The Sovereignty of God
By Arthur W. Pink
Chapter Six - The
Sovereignty Of God In Operation
"For
of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are all things: to whom be the glory for
ever. Amen" (Romans 11:36).
Has God
foredained everything that comes to pass? Has He decreed that what is, was to
have been? In the final analysis this is only another way of asking, Is God now
governing the world and everyone and everything in it? If God is governing the
world then is He governing it according to a definite purpose, or aimlessly and
at random? If He is governing it according to some purpose, then when was that
purpose made? Is God continually changing His purpose and making a new one
every day, or was His purpose formed from the beginning? Are God's actions,
like ours, regulated by the change of circumstances, or are they the outcome of
His eternal purpose? If God formed a purpose before man was created then is
that purpose going to be executed according to His original designs and is He
now working toward that end? What saith the Scriptures? They declare God is One
"who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will" (Eph.
1:11).
Few who
read this book are likely to call into question the statement that God knows
and foreknows all things, but perhaps many would hesitate to go further than
this. Yet is it not self-evident that if God foreknows all things, He has also
foredained all things? Is it not clear that God foreknows what will be because
He has decreed what shall be? God's foreknowledge is not the cause of events,
rather are events the effects of His eternal purpose. when God has decreed a
thing shall be He knows it will! be. In the nature of things there cannot be
anything known as what shall be unless it is certain to be, and there is
nothing certain to be unless God has ordained it shall be. Take the Crucifixion
as an illustration. On this point the teaching of Scripture is as clear as a
sunbeam. Christ as the Lamb whose blood was to be shed was "foreordained
before the foundation of the world" (1 Peter 1:20). Having then
"ordained" the slaying of the Lamb, God knew He would be "led to
the slaughter," and therefore made it known accordingly through Isaiah the
prophet. The Lord Jesus was not "delivered" up by God foreknowing it
before it took place, but by His fixed counsel and fore-ordination (Acts 2:23).
Foreknowledge of future events then is founded upon God's decrees, hence if God
foreknows everything that is to be, it is because He has determined in Himself
from all eternity everything which will be-"Known unto God are all His
works from the beginning of the world" (Acts 15:18), which shows that God
has a plan, that God did not begin His work at random or without a knowledge of
how His plan would succeed.
God
created all things. This truth no one, who bows to the testimony of Holy Writ,
will question; nor would any such be prepared to argue that the work of
creation was an accidental work. God first formed the purpose to create, and
then put forth the creative act in fulfillment of that purpose. All real
Christians will readily adopt the words of the Psalmist and say, "0 Lord,
how manifold are Thy works! in wisdom hast Thou made them all." Will any
who endorse what we have just said, deny that God purposed to govern the world
which He created? Surely the creation of the world was not the end of God's
purpose concerning it. Surely He did not determine simply to create the world
and place man in it, and then leave both to their fortunes. It must be apparent
that God has some great end or ends in view worthy of His infinite perfections,
and that He is now governing the world so as to accomplish these ends-"The
counsel of the LORD standeth for ever, the thoughts of His heart to all
generations" (Psa. 33:11).
"Remember
the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and
there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient
times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I
will do all My pleasure" (Isa. 46:9, 10). Many other passages might be
adduced to show that God has many counsels concerning this world and concerning
man, and that all these counsels will most surely be realized. It is only when
they are thus regarded that we can intelligently appreciate the prophecies of
Scripture. In prophecy the mighty God has condescended to take us into the
secret chamber of His eternal counsels and make known to us what He has
purposed to do in the future. The hundreds of prophecies which are found in the
Old and New Testaments are not so much predictions of what will come to pass,
as they are revelations to us of what God has purposed SHALL come to pass.
What then
was the great purpose for which this world and the human race were created? The
answer of Scripture is, "The LORD hath made all things for Himself"
(Prov. 16:4). And again, "Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure
they are and were created" (Rev. 4:11). The great end of creation was the
manifestation of God's glory. "The heavens declare the glory of God and
the firmament sheweth His handiwork" (Psa. 19:1); but it was by man,
originally made in His own image and likeness, that God designed chiefly to
manifest His glory. But how was the great Creator to be glorified by man?
