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? Its okay to be a nobody, if in all you do, you serve Somebody. We live most of our days in Good Fridayenduring confusion, opposition, disappointment and the many tragedies of life. 14 But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him. Moses didnt have any power to bring the ten plagues upon Egypt either. I answer yes. God God asks us to do things we cant do, because it makes us trust IN HIM, not ourselves. Tell the sons of Israel to go forward. Sign up to join over 20,000 subscribers receiving our weekly sermon email. We concluded that the Bible doesnt give us a final answer regarding why Judas betrayed Jesus Christ. We see this clearly in the life of Christ. Second, the proper response to any trial or danger is to not fear but stand by and see the salvation of the Lord. How many times do we fret and worry and then see the Lord deliver us and realize that all of our anxiety and fretting was for naught, that it accomplished nothing, but was an expression of our sinful doubt? Does God sometimes use evil to accomplish His plans (Habakkuk 1:5-11)? God is not finished with you yet, so dont give up on him. 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. In 609 Judahs King Josiah was killed in battle against Egypt. His purpose in creation will stand. God Later Pilate gave in to pressure and ordered Jesus crucified. They had no weapons to fight Pharaohs army, no experience in war, no ability to defend themselves, and no way of escape. Just as He did with Pharaoh who placed no faith in the God of Israel. Although Judas appears to be acting solely on his own initiative, it is clear that his betrayal fits into a larger pattern of eventsone that is orchestrated by the unseen hand of the Living God. International Standard Version. Thats where the judgment will come from. How does this truth apply to Judas? 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. And goes on to say, How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? Gods plan even extended to having Jesus buried in a borrowed tomb (see Isaiah 53:9). Jesus responded to the false testimony by saying nothing at all. God Uses Many People to Accomplish His Purposes 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 is the preeminent insider who knew Jesus as well as anyone has ever known himyet in the end never really knew him at all. 4 Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word. Comments? 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 as for you, your corpses will fall in this wilderness. 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. Covenant judgment was about to be poured out upon Israel. God was rejecting their national privilege, and turning to the Gentiles to populate his Covenant Nation on Earth. The way of the wicked is like darkness;They do not know over what they stumble. God has the amazing ability to do things that simply do not make sense to mankind. Will we show forth Gods glory in our obedience and in our receiving of His covenant blessing? Now if You slay this people as one man, then the nations who have heard of Your fame will say. (see Acts 1:20). 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. 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. God has the amazing ability to do things that simply do not make sense to mankind. God could by-pass us and do everything himself, but He does not. 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. 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.. So continue to trust in Him and you wont be disappointed. In Acts 13:41 he said, Behold, you despisers, Marvel and perish! Amen. Their horses also are swifter than leopards, And more fierce than evening wolves. Able to do exceedingly and abundantly using unlikely people to further His plans. 12:35-36). No buildings, streets, or hospitals have been named in honor of me. God He clings to his sin like a drowning man to an iron life preserver. But God did just that and used a sinning Gentile to begin the process of restoring Israel. How beautiful! He could have just caused them to drop dead. But the Jews who disbelieved stirred up the minds of the Gentiles and embittered them against the brethren. What does it mean that God came from Teman (Habakkuk 3:3). At the beginning of their sojourn, Joseph was ruler of Egypt, a son of Jacob, and watched over his own. We see this all the way through the Bible. Thanks for your interest! God Uses Literal Standard Version. It even included the price Judas would receive for his act of treachery30 pieces of silver. But they feared to do it during the Feast of Unleavened Bread because of the crowds that thronged Jerusalem. It becomes all the more bold in lawlessness. We see this all the way through the Bible. God ordains the means and the ends of life. But among the leaders of the nation, only a few followed Christand they became secret believers for fear of persecution by their brethren. God It will be a most terrible judgment. Remember my imprisonment. 1:8). WebGod never does evil Himself. Israel stumbled at the stumbling stone, the suffering messiah (Romans 9:31-33). verses about Unbelievers Another unlikely person used by God was King Cyrus of Persia. 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. He sent His son to pay a most costly price for the sin of His people, for those who trust in Him. 55:8-9). God Uses Remember my imprisonment. Our prayers aline us with Gods eternal decree. Were they to voluntarily all drown? Strategically, this appeared to be a very unwise move, unless you are God. Why does God allow deception Fit to be Used Gods plan even extended to having Jesus buried in a borrowed tomb (see Isaiah 53:9). But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. Why bother praying to a God who isnt? This was Moses advice to the people of Israel when facing the imminent threat of death, and it is true for us as well when facing any trial. (Video #2), Lesson 2: Gods Use of the Ungodly Habakkuk 1:5-11. I run into people in different countries or am contacted by those from different countries who have been blessed by my preaching. In fact, in one place in scripture, God said that what He was doing could not be understood even if He explained it. God could have had the earth swallow up the Amalekites. 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. 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? God Uses Thus they plundered the Egyptians ( Exodus 12:36 ). He didnt accept evil apathetically, he was appalled by it. They have no respect for the leaders of other nations. In such a manner Judas served Gods purposes through his wicked act of betrayal. If youd like an interesting Bible study, take a look at the trials of Jesus. Because God is utterly unimpressed by my rsum. Jump to Previous How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? God Uses Many People to Accomplish His Purposes A) We bow in submission before the mysterious ways of God. And a woman who has an unbelieving husband, and he consents to live with her, she must not send her husband away. Gods Prophet Jeremiah warned of Gods judgment. How will they preach unless they are sent? Does God Accomplish His Purpose in Our Because God does miracles by His own power. Guiding our world whether we are able to see it or not. Though absolutely sovereign, all knowing, all wise, and everywhere present, God uses sinners to accomplish His will. You are going to need it as we search the Scriptures to answer these two questions. but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand. Jump to Previous That is what moving forward would require, or so it seemed. God Were they to march into the sea holding their little ones, driving their cattle, and pushing their elderly? The repentant show Gods unmerited grace to undeserving sinners, and reveal the merciful blessing and goodness of God. We are saved by living faith in the Son of Godnot by outward religious observance. God scoffs at any attempt by me or you to prove our worthiness. The greater the pain, the harder it is to see Gods fingerprints. We pray because we believe God, because we want to trust in God, praise God, ask God for things we cant do ourselves. Is that a contradiction? When Moses spoke these words to all the sons of Israel, the people mourned greatly. 