His words imply that all the torment will be tolerable. If so, did he have a choice? 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. More insights from your Bible study - Get Started with Logos Bible Software for Free! God wants to use those who look away from their self-sufficiency to his all-sufficiency. I think we can learn some great lessons by answering these questions. He uses believers and 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. We see this all the way through the Bible. 2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. Philippians 3:4-7 - although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. But the Jews, becoming jealous and taking along some wicked men from the market place, formed a mob and set the city in an uproar; and attacking the house of Jason, they were seeking to bring them out to the people. God chooses the custodian with a heavy accent to share the gospel and save lives. All rights reserved. Gods covenant warned from the beginning that if Israel fell into sin God would use a foreign heathen nation to bring judgment upon them. Embrace your weakness, so that the power of Christ may rest upon you to reveal Gods surpassing greatness (2 Corinthians 12:9). We should never presume to say to an unbeliever, God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life. We cant know that. As with the raising of Moses hands by Aaron and Hurt, sharing the gospel, or praying, God delights in and receives glory for himself, when we submit to His will, live by faith, and obey His Word. We are here and gone again. Most people in the world have no experience of lasting joy in their lives. It can be fairly said that the common people by and large respected Jesus and responded positively to his message. Though Israel was many, only the remnant will be saved (Romans 9:27). The Prophet Habakkuk wrote during the troubled times before Judahs captivity. 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. 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. God uses pathetic people for his glorious purposes to show his superior power. I am a preacher and Bible teacher. Moses didnt have any power to divide the Red Sea. We know from the sowing and reaping principle that t here will be degrees of torment in the lake of fire. In Jeremiah 13:20 it said, Lift up your eyes and see Those who come from the north . Jeremiah 25:32 says, Behold, disaster shall go forth From nation to nation, And a great whirlwind shall be raised up From the farthest parts of the earth., Habakkuk 1:6, For indeed I am raising up the Chaldeans, A bitter and hasty nation Which marches through the breadth of the earth, To possess dwelling places that are not theirs.. (1 Corinthians 1:2629). In fact, in one place in scripture, God said that what He was doing could not be understood even if He explained it. Remember my imprisonment. He stands behind it indirectly, but He directly stands behind good. Third, it is necessary for us to remain silent, to not fret, grumble, or complain, while we wait for the Lord to deliver us from whatever trial we are suffering. But among the leaders of the nation, only a few followed Christand they became secret believers for fear of persecution by their brethren. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills. 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. Training for Preachers and Teachers of God's Word, Want to know what an RSS feed is and how it works? 3 But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison. God was revealing that He was going to use this ungodly power for judgment upon his own straying people. 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. His purpose in creation will stand. He didnt accept evil apathetically, he was appalled by it. And how will they hear without a preacher? But we learn that over time a new Pharaoh arose who did not know Joseph or respect what Joseph had done (Ex. God could by-pass us and do everything himself, but He does not. Zechariah 11:13Judas would give the money back. To put the matter that way raises several other questions: Was Judas predestined by God to betray Jesus? 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. Today, the weapons of force have improved, yet all the more they take whatever they want, and give only when it serves their purpose. 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. They had been in Egypt under Egyptian task masters for 400 years. They wanted him dead and used Judas as a convenient means to that ugly end. Though there were still many who had remained faithful, others no longer followed the words of the Prophets. But we need to grow in faith and obedience. We see the same thing after the Israelites cross the Red Sea and are attacked by the Amalekites (Ex. What an honor to serve the King of kings. 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.. But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.. Unbelievers Are blinded by the God of this world 2 Corinthians 4:4 Verse Concepts 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. You truly never know God could be doing something right that we wouldnt understand even if He told us. God blesses those in whom he stirs to obedience, and judges disobedience. God picks the scrawniest little girl to lead off on his kickball team. (see Acts 1:20). Then we read this in Exodus 14:13-16: But Moses said to the people, Do not fear! 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. (Video #2), Lesson 2: Gods Use of the Ungodly Habakkuk 1:5-11. Then his mind changes, and he transgresses; He commits offense, Ascribing this power to his god.. Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? 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. They do whatever they want. The Prophet was told to look around him and see what was going on among the nations, observe! 