Antinomy and the Sufficiency of Information
Several years ago I ran across an explanation of what is known as The Sufficiency of Information. It was
stated like this: If there is not enough information to make an informed judgment, then it is best to not force a judgment just to satisfy an emotional need to have firm answers to all questions. Assuming that one is not
compelled to come up with an answer by overwhelming circumstance, it is a sign of maturity to permit unanswerable questions to remain open until there is sufficient information to justify a choice being made.
So you may be thinking, "what does this have to do with questions of theology?" Hang on a second and I'll get to that, but first let me introduce you to another term I discovered while doing studies on predestination
and man's responsibility. It's what is known as an Antinomy. I was first introduced to this term by Ernest Reisienger, an associate of the Founders, a group of Southern Baptist that stress the need for a return to the
doctrines of grace within the Southern Baptist Convention. The following definition is taken from Mr. Reisienger's book, God's Will, Man's Will, and Free Will: What is an antinomy? The Shorter Oxford Dictionary defines it
as "a contradiction between conclusions which seem equally logical, reasonable or necessary." For our purposes, however, this definition is not quite accurate; the opening words should read "an appearance of
contradiction." For the whole point of an antinomy—in theology, at any rate—is that it is not a real contradiction, though it looks like one. It is an apparent incompatibility between two apparent truths. An antinomy exists
when a pair of principles stand side by side, seemingly irreconcilable, yet both undeniable. There are cogent reasons for believing each of them; each rests on clear and solid evidence; but it is a mystery to you how they can be
squared with each other. You see that each must be true on its own, but you do not see how they can both be true together. There is been much theological debate concerning God's sovereignty and man's responsibility, and with
what seems to be a reformation of the doctrines of grace within Christianity today, there is bound to be much more. When pressed on the issue of election/predestination several years ago, I decided to do a complete Biblical
study from Genesis to Revelation on the subject. As a result of my studies, I learned a lot about what the Bible teaches and I had to let go of false ideas it doesn't teach. I have come to the belief that while I know it is
important for every Christian to have a conscience about doctrine and where they stand, it's just as important that they do not try to force interpretation to fit their own belief system, and that it's okay to say we don't
understand something when there simply isn't enough information with our limited knowledge. The Bible certainly has Antinomies within its pages and in some cases, the Sufficiency of Information
as defined above becomes a useful tool. What about you? Are there biblical doctrines that you wrestle with? Is there anything is scripture that just rubs you the wrong way? Let's be honest, we've all had those moments where
something we read--especially in the Old Covenant, really bothers us and our preconceived notion about God. It's kind of ironic, but I can still remember the first time this hit me and the person I called was my Pastor (now former
Pastor). He patiently explained to me that we must trust the God of the Bible and that even though there are things we don't understand, we must not allow our perception of God to control our thoughts about Him, rather we must
accept what the Bible says as the final authority. That's one piece of advice I took to heart. I say it was ironic, because the one man I trusted the most at the time, the one who drove me to search the scriptures and trust in them
no matter what, couldn't accept my new found beliefs. Ultimately, this forced me and my family to move on to a different church. The crux of this issue rest on the question of God's Sovereignty and man's responsibility. Is God
sovereign? Most every Christian would answer this with as astounding "yes". Is He in control? Again, most would say "yes". Does anything happen by accident? Again, most would say, "no" nothing is an
accident. Generally, when discussing the sovereignty of God most Christians are in agreement until you get to that one question: Does God mess with our free will? At this point, there is generally a division among those answering.
The minute we say God can do something that thwarts our free will, is generally the minute the masses shrink back from saying God is sovereign in all things, to simply saying God is sovereign in everything, but man's free will.
There is so much more we can say on this subject--especially since I have used the common term "free will", but let me say that the Bible does not teach a free will of man as many claim that we have. It certainly teaches
man's responsibility and his ability to make choices, but it teaches it in the context that man is a fallen creature, bound by the depravity of sin, and sold into bondage. I don't want to digress here to much, I just wanted to make
certain the readers understand that when I say "free will", it doesn't mean I believe it in the classical sense of the term, but understand it within it's proper theological perspective. In order to understand this
study, we must of course go to the scriptures. We must dive right into those areas that simply give us fits and force us to think about what is being said in order to gain a proper understanding. Then, we must accept the text for
what it is even if we can't logically explain it with human reason. This is where faith must take over- and if it doesn't, we wind up where so many before, have fallen into grievous error. I'm going to start this study in
Genesis and simply work my way throughout the entire Bible listing some of the more obvious examples. Genesis 20:6- 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. This is taken from the story where Abraham made a big booboo by saying his wife Sarah was only his sister. This lead to King Ambimelech
taking her as his own, but God intervenes before he consummates the relationship. The key point is the phrase, I also withheld thee from sinning against me. If God withheld Ambimelech from sin, then He thwarted the will
of Ambimelech to do what he wanted. Did God intervene as to change the outcome? This is what the scriptures say. I don't know how He did it, but that really isn't the issue. This clearly shows that God gets involved within our
affairs and at least in this instance, a man's free will was violated, in that God did not allow for the outcome to be according to man, but according to His will. I introduced this article with two terms: Antinomy and
The Sufficiency of Information. With this next reference, we begin to get a picture of why: Genesis 42:28-And he said unto his brethren, my money is restored; and, lo, it is even in my sack: and their heart failed them,
and they were afraid, saying one to another, what is this that God hath done unto us? This is of course taken from the story of Joseph. What did the brothers mean when they said "God hath done this?" You can read
this for yourself, but I don't see God doing anything within the text. I see Joseph ordering the money be put back into the sack, as a means to manipulate his brethren, which eventually forces the reuniting of his family. Did
Joseph's brethren believe God worked in the affairs of men? Did they understand that things didn't happen by accident? Did they believe God could control the affairs of men? I say yes, yes, and yes to all three questions. I can't
say this based on what Joseph did, but I can say it based on what the brothers believed to have happened. They understood the sovereignty of God Okay, if that one hasn't convinced the naysayers, here is another: Genesis
45:5-9 -5Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life. 6For these two years hath the famine been in the land: and yet there are five years, in the
which there shall neither be earing nor harvest. 7And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. 8So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath
made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt. 9Haste ye, and go up to my father, and say unto him, Thus saith thy son Joseph, God hath made me lord of all Egypt: come down
unto me, tarry not: Wow! Isn't that some good stuff? Was it not Joseph's brethren who threw him into the pit by their own free will? Was it not his brethren who sold him into bondage?Again, by their own free will? Joseph
tells his brothers, it was not you that sent me hither, but God....That's funny, I don't see that in the text when his brothers were doing these nasty deeds. Is it possible that Joseph believed God worked in such a way as to
put it into the hearts of his brethren to do what they did, so that later they would have a great deliverance? Read and reread the text, I see no other explanation, but to believe Joseph saw God as sovereign in the affairs of men.
It's certainly an Antinomy
in that I cannot understand where human responsibility and God's sovereignty meet, and I can say without apology their isn't enough information to sufficiently explain it, but I'm not going to deny the truth of God's Word in order to satisfy my desire to believe in free will. I see in this text a God who works in the affairs of men to bring about His purpose. I also plainly see man doing things out of their own supposed wills and being held accountable. The scriptures demand such interpretation, whether we understand it or not.