Before his creation, God foresaw the fall of Adam and the consequent ruin of
his race, therefore He could not have designed that man should glorify Him by
continuing in a state of innocency. Accordingly we are taught that Christ was
"foreordained before the foundation of the world" to be the Saviour
of fallen men. The redemption of sinners by Christ was no mere after-thought of
God: it was no expediency to meet an un-looked-for calamity. No; it was a
Divine provision, and therefore when man fell he found mercy walking hand in
hand with justice.
From all
eternity God designed that our world should be the stage on which He would
display His manifold grace and wisdom in the redemption of lost sinners:
"To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly
places might be known by the Church the manifold wisdom of God, according to
the eternal purpose which He purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Eph.
3:10-11.) For the accomplishment of this glorious design God has governed the
world from the beginning, and will continue it to the end. It has been well
said, "We can never understand the providence of God over our world, unless
we regard it as a complicated machine having ten thousand parts, directed in
all its operations to one glorious end-the display of the manifold wisdom of
God in the salvation of the Church," i.e., the "called out"
ones. Everything else down here is subordinated to this central purpose. It was
the apprehension of this basic truth that the Apostle, moved by the Holy
Spirit, was led to write, "Therefore I endure all things for the elect's
sake, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal
glory" (2 Tim. 2:10). What we would now contemplate is the operation of
God's Sovereignty in the government of this world.
In regard
to the operation of God's government over the material world little needs now
be said. In previous chapters we have shown that inanimate matter and all
irrational creatures are absolutely subject to their Creator's pleasure. While
we freely admit that the material world appears to be governed by laws that are
stable and more or less uniform in their operations, yet Scripture, history,
and observation, compel us to recognize the fact that God suspends these laws
and acts apart from them whenever it pleaseth Him to do so. In sending His
blessings or judgments upon His creatures He may cause the sun itself to stand
still, and the stars in their courses to fight for His people (Judges 5:20); He
may send or withhold "the early and the latter rains" according to
the dictates of His own infinite wisdom; He may smite with plague or bless with
health; in short, being God, being absolute Sovereign, He is bound and tied by
no laws of Nature, but governs the material world as seemeth Him best.
But what
of God's government of the human family? What does Scripture reveal in regard
to the modus operandi of the operations of His governmental administration over
mankind? To what extent and by what influence does God control the sons of men?
We shall divide our answer to this question into two parts and consider first
God's method of dealing with the righteous, His elect; and then His method of
dealing with the wicked.
GOD'S
METHOD OF DEALING WITH THE RIGHTEOUS:
1. God
exerts upon His own elect a quickening influence or power.
By nature
they are spiritually dead, dead in trespasses and sins, and their first need is
spiritual life, for "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom
of God" (John 3:3). In the new birth God brings us from death unto life
(John 5:24). He imparts to us His own nature (2 Peter 1:4). He delivers us from
the power of darkness and translates us into the kingdom of His dear Son (Col.
1:13). Now, manifestly, we could not do this ourselves for we were
"without strength" (Rom. 5:6), hence it is written, "we are His
workmanship created in Christ Jesus" (Eph. 2:10).
In the new
birth we are made partakers of the Divine nature: a principle, a
"seed," a life, is communicated to us which is "'born of the
Spirit," and therefore "is spirit"; is born of the Holy Spirit
and therefore is holy. Apart from this Divine and holy nature which is imparted
to us at the new birth it is utterly impossible for any man to generate a
spiritual impulse, form a spiritual concept, think a spiritual thought,
understand spiritual things, still less engage in spiritual works.
"Without holiness no man shall see the Lord," but the natural man has
no desire for holiness, and the provision that God has made he does not want.
Will then a man pray for, seek for, strive after, that which he dislikes?
Surely not. If then a man does "follow after" that which by nature he
cordially dislikes, if he does now love the One he once hated, it is because a
miraculous change has taken place within him; a power outside of himself has
operated upon him, a nature entirely different from his old one has been
imparted to him, and hence it is written, "Therefore if any man be in
Christ, he is a new creation: old things are passed away; behold all things are
become new" (2 Cor. 5:17). Such an one as we have just described has
passed from death unto life, has been turned from darkness to light, and from
the power of Satan unto God (Acts 26:18). In no other way can the great change
be accounted for.
