify our existence. A second reason, related to the first reason, is that God knew that by doing His miracles through Moses, Moses would then in turn give glory to God. 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. 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. International Standard Version. In Acts 13:41 he said, Behold, you despisers, Marvel and perish! 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. Did Jesus Descend Into Hell? I have heard the complaints of the sons of Israel, which they are making against Me. Their end will be most awful. When God determines where we will end up, he also determines how we will get there. Egypt and the Neo-Babylonians were competing for world dominance. 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. the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces, and assign him a place with the unbelievers. In fact, in one place in scripture, God said that what He was doing could not be understood even if He explained it. 4 Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word. Often in the confusion of life, we cant see the ends, much less the means God intends for us. 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. Why bother praying to a God who isnt? (see Matthew 27:5). Paul, in writing to Corinth, corrected the Churchs misuse of speaking in foreign tongues. The people of Israel, were backed up against the Red Sea with Pharaohs army charging at them. He chooses to use sinners to accomplish His sovereign will, often in ways we dont even understand. Why did a holy God allow such evil to continue? But the Jews who disbelieved stirred up the minds of the Gentiles and embittered them against the brethren. 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. God uses pathetic people for his glorious purposes to show his superior power. In 605 Egypt was defeated by the Neo-Babylonians at Carchemish. Judas solved their problem by volunteering to betray the Lord. To put the matter that way raises several other questions: Was Judas predestined by God to betray Jesus? 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. 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. The Lord said to Moses, How long will this people spurn Me? How does this truth apply to Judas? 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.