Jeremiah 18:1-10
1 The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord saying, 2 “Arise and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will announce My words to you.” 3 Then I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was, making something on the wheel. 4 But the vessel that he was making of clay was spoiled in the hand of the potter; so he remade it into another vessel, as it pleased the potter to make.
5 Then the word of the Lord came to me saying, 6 “Can I not, O house of Israel, deal with you as this potter does?” declares the Lord. “Behold, like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel. 7 At one moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to uproot, to pull down, or to destroy it; 8 if that nation against which I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent concerning the calamity I planned to bring on it. 9 Or at another moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to build up or to plant it; 10 if it does evil in My sight by not obeying My voice, then I will think better of the good with which I had promised to bless it.
Message: Things that Fall Out Consistently
Time: The Chaldeans (Babylonians) are besieging Jerusalem. Nubuchadnezzar is king of Babylon. Zedekiah is the last king of Judah before Babylon destroyed Jerusalem in 586 BC.
What the Lord is Saying:
The Westminster Confession of Faith which was a document similar to the Westminster Shorter Catechism and came about after the WSC to help further clarify ideas put forth in the WSC states in 5.2 - "Although, in relation to the foreknowledge and decree of God, the first Cause, all things come to pass immutably, and infallibly; yet, by the same providence, He orders them to fall out, according to the nature of second causes, either necessarily, freely, or contingently."
I am studying this decree of God currently with God as the first cause of all of life, but also realizing that there are secondary causes: necessarily such as physical laws, freely such as free will or human freedom, and now contingently.
The Bible is clear that God ordains our leaders. But he isn't in the practice of electing leaders. While he ordains a president, like Bush, Clinton, Obama, and Trump and thus he is the first cause of these appointments. The election process is carried out by the secondary cause - the free will decision of each of the voters. God establishes what will happen and then the American voters are the secondary cause in serving the means by which the event of election occurs.
Things that fall out contingently are what has been termed "if, then" relationships. Thus, the result or outcome is predicated first on something happening.
In this example from Jeremiah the Lord states two outcomes based upon the decisions of the house of Israel. He states that there will be one result if that nation turns from its evil and a different result if it does evil in My sight. This helps my understanding of God because this confirms the notion of free will and that God has not simply determined each choice.
Promise: We do not know in advance what God has decreed, so we pray, we ask, we choose, then we trust God as the outcome comes to fruition.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for the clarity of You and Your word in the midst of the mixed up world we often live in. Bring guidance and understanding to people so that they will glorify You in all they do. Thank you for human free will.
Note: I follow the readings from the Tabletalk Magazine devotional, though I am a little behind and working through 2017 devotionals. 2017 is a study of key biblical doctrines with March being about the sovereign providence of God and looking at how the Bible reveals His control over all things.
Wednesday, February 13, 2019
Tuesday, February 12, 2019
Isaiah 10:5-7 - Things that Fall Out Freely
Isaiah 10:5-7
5 5 Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger
And the staff in whose hands is My indignation,
6 I send it against a godless nation
And commission it against the people of My fury
To capture booty and to seize plunder,
And to trample them down like mud in the streets.
7 Yet it does not so intend,
Nor does it plan so in its heart,
But rather it is its purpose to destroy
And to cut off many nations.
Message: Things that Fall Out Freely
Time: Isaiah prophesied from 739–681 BC to a nation that had turned a deaf ear to the Lord. He wanted to see the nation of Judah return to serving God with humility and love for their neighbors. But he was called to pronounce judgments to on a people offering meaningless sacrifices in the Temple and committing injustices throughout the nation. It provides the most prophetic picture of Jesus in the entire Old Testament.
What the Lord is Saying:
The idea of God's sovereignty and man's free will has always been a big question for me. Fortunately, I've arrived to the part of this study that discusses what it means. The idea from the Westminster Shorter Catechism is that there is a first cause - God, as He creates and sustains all of life. God is first. We are here because of God. God determined the cause for everything in life. He created the physical laws, humans, animals. This includes man's ability to reason and examine information. For much of what he created there is an effect from these causes. He is active in creation, beginning but also continuing to create and make it all work together. He provides us His word to instruct us. He is over the big things of life, the small things and even miracles.
I learned recently that atheism believes in determinism. The idea is that we live according to laws and everything in life is the outcome of a cause. There is no free will. And these causes, well, they just happen. How they originated we don't know. But atheists are confident that they will discover the "why" behind the cause. We don't choose to do things, but rather our actions are the domino effect of previous causes. The contrary idea that God puts forth is free will, that we are not machines or robots or required to choose choices. God is the great cause in history but then there are secondary causes. And these secondary causes per the Westminster Shorter Catechism (5.2) are in 3 divisions: causes that operate necessarily, freely, and contingently.
The "necessarily" things are the physical laws that he establishes like the Law of Gravity. Gravity happens no matter what and as a physical law it takes place throughout the universe, at all times, and never changes. Gravity has always been there. Now, it is important to see that the discover of gravity was aided by a scientist. Thankfully, scientists have helped us to identify these physical laws. We need scientists. Science and faith are not incompatible.
