Responsibility to a Sovereign God
Ezekiel 30:10-11
"This is what the Sovereign LORD says: "'I will put an end to the hordes of Egypt by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. He and his army—the most ruthless of nations—will be brought in to destroy the land. They will draw their swords against Egypt and fill the land with the slain."
God is sovereign and yet He uses all of us within our free will for His. Just as He used the fledgling nation of Israel, in the time of Joshua, to drive out the wicked Canaanites, He raised up Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon to deal His judgments to the nations, including Israel. Are Israel and Babylon responsible for the terrible acts done to the conquered? Especially those out of disobedience, such as in Saul's and even Joshua's time? I think so, yet it was in God's plan; the exercise of our free will does not surprise His omniscience and He uses it for His purposes. Our Lord makes this clear when He said of His own death: "The Son of Man will go just as it is written about Him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man…" (Matt 26:24). In our fallen existence, offences must come, but woe to him, through whom these come (Luke 17:1). I think that's how some of God's judgments come also. We are still responsible AND God is still sovereign.
~02.04.2016
"This is what the Sovereign LORD says: "'I will put an end to the hordes of Egypt by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. He and his army—the most ruthless of nations—will be brought in to destroy the land. They will draw their swords against Egypt and fill the land with the slain."
God is sovereign and yet He uses all of us within our free will for His. Just as He used the fledgling nation of Israel, in the time of Joshua, to drive out the wicked Canaanites, He raised up Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon to deal His judgments to the nations, including Israel. Are Israel and Babylon responsible for the terrible acts done to the conquered? Especially those out of disobedience, such as in Saul's and even Joshua's time? I think so, yet it was in God's plan; the exercise of our free will does not surprise His omniscience and He uses it for His purposes. Our Lord makes this clear when He said of His own death: "The Son of Man will go just as it is written about Him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man…" (Matt 26:24). In our fallen existence, offences must come, but woe to him, through whom these come (Luke 17:1). I think that's how some of God's judgments come also. We are still responsible AND God is still sovereign.
~02.04.2016
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