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. 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. Until that man turns from his sinwhich in his case means acknowledging his behavior as sinand runs to the Cross of Christ he cannot be saved. Truly I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation.. Suggestions? shall by no means see the land which I swore to their fathers, nor shall any of those who spurned Me see it. Nothing is ever left to chance with God. He was ready to die for his Master and intended to take a few of the bad guys with him. 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. God can use even you even me. Thus they plundered the Egyptians ( Exodus 12:36 ). At the beginning of their sojourn, Joseph was ruler of Egypt, a son of Jacob, and watched over his own. In the providence of God, the betrayal by Judas actually advanced Gods purpose in the world. 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. So through his death, he can have everlasting life on earth. 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.. Psalm 109:8Replaced by another manMatthias (see Acts 1:20). Causing him to not let the people go. 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. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them and bowed down with his face to the ground. 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. Everything was planned by God down to the tiniest detail. Will we show forth Gods glory in our obedience and in our receiving of His covenant blessing? 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). I have not written a New York Times Bestseller, and no one has publicly endorsed, recommended, or vouched for me. God may ordain to use their wickedness, but this does not make it morally right. What does it mean that God came from Teman (Habakkuk 3:3). God doesnt need men, but God chooses to use men at times to accomplish His sovereign will. God uses all those who humble themselves before the cross, boasting only in him his strength, his wisdom, his righteousness, his accomplishment. They were afraid. Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? God promised to precede Cyrus and destroy all opposition that Cyrus would face: 'I will go before you and make the 3. 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. At times, God enlisted non-believers to help His people through the ages. And how long will they not believe in Me, despite all the signs which I have performed in their midst? We concluded that the Bible doesnt give us a final answer regarding why Judas betrayed Jesus Christ. 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. Literal Standard Version. Yet, God used him to rebuild the temple and allow Jews to return to their land. For he sees that even wise men die;The stupid and the senseless alike perishAnd leave their wealth to others. C) God uses all eventsgood and badto accomplish his purposes. Jesus is truly the lamb without blemish who died for the sins of the world (John 1:29). It will be a most terrible judgment. I, the Lord, have spoken, surely this I will do to all this evil congregation who are gathered together against Me. I run into people in different countries or am contacted by those from different countries who have been blessed by my preaching. Sighing deeply in His spirit, He *said, Why does this generation seek for a sign? God didnt need to have Moses lift up his staff. They had no weapons to fight Pharaohs army, no experience in war, no ability to defend themselves, and no way of escape. He does this for obvious reasons. 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? I dont speak on any circuits, have given no TED talks, and have been the keynote speaker less than once. Matthew 26:3-5 informs us that the leaders of the Jews were looking for an opportunity to arrest Jesus and put him to death. This week I ate lunch with a man who has recently become an acquaintance through an e-mail correspondence. 2) If Jesus did descend into hell, why? Our accomplishments do not justify our existence. Unbelievers Are blinded by the God of this world 2 Corinthians 4:4 Verse Concepts It is a warning to Israel that if they should break Gods covenant, calamity will come upon them revealing the wrath of the offended God. Here are five specific prophecies that were fulfilled when Judas betrayed Jesus: Psalm 41:9Close friend will betray Christ (see John 13:18). But as for you, your corpses will fall in this wilderness. The people of Israel, were backed up against the Red Sea with Pharaohs army charging at them. How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? They have heard that You, O. We need to remember that God uses the foolish. And he was an exalted and successful king. Christianity is not about religion, its about a life-changing relationship with the Son of God. Jump to Previous Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife? So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires. Summary Gods plan even extended to having Jesus buried in a borrowed tomb (see Isaiah 53:9). What does it mean that the righteous will live by faith (Habakkuk 2:4)? Philippians 3:4-7 - although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. Why bother praying to a God who isnt? 1:15-16), later to be thrown in the Nile (Ex. He sent His son to pay a most costly price for the sin of His people, for those who trust in Him. 