The second division within secondary causes today I look at is things that "fall out freely." This seems to be the crux of free will in our lives. Each person has their own desires and therefore chooses based upon those desire whereas atheism would say our choices are determined from the environment in which we are in. Each person is born into this world with a sin nature. "For all have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God" - Romans 3:23. That is the conclusion of Romans 3:9-18 in which God makes it clear that no one is righteous. My big takeaway from this is that each person will sin. No one will be perfect, albeit Jesus. But in life, we still have choices. A sinful person may desire to do good things in life but that person is still operating on the basis of living life selfishly in order to achieve acceptance or fulfillment in life for their choices.
Until God saves us and gives us new hearts, our desires are to sin. But as God works through us, righteousness becomes more and more what we want and what drives us. A saved person is still a sinner, but that saved person now has a desire to please God in their life and this pleasing God aspect results in living a life that is not in sin. God may know who is going to end up in heaven and who will end up in hell, but the people in heaven and hell are there due to their own choosing and so both groups of people basically choose to be there.
Human freedom therefore specifies that people will choose what God has ordained but those reasons do not always coincide with what God finds pleasing. I saw this article by Phil Ryken, president of Wheaton college in which he states
This passage today from Isaiah 10:5-7 looks at one situation and sees that there are two reasons that it occurred. There is a divine or God desire in God choosing to send Assyria against Israel as His rod of wrath. Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger. But Assyria came at this situation differently, as a desire to line its own pockets and expand its territory - its purpose to destroy and to cut off many nations. Both wanted the same outcome - Assyria to invade Israel - yet both want it for different reasons.
Promise: Human beings always do what they most want to do. God does not force us to act against our wills. We can never blame God for we do.
Prayer: Lord, this is some heavy material for me to understand. This idea of your sovereignty, man's free will versus determinism starts to sort of baffle my mind when I start to think about how it all works together. I trust Your word and what is says and yet my mind doesn't work in a way to make it all make sense. But, Jesus died on the cross for my sins and has risen from the dead so I will always believe what He has to say and so I surrender to Him. This is what is most important, but help me to still understand the details.
Note: I follow the readings from the Tabletalk Magazine devotional, though I am a little behind and working through 2017 devotionals. 2017 is a study of key biblical doctrines with March being about the sovereign providence of God and looking at how the Bible reveals His control over all things.
5 5 Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger
And the staff in whose hands is My indignation,
6 I send it against a godless nation
And commission it against the people of My fury
To capture booty and to seize plunder,
And to trample them down like mud in the streets.
7 Yet it does not so intend,
Nor does it plan so in its heart,
But rather it is its purpose to destroy
And to cut off many nations.
Message: Things that Fall Out Freely
Time: Isaiah prophesied from 739–681 BC to a nation that had turned a deaf ear to the Lord. He wanted to see the nation of Judah return to serving God with humility and love for their neighbors. But he was called to pronounce judgments to on a people offering meaningless sacrifices in the Temple and committing injustices throughout the nation. It provides the most prophetic picture of Jesus in the entire Old Testament.
What the Lord is Saying:
The idea of God's sovereignty and man's free will has always been a big question for me. Fortunately, I've arrived to the part of this study that discusses what it means. The idea from the Westminster Shorter Catechism is that there is a first cause - God, as He creates and sustains all of life. God is first. We are here because of God. God determined the cause for everything in life. He created the physical laws, humans, animals. This includes man's ability to reason and examine information. For much of what he created there is an effect from these causes. He is active in creation, beginning but also continuing to create and make it all work together. He provides us His word to instruct us. He is over the big things of life, the small things and even miracles.
I learned recently that atheism believes in determinism. The idea is that we live according to laws and everything in life is the outcome of a cause. There is no free will. And these causes, well, they just happen. How they originated we don't know. But atheists are confident that they will discover the "why" behind the cause. We don't choose to do things, but rather our actions are the domino effect of previous causes. The contrary idea that God puts forth is free will, that we are not machines or robots or required to choose choices. God is the great cause in history but then there are secondary causes. And these secondary causes per the Westminster Shorter Catechism (5.2) are in 3 divisions: causes that operate necessarily, freely, and contingently.
The "necessarily" things are the physical laws that he establishes like the Law of Gravity. Gravity happens no matter what and as a physical law it takes place throughout the universe, at all times, and never changes. Gravity has always been there. Now, it is important to see that the discover of gravity was aided by a scientist. Thankfully, scientists have helped us to identify these physical laws. We need scientists. Science and faith are not incompatible.
The second division within secondary causes today I look at is things that "fall out freely." This seems to be the crux of free will in our lives. Each person has their own desires and therefore chooses based upon those desire whereas atheism would say our choices are determined from the environment in which we are in. Each person is born into this world with a sin nature. "For all have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God" - Romans 3:23. That is the conclusion of Romans 3:9-18 in which God makes it clear that no one is righteous. My big takeaway from this is that each person will sin. No one will be perfect, albeit Jesus. But in life, we still have choices. A sinful person may desire to do good things in life but that person is still operating on the basis of living life selfishly in order to achieve acceptance or fulfillment in life for their choices.