The new
birth is very, very much more than simply shedding a few tears due to a
temporary remorse over sin. It is far more than changing our course of life,
the leaving off of bad habits and the substituting of good ones. It is
something different from the mere cherishing and practising of noble ideals. It
goes infinitely deeper than coming forward to take some popular evangelist by
the hand, signing a pledge-card, or "joining the church." The new
birth is no mere turning over a new leaf but is the inception and reception of
a new life. It is no mere reformation but a complete transformation. In short,
the new birth is a miracle, the result of the supernatural operation of God. It
is radical, revolutionary, lasting.
Here then
is the first thing, in time, which God does in His own elect. He lays hold of
those who are spiritually dead and quickens them into newness of life. He takes
up one who was shapen in iniquity and conceived in sin, and conforms him to the
image of His Son. He seizes a captive of the Devil and makes him a member of
the household of faith. He picks up a beggar and makes him joint-heir with
Christ. He comes to one who is full of enmity against Him and gives him a new
heart that is full of love for Him. He stoops to one who by nature is a rebel
and works in him both to will and to do of His own good pleasure. By His
irresistible power He transforms a sinner into a saint, an enemy into a friend,
a slave of the Devil into a child of God. Surely then we are moved to say,
"When
all Thy mercies 0 my God
My
wondering soul surveys,
Transported
with the view I'm lost
In wonder,
love and praise."
2. God
exerts upon His own elect an energizing influence or power.
The
Apostle prayed to God for the Ephesian saints that the eyes of their
understanding might be enlightened in order that, among other things, they
might know "what is the exceeding greatness of His power to us-ward who
believe" (Eph. 1:19), and that they might be "strengthened with might
by His Spirit in the inner man" (3:16). It is thus that the children of
God are enabled to fight the good fight of faith and battle with the adverse
forces which constantly war against them. In themselves they have no strength:
they are but "sheep," and sheep are one of the most defenseless
animals there is; but the promise is sure-"He giveth power to the faint;
and to them that have no might He increaseth strength" (Isa. 40:29).
It is this
energizing power that God exerts upon and within the righteous which enables
them to serve Him acceptably. Said the prophet of old, "But truly I am
full of power by the Spirit of the Lord" (Micah 3:8). And said our Lord to
His Apostles, "Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Spirit is come
upon you" (Acts 1:8), and thus it proved, for of these same men we read
subsequently, "And with great power gave the Apostles witness of the
resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all" (Acts
4:33). So it was, too, with the Apostle Paul, "and my speech and my
preaching was not with enticing word of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of
the Spirit and of power" (1 Cor. 2:4). But the scope of this power is not
confined to service, for we read in 2 Peter 1:3, "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."
Hence it is that the various graces of the Christian character, "love,
joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness,
temperance," are ascribed directly to God Himself, being denominated
"the fruit of the Spirit" (Gal. 5:22-23). Compare Ephesians 5:9.
3. God
exerts upon His own elect a directing influence or power.
Of old He
led His people across the wilderness, directing their steps by a pillar of
cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night; and today He still directs His
saints, though now from within rather from without. "For this God is our
God for ever and ever: He will be our Guide even unto death" (Psa. 48:14),
but He "guides" us by working in us both to will and to do His good
pleasure. That He does so guide us is clear from the words of the Apostle in
Ephesians 2: 10-"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto
good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them."
Thus all ground for boasting is removed and God gets all the glory, for with
the prophet we have to say, "LORD, Thou wilt ordain peace for us: for Thou
also hast wrought all our works in us" (Isa. 26:12). How true then that
"A man's heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps"
(Prov. 16:29)! Compare Psalm 65:4; Ezekiel 36:27.
4. God
exerts upon His own elect a preserving influence or power.
Many are the
Scriptures which set forth this blessed truth. "He preserveth the souls of
His saints; He delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked" (Psa.
97:10). "For the LORD loveth judgment, and forsaketh not His saints; they
are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off" (Psa.
