This is a constant becasue we know that He is good and in Him is no darkness, no sin, no evil, and no wrong. Our one constant is that God is working all things after the counsel of His will - His good purposes - and His glory. This is a recipe for spiritual disaster and a severely stunted spiritual growth rate. The one constant for us is not that everything goes well all the time. That will mean for both blessing and for discipline - for good and for bad - for times of peace and also times of conflict and yes, even persecution and great difficulty. Remember here we are told He moves the king's heart - wherever HE wants it to go. But ultimately God's plans and purposes will prevail. We are to pray for such things - and ask God to move the king's heart. Persecution came upon the church again and again in the early days of its existance. Yet Paul's own life was taken by an ungodly ruler when he died. Our problems come when we think that these authorities are here for our blessing alone - misonstruing Paul's admonition to Timothy which says, "First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity." (1 Timothy 2:1-2) Some mistakenly think this admonition is a carte blanche to us to always have kings and rulers who bless us. Paul goes on to remind us that all authorities are established by God. We must remember that even the New Testament tells us in Romans 13 that there is no authority except from God. They serve God even though they may even deny His existance and rebel against Him. Kings serve God's purposes and plans - even when they themselves do not know it. Even the ultimate worldly king, the antichrist, will serve God's ultimate purposes of bringing judgment on the earth and saving His covenant people, Israel. Kings are used for a myriad of purposes by God for His ultimate plan and purpose. These are times when a king is used for the purpose of disciplining and correcting God's people. But there are other cases like that of Nebuchadnezzar destroying and carrying away God's people. In situations like these God does not move the king's heart until after that king has seen God's power and might. There are other times when the king acts - and even in the king's wrath God delivers - as with Daniel and his three friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. These are glorious times when we see God protecting His covenant people and showing that He is the One with the last word. There are times when God moves the hearts of kings to deliver His people - much like He did with Esther and Mordecai. It always has been and it always will be. The way God moves kings is always in accordance with His eternal purpose in Christ Jesus. Yet - there are whispers of His workings for us in Scripture while we live here on earth. These are deep issues that find their only final answer in the end when we gaze at God's beauty, glory, wisdom, and majesty for all eternity. He is a God who is concerned with the manifestation of His grace - yet Who does it while maintaining justice and righteousness. He is a God Who is working toward His own purposes and plans. God is more than just a cosmic sugar daddy who has come to give us everything we want if we just claim it. What do we do with the Pharaoh's who oppressed and enslaved Israel for hundreds of years? What do we do with the kings who conquered Israel and Judah - and leveled the temple to the ground? If you have a God Who functions according to the health, wealth, and prosperity gospel, these things become very difficult to deal with in terms of the sovereignty of God. If then this is true, what are we to do with the Hitlers and others like him in this world - and in the course of history? This proverb is true - He turns the hearts of these kings wherever He wishes. God is sovereign over all human history - and at all times the hearts of all kings and rulers of this world are like channels of water in his hands. If God is sovereign over all history - then the questions about evil and about suffering become far more complicated to us. The reason it does is because it seems easier to say that history is at times in Satan's hands - or at least it is in no one's hands than it does to say that God is sovereign over all history. Who controls world history? That is a question that makes some people squrim in their seats. The king's heart is like channels of water in the hand of the Lord He turns it wherever He wishes.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |