| | I've been reading through Genesis lately, and I've gotten to the stories of Jacob. The thing that particularly jumped out at me this time around is all the deception that goes on in Jacob's life. Deception that he caused, and also the deception that was done to him. As I read more and more, I had to ask myself, how is God glorified in all of this? Jacob deceives his father into blessing him instead of his older brother, Esau. Heck, even his mother, Rebekah, helped him out with that one. Then his uncle, Laban, tricks him into marrying the eldest daughter, Leah, instead of the one that he actually was working for, Rachel. Now I've just read how Laban separated his livestock out so that Jacob would get practically no wages for all the work he did only to have Jacob retaliate by repaying Laban through deception in order to get his wages of livestock back.
So with all this lying, cheating, stealing, betrayal, deception, and backstabbing is God somehow glorified in all of this? I guess the answer is yes. However, is this God's perfect will for how everything was supposed to play out? The answer has got to be a firm NO since the characteristics done in all of this are definitely what God classifies as sin. God doesn't sin and does not cause people to sin. Would there have been a much better way for all this to play out? Probably, but we'll never know what that would be (unless God reveals that to me when I get to see Him eventually) because what has happened has happened as it happened, and it's written out and recorded for all future generations to see just how crazy and screwed up the people in the Bible are (minus Jesus, of course).
Sin is what caused me to be divorced from God in the first place. It took God sending Jesus to die on the cross for me to be reconciled to Him. God did nothing wrong, but still loved me so much that He desired that I be reconciled to Him through the cross. The cost of sin was great, and the cost of reconciliation was even greater, but it was so worth it, because it brings Him joy. This is why God hates divorce so much, because He knows the terrible cost and pain it causes. He did whatever it took to achieve that unity with us again.
The sin that I commit does not affect God's sovereign will. The blood that He shed overcomes my sin giving He grants me grace and mercy. God is all powerful and in control and even uses my sins and the sins of others to achieve His sovereign will. Wait a 'sec! Does that mean I should feel OK about sin since it may very well be part of God's will and plan? Absolutely not. God delights in obedience not sacrifice. When I'm presented with a choice between sin and following God, I am commanded to always follow God and be obedient to Him. When I fall and choose the other out of my weakness rather than His strength, I must repent and even make restitution if possible and necessary. I am not called to keep sinning so that His grace may abound in me. His perfect will is that I would constantly live with the fear of the Lord, constantly being in His presence, and have the wisdom to know and do the right thing and leave the rest up to Him. Living outside His perfect will carries the cost that I will no longer have fellowship with Him, but ultimately will not affect His sovereign will.
I guess that's the point of these stories of fallen people and their sin seemingly played out for His glory. That even when Satan tempts people and gets them to fall, God can still use these broken people and their seemingly evil actions to play out to His glory and our benefit. He is the grand chess master. Every time it seems as though Satan is gloating over his impending victory, God has everything already mapped out ahead to achieve His victory. After all, isn't that the point of the whole Bible: God wins!
28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
Romans 8:28 (ESV) It doesn't mean that all things are good and come directly from God. It means that he uses all things, even bad things, together for good.
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| | Posted 1/14/2009 2:57 PM - 19 Views - 2 eProps - 1 Comment
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