37:28). "The LORD preserveth all them that love Him: but all the wicked
will He destroy" (Psa. 145:20). It is needless to multiply texts or to
raise an argument at this point respecting the believer's responsibility and
faithfulness-we can no more "persevere" without God preserving us
than we can breathe when God ceases to give us breath; we are "kept by the
power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last
time" (1 Peter 1:5). Compare 1 Chronicles 18:6. It remains for us now to
consider,
GOD'S
METHOD OF DEALING WITH THE WICKED:
In
contemplating God's governmental dealings with the non-elect we find that He
exerts upon them a fourfold influence or power. We adopt the clear-cut
divisions suggested by Dr. Rice:
1. God
exerts upon the wicked a restraining influence by which they are prevented from
doing what they are naturally inclined to do.
A striking
example of this is seen in Abimelech, king of Gerar. Abraham came down to Gerar
and fearful lest he might be slain on account of his wife he instructed her to
pose as his sister. Regarding her as an unmarried woman, Abimelech sent and
took Sarah unto himself; and then we learn how God put forth His power to
protect her honor-"And God said unto him in a dream, Yea, I know that thou
didst this in the integrity of thy heart; for I also withheld thee from sinning
against Me: therefore suffered I thee not to touch her" (Gen. 20:6). Had
not God interposed, Abimelech would have grievously wronged Sarah, but the Lord
restrained him and allowed him not to carry out the intentions of his heart.
A similar
instance is found in connection with Joseph and his brethren's treatment of
him. Owing to Jacob's partiality for Joseph his brethren "hated him,"
and when they thought they had him in their power "they conspired against
him to slay him" (Gen. 37:18). But God did not allow them to carry out
their evil designs. First He moved Reuben to deliver him out of their hands,
and next he caused Judah to suggest that Joseph should be sold to the passing
Ishmaelites, who carried him down into Egypt. That it was God who thus
restrained them is clear; he made known himself to his brethren; said he,
"So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God" (Gen. 45:8)!
The
restraining influence which God exerts upon the wicked was strikingly
exemplified in the person of Balaam, the prophet hired by Balak to curse the
Israelites. One cannot read the inspired narrative without discovering that,
left to himself, Balaam had readily and certainly accepted the offer of Balak.
How evidently God restrained the impulses of his heart is seen from his own
acknowledgment-"How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? or how shall
I defy, whom the LORD hath not defied? Behold I have received commandment to
bless: and He hath blessed; and I cannot reverse it" (Num. 23:8, 20).
Not only
does God exert a restraining influence upon wicked individuals but He does so
upon whole peoples as well. A remarkable illustration of this is found in
Exodus 34:24-"For I will cast out the nations before thee, and enlarge thy
borders: neither shall any man desire thy land, when thou shalt go up to appear
before the LORD thy God thrice in the year." Three times every male
Israelite, at the command of God, left his home and inheritance and journeyed
to Jerusalem to keep the Feasts of the Lord; and in the above Scriptures we
learn He promised them that while they were at Jerusalem He would guard their
unprotected homes by restraining the covetous designs and desires of their
heathen neighbors.
2. God
exerts upon the wicked a softening influence disposing them contrary to their
natural inclinations to do that which will promote His cause.
Above, we
referred to Joseph's history as an illustration of God exerting a restraining
influence upon the wicked, let us note now his experiences in Egypt as
exemplifying our assertion that God also exerts a softening influence upon the
unrighteous. We are told that while he was in the house of Potiphar "The
LORD was with Joseph, and his master saw the LORD was with him," and in
consequence, "Joseph found favor in his sight and he made him overseer
over his house" (Gen. 39:2, 3, 4). Later, when Joseph was unjustly cast
into prison, we are told "But the LORD was with Joseph, and shewed him
mercy, and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison" (Gen.
39:21), and in consequence the prison-keeper showed him much kindness and
honor. Finally, after his release from prison, we learn from Acts 7:10 that the
Lord "gave him favor and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and
he made him governor over Egypt and all his house."
An equally
striking evidence of God's power to melt the hearts of his enemies, was seen in
Pharaoh's daughter's treatment of the infant Moses. The incident is well known.
Pharaoh had issued an edict commanding the destruction of every male child of
the Israelites. A certain Levite had a son born to him who for three months was
kept hidden by his mother. No longer able to conceal the infant Moses she
placed him in an ark of bulrushes and laid him by the river's brink. The ark
was discovered by none less than the king's daughter who had come down to the
river to bathe, but instead of heeding her father's wicked decree and casting
the child into the river we are told that "she had compassion on him"
(Exo. 2:6)! Accordingly, the young life was spared and later Moses became the
adopted son of this princess!
God has
access to the hearts of all men and He softens or hardens them according to His
Sovereign purpose. The profane Esau swore vengeance upon his brother for the
deception which he had practiced upon his father, yet when next he met Jacob,
instead of slaying him we are told that Esau "fell on his neck and kissed
him" (Gen. 33:4)! Ahab, the weak and wicked consort of Jezebel, was highly
enraged against Elijah the prophet, at whose word the heavens had been shut up
for three years and a half: so angry was he against the one whom he regarded as
his enemy that we are told he searched for him in every nation and kingdom and
when he could not be found "he took an oath" (1 Kings 18:10). Yet,
when they met, instead of killing the prophet, Ahab meekly obeyed Elijah's
behest and "sent unto all the children of Israel and gathered the prophets
together unto Mount Carmel" (v. 20). Again; Esther the poor Jewess is
about to enter the presence-chamber of the august Medo-Persian monarch which,
said she, "is not according to the law" (Esth. 4:16). She went in
expecting to "perish," but we are told "She obtained favor in
his sight, and the king held out to Esther the golden sceptre" (5:2). Yet
again; the boy Daniel is a captive in a foreign court. The king
"appointed" a daily provision of meat and drink for Daniel and his
fellows. But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with
the allotted portion, and accordingly made known his purpose to his master, the
prince of the eunuchs. What happened? His master was a heathen and
"feared" the king. Did he turn then upon Daniel and angrily demand
that his orders be promptly carried out? No; for we read, "Now God had
brought Daniel into favor and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs"
(Dan. 1:9)!
"The
king's heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: He turneth it
whithersoever He will" (Prov. 21:1). A remarkable illustration of this is
seen in Cyrus, the heathen king of Persia. God's people were in captivity, but
the predicted end of their captivity was almost reached. Meanwhile the Temple
at Jerusalem lay in ruins, and, as we have said, the Jews were in bondage in a
distant land. What hope was there then that the Lord's house would be re-built?
Mark now what God did, "Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia,
that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD
stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation
throughout all his kingdom, and put it in writing, saying, Thus saith Cyrus
king of Persia, The LORD God of Heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the
earth; and He hath charged me to build Him a house at Jerusalem, which is in
Judah" (Ezra 1:1, 2). Cyrus, be it remembered, was a pagan, and as secular
history bears witness, a very wicked man, yet the Lord moved him to issue this
edict that His Word through Jeremiah seventy years before might be fulfilled. A
similar and further illustration is found in Ezra 7:27, where we find Ezra
returning thanks for what God had caused King Artaxerxes to do in completing
and beautifying the house which Cyrus had commanded to be erected-"Blessed
be the LORD God of our fathers which hath put such a thing as this in the
king's heart, to beautify the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem"
(Ezra 7:27).
3. God
exerts upon the wicked a directing influence so that good is made to result
from their intended evil.
Once more
we revert to the history of Joseph as a case in point. In selling Joseph to the
Ishmaelites his brethren were actuated by cruel and heartless motives. Their
object was to make away with him, and the passing of these traveling traders
furnished an easy way out for them. To them the act was nothing more than the
enslaving of a noble youth for the sake of gain. But now observe how God was
secretly working and over-ruling their wicked actions. Providence so ordered it
that these Ishmaelites passed by just in time to prevent Joseph being murdered,
for his brethren had already taken counsel together to put him to death.
Further; these Ishmaelites were journeying to Egypt, which was the very country
to which God had purposed to send Joseph, and He ordained they should purchase
Joseph just when they did. That the hand of God was in this incident, that it
was something more than a fortunate coincidence, is clear from the words of
Joseph to his brethren at a later date, "God sent me before you to
preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great
deliverance" (Gen. 45:7).
