Perhaps my Calvinism comes through strongly here. Today's Bible reading centered around the following passage for me: "Then the LORD said to Moses, 'Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the heart of his servants, that I may perform these signs of Mine among them, and that you may tell in the hearing of your son, and of your grandson, how I made a mockery of the Egyptians and how I performed My signs among them, that you may know that I am the LORD.'" (Exo 10:1-2)
So many times in Scripture we see God hardening Pharaoh as a means of showing forth His power. This is a thing that always used to bother me in the past. I would ask myself, "Didn't Pharaoh have a chance to be saved?" I would rely on passages such as Exodus 8:15 "But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart and did not listen to them..." and "But when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunder had ceased, he sinned again and hardened his heart, he and his servants." (Ex 9:34) My theory was when God said He would harden Pharaoh's heart, what he really meant was that Pharaoh would be allowed to harden his own heart.
This does not take into account that God predicts that He will harden Pharoah's heart from the get-go " The LORD said to Moses, 'When you go back to Egypt see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders which I have put in your power; but I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go.'" (Ex 4:21) Also we have the word of the apostle in Romans 9 "For He says to Moses, 'I WILL HAVE MERCY ON WHOM I HAVE MERCY, AND I WILL HAVE COMPASSION ON WHOM I HAVE COMPASSION.' So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy. For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, 'FOR THIS VERY PURPOSE I RAISED YOU UP, TO DEMONSTRATE MY POWER IN YOU, AND THAT MY NAME MIGHT BE PROCLAIMED THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE EARTH.' So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires." (Rom 9:15-18 - cf Ex 9:16)
I think what we have in this hardening is a twofold thing. First, we see God in His sovereignty; ruling all things (even the heart of the king - Proverbs 21:1) and ordaining all that is, was, and ever shall be (Ps 139:16). Second we see that man is ever responsible for his actions, thus - "Pharaoh...sinned again and hardened his heart, he and his servants." (Ex 9:34) This is why Paul says in Romans 9 "You will say to me then, 'Why does He still find fault? For who resists His will?' On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, 'Why did you make me like this,' will it? Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for common use? What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction? And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory, even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles." (Rom 9:19-24)
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Friday, January 25, 2008
Providence in Joseph's Life
God provides for His people through means which often seem evil when they occur. In today's Bible reading, I saw this evident in Joseph's life. "As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive." (Gen 50: 20 NASB)
What was Joseph referring to? Why, to his brothers' sordid mistreatment of him back in Dothan (Gen 37). They had cast him into a pit, sold him for a slave, and begun a chain reaction of misery and sadness that followed Joseph throughout his adult life. We often forget this as we see his victory over his woes coming in second in command of Egypt.
Imagine, if you will, how it felt to go from the favored son of a wealthy man to the status of a slave. Imagine being put in that position by your own family members, who only sold you because they would rather make a couple bucks off of you than kill you. Imagine working your way to the top of the slave pile, only to be slandered by your master's wife, and cast into prison for protecting what little honor she had. Imagine your status as a slave giving you no recourse for trial or appeal, with probably your only hope being the master selling you to someone else. Imagine all this, and then imagine trying to see God's hand in it all.
I think we often forget the humanity of Joseph's story. He didn't have Romans 8:28 for his comfort. He didn't even have a scrap of Scripture down in Egypt. He probably only had (literally) his dreams to go on. I'll bet those dreams grew more and more dim as his life wore on. Yet he persevered by God's grace.When the time came for vengeance he did not wreak it upon his tormentors. He merely said "Do not be afraid, for am I in God's place?" (Gen 50:19 NASB) He knew that judgment belongs to the Lord. Besides, as he continued in verse 20, though they meant it for evil, God meant it for all their good. To cap it off, he went on to assure them of his good intent and to provide for their families! (Gen 50:21)
Joseph's example is set for us to follow. We also have the words of the Apostle Paul to the Romans for our comfort and edification. When, as William Cowper wrote, "Behind a frowning providence/ He hides a smiling face," we can look to the Scripture:
"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?" (Rom 8:28-31 NKJV)
What was Joseph referring to? Why, to his brothers' sordid mistreatment of him back in Dothan (Gen 37). They had cast him into a pit, sold him for a slave, and begun a chain reaction of misery and sadness that followed Joseph throughout his adult life. We often forget this as we see his victory over his woes coming in second in command of Egypt.