Okay, how about some icing with that cake? Genesis 50:20-But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive. Can it get much
clearer? Here we see Joseph's brethren doing what seemingly is of their own will and for their own reasons, and yet God is involved the entire time. Joseph recognizes God's ever present hand. In fact, it's obvious that it was
because of Joseph's strong beliefs in God's control, that he could find forgiveness for his brethren. There are many explanations one could give for the preceding verses. I'm not going to sit here and say that the Calvinist
We've
established God's sovereignty in Genesis and we'll move on to Exodus to discuss the hardening of Pharaoh's heart. That's always a favorite.In Exodus, we come across one of the most controversial subjects as it concerns the
sovereignty of God and free will of man. How was Pharaoh's heart hardened? I still here instances of people arguing the point that God did indeed hardened Pharaoh's heart, but it was only after Pharaoh hardened his
own heart.Therefore, God is justified in His actions because Pharaoh was lost anyway. Has anyone else heard this argument or something similar? Once and for all, let us put this to rest. The first mention of any
hardening is when God is talking to Moses about going to Pharaoh. It is here that God says He will harden Pharaoh's heart. I'm not making this up, really. I encourage anyone who has been hoodwinked to think any other thing, to stay
with me on this. Okay, let us examine the (first mention) text: Exodus 4:21- And the LORD said to Moses, "When you go back to Egypt, see that you do all those wonders before Pharaoh which I have put in your
hand. But I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go.(emphasis mine) Please read it again and then proceed to try and find any other first mention of this hardening. No matter which side
of the argument you are on, it is here that we build our case that God is directly (or indirectly) working in the affairs of man and in this case, hardening Pharaoh's heart so that he will not let the Hebrews go. The emphasis here
should be placed on what Pharaoh would have done if God hadn't hardened his heart? If hardening leads to Pharaoh not letting the people go, a lack of hardening would obviously have led to Pharaoh letting the people go. Correct? One
more time...if hardening led to Pharaoh not letting the people go, a lack of hardening means he would have let the people go--otherwise why did God harden his heart? Many argue that God knew Pharaoh would harden his
own heart and so God hardened it. First of all, it is absolutely true God new Pharaoh would harden his heart, but it makes no sense to say that is why God did it. Think about it, if Pharaoh was going to harden his own heart anyway,
God had no reason to harden it. Am I wrong in this? Am I missing something? It only stands to reason that God had no reason to intervene if Pharaoh was going to act in such a way as to naturally fulfill God's will
here. It's obvious that this "hardening" was necessary. Please don't make the mistake of allowing your feelings to get in the way of the facts. It seems unfair that God would do such a thing, but we must
trust God's Word even if we can't comprehend God's motives. So we see in this Antinomy that God is clearly guiding Pharaoh's actions, but Pharaoh is still choosing the action. Hmmm...Okay, lets proceed. Exodus 7:3-And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and multiply My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt. Nothing new here...lets continue.
Exodus 7:13- And Pharaoh's heart grew hard, and he did not heed them, as the LORD had said. The last five words AS THE LORD HAD SAID, are crucial to this discussion. Hold that thought... Exodus 8:15-But when
Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart and did not heed them, as the LORD had said. It is here, three verses into the hardening of Pharaoh's heart that we get the first mention of Pharaoh hardening his own
heart and even this verse finishes with those five important words we see in 7:13, AS THE LORD HAD SAID. This should not go unnoticed. What exactly did the Lord say? Read the first mention of this again and we see that He had told
Moses that He would harden Pharaoh's heart. So when we see Pharaoh hardening his own heart and the text reminding us what God said He would do, we see the Antinomy coming to life. Exciting! Here's the next two:
Exodus 8:19- Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, "This is the finger of God." But Pharaoh's heart grew hard, and he did not heed them, just as the LORD had said. Exodus 8 : 32- But Pharaoh hardened his heart at this
time also; neither would he let the people go. Also see Exodus 9:7, 12. Exodus 9:16-But indeed for this purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be
declared in all the earth.
This verse is repeated again by the Apostle Paul in Romans 9. Does this mean God raised Pharaoh up for this purpose? Look at the verse again and study it in the context of Romans 9 as well. Clearly that is what the scripture says!
See also Exodus 9:34-35 and 10:1. Now we come to a responsibility or free will side of this discussion. Exodus 10:16- Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron in haste, and said, "I have
sinned against the LORD your God and against you. Did Pharaoh sin? Yes he did. Is he responsible for this sin? Yes, he most certainly is. Did God Harden Pharaoh's heart which led to this sin? Most certainly He
did. Can I explain to you how this works? Absolutely not! But nevertheless, it says what it says. Who on earth could of made up such a thing? Also see 10: 20, 27, 11: 9-10, 14: 4-5, 8, and 17. Pay attention to 14:17
particularly as we see God not only hardening Pharaoh's heart, but the rest of the Egyptians as well. There are perhaps many ways someone can speculate on just how God hardened Pharaoh's heart, but this isn't necessarily the
issue. The point is, that God hardened his heart.We see His control in the affairs of men and at the same time man's responsibility in his own affairs. Since we may never be able to explain this using human reason, we declare it an
Antinomy.
