A) We bow in submission before the mysterious ways of God. They all come for violence; Their faces are set like the east wind. 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. Thus they plundered the Egyptians ( Exodus 12:36 ). One swing of his sword whacked off the ear of Malchus, servant to the High Priest. 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. Here are some examples: All of it happened according to Gods plan. 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. And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. Here are some examples: Are we becoming more like Jesus by the power of the Spirit? You have entered an incorrect email address! I also answer yes. 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. And it is just like God to ask us to do hard things, things that seem impossible, that we know in our hearts we cant do. It doesnt mean everything will also go perfectly or the way we hope. Because they did not believe in GodAnd did not trust in His salvation. Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? Jesus said to them, If you were blind, you would have no sin; but since you say, We see, your sin remains. Just as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things! (Rom. He told Moses, Tell the sons of Israel to go forward. But how? Paul used this verse from Habakkuk to warn the foolish despisers of the gospel. It was their God, or at least the God of Moses, that just killed all the first born of Egypt. That leads me to ask a simple question: Are you a professor or a possessor? But before his salvation took place God was still using Him. I have an unimpressive family background and do not come from a long line of important people. Your children, however, whom you said would become a preyI will bring them in, and they will know the land which you have rejected. We see the same thing after the Israelites cross the Red Sea and are attacked by the Amalekites (Ex. 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. Did Jesus Descend Into Hell? When we do that we become His instruments to accomplish His sovereign 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. even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. 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? (1 Corinthians 1:2629). But among the leaders of the nation, only a few followed Christand they became secret believers for fear of persecution by their brethren. Jesus, in the Olivet Discourse, gave the parable of the sheep and the goats. B) We entrust our lives to the God who cares for us. What does it mean that the righteous will live by faith (Habakkuk 2:4)? Today, the weapons of force have improved, yet all the more they take whatever they want, and give only when it serves their purpose. This doesnt erase tragedy or transform heartache, but it gives us a divine perspective on the hard times of life that enables us to keep on going when wed rather give up and quit. From the earliest days of Jesus life we find the Jewish leaders conspiring against him. 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. A nation would come to judge them speaking in a language they did not understand (Deuteronomy 28:49). God uses all those who humble themselves before the cross, boasting only in him his strength, his wisdom, his righteousness, his accomplishment. God reigns over the nations; God sits on His holy throne ( Psalm 47:8 ). Gods plan included the time of Jesus deathPassover, the placeJerusalem, the opposition by the Jewish leaders, and the betrayal by Judas. When he went before Pilate, the Roman governor received an urgent message from his wife: Dont have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him (Matthew 27:19). Impatience and failing to trust God is never helpful. Having all the wisdom in the world didnt guarantee fidelity. We pray because we believe God, because we want to trust in God, praise God, ask God for things we cant do ourselves. 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 He is unique and who can turn Him?And what His soul desires, that He does. Causing him to not let the people go. As they plotted how to murder Jesus they had no idea they were accomplishing Gods will. But this much is clear: He never believed that Jesus was guilty of any crime. They gather captives like sand. Our prayers do not alter Gods eternal decree. 28:49, The LORD will bring a nation against you from afar, from the end of the earth, as swift as the eagle flies, a nation whose language you will not understand. Gods plan even extended to having Jesus buried in a borrowed tomb (see Isaiah 53:9). The Prophet was told to look around him and see what was going on among the nations, observe! 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. One final point is in order. God uses pathetic people for his glorious purposes to show his superior power. They scoff at kings, And princes are scorned by them. 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. But as for you, your corpses will fall in this wilderness. Pastor, Expository Preacher, Author, Trainer of Preachers and Bible Teachers. so that they might escape from the devil's snare, even though they've been held captive by him to do his will. 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. 5:14). 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. 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. I cant charge an exorbitant hourly fee for my time. I am the trustee of nothing more than my personal belongings. Grace be with you. I have received no honorary doctorates. The glory of His nature and attributes will be made known in full. They make a joke out of those who dare to not submit to them. Its okay to be a nobody, if in all you do, you serve Somebody. Gods plan even extended to having Jesus buried in a borrowed tomb (see Isaiah 53:9). Gods Prophet Jeremiah warned of Gods judgment. WebGod was about to turn to the Gentiles as He judged Israel as a nation for her unbelief. You truly never know God could be doing something right that we wouldnt understand even if He told us. They will be held guilty. God has the amazing ability to do things that simply do not make sense to mankind. But it does mean everything will happen as God sees fit. God chooses the custodian with a heavy accent to share the gospel and save lives. WebGod will never set man's will aside and use him for a good purpose without his being willing to be used. I, the Lord, have spoken, surely this I will do to all this evil congregation who are gathered together against Me. 