Until God saves us and gives us new hearts, our desires are to sin. But as God works through us, righteousness becomes more and more what we want and what drives us. A saved person is still a sinner, but that saved person now has a desire to please God in their life and this pleasing God aspect results in living a life that is not in sin. God may know who is going to end up in heaven and who will end up in hell, but the people in heaven and hell are there due to their own choosing and so both groups of people basically choose to be there.
Human freedom therefore specifies that people will choose what God has ordained but those reasons do not always coincide with what God finds pleasing. I saw this article by Phil Ryken, president of Wheaton college in which he states
God typically works out his purposes through human decisions, natural laws, and the many causes and reactions that are constantly at play in ordinary life--what the Westminster Confession refers to as "second causes." A "second cause" is simply "a cause caused by something else."But whether things happen by necessity or contingency, they all occur under the overarching providence of God.Humans make decisions, yet God knows those decisions ahead of time, and it taking those decisions and working everything out in the way He decrees. Man could make a seemingly bad decision and God will take that bad decision and work out an outcome to His liking.
This passage today from Isaiah 10:5-7 looks at one situation and sees that there are two reasons that it occurred. There is a divine or God desire in God choosing to send Assyria against Israel as His rod of wrath. Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger. But Assyria came at this situation differently, as a desire to line its own pockets and expand its territory - its purpose to destroy and to cut off many nations. Both wanted the same outcome - Assyria to invade Israel - yet both want it for different reasons.
Promise: Human beings always do what they most want to do. God does not force us to act against our wills. We can never blame God for we do.
Prayer: Lord, this is some heavy material for me to understand. This idea of your sovereignty, man's free will versus determinism starts to sort of baffle my mind when I start to think about how it all works together. I trust Your word and what is says and yet my mind doesn't work in a way to make it all make sense. But, Jesus died on the cross for my sins and has risen from the dead so I will always believe what He has to say and so I surrender to Him. This is what is most important, but help me to still understand the details.
Note: I follow the readings from the Tabletalk Magazine devotional, though I am a little behind and working through 2017 devotionals. 2017 is a study of key biblical doctrines with March being about the sovereign providence of God and looking at how the Bible reveals His control over all things.
Thursday, February 7, 2019
Genesis 8:22 - Things that Fall Out Necessarily
Genesis 8:22
“While the earth remains,
Seedtime and harvest,
And cold and heat,
And summer and winter,
And day and night
Shall not cease.”
Message: Things that Fall Out Necessarily
Time: Genesis is the first book and Moses is credited as authoring. The book spans 2400 years of time. It was originally written in Hebrew.
What the Lord is Saying:
In light of the discussion of God's sovereignty, namely that there is nothing that the Lord does not determine and control, the result is a challenge from critics that there is not human freedom. Earlier this week, with the study of Governance of Small Things I brought this up and put forth the idea that: God knows our choices and the entire picture and in order to achieve His overarching outcomes ordains how all of these free will actions will work together for His glory. Now, as I come upon this study, it appears the same thing will be addressed by the Tabletalk writers on March 13, 2017 reading.
The writers state that Reformed thought speaks of a first and second cause in creation. Thus, God is not the only cause for events, but the first cause. He is the one that makes cause and effect even possible. Yes, there are secondary causes in God's decree. These secondary causes have real power to make things happen.
The Westminster Confession of Faith states in Question 5.2 - Although, in relation to the foreknowledge and decree of God, the first Cause, all things come to pass immutably, and infallibly; yet, by the same providence, he orders them to fall out, according to the nature of second causes, either necessarily, freely, or contingently.
Thus, there are three categories of secondary causes - means to God's ends: 1. Secondary causes that operate necessarily, 2. Secondary causes that operate freely, 3. Secondary causes that operate contingently.
Today, the focus is on things that fall out necessarily. Here the idea is physical laws cause things to happen by necessity. There are physical laws of our universe such as the law of gravity. Thus, there are not choices as to whether gravity will happen or not. But rather these laws mean that this is how objects work. A book falls off a shelf to the ground because of this law. The scientific community assists in helping us define these laws and their attributes. Thus, these laws are absolute - they happen no matter what. They are universal - they happen throughout the universe. They are stable - they do not change.
Genesis 8:22 speak of this - “While the earth remains, Seed time and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.” While the science community helps define how these laws work and acknowledge that they are there. The science community cannot say how these laws began. According to theology, God created these laws. And they shall not cease.
Promise: Secondary causes are the reasons why we do science. We can predict the weather. We can harvest our food based upon a schedule of seasons. God works through them to sustain human life and the universe. God has provided through these laws.
Prayer: Lord, you are creator and definer of all that we see and do not see. There are invisible things in this creation that we trust and believe in each day and yet they are there because you ordained them and therefore they work in conjunction with your will. Lord, I pray that we would all recognize these laws in our lives and trust You for their provision.
Note: I follow the readings from the Tabletalk Magazine devotional, though I am a little behind and working through 2017 devotionals. 2017 is a study of key biblical doctrines with March being about the sovereign providence of God and looking at how the Bible reveals His control over all things.
“While the earth remains,
Seedtime and harvest,
And cold and heat,
And summer and winter,
And day and night
Shall not cease.”
Message: Things that Fall Out Necessarily
Time: Genesis is the first book and Moses is credited as authoring. The book spans 2400 years of time. It was originally written in Hebrew.
