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. Bible Hub God wants to use those who look away from their self-sufficiency to his all-sufficiency. Jump to Previous Often in the confusion of life, we cant see the ends, much less the means God intends for us. He uses believers and unbelievers. The Lord can never be blamed for evil, but evil does not take p. God never does evil Himself. 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.. God uses all those who humble themselves before the cross, boasting only in him his strength, his wisdom, his righteousness, his accomplishment. 28:25, The LORD will cause you to be defeated before your enemies; you shall go out one way against them and flee seven ways before them; and you shall become troublesome to all the kingdoms of the earth. They were afraid. Are we becoming more like Jesus by the power of the Spirit? Because God does miracles by His own power. Were they to voluntarily all drown? 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. 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. Through one mans treachery, Jesus proves himself a man of peacenot a man of war. He mustered his army and went after the Jews in hot pursuit. God was rejecting their national privilege, and turning to the Gentiles to populate his Covenant Nation on Earth. Dont get me wrong, wisdom is important. Israel stumbled at the stumbling stone, the suffering messiah (Romans 9:31-33). so that they might escape from the devil's snare, even though they've been held captive by him to do his will. A lesson worth considering, but not the main lesson I want to focus on, is that God often put us into situations where only He can deliver us. Covenant judgment was about to be poured out upon Israel. You will say to me then, Why does He still find fault? Israel as a nation had rejected the promises of Moses and the Prophets culminating in the demand for the death of Jesus, Gods Messiah. Will we show forth Gods glory in our obedience and in our receiving of His covenant blessing? He told Moses, Tell the sons of Israel to go forward. But how? But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or an ungifted man enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all;read more.the secrets of his heart are disclosed; and so he will fall on his face and worship God, declaring that God is certainly among you. Often in the confusion of life, we cant see the ends, much less the means God intends for us. And a woman who has an unbelieving husband, and he consents to live with her, she must not send her husband away. The manner of the judgment would be unexpected. We are here and gone again. The Lord said to Moses, How long will this people spurn Me? A most astonishing way of fulfilling that prophesy. But as for you, your corpses will fall in this wilderness. But My servant Caleb, because he has had a different spirit and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land which he entered, and his descendants shall take possession of it. That is what moving forward would require, or so it seemed. 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 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. WebGod never does evil Himself. 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. In fact, in one place in scripture, God said that what He was doing could not be understood even if He explained it. God It was a period of apostasy and violence. He fought against God and hoped to destroy the early church. This warning was made clear in the ancient covenant revealed long before through Moses in Deuteronomy 28. 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. This shows the mercy and compassion of God to help the Israelites. Did Jesus Descend Into Hell? His purpose in creation will stand. They do whatever they want. 14 But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him. Being a creative, innovative or highly effective leader is insufficient. Many believed they were going to die and complained to Moses (Ex. Even Jesus cannot save a man who claims his sin is not really sinful. Comments? Do not lament your insufficiency. Why did a holy God allow such evil to continue? That pagan nation was struggling against Egypt for dominance. 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. I think we can learn some great lessons by answering these questions. Bible Hub He chooses to use sinners to accomplish His sovereign will, often in ways we dont even understand. So the emphasis of the chapter is on Gods working out His purpose through ordinary people who obey Him. God didnt need to have Moses lift up his staff. God 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). Nothing will ever be able to affect Gods 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. This truth about Judas illustrates Gods control of every event in the universe. 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. Compared to you or me, King Solomon had it all wisdom, wealth, fame, power. He stands behind it indirectly, but He directly stands behind good. The Neo-Babylonians were dominated by Chaldean kings. shall by no means see the land which I swore to their fathers, nor shall any of those who spurned Me see it. Gods plan even extended to having Jesus buried in a borrowed tomb (see Isaiah 53:9). No, its a mystery. Stating that the plans of men are many but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand. WebGod Can Use Unbelievers part 1: Cyrus 1. We might make Jim Collins proud, but God yawns at our leadership abilities. During this period, foreign powers invaded Israel again and again, and inside the nation known as Gods people, evil and immorality raged. Jesus Sends Out the Because God created all He can use anything in creation. We need to remember that God uses the foolish. 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.. How long shall I bear with this evil congregation who are grumbling against Me? As they plotted how to murder Jesus they had no idea they were accomplishing Gods will. God God will deal with them according to his plan, but first, He will use them for His own covenant judgment. Pharaohs heart was hardened again. He may for a time use the ungodly to bring deserved chastising upon the hypocrites among His own people, and to show his uncompromising wrath upon those left to what we all deserve aside from the work of his grace. So through his death, he can have everlasting life on earth. I dont have any letters after my name. 4 Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word. At the beginning of their sojourn, Joseph was ruler of Egypt, a son of Jacob, and watched over his own. 21 Many are the plans in the mind of a man. 10:14-15). The sad story of Judas stands as a warning to religious people not to trust in their religion. Sighing deeply in His spirit, He *said, Why does this generation seek for a sign? His plan in doing so was to bless all people. He is working all things after the counsel of His will (Eph. Moses give the Israelites specific instruction and visible representation from the invisible God. Lest he misunderstand, I also told him that going to Calvary Memorial Church cannot save anyoneor help save anyone. A nation would come to judge them speaking in a language they did not understand (Deuteronomy 28:49).