We must rest in the faith that although we don't completely understand something, it doesn't mean it isn't true, and in fact, this lack of understanding raises the complexity of the issue to such a degree, it serves to validate the scriptures.
Remember that Sufficiency of Information is vital and with the lack thereof, its okay to go out on faith and accept the scriptures as written Continuing on through the Old Testament, we'll begin with Numbers 24:19-23. 19 Out of Jacob One shall have dominion,And destroy the remains of the city." 20 Then he looked on Amalek,
and he took up his oracle and said: " Amalek was first among the nations, But shall be last until he perishes." 21 Then he looked on the Kenites, and he took up his oracle and said: "Firm is your dwelling place, And
your nest is set in the rock; 22 Nevertheless Kain shall be burned.How long until Asshur carries you away captive?" 23 Then he took up his oracle and said: "Alas! Who shall live when God does this? You may be
wondering what the big deal is with these passages. Pay close attention to the last verse. What is God going to do? Is He actually going to insure that everything prophesied here is going to come to pass? How could He do such a
thing unless He was in control? These prophecies concerning Amalek and the others came to pass because God directly intervened. Do we think it is any different today? Whether it be terrorism, stock market crashes, Presidential
elections, or any other event in the world, God is still working everything to His will. Can't accept that? I am sure that Amalek and the Kenites didn't like it either, but it didn't change what was to happen to them.
Okay, now that we're warmed up... Deuterononmy 2:30-"But Sihon king of Heshbon would not let us pass through, for the LORD your God hardened his spirit and made his heart obstinate, that He might deliver him into your
hand, as it is this day. Why wouldn't the King of Sihon allow Israel to pass through? Did he make a free-will decision? No doubt he did, but "his will" was under the influence of God. Did the king know
this? Of course not. Just like we make decisions everyday that we are ultimately responsible for, God is always working, so that nothing happens--yes nothing, that is outside His will. As I have said over and over and will repeat
again, I can't explain it, but I believe it, because scripture demands it! Deuteronomy 29:2-4- Now Moses called all Israel and said to them: "You have seen all that the LORD did before your eyes in the land of
Egypt, to Pharaoh and to all his servants and to all his land—3 the great trials which your eyes have seen, the signs, and those great wonders. 4 Yet the LORD has not given you a heart to perceive and eyes to see and ears to hear,
to this very day. What on earth is that in verse 4? Who gives perception and understanding? What if the Lord never gave anyone perception and understanding? It is obvious that man can only act on what God gives
him. Still don't believe it? Okay, how about another one? Deuteronomy 30:6-And the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the LORD your God with all your heart and with
all your soul, that you may live. "Free will" is a great thing when its not free. Thank God it is He who does the "circumcising" of the heart, not leaving us to ourselves. The only "free
will" outside of God is the will to sin, sin, sin. Until a person gets this, they'll never completely understand the amazing free grace of Christ. Now we'll move our discussion to 1st Kings 22:19-23-Then
Micaiah said, "Therefore hear the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing by, on His right hand and on His left. 20 And the LORD said, 'Who will persuade Ahab to go up, that
he may fall at Ramoth Gilead?' So one spoke in this manner, and another spoke in that manner. 21 Then a spirit came forward and stood before the LORD, and said, 'I will persuade him.' 22 The LORD said to him, 'In what way?' So he
said, 'I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.' And the LORD said, 'You shall persuade him, and also prevail. Go out and do so.' 23 Therefore look! The LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all
these prophets of yours, and the LORD has declared disaster against you." Here we see God sending a lying spirit in the mouths of false prophets to deceive the king.Only Micaiah had the true message. Is it
fair to say that this shows God indirectly leading men in the direction He wants them to go? How did the prophets know it was lying spirit? They didn't! People are all the time saying God wouldn't do this or God wouldn't do that,
but they say these things based on feelings rather than what scripture teaches us about God. This is why "scripture alone" is so important and is paramount to determining sound doctrine. Now we come to one
of my favorites. We'll look at three parallel verses that are all talking about the same event. First we see Chronicles 21:1 where satan provokes David to number Israel. Then in verse 17, we see David taking responsibility, and
later in 2nd Samuel 24:1, we see that it is God who moves David to number Israel. 1) (satan provokes David) 1st Chronicles 21:1- Now Satan stood up against Israel, and moved David to number Israel.