Imagine, if you will, how it felt to go from the favored son of a wealthy man to the status of a slave. Imagine being put in that position by your own family members, who only sold you because they would rather make a couple bucks off of you than kill you. Imagine working your way to the top of the slave pile, only to be slandered by your master's wife, and cast into prison for protecting what little honor she had. Imagine your status as a slave giving you no recourse for trial or appeal, with probably your only hope being the master selling you to someone else. Imagine all this, and then imagine trying to see God's hand in it all.
I think we often forget the humanity of Joseph's story. He didn't have Romans 8:28 for his comfort. He didn't even have a scrap of Scripture down in Egypt. He probably only had (literally) his dreams to go on. I'll bet those dreams grew more and more dim as his life wore on. Yet he persevered by God's grace.When the time came for vengeance he did not wreak it upon his tormentors. He merely said "Do not be afraid, for am I in God's place?" (Gen 50:19 NASB) He knew that judgment belongs to the Lord. Besides, as he continued in verse 20, though they meant it for evil, God meant it for all their good. To cap it off, he went on to assure them of his good intent and to provide for their families! (Gen 50:21)
Joseph's example is set for us to follow. We also have the words of the Apostle Paul to the Romans for our comfort and edification. When, as William Cowper wrote, "Behind a frowning providence/ He hides a smiling face," we can look to the Scripture:
"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?" (Rom 8:28-31 NKJV)
Thursday, January 10, 2008
The Greatness of Our God
Today I was reminded of our God's omniscience. He knows all things, even to the innermost recesses of our hearts. "Would not God find this out? For He knows the secrets of the heart." (Psa 44:21 NASB) This can be a torment to the sinner for God sees our thoughts and intentions (Heb 4:12). It is a grace to the righteous, for he hears our cry even before we call (Gen 24:45)
The sinner cannot stand the light of God, for sinners delight in evil. As the Scripture says, "This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed." (Jn 3:19, 20 NASB) We are reminded by the prophet “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings." (Jer 17:9, 10 NKJV)
Conversely, the righteous man can rejoice in this omniscience, for this means his God is an ever present help in time of need! (Psa 46:1) He need not verbally cry out, for God hears the inmost heart-cry. (I Sam 1:13, 17)
I was reminded of this today with my daily Bible reading. This is an area of personal struggle for me; I don't make time to spend in prayer and study. One of my resolutions is to read a little Scripture every day: ergo the One Year Bible side tab. Today's reading included Genesis 24. In it, Abraham's servant prays for help in finding a wife for Isaac.
What stuck me was the following passage: "So I came today to the spring, and said, 'O LORD, the God of my master Abraham, if now You will make my journey on which I go successful; behold, I am standing by the spring, and may it be that the maiden who comes out to draw, and to whom I say, "Please let me drink a little water from your jar"; and she will say to me, "You drink, and I will draw for your camels also"; let her be the woman whom the LORD has appointed for my master's son.'
"Before I had finished speaking in my heart, behold, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder, and went down to the spring and drew, and I said to her, 'Please let me drink.'" (Gen 24:42-45 NASB)
I was thus reminded of God's great sovereignty in all things. Even the silent prayer of the servants heart was heard by our God. What an encouragement to press onward and daily talk to Him, even in the quietness of my spirit.
The sinner cannot stand the light of God, for sinners delight in evil. As the Scripture says, "This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed." (Jn 3:19, 20 NASB) We are reminded by the prophet “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings." (Jer 17:9, 10 NKJV)
Conversely, the righteous man can rejoice in this omniscience, for this means his God is an ever present help in time of need! (Psa 46:1) He need not verbally cry out, for God hears the inmost heart-cry. (I Sam 1:13, 17)
I was reminded of this today with my daily Bible reading. This is an area of personal struggle for me; I don't make time to spend in prayer and study. One of my resolutions is to read a little Scripture every day: ergo the One Year Bible side tab. Today's reading included Genesis 24. In it, Abraham's servant prays for help in finding a wife for Isaac.
What stuck me was the following passage: "So I came today to the spring, and said, 'O LORD, the God of my master Abraham, if now You will make my journey on which I go successful; behold, I am standing by the spring, and may it be that the maiden who comes out to draw, and to whom I say, "Please let me drink a little water from your jar"; and she will say to me, "You drink, and I will draw for your camels also"; let her be the woman whom the LORD has appointed for my master's son.'
"Before I had finished speaking in my heart, behold, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder, and went down to the spring and drew, and I said to her, 'Please let me drink.'" (Gen 24:42-45 NASB)
I was thus reminded of God's great sovereignty in all things. Even the silent prayer of the servants heart was heard by our God. What an encouragement to press onward and daily talk to Him, even in the quietness of my spirit.
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