What the Lord is Saying:
In light of the discussion of God's sovereignty, namely that there is nothing that the Lord does not determine and control, the result is a challenge from critics that there is not human freedom. Earlier this week, with the study of Governance of Small Things I brought this up and put forth the idea that: God knows our choices and the entire picture and in order to achieve His overarching outcomes ordains how all of these free will actions will work together for His glory. Now, as I come upon this study, it appears the same thing will be addressed by the Tabletalk writers on March 13, 2017 reading.
The writers state that Reformed thought speaks of a first and second cause in creation. Thus, God is not the only cause for events, but the first cause. He is the one that makes cause and effect even possible. Yes, there are secondary causes in God's decree. These secondary causes have real power to make things happen.
The Westminster Confession of Faith states in Question 5.2 - Although, in relation to the foreknowledge and decree of God, the first Cause, all things come to pass immutably, and infallibly; yet, by the same providence, he orders them to fall out, according to the nature of second causes, either necessarily, freely, or contingently.
Thus, there are three categories of secondary causes - means to God's ends: 1. Secondary causes that operate necessarily, 2. Secondary causes that operate freely, 3. Secondary causes that operate contingently.
Today, the focus is on things that fall out necessarily. Here the idea is physical laws cause things to happen by necessity. There are physical laws of our universe such as the law of gravity. Thus, there are not choices as to whether gravity will happen or not. But rather these laws mean that this is how objects work. A book falls off a shelf to the ground because of this law. The scientific community assists in helping us define these laws and their attributes. Thus, these laws are absolute - they happen no matter what. They are universal - they happen throughout the universe. They are stable - they do not change.
Genesis 8:22 speak of this - “While the earth remains, Seed time and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.” While the science community helps define how these laws work and acknowledge that they are there. The science community cannot say how these laws began. According to theology, God created these laws. And they shall not cease.
Promise: Secondary causes are the reasons why we do science. We can predict the weather. We can harvest our food based upon a schedule of seasons. God works through them to sustain human life and the universe. God has provided through these laws.
Prayer: Lord, you are creator and definer of all that we see and do not see. There are invisible things in this creation that we trust and believe in each day and yet they are there because you ordained them and therefore they work in conjunction with your will. Lord, I pray that we would all recognize these laws in our lives and trust You for their provision.
Tuesday, February 5, 2019
2 Kings 6:1-7 - Providential Working through Miracles
2 Kings 6:1-7
1 Now the sons of the prophets said to Elisha, “Behold now, the place before you where we are living is too limited for us. 2 Please let us go to the Jordan and each of us take from there a beam, and let us make a place there for ourselves where we may live.” So he said, “Go.” 3 Then one said, “Please be willing to go with your servants.” And he answered, “I shall go.” 4 So he went with them; and when they came to the Jordan, they cut down trees. 5 But as one was felling a beam, the axe head fell into the water; and he cried out and said, “Alas, my master! For it was borrowed.” 6 Then the man of God said, “Where did it fall?” And when he showed him the place, he cut off a stick and threw it in there, and made the iron float. 7 He said, “Take it up for yourself.” So he put out his hand and took it.
Message: Providential Working through Miracles
Time: The author of 1&2 Kings (originally 1 book) is not known. The time ranges from 853 BC to 586 BC. World affairs is the subject in light of Israel and Judah. None of Israel kings did right in God's eyes. Several of Judah's kings were righteous.
What the Lord is Saying:
This study I have been doing of God's sovereignty has focused on the idea that God is active. He is present in this life and working all the time. He is not simply in and out of our lives, but is active in everything. It is a good reminder to realize that He is there and He is not silent. We continue to live and breath on this earth because of Him. He sustains life. He is over all. His grace is common to all mankind, whether they acknowledge Him or not. He governs the big things, like the dynasties of nations and empires, but then is also in the small things. Nothing occurs by chance or whim. Flips of a coin and casting lots both have purposes. He works through people's lives. People are who they are and are trained often the way they are for a bigger purpose. He works through their skills, talents, personalities to govern all activity.
But God also has suspended certain natural laws in order to carry out a miracle. I was speaking to someone recently, an atheist, and he said he was fine with everything Jesus did, but not the miracle part. He wasn't willing to accept all of Jesus and rejected anything he felt was outlandish. God used miracles to grant special revelation of Himself to people; he worked through prophets and Apostles in carrying out miracles, but since those types of individuals are not present today - it is believed that miracles of that sort do not occur today.
2 Kings 6:1-7 records the miracle of the floating iron ax-head. It is an interesting miracle for it recovers an object simply that appeared to have been lost after cutting down a tree.
Most of the other miracles in the Bible have a very specific purpose and reveal much about our God and Lord and his providence toward people.
Promise: God can direct His creation to do whatever He desires. He can heal the sick, change hearts, and do other things that we pray for. We can be confident in His ability to do things extra-ordinary.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for showing all mankind that you do things in an amazing way. Lord, I pray that people would trust You and realize that You can do more than we comprehend. Keep us focused on You and trusting in You to impact lives.
Note: I follow the readings from the Tabletalk Magazine devotional, though I am a little behind and working through 2017 devotionals. 2017 is a study of key biblical doctrines with March being about the sovereign providence of God and looking at how the Bible reveals His control over all things.
