Feb 26, 2009

God's Sovereignty


And the LORD said unto Moses, Behold, thou shalt sleep with thy fathers; and this people will rise up, and go a whoring after the gods of the strangers of the land, whither they go to be among them, and will forsake me, and break my covenant which I have made with them.
(Deuteronomy 31:16)

The vain men who think that he should have anything to do against God should be discomforted when they read verses such as these. They desire to be a god unto themselves and to worship as they please and follow as they “decide.” I suppose these people would attempt to wrest this verse out of its context and try without fruit to make the creator of the universe seem hopeless. They may say, “Although he saw that his nation would turn from and dislike him he could do nothing to stop it. He saw that Moses was near death and knew that they would disband without a leader of God, yet he could do nothing.” It is in the verses that follow where we see God’s true power and his ultimate and unchallenged sovereignty!


Then my anger shall be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them, and I will hide my face from them, and they shall be devoured, and many evils and troubles shall befall them; so that they will say in that day, Are not these evils come upon us, because our God is not among us? And I will surely hide my face in that day for all the evils which they shall have wrought, in that they are turned unto other gods. Now therefore write ye this song for you, and teach it the children of Israel: put it in their mouths, that this song may be a witness for me against the children of Israel.
(Deuteronomy 31:17-19)

God without doubt could have altered these events so that Israel would not play the whore. He did, however, prefer to show forth his magnificence in turning his anger in force against them after they had inhabited the promised land. God was not slack in his covenant with the children of Israel and as such secured for them their inheritance. But afterwards, it was Israel that broke the covenant and, as promised, they had the mighty wrath of God falling upon them. This was no happenstance or ill fortune for when all these ills had befallen the Israelites they knew with certainty that it was because they turned from God. He had chosen to hide his face from them because they had transgressed.


For when I shall have brought them into the land which I sware unto their fathers, that floweth with milk and honey; and they shall have eaten and filled themselves, and waxen fat; then will they turn unto other gods, and serve them, and provoke me, and break my covenant. And it shall come to pass, when many evils and troubles are befallen them, that this song shall testify against them as a witness; for it shall not be forgotten out of the mouths of their seed: for I know their imagination which they go about, even now, before I have brought them into the land which I sware.
(Deuteronomy 31:20-21)

God without need, due to the covenant, further proved himself blameless against these sinners by giving them a song as a testament that would glorify him. The children of Israel did sing this song and it testified against them when they broke God’s covenant. God had even provided them a reminder in Joshua who succeeded Moses and led Israel to their inheritance. Consider Joshua’s words…


Therefore it shall come to pass, that as all good things are come upon you, which the LORD your God promised you; so shall the LORD bring upon you all evil things, until he have destroyed you from off this good land which the LORD your God hath given you. When ye have transgressed the covenant of the LORD your God, which he commanded you, and have gone and served other gods, and bowed yourselves to them; then shall the anger of the LORD be kindled against you, and ye shall perish quickly from off the good land which he hath given unto you.
(Joshua 23:15-16)

This has no trait of a warning, nor of a plea. God told Moses and Joshua that Israel would transgress and Joshua so trusted God that he told them again before his death. Israel had no cause against God, yet she whored with the false gods forsake the living Creator who fought for them so many years. The skeptic would be inclined to say this never happened; that either God wasn’t powerful enough to perform this, or that Israel had straightened herself up.


And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died, being an hundred and ten years old. And they buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnathheres, in the mount of Ephraim, on the north side of the hill Gaash. And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers: and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the LORD, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel. And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim:
(Judges 2:8-11)

And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them, and he sold them into the hands of their enemies round about, so that they could not any longer stand before their enemies. Whithersoever they went out, the hand of the LORD was against them for evil, as the LORD had said, and as the LORD had sworn unto them: and they were greatly distressed.
(Judges 2:14-15)

The Lord is not slack concerning his promises even today. He is with the true church, the actual bride of Christ even this day. Beware that you are in his congregation. Make your calling and election sure that you are of the bride. Death and destruction befall those that do evil against the Lord, and especially to those who put their hands to the plow and turn away. Who shall be responsible when a generation does evil in God’s sight and whores after other gods? According to these passages, the leaders, and specifically parents, are guilty if they do not raise men of the faith…