Another
equally striking illustration of God directing the wicked is found in Isaiah
10:5-7: "O Assyrian, the rod of Mine anger, and the staff in their hand is
Mine indignation. I will send him against an hypocritical nation, and against
the people of My wrath will I give him a charge, to take the spoil, and to take
the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets. Howbeit he
meaneth not so, neither doth his heart think so; but it is in his heart to
destroy and cut off nations not a few." Assyria's king had determined to
be a world-conqueror, to "cut off nations not a few." But God
directed and controlled his military lust and ambition, and caused him to
confine his attention to the conquering of the insignificant nation of Israel.
Such a task was not in the proud king's heart-"he meant it not
so"-but God gave him this charge and he could do nothing but fulfill it.
Compare also Judges 7:22.
The
supreme example of the controlling, directing influence which God exerts upon
the wicked, is the Cross of Christ with all its attending circumstances. If
ever the superintending providence of God was witnessed it was there. From all
eternity God had predestined every detail of that event of all events. Nothing
was left to chance or the caprice of man. God had decreed when and where and
how His blessed Son was to die. Much of what He had purposed concerning the
Crucifixion had been made known through the Old Testament prophets, and in the
accurate and literal fulfillment of these prophecies we have clear proof, full
demonstration, of the controlling and directing influence which God exerts upon
the wicked. Not a thing occurred except as God had ordained, and all that He
had ordained took place exactly as He purposed. Had it been decreed (and made
known in Scripture) that the Saviour should be betrayed by one of His own
disciples-by His "familiar friend"-see Psalm 41:9 and compare Matthew
26:50-then the Apostle Judas is the one who sold Him. Had it been decreed that
the betrayer should receive for his awful perfidy thirty pieces of silver, then
are the chief priests moved to offer him this very sum. Had it been decreed
that this betrayal sum should be put to a particular use, namely, purchase of
the potter's field, then the hand of God directs Judas to return the money to
the chief priests and so guided their "counsel" (Matt. 27:7) that
they did this very thing. Had it been decreed that there should be those who
bore "false witness" against our Lord (Psa. 35:11), then accordingly
such were raised up. Had it been decreed that the Lord of Glory should be spat
upon and "scourged" (Isa. 50:6), then there were not found wanting
those who were vile enough to do so. Had it been decreed that the Saviour
should be "numbered with the transgressors," then unknown to himself,
Pilate, directed by God, gave orders for His crucifixion along with two
thieves. Had it been decreed that vinegar and gall should be given Him to drink
while He hung upon the Cross, then this decree of God was executed to the very
letter. Had it been decreed that the heartless should gamble for His garments,
then sure enough they did this very thing. Had it been decreed that not a bone
of Him should be broken (Psa. 34:20), then the controlling hand of God which
suffered the Roman soldier to break the legs of the thieves, prevented him from
doing the same with our Lord. Ah! there were not enough soldiers in all the
Roman legions, there were not sufficient demons in all the hierarchies of
Satan, to break one bone in the body of Christ. And why? Because the Almighty
Sovereign had decreed that not a bone should be broken. Do we need to extend
this paragraph any farther? Does not the accurate and literal fulfillment of
all that Scripture had predicted in connection with the Crucifixion,
demonstrate beyond all controversy that an Almighty power was directing and
superintending everything that was done on that Day of days?
4. God
also hardens the hearts of wicked men and blinds their minds.
"God
hardens men's hearts! God blinds men's minds!" Yes, so Scripture
represents Him. In developing this theme of the Sovereignty of God in Operation
we recognize that we have now reached its most solemn aspect of all, and that
here especially, we need to keep very close indeed to the words of Holy Writ.
God forbid that we should go one fraction further than His Word goes; but may
He give us grace to go as far as His Word goes. It is true that secret things
belong unto the Lord, but it is also true that those things which are revealed
in Scripture belong unto us and to our children.
"He
turned their heart to hate His people, to deal subtly with His servants"
(Psa. 105:25). The reference here is to the sojourn of the descendants of Jacob
in the land of Egypt when, after the death of the Pharaoh who had welcomed the
old patriarch and his family, there "arose up a new king who knew not
Joseph"; and in his days the children of Israel had "increased greatly"
so that they outnumbered the Egyptians; then it was that God "turned their
heart to hate His people."