1 Now the sons of the prophets said to Elisha, “Behold now, the place before you where we are living is too limited for us. 2 Please let us go to the Jordan and each of us take from there a beam, and let us make a place there for ourselves where we may live.” So he said, “Go.” 3 Then one said, “Please be willing to go with your servants.” And he answered, “I shall go.” 4 So he went with them; and when they came to the Jordan, they cut down trees. 5 But as one was felling a beam, the axe head fell into the water; and he cried out and said, “Alas, my master! For it was borrowed.” 6 Then the man of God said, “Where did it fall?” And when he showed him the place, he cut off a stick and threw it in there, and made the iron float. 7 He said, “Take it up for yourself.” So he put out his hand and took it.
Message: Providential Working through Miracles
Time: The author of 1&2 Kings (originally 1 book) is not known. The time ranges from 853 BC to 586 BC. World affairs is the subject in light of Israel and Judah. None of Israel kings did right in God's eyes. Several of Judah's kings were righteous.
What the Lord is Saying:
This study I have been doing of God's sovereignty has focused on the idea that God is active. He is present in this life and working all the time. He is not simply in and out of our lives, but is active in everything. It is a good reminder to realize that He is there and He is not silent. We continue to live and breath on this earth because of Him. He sustains life. He is over all. His grace is common to all mankind, whether they acknowledge Him or not. He governs the big things, like the dynasties of nations and empires, but then is also in the small things. Nothing occurs by chance or whim. Flips of a coin and casting lots both have purposes. He works through people's lives. People are who they are and are trained often the way they are for a bigger purpose. He works through their skills, talents, personalities to govern all activity.
But God also has suspended certain natural laws in order to carry out a miracle. I was speaking to someone recently, an atheist, and he said he was fine with everything Jesus did, but not the miracle part. He wasn't willing to accept all of Jesus and rejected anything he felt was outlandish. God used miracles to grant special revelation of Himself to people; he worked through prophets and Apostles in carrying out miracles, but since those types of individuals are not present today - it is believed that miracles of that sort do not occur today.
2 Kings 6:1-7 records the miracle of the floating iron ax-head. It is an interesting miracle for it recovers an object simply that appeared to have been lost after cutting down a tree.
Most of the other miracles in the Bible have a very specific purpose and reveal much about our God and Lord and his providence toward people.
Promise: God can direct His creation to do whatever He desires. He can heal the sick, change hearts, and do other things that we pray for. We can be confident in His ability to do things extra-ordinary.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for showing all mankind that you do things in an amazing way. Lord, I pray that people would trust You and realize that You can do more than we comprehend. Keep us focused on You and trusting in You to impact lives.
Note: I follow the readings from the Tabletalk Magazine devotional, though I am a little behind and working through 2017 devotionals. 2017 is a study of key biblical doctrines with March being about the sovereign providence of God and looking at how the Bible reveals His control over all things.
Monday, February 4, 2019
Judges 4:17-22 - Providential Governance Through Means
Judges 4:17-22
17 Now Sisera fled away on foot to the tent of Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite, for there was peace between Jabin the king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite. 18 Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said to him, “Turn aside, my master, turn aside to me! Do not be afraid.” And he turned aside to her into the tent, and she covered him with a rug.19 He said to her, “Please give me a little water to drink, for I am thirsty.” So she opened a bottle of milk and gave him a drink; then she covered him. 20 He said to her, “Stand in the doorway of the tent, and it shall be if anyone comes and inquires of you, and says, ‘Is there anyone here?’ that you shall say, ‘No.’” 21 But Jael, Heber’s wife, took a tent peg and seized a hammer in her hand, and went secretly to him and drove the peg into his temple, and it went through into the ground; for he was sound asleep and exhausted. So he died. 22 And behold, as Barak pursued Sisera, Jael came out to meet him and said to him, “Come, and I will show you the man whom you are seeking.” And he entered with her, and behold Sisera was lying dead with the tent peg in his temple.
Message: Providential Governance Through Means
Time: Jewish tradition says that Samuel wrote Judges. Samuel, one of the last judges, that God raised up to rescue His people. This is a sequel to book of Joshua and spans from 14th century and ends about 300 years later. The pattern of behavior in the book of Judges is clear: the people rebelled through idolatry and disbelief, God brought judgment through foreign oppression, God raised up a deliverer—or judge, and the people repented and turned back to God. When the people fell back into sin, the cycle started over again.
What the Lord is Saying:
The topic recently in this study of God's sovereignty has been God's providence, which, in a way, expresses his ongoing work through history. God is active in controlling all activity in creation. He decreed and created all and is active in preserving creation for his intended purpose. His creation benefits followers and non-followers. Thus he preserves but he also governs things. He governs the big things of life, like the dynasties of nations and their effects on society, but he also governs small things, things we might consider defining as chance (rolling the dice or flipping a coin).
The Westminster Shorter Catechism Question 11 states - "God's works of providence are, his most holy, wise, and powerful preserving and governing all his creatures and all their actions." God never takes a break in our lives.