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. Through one mans treachery, Jesus proves himself a man of peacenot a man of war. We when we dont know if something is Gods will, we pray, Yet not my will but yours be done (Mt. They sweep through like the strong winds from the East gathering up captives that number like the grains of sand. The glory of His nature and attributes will be made known in full. Able to do exceedingly and abundantly using unlikely people to further His plans. Thus they plundered the Egyptians ( Exodus 12:36 ). God has the amazing ability to do things that simply do not make sense to mankind. And the Lord had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they granted them what they requested. Does God sometimes use evil to accomplish His plans (Habakkuk 1:5-11)? In this period of Judahs last kings, the Prophets warned of the fulfillment of this covenant promise. The Bible says, God was well pleased through the message preached to save those who believe (I Cor. Paul also made this clear in Romans 9-11. God is not the author of sin, but He can use sinful men to attain an objective. God used this unlikely group of people to accomplish His greatest work and they had no idea. That leads me to ask a simple question: Are you a professor or a possessor? God uses the overwhelmed and disheveled mother to nurture her children into spiritual giants. We all understand that God intended that Jesus would die for the sins of the world. 21 Many are the plans in the mind of a man. When we pray, we strive to pray according to Gods will (I Jn. A complete answer is impossible for who has known the mind of the Lord (Isa. But we need to grow in faith and obedience. It forces us to live by faith, which is how He wants us to live all the time because it gives Him glory. And, "Who Are The Sons of God in Genesis 6? So the emphasis of the chapter is on Gods working out His purpose through ordinary people who obey Him. A God who can bring something good out of betrayal can be trusted to accomplish his work in your life. Often in the confusion of life, we cant see the ends, much less the means God intends for us. Literal Standard Version. They will be held guilty. 14:11). But the fact of the matter is it wasnt me! Anyone who resists God risks falling into spiritual deception (2 I have heard the complaints of the sons of Israel, which they are making against Me. His son Jehoahaz became king. But Habakkuks confusion was not doubt. 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. WebGod Can Use Unbelievers part 1: Cyrus 1. 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. In our text, Ex. Why? 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. He recognized what was evil because he believed Gods law. It was the tech team, the web master, the secretary, or whoever posted my sermon on line. God uses pathetic people for his glorious purposes to show his superior power. It only made sense on Sunday morning when Jesus rose from the dead. Though used of God to complete his plan, those who crucified our Lord were still personally wicked and godless in what they did. But it does mean everything will happen as God sees fit. Not one of these men, this evil generation, shall see the good land which I swore to give your fathers. Here are some examples: Its okay to be a nobody, if in all you do, you serve Somebody. Showing us that our God can and will use anyone even though they dont know Him. Verse Concepts. 55:8-9). He mustered his army and went after the Jews in hot pursuit. Which is why they completely missed the Messiah when they stood right beside Him. In fact, in one place in scripture, God said that what He was doing could not be understood even if He explained it. We might be a life-hacking, productivity guru. It was all the Lord. Impatience and failing to trust God is never helpful. 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. International Standard Version. 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. 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. 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. God has already determined the end from the beginning (Isa. WebThe Scripture teaches that God achieves His purpose in unbelievers. God is not the author of sin, but He can use sinful men to attain an objective. Though absolutely sovereign, all knowing, all wise, and everywhere present, God uses sinners to accomplish His will. All of it happened according to Gods plan. Zechariah 11:1230 pieces of silver (see Matthew 26:15). 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. God could have had the earth swallow up the Amalekites. Yet, Solomon turned away from God (1 Kings 11:4, 912). Joseph made Egypt phenomenally wealthy during the years of the famine. God can use anyone and anything. He is working all things after the counsel of His will (Eph. But as for you, your corpses will fall in this wilderness. Jesus said to them, If you were blind, you would have no sin; but since you say, We see, your sin remains. Dont get me wrong, wisdom is important. The Pharisees believed they were serving God but in reality, they didnt even know Him. 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 absolutely sovereign, all knowing, all wise, and everywhere present, God uses sinners to accomplish His will. 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. They scoff at kings, And princes are scorned by them. Egypt made his brother, Jehoiakim, the new king over the Jews. by Bob Burridge 2013, 2015 Do not begrudge your weakness. Things may seem impossible, and for men, they might be impossible, but nothing is impossible with God (Lk. Moses give the Israelites specific instruction and visible representation from the invisible God. His plan in doing so was to bless all people. 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.. 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 have heard the complaints of the sons of Israel, which they are making against Me. Questions? Unbelievers Are blinded by the God of this world 2 Corinthians 4:4 Verse Concepts They heap judgment on themselves. He had great trust in the truth of God. The people of Jacob were trapped. 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). 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. Pharaohs heart was hardened again. 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.