2) (David sins (he is responsible) for numbering Israel)- 1st Chronicles 21:17-And David said to God, "Was it not I who commanded the people to be numbered? I am the one who has sinned and done evil indeed; but these sheep,
what have they done? Let Your hand, I pray, O LORD my God, be against me and my father's house, but not against Your people that they should be plagued." 3) (God moves David to number Israel)-2nd Samuel
24:1-Again the anger of the LORD was aroused against Israel, and He moved David against them to say, "Go, number Israel and Judah." Wow! Can you see why this is a favorite? We have three instances of the
same event and seemingly, a triple contradiction! Yet, it is clear using scripture to interpret scripture that the logical path would lead us to believe that God used satan to convince David to number Israel, so that God could
punish Israel. Satan gets what he wants, David is held accountable for his sin, and God is behind the whole thing to fulfill His will toward Israel. Sounds crazy, but we see this pattern in other scriptures as well. Think about
when satan went after Job...can you see the parallel? Or think about when satan sifted Peter like wheat? Again, we see God doing His will, using satan to accomplish it (to his own demise) and teaching His people a lesson. Did David
learn anything from this event? Did Job come out better after his testing? How about Peter...didn't he come out of his testing a much stronger man? It is clear that God works in the affairs of men to achieve his will.
Much of scripture has to be interpreted as an Antinomy , and when we can't figure it all out, it's okay to use the Sufficiency of Information to simply rest on faith. For those of you who think you're going to figure
it all out, I feel for you, because it's not going to happen. For those who think they already figured it out, they must do so at the expense of choosing one side of this argument over the other, and thus, false doctrine is bound
to creep in. Rest in the scriptures my friend, it will point you to faith and to the only One who can free you from your worst enemy...yourself. The book of Job, while difficult with it poetic style, offers us much
insight as it pertains to our discussion. The introduction itself gives us an immediate overview of who is ultimately in control. The Lord is boasting over Job to Satan who has paid Him a visit. Satan believes Job is
only doing well because of the Lord's blessings of wealth and protection, so he challenges the Lord to lift this protection from him. The Lord responds in Chap.1-vrs 12 12Then the LORD said to Satan, "Behold,
all that he has is in your power, only do not put forth your hand on him." So Satan departed from the presence of the LORD. The first thing one must notice is that Satan couldn't do anything unless the Lord
granted the permission. This is vitally important to our theology, as the Christian world today has a false belief that Satan can act independently of God to thwart His will. We see this same scenario play out when Peter denies the
Lord in the gospels. It's important to remember that Satan had to ask permission to "sift Peter like wheat". Had the Lord denied this request, Peter's momentary lapse of faith would have never occurred. It
is no different here with Job. He would have remained under the protection of God if God so wanted. Instead, we see God grant permission for Satan to carry out violent acts upon Job's family and wealth, but Satan is not allowed to
touch Job at this point. The following is Job's response after Satan carries out the first round of calamities: Job Chap. 1-20-22 -20Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head, and he fell
to the ground and worshipped. 21He said,"Naked I came from my mother's womb,And naked I shall return there The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away.Blessed be the name of the LORD." 22Through all this Job did not sin nor
did he blame God. The first thing we notice is that Job rightly understands the Lord is behind his calamities with no regard to Satan (even though we understand Satan's involvement). He does this knowing that God
is in control of all things. Job recognizes that his wealth and power were all from God. In the end, when Job was to pass away, he understood that he would return to God the same way he entered into this world. The key verse is 22.