My father spoke last night about all of the little decisions that occurred in leading up to him going to the BSU when he was at Tulane because they were offering a free meal and my mom was getting up to speak and when my dad saw her he had great desire for her. And spending time with her his grades suffered and he had to not spend time with her but have a standing date in order to get his studies back in order. His roommate, T - was his nickname - wanted him to go to the dinner and my dad was saying he had too much to study but the guy would never give up. So finally he relented and went. And he talked about how he ended up at Tulane from a recommendation from someone at college. He had dated a lot at Baylor but never at Tulane. And he emphasized these are the events and how we all are here. For me, I was thinking it was all divine providence. God governs the events of our lives and everything works out in our lives for His good purposes. He has a plan and that was His plan for me even way back then.
God works in established means or He works through people and physical laws, personalities, and decisions to bring about His purposes. He does not suspend natural processes or override plans and choices but He works in their decisions to bring about His purposes. This is what He did with my dad and what He does throughout our lives. There is purpose and order in our lives.
Judges 4:17-22 records the story of Jael and Sisera. Sisera is a commander of the Canaanites. He had lost a battle against the Israelites, led by Deborah and Barak. Sisera fled to Jael, someone he thought an ally, but Jael drove a tent peg through his skull while he was asleep. This fulfilled a prophecy that a woman would get the glory for killing Sisera (Deborah predicted this). Jael, a woman, was someone trained in erecting and dismantling tents. Numerous times she had hammered a tent peg and that skill was used to deliver the Israelites when the need arose. God worked through Jael's skill to bring about the fulfillment of prophecy.
Promise: God works through means so we do not know how the Lord may use us and our talents but we do know that He can use anything for His purposes.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for the way you orchestrate events in our lives and how you do in fact work everything out for Your good. You have done this throughout history. Thank you for showing me how you work in our lives and I want to thank you for Your good work.
Note: I follow the readings from the Tabletalk Magazine devotional, though I am a little behind and working through 2017 devotionals. 2017 is a study of key biblical doctrines with March being about the sovereign providence of God and looking at how the Bible reveals His control over all things.
17 Now Sisera fled away on foot to the tent of Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite, for there was peace between Jabin the king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite. 18 Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said to him, “Turn aside, my master, turn aside to me! Do not be afraid.” And he turned aside to her into the tent, and she covered him with a rug.19 He said to her, “Please give me a little water to drink, for I am thirsty.” So she opened a bottle of milk and gave him a drink; then she covered him. 20 He said to her, “Stand in the doorway of the tent, and it shall be if anyone comes and inquires of you, and says, ‘Is there anyone here?’ that you shall say, ‘No.’” 21 But Jael, Heber’s wife, took a tent peg and seized a hammer in her hand, and went secretly to him and drove the peg into his temple, and it went through into the ground; for he was sound asleep and exhausted. So he died. 22 And behold, as Barak pursued Sisera, Jael came out to meet him and said to him, “Come, and I will show you the man whom you are seeking.” And he entered with her, and behold Sisera was lying dead with the tent peg in his temple.
Message: Providential Governance Through Means
Time: Jewish tradition says that Samuel wrote Judges. Samuel, one of the last judges, that God raised up to rescue His people. This is a sequel to book of Joshua and spans from 14th century and ends about 300 years later. The pattern of behavior in the book of Judges is clear: the people rebelled through idolatry and disbelief, God brought judgment through foreign oppression, God raised up a deliverer—or judge, and the people repented and turned back to God. When the people fell back into sin, the cycle started over again.
What the Lord is Saying:
The topic recently in this study of God's sovereignty has been God's providence, which, in a way, expresses his ongoing work through history. God is active in controlling all activity in creation. He decreed and created all and is active in preserving creation for his intended purpose. His creation benefits followers and non-followers. Thus he preserves but he also governs things. He governs the big things of life, like the dynasties of nations and their effects on society, but he also governs small things, things we might consider defining as chance (rolling the dice or flipping a coin).
The Westminster Shorter Catechism Question 11 states - "God's works of providence are, his most holy, wise, and powerful preserving and governing all his creatures and all their actions." God never takes a break in our lives.
My father spoke last night about all of the little decisions that occurred in leading up to him going to the BSU when he was at Tulane because they were offering a free meal and my mom was getting up to speak and when my dad saw her he had great desire for her. And spending time with her his grades suffered and he had to not spend time with her but have a standing date in order to get his studies back in order. His roommate, T - was his nickname - wanted him to go to the dinner and my dad was saying he had too much to study but the guy would never give up. So finally he relented and went. And he talked about how he ended up at Tulane from a recommendation from someone at college. He had dated a lot at Baylor but never at Tulane. And he emphasized these are the events and how we all are here. For me, I was thinking it was all divine providence. God governs the events of our lives and everything works out in our lives for His good purposes. He has a plan and that was His plan for me even way back then.
God works in established means or He works through people and physical laws, personalities, and decisions to bring about His purposes. He does not suspend natural processes or override plans and choices but He works in their decisions to bring about His purposes. This is what He did with my dad and what He does throughout our lives. There is purpose and order in our lives.
