For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? But we learn that over time a new Pharaoh arose who did not know Joseph or respect what Joseph had done (Ex. Often in the confusion of life, we cant see the ends, much less the means God intends for us. 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. God strengthened Cyrus so that he could conquer nations and overcome opposition Thus says the Lord God to His 2. Then God, in His sovereign power and will, takes our weak and fallible service, and accomplishes His will, like parting the Red Sea. During his ministry his greatest opposition came from the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the scribes and the teachers of the Law. That doesnt make us anything more in Gods eyes. Though absolutely sovereign, all knowing, all wise, and everywhere present, God uses sinners to accomplish His will. Pastor, Expository Preacher, Author, Trainer of Preachers and Bible Teachers. God Does God Accomplish His Purpose in Our It doesnt mean everything will also go perfectly or the way we hope. Sighing deeply in His spirit, He *said, Why does this generation seek for a sign? I have received no honorary doctorates. We see this all the way through the Bible. But we need to grow in faith and obedience. God may ordain to use their wickedness, but this does not make it morally right. 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). Another unlikely person used by God was King Cyrus of Persia. 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. One swing of his sword whacked off the ear of Malchus, servant to the High Priest. Even those who dont believe and even speak against. When God does something completely different and unexpected (Numb. But we need to grow in faith and obedience. This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask The evil nations God was raising up to judge his rebellious people were self-centered. Paul, in writing to Corinth, corrected the Churchs misuse of speaking in foreign tongues. Our accolades cannot merit us any greatness. We should never presume to say to an unbeliever, God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life. We cant know that. Everything was planned by God down to the tiniest detail. WebThe Scripture teaches that God achieves His purpose in unbelievers. 55:8-9). They were in an impossible situation with no way out. 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. Why did a holy God allow such evil to continue? This shows the mercy and compassion of God to help the Israelites. At times, God enlisted non-believers to help His people through the ages. More insights from your Bible study - Get Started with Logos Bible Software for Free! He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth (Isaiah 53:7). God use unbelievers to accomplish his will God use unbelievers to accomplish his will It becomes all the more bold in lawlessness. This is the grace of God as revealed in His merciful covenant. This week were looking at the other side of the equation. Jesus responded to the false testimony by saying nothing at all. But He is unique and who can turn Him?And what His soul desires, that He does. Solomon was DaVinci, Einstein, Bach, Jordan, Augustus, and Shakespeare rolled into one superior man. 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. God sometimes use evil to accomplish His plans (Habakkuk All of it happened according to Gods plan. Which is why they completely missed the Messiah when they stood right beside Him. That leads me to ask a simple question: Are you a professor or a possessor? For I will work a work in your days Which you would not believe, though it were told you.. Thanks for your interest! Now and then we advance to Easter morning where we discover Gods purpose in our pain. 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 even gave prophecy through Isaiah that this very thing would take place. Now relax your hand! And the angel of the Lord was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. The articles posted on this website are here to provide information about the Bible and specific topics related to the Reformed Faith along with it's application in our daily thoughts and activities. God ordains the means and the ends of life. Moses was a by-product of the Egyptians attempts to hinder Gods blessing upon them, was placed in pitch covered basket and set adrift in the Nile, but rescued, weened by his own mother, adopted into Pharaohs house, and educated in all the learning of Egypt (Acts 7:22). They had been in Egypt under Egyptian task masters for 400 years. God reigns over the nations; God sits on His holy throne ( Psalm 47:8 ). But now, the grief of the Egyptians had subsided and was replaced with anger and regret. 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. So while many American Christians worry about what will take place in the coming years I find peace in knowing that God can use even the most unlikely candidates to accomplish His will. Israel as a nation had rejected the promises of Moses and the Prophets culminating in the demand for the death of Jesus, Gods Messiah. Eternity will reveal how your faithful service was used by the Lord in amazing ways. He stands behind it indirectly, but He directly stands behind good. However, he had Aaron and Hur hold up Moses arms and had Joshua lead the armies of Israel. 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 Works His Will 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. 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? Really, its just fine. Fourth, Gods command seemed impossible to obey. 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.. So the emphasis of the chapter is on Gods working out His purpose through ordinary people who obey Him. 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. They gather captives like sand. Our prayers do not alter Gods eternal decree. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them and bowed down with his face to the ground. 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). A) We bow in submission before the mysterious ways of God. If youd like an interesting Bible study, take a look at the trials of Jesus. In those moments we often feel alone in the chaos of circumstances as life tumbles in around us. God can use even you even me. When God desires to save someone, He raises up Christians to preach the gospel. Philippians 3:4-7 - although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. God calls the autistic man to give the most profound articulation of his simple faith. They sweep through like the strong winds from the East gathering up captives that number like the grains of sand. Do not lament your insufficiency. God Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? It will be a most terrible judgment. This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask 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. 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. 21 Many are the plans in the mind of a man. Yet He was still able to accomplish His will through them. He could have rained fire and brimstone down on them. He reminded Peter that he could call for 12 legions of angels72,000 highly trained, heavily armed members of the Angelic Defense Leagueto come to his rescue at any moment. When God determines where we will end up, he also determines how we will get there. Gods Ability To Use Unlikely People Even Unbelievers. We pray because we believe God, because we want to trust in God, praise God, ask God for things we cant do ourselves. To put the matter that way raises several other questions: Was Judas predestined by God to betray Jesus? Nothing is ever left to chance with God. 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. (see Matthew 27:5). During this period, foreign powers invaded Israel again and again, and inside the nation known as Gods people, evil and immorality raged. Things may seem impossible, and for men, they might be impossible, but nothing is impossible with God (Lk. In spite of all this they still sinnedAnd did not believe in His wonderful works. We all understand that God intended that Jesus would die for the sins of the world. Why bother praying to a God who isnt? 