It says that he sinned not, and he DID NOT blame God. How many well meaning Christians today actually do charge God foolishly when they deny God His sovereignty? When it says he did not blame God, it doesn't mean he didn't believe
God had a part in it. Read the entire text carefully. Job clearly believed it was God who gives and God who takes away. Job's faith rested in the Will of God to do what He wanted. Most of us today have a tendency to blame God when
things go wrong like God doesn't know what He is doing, or we have a tendency to dismiss that God had anything to do with it at all, which is to deny God's sovereign control. The proper response to anything that happens in our life
should be the response that Job had. That is, to recognize that God is the giver and taker of all things and to blame him with wrong doing would be sin, as God is the Potter and we are simply the clay. From the
outside looking in, we know God had no ill will toward Job, but Job had no knowledge outside of FAITH that this was the case. Job had no idea that Satan had came before God and that God had boasted over Job's faith. All Job could
see was what was happening, and for no apparent reason. We must be careful to do the same in our own lives. No one knows why certain things happen in their lives, but we can know that God is in control and rest in this fact. Yes,
it's a very difficult thing to do. The author of this article struggles with this issue on a daily basis, but my lack of faith does not nullify the truth of God. Let's move on to Job 2:3 -The LORD said to Satan,
"Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man fearing God and turning away from evil. And he still holds fast his integrity, although you incited Me against him to
ruin him without cause." Here we see Satan as just a pawn that God used to carry out the actions. God clearly takes the credit for the troubles that have befallen Job when He says, "although you incited
Me against him to ruin him without cause." This is not to take away from Satan's actions, the same way we cannot hold God responsible when we sin, but we mustn't hold one view exclusive of the other. The Antinomy
is alive and well when we read Job. On one hand we clearly see Satan doing what he wants against Job, but on the other hand, God had to allow the action and is ultimately the giver or taker of ALL things. I don't understand it...really I don't, but that doesn't make it untrue. Scripture alone is our best friend when it comes to theology. If we veer to far off the paved road of God's Word, we will eventually always end up in the mud! Remember the
Sufficiency of Information ? It's okay if we don't understand how this all works as God does not give us this information. He gives us enough to see He is in control and we are responsible, but not enough to understand
exactly how this works. We can speculate until the cows come home, but we must be careful. Too much speculation can also lead to the mud. Stick to the paved road my friends. It takes faith, but that is what God wants and that is
what God gives. Next we'll go to Job 2:10-But he said to her, "You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?" In all this Job did not sin
with his lips. Did Job believe God gives man both the good and the bad? You tell me... The key to this verse is that Job DID NOT sin with his lips when he uttered such statements. Must mean they were true. A careful reading of scripture reveals to us that ultimately everything that happens to us is in the hand of God. The martyrs of the past and even those who are being persecuted today can rest in His Providential hand
knowing that nothing can happen if He does not allow it. When we go through the everyday trials and tribulations in life, we should be able to rest in God's care the way Job rested. This doesn't mean that the trials we go through
are going to be easy. Job suffered great loss and even wished that he was never born, but in all that he did, he maintained his faith in God to do with him whatsoever the Lord willed. Psalm 22:9-10- But You are He
who took Me out of the womb;You made Me trust while on My mother's breasts.10 I was cast upon You from birth. From My mother's womb You have been My God. Did the Holy Spirit come upon David in the womb? Did
David really trust while on his mother's breast? If this is to be taken as is, and I think it should be since it has nothing to do with visionary prophecy, David was saved as an infant. Where does free-will play into this? Psalm 44:1-3 (To the Chief Musician. A Contemplation of the sons of Korah.)1 We have heard with our ears, O God,Our fathers have told us, The deeds You did in their days, In days of old:2 You drove out the nations
with Your hand,But them You planted; You afflicted the peoples, and cast them out.3 For they did not gain possession of the land by their own sword, Nor did their own arm save them; But it was Your right hand, Your arm, and the
light of Your countenance, Because You favored them. Is God in control during war? When the Israelites would take a nation by force they would use the sword. Here the psalmist recognizes that without the Lord
being in control, these things could not have happened. If two armies battle, the victory goes to the one that the Lord has chosen for the victory. In this case, the psalmist boast of the Lord's victories for Israel.