Judges 4:17-22 records the story of Jael and Sisera. Sisera is a commander of the Canaanites. He had lost a battle against the Israelites, led by Deborah and Barak. Sisera fled to Jael, someone he thought an ally, but Jael drove a tent peg through his skull while he was asleep. This fulfilled a prophecy that a woman would get the glory for killing Sisera (Deborah predicted this). Jael, a woman, was someone trained in erecting and dismantling tents. Numerous times she had hammered a tent peg and that skill was used to deliver the Israelites when the need arose. God worked through Jael's skill to bring about the fulfillment of prophecy.
Promise: God works through means so we do not know how the Lord may use us and our talents but we do know that He can use anything for His purposes.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for the way you orchestrate events in our lives and how you do in fact work everything out for Your good. You have done this throughout history. Thank you for showing me how you work in our lives and I want to thank you for Your good work.
Note: I follow the readings from the Tabletalk Magazine devotional, though I am a little behind and working through 2017 devotionals. 2017 is a study of key biblical doctrines with March being about the sovereign providence of God and looking at how the Bible reveals His control over all things.
Saturday, February 2, 2019
Proverbs 16:33 - Providential Governance of Small Things
Proverbs 16:33
The lot is cast into the lap,
But its every decision is from the Lord.
Message: Providential Governance of Small Things
Time: It seems that Proverbs was written and then compiled sometime between the tenth and sixth centuries B.C. Proverbs was probably written during the reign of Solomon, 971-931 B.C.
What the Lord is Saying:
God is Sovereign which means God actively controls all that occurs in His creation. He works out His purposes in all things. I believe God began this earth and world by creating all. He spoke and ordered creation and the world was created. Once He creates He then sustains that creation. Creation does not exist on its own. God did not simply start the process and then sit back and gets involved or not involved at certain times in history. Instead He is active.
The Westminster Shorter Catechism is a summary of Christian doctrine written in 1646 and 1647 and was meant to align the Church of England and the Church of Scotland. As such it provides a basis of reformation doctrine to help define our beliefs.
WSC 7 states - "The decrees of God are his eternal plan, according to the purpose of his will, by which, for his own glory, he has foreordained whatever comes to pass." God's plan is perfect and He makes everything work together for good. God does not author sin. Man still has free will or the human desire to act as he wills. Thus each person is accountable to their actions. We are not robots or puppets that God controls.
As I study and learn these principles which are summary statements based upon verses from the Bible, the conclusion is baffling to my finite mind. The Bible states that we choose, but God knows our choices and God works all things out to the purposes of his will. God is not waiting on man and then reacts to what He chooses. Yesterday's verse - Acts 17:26-27 - states that God appoints every nation on this earth for the purpose of seeking God. But, this doesn't mean that every nation seeks God. The point is that God governs the big things - nations and empires rule and have dominion over many and yet the point is that God is in control of those big things.
Just as God controls the big things of life, he also is over the small things. Proverbs 16:33 says that The lot is cast into the lap, But its every decision is from the Lord. So as much as we want to think that there is chance even in flipping a coin or casting lots, this verse reminds us that, still, every decision is from the Lord.
Note: I think overall the difficulty is God is infinite and outside of time and we live in time and a sequence of events where the future follows the present. My senses is God knows our choices and the entire picture and in order to achieve His overarching outcomes ordains how all of these free will actions will work together for His glory.
Promise: The unexpected flat tire that delays us on the way to work is not unexpected from God's perspective. Whatever the reason, we can thank God in the midst of unplanned events because we know He has a good purpose for them.
Prayer: Lord, I am thankful for the way you orchestrate the events of my life. Many times I have been so close to an accident and even had an accident when it was the difference between a second. Lord, I want to trust You always for the outcomes of life. I still remain focused and work hard, for that is my will but help me always to trust You no matter what.
Note: I follow the readings from the Tabletalk Magazine devotional, though I am a little behind and working through 2017 devotionals. 2017 is a study of key biblical doctrines with March being about the sovereign providence of God and looking at how the Bible reveals His control over all things.
The lot is cast into the lap,
But its every decision is from the Lord.
Message: Providential Governance of Small Things
Time: It seems that Proverbs was written and then compiled sometime between the tenth and sixth centuries B.C. Proverbs was probably written during the reign of Solomon, 971-931 B.C.
What the Lord is Saying:
God is Sovereign which means God actively controls all that occurs in His creation. He works out His purposes in all things. I believe God began this earth and world by creating all. He spoke and ordered creation and the world was created. Once He creates He then sustains that creation. Creation does not exist on its own. God did not simply start the process and then sit back and gets involved or not involved at certain times in history. Instead He is active.
The Westminster Shorter Catechism is a summary of Christian doctrine written in 1646 and 1647 and was meant to align the Church of England and the Church of Scotland. As such it provides a basis of reformation doctrine to help define our beliefs.
WSC 7 states - "The decrees of God are his eternal plan, according to the purpose of his will, by which, for his own glory, he has foreordained whatever comes to pass." God's plan is perfect and He makes everything work together for good. God does not author sin. Man still has free will or the human desire to act as he wills. Thus each person is accountable to their actions. We are not robots or puppets that God controls.
