Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? God answered him. 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. WebGod Can Use Unbelievers part 1: Cyrus 1. But most of the time we wont see it fully until we finally arrive in heaven. I am the trustee of nothing more than my personal belongings. They post my sermons on the web and people listen to or watch me preach all over the world. 1 John 5:14. God uses all those who humble themselves before the cross, boasting only in him his strength, his wisdom, his righteousness, his accomplishment. WebGod also testifying with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will. Gods Ability To Use Unlikely People Even Unbelievers. Because God does miracles by His own power. 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. WebGod was about to turn to the Gentiles as He judged Israel as a nation for her unbelief. That doesnt lessen his guilt, but it does increase our appreciation of Gods sovereignty over the affairs of men. So continue to trust in Him and you wont be disappointed. God will deal with them according to his plan, but first, He will use them for His own covenant judgment. 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. Yet if the unbelieving one leaves, let him leave; the brother or the sister is not under bondage in such cases, but God has called us to peace. 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. God has already determined the end from the beginning (Isa. All of our resources exist to guide you toward everlasting joy in Jesus Christ. In spite of all this they still sinnedAnd did not believe in His wonderful works. After God redeemed Israel from Egypt through a series of ten miraculous plagues, he had Moses lead the people of Israel out of Egypt near the shore of the Red Sea. 2:11). 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. We see this all the way through the Bible. God promised to precede Cyrus and destroy all opposition that Cyrus would face: 'I will go before you and make the 3. God uses pathetic people for his glorious purposes to show his superior power. 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. They intend to be their own god. Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? The Pharisees came out and began to argue with Him, seeking from Him a sign from heaven, to test Him. Though there were still many who had remained faithful, others no longer followed the words of the Prophets. In those moments we often feel alone in the chaos of circumstances as life tumbles in around us. Unbelievers Are blinded by the God of this world 2 Corinthians 4:4 Verse Concepts I am sure God has many reasons for doing the things He does in the way and timing of His choosing, but lets consider some likely reasons He used Moses, a sinner, to be the instrument of His sovereign, miraculous work of dividing the Red Sea. 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. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The thing he values the most is dragging him down to eternal damnation. A complete answer is impossible for who has known the mind of the Lord (Isa. Do not begrudge your weakness. 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. WebJohn 3:16. This is the grace of God as revealed in His merciful covenant. God wanted the people of Israel to look to Moses as their God appointed human leader and deliverer. To say it another way, there is a man in hell today who has been there for 2000 years even though what he did advanced Gods plan to save the world. The new Pharaoh saw the Israelites as a plague in the land. Isaiah 28:11 warned, For with stammering lips and another tongue He will speak to this people. Jeremiah 5:15 said, Behold, I will bring a nation against you from afar, O house of Israel, says the LORD. 17:8-13). 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. A most astonishing way of fulfilling that prophesy. The story of Judas teaches us that nothing happens by accident. 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. The greater the pain, the harder it is to see Gods fingerprints. Causing a sacrifice to take place that would open salvation up to all people. Jump to Previous One final point is in order. His words imply that all the torment will be tolerable. B) We entrust our lives to the God who cares for us. Its okay to be a nobody, if in all you do, you serve Somebody. The people of Jacob were trapped. When Isaiah 53:1 speaks of the future coming of the Messiah, literally it says, who would have believed the thing reported? His birth as a baby who would grow up, suffer and die was most unexpected. C) We place our confidence in Gods ultimate purpose for us. Pharaohs heart was hardened again. Fifth, and the point I want to focus on, is that the Lord 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. I find this very interesting and encouraging. They sweep through like the strong winds from the East gathering up captives that number like the grains of sand. Your children, however, whom you said would become a preyI will bring them in, and they will know the land which you have rejected. The Lord will fight for you while you keep silent. Then the Lord said to Moses, Why are you crying out to Me? New American Standard Bible Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. 46:10). 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 blesses those in whom he stirs to obedience, and judges disobedience. The Pharisees came out and began to argue with Him, seeking from Him a sign from heaven, to test Him. In Acts 1:16 Peter declared that the Scripture had to be fulfilled. He meant that the Old Testament predictions (he cites Psalm 69:25 and Psalm 109:8) regarding Judas were bound to come true. Nor grumble, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the destroyer. Nothing that happened to Jesus that night or later on Good Friday made sense when it happened. 1:8). Psalm 109:8Replaced by another manMatthias (see Acts 1:20). even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. The glory of His nature and attributes will be made known in full. What does it mean that God came from Teman (Habakkuk 3:3). Because God created all He can use anything in creation. In heaven, each mans praise will come to him from God, and God will be glorified for sovereignly using sinners for His good purposes (I Cor. But we need to grow in faith and obedience. Each time Moses would perform a mighty sign to convince Pharaoh of Gods power but each time God would harden his heart. There are so many amazing things in these few verses. Their end will be most awful. 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. Other examples could be added to this list. During this period, foreign powers invaded Israel again and again, and inside the nation known as Gods people, evil and immorality raged. 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. 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. 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. You will say to me then, Why does He still find fault? Unbelievers Are blinded by the God of this world 2 Corinthians 4:4 Verse Concepts Sighing deeply in His spirit, He *said, Why does this generation seek for a sign? This warning was made clear in the ancient covenant revealed long before through Moses in Deuteronomy 28. 5:14). For the unbelieving husband is sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through her believing husband; for otherwise your children are unclean, but now they are holy.read more.Yet if the unbelieving one leaves, let him leave; the brother or the sister is not under bondage in such cases, but God has called us to peace. But now, I pray, let the power of the Lord be great, just as You have declared, 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., but indeed, as I live, all the earth will be filled with the glory of the. 21 Many are the plans in the mind of a man. WebGod will never set man's will aside and use him for a good purpose without his being willing to be used. 1:21). The fact that God ordains both the means and the ends should surely encourage us as we face our own trials. 18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. Recent events may not have gone how you hoped and the signs may seem bleak. But we need to grow in faith and obedience. Many believed they were going to die and complained to Moses (Ex. When the angel stretched out his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, the Lord relented from the calamity and said to the angel who destroyed the people, It is enough! 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. But now, the grief of the Egyptians had subsided and was replaced with anger and regret. The trials that were meant to establish his guilt ended up establishing his innocence for all the world to see. A God who can bring something good out of betrayal can be trusted to accomplish his work in your life. Do not lament your insufficiency. In the beginning Satan challenged Gods right to rule. Egypt and the Neo-Babylonians were competing for world dominance. so that they might escape from the devil's snare, even though they've been held captive by him to do his will.
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