Psalm 89:3-4 - "I have made a covenant with My chosen,I have sworn to My servant David:
Psalm 89:27-37 - Also I will make him My firstborn,The highest of the kings of the earth. The previous two sections of scripture point us toward the New Covenant and the fact it is unconditional and eternal. Here we see that those who are in David will fail and fall away and God
will indeed punish them, but they are nevertheless still under the covenant. This is important as we study the hand of God in the workings of man because it shows salvation has nothing to do with us. If it had anything to do with
our works, the sons of David would have forfeited the covenant long ago. Proverbs 16:4,9,33-4 The LORD has made all for Himself, Yes, even the wicked for the day of doom. 9 A man's heart plans his way, But the LORD directs
his steps. 33 The lot is cast into the lap, But its every decision is from the LORD. Here we see God's sovereignty and man's plans work together, but it is a mystery of how this happens. God is involved in the
most simplest of acts, even the casting of a lot. If you flip a quarter and it comes up heads, it was predestined to do so. Don't believe it? Read these verses again.
Proverbs 20:24- A man's steps are of the LORD; How then can a man understand his own way? Is God involved in everything? Proverbs 21:1 -The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD,Like the rivers of water;
Okay, probably one of the best scriptures concerning the clear Providential control of God. It means what it says and it says what it means. Does this mean God controls all
things? Yep! Ecclesiastes 7:14- In the day of prosperity be joyful, But in the day of adversity consider: Ecclesiastes 9:1- For I considered all this in my heart, so that I could declare it all: that the righteous and the wise and their works are in the hand of God. People know neither love nor hatred by anything they see
before them. Isaiah 1:9- Unless the LORD of hosts Had left to us a very small remnant, We would have become like Sodom, We would have been made like Gomorrah. Here we see God is in control of the
remnant. If this was left to Israel they would have perished. Does this not teach the workings of the Lord are in all things--including the preserving of those that are His? Isaiah 13:17- " Behold, I will stir up the
Medes against them, Who will not regard silver; And as for gold, they will not delight in it. Yet another verse showing the invisible hand of God in the workings of nations.
Isaiah 19:13-14- The princes of Zoan have become fools; The princes of Noph are deceived; Look at verse 14...the Lord has mingled a perverse spirit...again we see the Lord's hand on the nations for both good and bad.
Isaiah 29:9-24- Pause and wonder! Blind yourselves and be blind! How can a will be free if the Lord covers the eyes and heads? If the Lord causes some to sleep in blindness,
wouldn't this be unfair to the free will doctrine? Isaiah 43:21- This people I have formed for Myself; They shall declare My praise. Do I need to even comment on this? It is God who forms people for Himself. Isaiah 44:18-20- They do not know nor understand; For He has shut their eyes, so that they cannot see, And their hearts, so that they cannot understand. 19 And no one considers in his heart, Nor is there knowledge
nor understanding to say, " I have burned half of it in the fire, Seems unfair that the Lord would do
something so someone could not see the silliness of their idol worship. If the Lord didn't shut their eyes and their hearts would they be able to see? This is tough doctrine, hard to reconcile with the common teaching that everyone
has a free will that God leaves alone isn't it? Isaiah 46:3- " Listen to Me, O house of Jacob,And all the remnant of the house of Israel, Who have been upheld by Me from birth, Who have been carried from the
womb: 4 Even to your old age, I am He, And even to gray hairs I will carry you!I have made, and I will bear; The salvation experience is recognized by us in time, but
God says His remnant are upheld by Him from birth and that it is the Lord who will carry them through. Isaiah 46:9-10- Remember the former things of old, For I am God, and there is no other; Nothing
happens by accident...Really! The doctrine that the world is just chumming along and man is making his own path is simply not scriptural. Isaiah 63:1- O LORD, why have You made us stray from Your ways, And hardened
our heart from Your fear? Return for Your servants' sake, The tribes of Your inheritance. Funny thing blaming the Lord for your own downfalls isn't it? It seems Isaiah was either crazy or a Calvinist! He He! Jeremiah 1:5 -" Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations."