As I study and learn these principles which are summary statements based upon verses from the Bible, the conclusion is baffling to my finite mind. The Bible states that we choose, but God knows our choices and God works all things out to the purposes of his will. God is not waiting on man and then reacts to what He chooses. Yesterday's verse - Acts 17:26-27 - states that God appoints every nation on this earth for the purpose of seeking God. But, this doesn't mean that every nation seeks God. The point is that God governs the big things - nations and empires rule and have dominion over many and yet the point is that God is in control of those big things.
Just as God controls the big things of life, he also is over the small things. Proverbs 16:33 says that The lot is cast into the lap, But its every decision is from the Lord. So as much as we want to think that there is chance even in flipping a coin or casting lots, this verse reminds us that, still, every decision is from the Lord.
Note: I think overall the difficulty is God is infinite and outside of time and we live in time and a sequence of events where the future follows the present. My senses is God knows our choices and the entire picture and in order to achieve His overarching outcomes ordains how all of these free will actions will work together for His glory.
Promise: The unexpected flat tire that delays us on the way to work is not unexpected from God's perspective. Whatever the reason, we can thank God in the midst of unplanned events because we know He has a good purpose for them.
Prayer: Lord, I am thankful for the way you orchestrate the events of my life. Many times I have been so close to an accident and even had an accident when it was the difference between a second. Lord, I want to trust You always for the outcomes of life. I still remain focused and work hard, for that is my will but help me always to trust You no matter what.
Note: I follow the readings from the Tabletalk Magazine devotional, though I am a little behind and working through 2017 devotionals. 2017 is a study of key biblical doctrines with March being about the sovereign providence of God and looking at how the Bible reveals His control over all things.
Friday, February 1, 2019
Acts 17:26-27a - Providential Governance of Big Things
Acts 17:26-27a
and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him
Message: Providential Governance of Big Things
Time: Clearly written by Luke, this book follows the lives of Peter and then Paul after Jesus' ascension into heaven. The book was completed about 62 AD as Paul sat in prison. It provides an account of the growth of the Church and spread from Jerusalem, from a small group of frightened believers in Jerusalem transformed into an empire-wide movement of people who had committed their lives to Jesus Christ, and it should help us to be bold and have zeal in our walks with God.
What the Lord is Saying:
This creation that he extends to us is a common grace, meaning it is common to everyone. Everyone in history benefits from His creation, no matter whether they acknowledge God as creator and Lord. Everyone needs His creation. Thus there is providential preservation. Everything that exists in creation exists only because He preserves its very being. Thus, when we talk about the God actively controlling all things that occur, this means that his created order is not simply of the past, but is now.
Additional verses are:
Note: I follow the readings from the Tabletalk Magazine devotional, though I am a little behind and working through 2017 devotionals. 2017 is a study of key biblical doctrines with March being about the sovereign providence of God and looking at how the Bible reveals His control over all things.
and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him
Message: Providential Governance of Big Things
Time: Clearly written by Luke, this book follows the lives of Peter and then Paul after Jesus' ascension into heaven. The book was completed about 62 AD as Paul sat in prison. It provides an account of the growth of the Church and spread from Jerusalem, from a small group of frightened believers in Jerusalem transformed into an empire-wide movement of people who had committed their lives to Jesus Christ, and it should help us to be bold and have zeal in our walks with God.
What the Lord is Saying:
This creation that he extends to us is a common grace, meaning it is common to everyone. Everyone in history benefits from His creation, no matter whether they acknowledge God as creator and Lord. Everyone needs His creation. Thus there is providential preservation. Everything that exists in creation exists only because He preserves its very being. Thus, when we talk about the God actively controlling all things that occur, this means that his created order is not simply of the past, but is now.
Another part of his providence, in addition to preservation is governance. He governs all his creatures and their actions. As I study history at various times, it is amazing to see that today we are not very far off from our history. There are events like the British Empire and Ottoman Empire that still affect us today. When we look at our thinking today it is often because of events from the sixties. I've looked at Roman Catholicism and people's thinking about the fact that Bible reading is reserved to bishops and this continues to affect life today. Thus, it seems clear that God has steered the course of human history. He allots specific periods for His purposes. This may mean that he allows earthly powers according to His good pleasure. We like to however think that as time goes on we develop and progress and evolve in the strongest manner, but in actuality the events of our times are still steered by God.
The verse from Acts today states in 17:26-27 that He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation. Many in this nation are appalled at the leaders of our nations and what they are doing. Yet, this isn't here by accident.
This is interesting as I think also about the power of prayer. When I pray, what I am asking God to do is steer things in a certain direction. I am asking Him to change direction. But, sometimes I wonder if what I am getting out of this is the idea to trust Him for how He has steered things.
- Psalm 103:19 The Lord has established His throne in the heavens, and His sovereignty rules over all.
- Matthew 10:29-30 - Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
To think that the actions of a sparrow are from the Father and he knows the numbers of hairs on our head which means he knows when they are on our head and when they have fallen out. Thus, His knowledge of us is complete.
Promise: Nations do not rise and fall by their own design but succeed and fail only according to the Lord's will. God will preserve His people through all the storms of life and this includes the governments and powers we are under.
Prayer: Lord, as I continue to learn that your providence now is governed, that the events of life are determined for a reason, I see that events of life are steered by You. You order things for your good purpose. I admit my struggle is finding purpose in these events.
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