WHAT IS OBSERVED AND THE WILL OF GOD
Monday – June 25, 2018, Tamuz 12, 5778
Greetings and welcome back to this faith building Bible Study from the Book of Hebrews. O what a God we serve, so good, and faithful. The featured picture is of Patti and me a few years ago on one of our visits to Maine before I transitioned out of medicine. My God and your God was so good to give me such a good and faithful help meet and to give you a good and faithful help meet as well. Esteem and highly value (treasure) them, just one step below your esteem (honor) and your valuing of God. Now, let us dive into our study for today starting by reading aloud our primary Bible text from Hebrews.
Hebrews 11:35-38 (KJV)
35 Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection:
36 And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment:
37 They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;
38 (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.
Today I will be touching on an area that is (at least I think) quite controversial in the Church. As we review our primary text above there are those who would, even adamantly, say that all of this was the will of God. I am talking about the dying, the torture, scourging’s, stoning’s, wandering in the desert and so on. There are those who might even say that whatever is going on in their life or mine is the predetermined will of God. They might say that there are things we just have to bear (our cross to carry) in this life and it all brings glory (shows the goodness) to God. There is no question that perhaps millions have been tortured or have been put to death in one fashion or another because of their stand for Christ. Even today, hundreds, perhaps thousands will die for the cause of Christ before daybreak tomorrow. Just because we observe certain things happening in our lives and others does not mean it is the will of God. Awful things can happen to us and all the while we are thinking we are doing the right thing, being faithful to our God.
God has given freewill to all sentient beings that He has created. A sentient being is one that has a consciousness of alternative decisions and their possible outcomes. According to Scripture God would be in this category, the created angelic beings, and mankind in the image and likeness of God. We have studied about how Lucifer and a third of the angels of Heaven exercised freewill in their rebellion against God. We have studied extensively how Adam and Eve exercised freewill, allowing the deceiver into their thoughts, and choosing him as their new god. Per chance have we made choices in life that had a rotten outcome? Was that choice or the rotten outcome the will of God? Perhaps someone would point to the following passage and say something like: “see Jesus said these things would happen”.
Matthew 24:4-9 (KJV)
4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake.
Indeed, Jesus listed several things that would happen before the end of the world (verse three). Does this mean that all these terrible things are the will of God? What is the very first thing our of the mouth of Jesus (verse four)? The very first sin by man in the Garden of Eden was the result of deception and we can see the awful consequences everywhere. Let me point out that deception is not inevitable, we must choose the deception, and we do that by entertaining something that is not the Word of God. How would we square all of these awful things being the will of God with the following Scripture?
John 10:10 (KJV)
10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
Did Jesus just forget and leave out the awful stuff that is also His will? Until our next publication, I speak this Scriptural prayer for your life right now, receive it in the name of Jesus, confess it, and walk it out with thanksgiving.
2 Peter 1:2-4 (KJV)
2 Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,
3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
By: Dr. David Wood, Author, Bible Teacher, and Prophetic Voice
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