The
consequence of the Egyptians' "hatred" is well known: they brought
them into cruel bondage and placed them under merciless taskmasters until their
lot became unendurable. Helpless and wretched the Israelites cried unto
Jehovah, and in response He appointed Moses to be their deliverer. God revealed
Himself unto His chosen servant, gave him a number of miraculous signs which he
was to exhibit at the Egyptian court, and then bade him to go to Pharaoh and
demand that the Israelites should be allowed to go to a three days' journey
into the wilderness, that they might worship the Lord. But before Moses started
out on his journey God warned him concerning Pharaoh, "I will harden his
heart that he shall not let the people go" (Exo. 4:21). If it be asked,
Why did God harden Pharaoh's heart? the answer furnished by Scripture itself
is, In order that God might show forth His power in him (Rom. 9:17); in other words,
it was so that the Lord might demonstrate that it was just as easy for Him to
overthrow this haughty and powerful monarch as it was for Him to crush a worm.
If it should be pressed further, Why did God select such a method of displaying
His power? then the answer must be that being Sovereign God reserves to Himself
the right to act as He pleases.
Not only
are we told that God hardened the heart of Pharaoh so that he would not let the
Israelites go, but after God had plagued his land so severely that he
reluctantly gave a qualified permission, and after that the first-born of all
the Egyptians had been slain, and Israel had actually left the land of bondage,
God told Moses, "And I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians,
and they shall follow them: and I will get Me honor upon Pharaoh, and upon all
his host, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen. And the Egyptians shall
know that I am the LORD, when I have gotten Me honor upon Pharaoh, upon his
chariots, and upon his horsemen" (Exo. 14:17, 18).
The same
thing happened subsequently in connection with Sihon, king of Heshbon, through
whose territory Israel had to pass on their way to the promised land. When
reviewing their history Moses told the people, "But Sihon king of Heshbon
would not let us pass by him: for the LORD thy God hardened his spirit, and
made his heart obstinate, that He might deliver him into thy hand" (Deut.
2:30)!
So it was
also after that Israel had entered Canaan. We read, "There was not a city
that made peace with the children of Israel, save the Hivites the inhabitants
of Gibeon: all other they took in battle. For it was of the LORD to harden
their hearts, that they should come against Israel in battle, that He might
destroy them, as the Lord commanded Moses" (Josh. 11:19, 20). From other
Scriptures we learn why God purposed to "destroy utterly" the
Canaanites-it was because of their awful wickedness and corruption.
Nor is the
revelation of this solemn truth confined to the Old Testament. In John 12:37-40
we read, "But though He had done so many miracles before them, yet they
believed not on Him: that (in order that) the saying of Esaias (Isaiah) the
prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report?
and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed? Therefore they could not
believe, because that Esaias said again, HE hath blinded their eyes, and
hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand
with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them." It needs to
be carefully noted here that these whose eyes God "blinded" and whose
heart He "hardened" were men who had deliberately scorned the Light
and rejected the testimony of God's own Son.
Similarly
we read in 2 Thessalonians 2:11, 12, "And for this cause God shall send
them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: that they all might be
damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness."
What God did unto the Jews of old He is yet going to do unto Christendom. Just
as the Jews of Christ's day despised His testimony, and in consequence were
"blinded," so a guilty Christendom which has rejected the Truth shall
yet have sent them from God a "strong delusion" that they may believe
a He.
Is God
really governing the world? Is He exercising rule over the human family? What
is the modus operandi of His governmental administration over mankind? To what
extent and by what means does He control the sons of men? How does God exercise
an influence upon the wicked, seeing their hearts are at enmity against Him?
These are some of the questions we have sought to answer from Scripture in the
previous sections of this chapter. Upon His own elect God exerts a quickening,
an energizing, a directing, and a preserving power. Upon the wicked God exerts
a restraining, softening, directing, and hardening and blinding power,
according to the dictates of His own infinite wisdom and unto the outworking of
His own eternal purpose. God's decrees are being executed. What He has ordained
is being accomplished. Man's wickedness is bounded. The limits of evil-doing
and of evildoers has been Divinely defined and cannot be exceeded. Though many
are in ignorance of it, all men, good and bad, are under the jurisdiction of
and are absolutely subject to the administration of the Supreme
Sovereign-"Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth" (Rev.
19:6)-reigneth over all.