Post by John on Jan 4, 2019 17:38:24 GMT -5
I do not know how many of you are going through the KJV Bible with me this year, but if you are, you will be at Genesis 17 after this day is done. One of the things I have noticed, especially the last couple of times through the Bible, is how much God is in control of what goes on here on earth. When I have pointed this out in some places, it is like I have said something blasphemous. Free will is always the answer, and God is hands off, but the more you read of the scriptures, the more obvious it becomes that is not true. I was in Genesis 15, and I want to give you an example of how God's will is being accomplished all the time, whether we think so or not. Notice what God tells Abraham in this passage from Genesis 15:12-16
And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, a horror of great darkness fell upon him. And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with a great substance. And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age. But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.
You can read this, and think to yourself, so what? God is all knowing, so he knew what was going to happen in the future. He wasn't directly involved in this, but have you ever stopped to think about how much was involved in bringing all of this to pass, and in the right time frame? So many things had to go a certain way in order for this to work, and if small details were altered, it would have been fouled up. For instance, what if Joseph kept his dreams to himself? What if Reuben had managed to succeed in getting Joseph safely back to his Father, rather than his brothers selling him into slavery? What if his brothers had killed Joseph? What if Jacob never sent Joseph to check on his brothers? Things had to go a certain way to bring all of this to pass. Look at what it took to take Joseph from a slave to second only to Pharaoh in Egypt! God had to give Pharaoh dreams nobody could interpret but Joseph. God had to make the dream come to pass, by bringing a famine. The famine was necessary to bring Israel into Egypt. Alter any number of small details, and the whole plan goes down the drain. That includes the time they remained in Egypt. God had to raise up a bad Pharaoh in Egypt to persecute the children of Israel so they would want to leave. Look what God had to do to preserve and raise up Moses. Can any thinking person really believe that God just knew it would happen, but had nothing to do with these events? Notice what Joseph tells Pharaoh when he interprets his dream. Genesis 41:25
The dream of Pharaoh is one: God hath shewed Pharaoh what he is about to do.
God didn't just know a famine was coming. God caused a famine to take place. Notice what he says in Genesis 41:32
And for that the dream was doubled unto Pharaoh twice; it is because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.
Why was God doing this? To bring about his plan for Israel. They had to go into Egypt and remain there 400 years to increase in number before they were ready to inherit the land of Canaan, and because it would take that long till the iniquity of the Amorites was full and God would dispossess them of the land. God raised up Pharaoh to do exactly what he did. Notice what it says in Romans 10:17
For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.
To listen to most of the preachers today, you get the impression that God knows what will happen, but he is completely hands off, and that is not true. That comes back to something I mentioned in another thread. Most of the Christians today do not really know the God of the Bible. They have a romanticized view of God, and if you say anything that goes against it, they stop up their ears and attack you. Everything that takes place must take place for a reason. There is a purpose for every good thing that happens, and every bad thing that happens. There is a reason for every good person that comes to power, and every bad person that comes to power. Psalm 75:7
But God is the judge; he putteth down one, and setteth up another. Daniel 4:25b
...the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.
That was a lesson King Nebuchadnezzar had to learn the hard way when he became lifted up in pride thinking it was by his own hand he had built Babylon into a great empire. We don't serve a weak and hands off God. We serve a powerful God that is in full control of his creation. He is aware of what is taking place, and there is a purpose for even the most minor details. It is all leading to that new heaven and new earth we read about in Revelation. Take the time to know your Bible and you will know the truth. Take the time to know your Bible, and you will get to know the true God of the Bible. Most of the ministers today will not tell you the truth, but will only give you a message of the love of God and prosperity. That is why I said in another thread, most don't really know Jesus, though they say they love him. You have to know the Bible to understand who Jesus is. You can't go by what you hear on the radio and television.
And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, a horror of great darkness fell upon him. And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with a great substance. And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age. But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.
You can read this, and think to yourself, so what? God is all knowing, so he knew what was going to happen in the future. He wasn't directly involved in this, but have you ever stopped to think about how much was involved in bringing all of this to pass, and in the right time frame? So many things had to go a certain way in order for this to work, and if small details were altered, it would have been fouled up. For instance, what if Joseph kept his dreams to himself? What if Reuben had managed to succeed in getting Joseph safely back to his Father, rather than his brothers selling him into slavery? What if his brothers had killed Joseph? What if Jacob never sent Joseph to check on his brothers? Things had to go a certain way to bring all of this to pass. Look at what it took to take Joseph from a slave to second only to Pharaoh in Egypt! God had to give Pharaoh dreams nobody could interpret but Joseph. God had to make the dream come to pass, by bringing a famine. The famine was necessary to bring Israel into Egypt. Alter any number of small details, and the whole plan goes down the drain. That includes the time they remained in Egypt. God had to raise up a bad Pharaoh in Egypt to persecute the children of Israel so they would want to leave. Look what God had to do to preserve and raise up Moses. Can any thinking person really believe that God just knew it would happen, but had nothing to do with these events? Notice what Joseph tells Pharaoh when he interprets his dream. Genesis 41:25
The dream of Pharaoh is one: God hath shewed Pharaoh what he is about to do.
God didn't just know a famine was coming. God caused a famine to take place. Notice what he says in Genesis 41:32
And for that the dream was doubled unto Pharaoh twice; it is because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.
Why was God doing this? To bring about his plan for Israel. They had to go into Egypt and remain there 400 years to increase in number before they were ready to inherit the land of Canaan, and because it would take that long till the iniquity of the Amorites was full and God would dispossess them of the land. God raised up Pharaoh to do exactly what he did. Notice what it says in Romans 10:17
For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.
To listen to most of the preachers today, you get the impression that God knows what will happen, but he is completely hands off, and that is not true. That comes back to something I mentioned in another thread. Most of the Christians today do not really know the God of the Bible. They have a romanticized view of God, and if you say anything that goes against it, they stop up their ears and attack you. Everything that takes place must take place for a reason. There is a purpose for every good thing that happens, and every bad thing that happens. There is a reason for every good person that comes to power, and every bad person that comes to power. Psalm 75:7
But God is the judge; he putteth down one, and setteth up another. Daniel 4:25b
...the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.
That was a lesson King Nebuchadnezzar had to learn the hard way when he became lifted up in pride thinking it was by his own hand he had built Babylon into a great empire. We don't serve a weak and hands off God. We serve a powerful God that is in full control of his creation. He is aware of what is taking place, and there is a purpose for even the most minor details. It is all leading to that new heaven and new earth we read about in Revelation. Take the time to know your Bible and you will know the truth. Take the time to know your Bible, and you will get to know the true God of the Bible. Most of the ministers today will not tell you the truth, but will only give you a message of the love of God and prosperity. That is why I said in another thread, most don't really know Jesus, though they say they love him. You have to know the Bible to understand who Jesus is. You can't go by what you hear on the radio and television.