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. They live as if there was no Creator, no moral law, no accountability. Moses had great faith! It forces us to live by faith, which is how He wants us to live all the time because it gives Him glory. But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh remained alive out of those men who went to spy out the land. Believer, dont think that your faithful service to your local body of believers is insignificant or accounts for little or nothing. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. I was not a cum laude graduate. God was revealing that He was going to use this ungodly power for judgment upon his own straying people. So through his death, he can have everlasting life on earth. Im not a founder, innovator, CEO, or visionary of any company. 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. In the eyes of the Jews, Saul would be seen as a warrior of the faith. Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife? Remember my imprisonment. This seems to be one of the reasons God had Moses lift up his staff and hands to divide the Red Sea. Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? Herod the Great tried to kill him in Bethlehem. 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?. 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. Jesus Sends Out the Judas solved their problem by volunteering to betray the Lord. Verse Concepts. In fact, in one place in scripture, God said that what He was doing could not be understood even if He explained it. Which caused the church to grow rapidly. Through one mans treachery, Jesus proves himself a man of peacenot a man of war. WebJohn 3:16. Why does God allow deception 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. 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. What does it mean that the righteous will live by faith (Habakkuk 2:4)? But all of them come from the hand of the Lord. Prayer is one of the means God uses to accomplish His sovereign will and get glory for himself. He had great trust in the truth of God. WebThe Scripture teaches that God achieves His purpose in unbelievers. 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.. 4:5). so that they might escape from the devil's snare, even though they've been held captive by him to do his will. Judas professed Christ but he did not possess him, which is why he is in hell today. Does God Accomplish His Purpose in Our WebGod was about to turn to the Gentiles as He judged Israel as a nation for her unbelief. I am a preacher and Bible teacher. "Equipping and encouraging people to keep believing in Jesus", Copyright 2020 Keep Believing Ministries. Now if You slay this people as one man, then the nations who have heard of Your fame will say,read more.Because the Lord could not bring this people into the land which He promised them by oath, therefore He slaughtered them in the wilderness. But now, I pray, let the power of the Lord be great, just as You have declared, The Lord is slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, forgiving iniquity and transgression; but He will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generations. 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. So the Lord said, I have pardoned them according to your word; but indeed, as I live, all the earth will be filled with the glory of the Lord. 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. God used this unlikely group of people to accomplish His greatest work and they had no idea. Grace be with you. Your children, however, whom you said would become a preyI will bring them in, and they will know the land which you have rejected. Visit Justins personal website Here. God Works His Will 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. 1:37). He has many means to accomplish that holy purposeincluding some that are difficult to understand. 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). Peter told the early Christians that the Scripture had to be fulfilled. He meant that the betrayal had to happen the way it did. 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. 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 God sees. We return now to the original question: Why did God allow Judas to betray Jesus? Paul used this verse from Habakkuk to warn the foolish despisers of the gospel. 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. God doesnt need men, but God chooses to use men at times to accomplish His sovereign will. The thing he values the most is dragging him down to eternal damnation. Our accolades cannot merit us any greatness. Do not begrudge your weakness. God wants to use those who look away from their self-sufficiency to his all-sufficiency. 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. Even his enemies played into Gods handthough they did not know it at the time. Gods plan included the time of Jesus deathPassover, the placeJerusalem, the opposition by the Jewish leaders, and the betrayal by Judas. Today, the weapons of force have improved, yet all the more they take whatever they want, and give only when it serves their purpose. Summary First, we see the faith of Moses. God doesnt need men, but God chooses to use men at times to accomplish His sovereign will. 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. The Neo-Babylonians were dominated by Chaldean kings. Wisdom didnt guard him against a wandering heart. You have entered an incorrect email address! Pharaohs heart was hardened again. One swing of his sword whacked off the ear of Malchus, servant to the High Priest. In fact, in one place in scripture, God said that what He was doing could not be understood even if He explained it. (see Matthew 27:5). For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? God use non-believers to help His people God That doesnt lessen his guilt, but it does increase our appreciation of Gods sovereignty over the affairs of men. We know from the sowing and reaping principle that t here will be degrees of torment in the lake of fire. God uses all those who humble themselves before the cross, boasting only in him his strength, his wisdom, his righteousness, his accomplishment. 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. Those who look to themselves, will eventually and always reap their just punishment. In this period of Judahs last kings, the Prophets warned of the fulfillment of this covenant promise. 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).
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