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?. Because God created all He can use anything in creation. Gods plan included the time of Jesus deathPassover, the placeJerusalem, the opposition by the Jewish leaders, and the betrayal by Judas. He used sinners to accomplish His sovereign will. Jump to Previous Gods plan even extended to having Jesus buried in a borrowed tomb (see Isaiah 53:9). Zechariah 11:1230 pieces of silver (see Matthew 26:15). The Prophet Habakkuk wrote during the troubled times before Judahs captivity. 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. God Can Use Unbelievers part 1: Cyrus When we do that we become His instruments to accomplish His sovereign will. Able to do exceedingly and abundantly using unlikely people to further His plans. Does God Accomplish His Purpose in Our 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. God Uses God use non-believers to help His people How will they preach unless they are sent? In fact, in one place in scripture, God said that what He was doing could not be understood even if He explained it. 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. He stands behind it indirectly, but He directly stands behind good. What does it mean that the righteous will live by faith (Habakkuk 2:4)? God asks us to do things we cant do, because it makes us trust IN HIM, not ourselves. so that they might escape from the devil's snare, even though they've been held captive by him to do his will. 1 John 5:14. (1 Corinthians 1:2629). Being a creative, innovative or highly effective leader is insufficient. We see this all the way through the Bible. 6:10). I am the trustee of nothing more than my personal belongings. Showing us that our God can and will use anyone even though they dont know Him. 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. 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. 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. 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. He could have just caused them to drop dead. Many believed they were going to die and complained to Moses (Ex. Philippians 3:4-7 - although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. Our prayers aline us with Gods eternal decree. One final point is in order. Summary God Works His Will 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. Even his enemies played into Gods handthough they did not know it at the time. But what a privilege it is to be used by God! God Will Use Even You Is that a contradiction? He didnt accept evil apathetically, he was appalled by it. 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. He clings to his sin like a drowning man to an iron life preserver. We see this all the way through the Bible. The total number of prophecies is well over 100. The Pharisees believed they were serving God but in reality, they didnt even know Him. He mustered his army and went after the Jews in hot pursuit. But if anyone says to you, This is meat sacrificed to idols, do not eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you, and for conscience sake; I mean not your own conscience, but the other mans; for why is my freedom judged by anothers conscience? Get our Question of the Week delivered right to your inbox! C) We place our confidence in Gods ultimate purpose for us. Yet, God used him to rebuild the temple and allow Jews to return to their land. 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. 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. Because God does miracles by His own power. First, we see the faith of Moses. All of these people are unlikely choices to be used by God since they didnt truly know or believe in Him. Moses was sent by the Lord multiple times to Pharaoh asking for the release of the Hebrews. But before his salvation took place God was still using Him. Dont get me wrong, wisdom is important. He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will. Jesus is truly the lamb without blemish who died for the sins of the world (John 1:29). Zechariah 11:13Judas would give the money back. They have no respect for the leaders of other nations. Gods Prophet Jeremiah warned of Gods judgment. God sometimes use evil to accomplish His plans (Habakkuk Grace be with you. 3 But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison. God Can Use Unbelievers part 1: Cyrus But the fact of the matter is it wasnt me! God has sinners pray and answers the prayers of sinners that are according to His will, getting glory for himself. God uses the overwhelmed and disheveled mother to nurture her children into spiritual giants. And that is okay. His purpose in creation will stand. Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? Were on a mission to change that. God has the amazing ability to do things that simply do not make sense to mankind. by Bob Burridge 2013, 2015 But what they do is not going to bring them true blessing. Jump to Previous God Uses God sometimes use evil to accomplish His plans (Habakkuk Here are some examples: God didnt need to have Moses lift up his staff. The Neo-Babylonians were dominated by Chaldean kings. WebGod never does evil Himself. God was about to turn to the Gentiles as He judged Israel as a nation for her unbelief. He told Moses, Tell the sons of Israel to go forward. But how? Here are five specific prophecies that were fulfilled when Judas betrayed Jesus: Psalm 41:9Close friend will betray Christ (see John 13:18). Visit Justins personal website Here. In the beginning Satan challenged Gods right to rule. 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. Gods plan even extended to having Jesus buried in a borrowed tomb (see Isaiah 53:9). WebThe Scripture teaches that God achieves His purpose in unbelievers. God reigns over the nations; God sits on His holy throne ( Psalm 47:8 ). Bible Hub in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. We know from the sowing and reaping principle that t here will be degrees of torment in the lake of fire. Because they did not believe in GodAnd did not trust in His salvation. God himself had foreordained every detail surrounding the death of his Son. God 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. God But the Jews who disbelieved stirred up the minds of the Gentiles and embittered them against the brethren. International Standard Version. God was revealing that He was going to use this ungodly power for judgment upon his own straying people. Why does God allow deception 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. 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. 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. Providence means that God is in charge of the entire universe at all times and nothing happens outside his control. God uses pathetic people for his glorious purposes to show his superior power. God doesnt need men, but God chooses to use men at times to accomplish His sovereign will. As a place to begin, consider three verses dealing with Judas. A complete answer is impossible for who has known the mind of the Lord (Isa. God Uses 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.. 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. Herod the Great tried to kill him in Bethlehem. Comments? 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. God His plan in doing so was to bless all people. 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. These lessons simply teach us that God can take that which is evil and use it for his own good purposes. So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires. You do not have His word abiding in you, for you do not believe Him whom He sent. No, its a mystery. It was the tech team, the web master, the secretary, or whoever posted my sermon on line. A man who lived in a time in which only Jews served the one true God. In fact, in one place in scripture, God said that what He was doing could not be understood even if He explained it. Every evil in the world must somehow serve Gods purpose. 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.