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. This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask But now, the grief of the Egyptians had subsided and was replaced with anger and regret. International Standard Version. Judas served Gods purposes even though what he did was wrong and he ended up in hell. Often in the confusion of life, we cant see the ends, much less the means God intends for us. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. God is not the author of sin, but He can use sinful men to attain an objective. Though used of God to complete his plan, those who crucified our Lord were still personally wicked and godless in what they did. The sad story of Judas stands as a warning to religious people not to trust in their religion. The evil ones believe pridefully that their own imagined gods have blessed them. But as for you, your corpses will fall in this wilderness. We should never presume to say to an unbeliever, God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life. We cant know that. 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. Providence means that God is in charge of the entire universe at all times and nothing happens outside his control. 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. We see this all the way through the Bible. 1:21). The fact that God ordains both the means and the ends should surely encourage us as we face our own trials. 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. As far as Pilate was concerned, he was ordering an innocent man put to deathwhich is why he tried to wash his hands of the whole affair. God doesnt need men, but God chooses to use men at times to accomplish His sovereign will. We return now to the original question: Why did God allow Judas to betray Jesus? Not one of these men, this evil generation, shall see the good land which I swore to give your fathers. 2 Devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him. Judas didnt know it, and neither did the disciples, but Gods fingerprints were all over his act of betrayal. Nothing will ever be able to affect Gods will. Thanks for your interest! Be encouraged Christian, God intends to use you in all your multifaceted weakness and obscurity for his glory. He chooses to use sinners to accomplish His sovereign will, often in ways we dont even understand. The fact that God ordains both the means and the ends should surely encourage us as we face our own trials. Jesus is truly the lamb without blemish who died for the sins of the world (John 1:29). If we lack wisdom, we should ask God for it (James 1:5). 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. Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? During our conversationwhich lasted two hours and was both cordial and very frankI told him that his religion could not save him. His words imply that all the torment will be tolerable. God is unimpressed by our collection of readers, likes, retweets, friends, connections, or admirers. Now if You slay this people as one man, then the nations who have heard of Your fame will say. 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. The gospel writers record many Old Testament prophecies that were fulfilled in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. God commissions the invalid retiree to uphold dozens, even hundreds of missionaries on the field. They had been in Egypt under Egyptian task masters for 400 years. This week were looking at the other side of the equation. 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. . 12:35-36). Peter didnt see it, he only saw the treachery of Judas. Moses didnt have any power to divide the Red Sea. Now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening as Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. 1 John 5:14. For he sees that even wise men die;The stupid and the senseless alike perishAnd leave their wealth to others. He could have rained fire and brimstone down on them. God could have had the earth swallow up the Amalekites. Gods plan even extended to having Jesus buried in a borrowed tomb (see Isaiah 53:9). Though Israel was many, only the remnant will be saved (Romans 9:27). Later Pilate gave in to pressure and ordered Jesus crucified. 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 promised to precede Cyrus and destroy all opposition that Cyrus would face: 'I will go before you and make the 3. Sign up to join over 20,000 subscribers receiving our weekly sermon email. 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 post my sermons on the web and people listen to or watch me preach all over the world. You will say to me then, Why does He still find fault? Stand by and see the salvation of the Lord which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see them again forever. Showing us that our God can and will use anyone even though they dont know Him. 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? Questions? When they offered him 30 pieces of silver, he readily accepted even though that was the going price for a slave. We know from the sowing and reaping principle that t here will be degrees of torment in the lake of fire. Sighing deeply in His spirit, He *said, Why does this generation seek for a sign? That literally means, I find no basis for any of the charges brought against this man. In modern terms, you might call it a Summary Judgment in favor of Jesus. His betrayal proved that the Jewish leaders were far from innocent bystanders in the death of Christ. 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. for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. 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. When Judas actually betrayed Jesus in the Garden, Peter immediately sprang to his defense. Thus they plundered the Egyptians ( Exodus 12:36 ). He clings to his sin like a drowning man to an iron life preserver. 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. Often in the confusion of life, we cant see the ends, much less the means God intends for us. Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God. Dont mistake temporary material victories for true success. Herod the Great tried to kill him in Bethlehem. Most people in the world have no experience of lasting joy in their lives. God uses pathetic people for his glorious purposes to show his superior power. God strengthened Cyrus so that he could conquer nations and overcome opposition Thus says the Lord God to His 2. Suggestions? In fact, in one place in scripture, God said that what He was doing could not be understood even if He explained it. Even today there are those who are arrogant and have no honor for God as He reveals Himself in Scripture.