Through one mans treachery, Jesus proves himself a man of peacenot a man of war. All rights reserved. 1 In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing: 2 Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. God strengthened Cyrus so that he could conquer nations and overcome opposition Thus says the Lord God to His 2. Most people in the world have no experience of lasting joy in their lives. 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. This is the grace of God as revealed in His merciful covenant. Impatience and failing to trust God is never helpful. Summary 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. He could have rained fire and brimstone down on them. God reigns over the nations; God sits on His holy throne ( Psalm 47:8 ). God is not the author of sin, but He can use sinful men to attain an objective. The terms Neo-Babylons and Chaldeans are used interchangeably for the people of that Empire. In the healthiest churches, we find a holy conspiracy between pastors who gladly care for the sheep, and sheep who do what they can so that the pastors might serve joyfully. All of our resources exist to guide you toward everlasting joy in Jesus Christ. Yet He was still able to accomplish His will through them. Get our Question of the Week delivered right to your inbox! Anyone who resists God risks falling into spiritual deception (2 I didnt attend an Ivy League school. God sometimes use evil to accomplish His plans (Habakkuk Sighing deeply in His spirit, He *said, Why does this generation seek for a sign? Stating that the plans of men are many but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand. 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. He stands behind it indirectly, but He directly stands behind good. The new Pharaoh saw the Israelites as a plague in the land. I sit on no boards. Do you merely profess Christ and trust in your religious habits to save you, or do you possess Christ in your heart by faith? However, he had Aaron and Hur hold up Moses arms and had Joshua lead the armies of Israel. Do not begrudge your weakness. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. We return now to the original question: Why did God allow Judas to betray Jesus? Suggestions? Because God created all He can use anything in creation. Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife? Dont get me wrong, wisdom is important. God will use it even if you do not understand how. 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. If youd like an interesting Bible study, take a look at the trials of Jesus. Here are five specific prophecies that were fulfilled when Judas betrayed Jesus: Psalm 41:9Close friend will betray Christ (see John 13:18). It will be a most terrible judgment. WebGod never does evil Himself. In the same way, you wives, be submissive to your own husbands so that even if any of them are disobedient to the word, they may be won without a word by the behavior of their wives. Fit to be Used A nation would come to judge them speaking in a language they did not understand (Deuteronomy 28:49). God God asks us to do things we cant do, because it makes us trust IN HIM, not ourselves. Do not lament your insufficiency. 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. WebGod will never set man's will aside and use him for a good purpose without his being willing to be used. In the words of a 19th century writer, hatred, treachery and deceit will not prevail against the church of God. Moses had great faith! We should never presume to say to an unbeliever, God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life. We cant know that. Surely you shall not come into the land in which I swore to settle you, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun. God uses pathetic people for his glorious purposes to show his superior power. Our accolades cannot merit us any greatness. WebJohn 3:16. 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. 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. by Bob Burridge 2013, 2015 God picks the scrawniest little girl to lead off on his kickball team. He chooses to use sinners to accomplish His sovereign will, often in ways we dont even understand. 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. How will they preach unless they are sent? God can use even you even me. Grace be with you. I have heard the complaints of the sons of Israel, which they are making against Me. C) God uses all eventsgood and badto accomplish his purposes. Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God. 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. God blesses those in whom he stirs to obedience, and judges disobedience. In 609 Judahs King Josiah was killed in battle against Egypt. Zechariah 11:13Judas would give the money back. 5:14). Gods Ability To Use Unlikely People Even Unbelievers. God Jesus, in the Olivet Discourse, gave the parable of the sheep and the goats. Zechariah 11:1230 pieces of silver (see Matthew 26:15). 3 But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison. Were on a mission to change that. Though absolutely sovereign, all knowing, all wise, and everywhere present, God uses sinners to accomplish His will. They live as if there was no Creator, no moral law, no accountability. Other examples could be added to this list. God 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. Steven Lee is the Pastor of Preaching & Vision at. I dont have any letters after my name. God sees. God could have had the earth swallow up the Amalekites. They do whatever they want. 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? Those who look to themselves, will eventually and always reap their just punishment. 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. If God did the miracles without Moses, amazing things would have happened, but the people would not have known what was going on or what to do. Which caused the church to grow rapidly. Why bother praying to a God who isnt? But God did just that and used a sinning Gentile to begin the process of restoring Israel. They all come for violence; Their faces are set like the east wind. Having all the wisdom in the world didnt guarantee fidelity. This is the attitude of the evil heart in all ages. The gospel writers record many Old Testament prophecies that were fulfilled in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, But He does according to His will in the host of heaven, will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion. He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will. God used this unlikely group of people to accomplish His greatest work and they had no idea. God So continue to trust in Him and you wont be disappointed. Here we see that when believers are doing the will of God, obeying the Word of God, and serving even the least of the Saints, they are Gods instruments, doing Jesus will, ministering to Jesus people, His body, His bride. 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. Assyria had fallen when Nineveh, its capitol, was destroyed in 612 BC. 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.. Then his mind changes, and he transgresses; He commits offense, Ascribing this power to his god.. How does this truth apply to Judas? This seems to be one of the reasons God had Moses lift up his staff and hands to divide the Red Sea. Our prayers aline us with Gods eternal decree. He wants us to trust in Him, to rely on Him, to cry out to Him, and then give Him glory for delivering us. 2) If Jesus did descend into hell, why? He uses believers and unbelievers. I have not written a New York Times Bestseller, and no one has publicly endorsed, recommended, or vouched for me. You truly never know God could be doing something right that we wouldnt understand even if He told us. When God determines where we will end up, he also determines how we will get there. 12:35-36). 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? 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. If not, we have reason to question whether our faith is real. He stands behind it indirectly, but He directly stands behind good. 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. Will we show forth Gods glory in our obedience and in our receiving of His covenant blessing? Moses was an instrument, a tool, a vessel for Gods use, and so are we all. They have heard that You, O. And, "Who Are The Sons of God in Genesis 6? God doesnt need men, but God chooses to use men at times to accomplish His sovereign will. 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. While not all became believers, many felt a strong attraction to his message. God has already determined the end from the beginning (Isa. They were in an impossible situation with no way out. I answer yes. I cant charge an exorbitant hourly fee for my time. God was about to turn to the Gentiles as He judged Israel as a nation for her unbelief. First, we see the faith of Moses. His purpose in creation will stand. The manner of the judgment would be unexpected. His plan in doing so was to bless all people. They deride every stronghold, For they heap up earthen mounds and seize it. Gods plan even extended to having Jesus buried in a borrowed tomb (see Isaiah 53:9). Here are some examples: But Moses said to the Lord, Then the Egyptians will hear of it, for by Your strength You brought up this people from their midst, and they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. 1:21). No, its a mystery. 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. A God who can bring something good out of betrayal can be trusted to accomplish his work in your life.