Wow, powerful verse! Sounds like Jeremiah was predestined... Jeremiah 10:23-I know, O LORD, that a man's way is not in himself,Nor is it in a man who walks to direct his steps. 18:4-But the vessel that he was
making of clay was spoiled in the hand of the potter; so he remade it into another vessel, as it pleased the potter to make. 5Then the word of the LORD came to me saying, 6"Can I not, O house of Israel, deal with you as this
potter does?" declares the LORD. "Behold, like the clay in the potter's hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel. God does what He wills...we are simply the clay. 24:6-'For I will set My eyes on them for
good, and I will bring them again to this land; and I will build them up and not overthrow them, and I will plant them and not pluck them up. 7'I will give them a heart to know Me, for I am the LORD; and they will be My people, and
I will be their God, for they will return to Me with their whole heart. 50:20-In those days and at that time,' declares the LORD, 'search will be made for the iniquity of Israel, but there will be none; and for the sins of
Judah, but they will not be found; for I will pardon those whom I leave as a remnant.' Once again we see God showing mercy to whom He wills. Here we see the remnant being pardoned. This is the same remnant the Apostle Paul
refers to in his letter to the Romans. Ezekial 34:11-For thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out. 12"As a shepherd cares for his herd in the day when he is among his
scattered sheep, so I will care for My sheep and will deliver them from all the places to which they were scattered on a cloudy and gloomy day.
See also 36:22-38, 37:1-28 (these prophecies point to the new covenant and the true Israel-the church.) Daniel 1:9-Now God granted Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the commander of the officials,
God granted the favor--How could He do that with out violating the will of man? 2:21"It is He who changes the times and the epochs;He removes kings and establishes kings;He gives wisdom to wise menAnd knowledge to men of
understanding. 22"It is He who reveals the profound and hidden things;He knows what is in the darkness,And the light dwells with Him. 23"To You, O God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise,For You have given me wisdom
and power;Even now You have made known to me what we requested of You,For You have made known to us the king's matter." See also 4:30-35 ( great lesson on God's Providence in the making and removing of kings and nations)
Amos 3:6-If a trumpet is blown in a city will not the people tremble?If a calamity occurs in a city has not the LORD done it? Interesting...Hmmm 4:13For behold, He who forms mountains and creates the wind And
declares to man what are His thoughts,He who makes dawn into darkness And treads on the high places of the earth,The LORD God of hosts is His name. Zechariah 13:6-"And one will say to him, 'What are these wounds between
your arms?' Then he will say, 'Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.' 7"Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd,And against the man, My Associate,"Declares the LORD of hosts "Strike the Shepherd that
the sheep may be scattered;And I will turn My hand against the little ones. 8"It will come about in all the land,"Declares the LORD,"That two parts in it will be cut off and perish;But the third will be left in it.
9"And I will bring the third part through the fire,Refine them as silver is refined,And test them as gold is tested They will call on My name,And I will answer them;I will say, 'They are My people,'And they will say, 'The LORD
is my God.'"
4 'Your seed I will establish forever, And build up your throne to all generations.'"Selah
28 My mercy I will keep for him forever,And My covenant shall stand firm with him.
29 His seed also I will make to endure forever,And his throne as the days of heaven.
30 "If his sons forsake My law And do not walk in My judgments,31 If they break My statutes And do not keep My commandments,32 Then I
will punish their transgression with the rod,And their iniquity with stripes.33 Nevertheless My lovingkindness I will not utterly take from him,Nor allow My faithfulness to fail.34 My covenant I will not break,Nor alter the word
that has gone out of My lips.35 Once I have sworn by My holiness;I will not lie to David:36 His seed shall endure forever,And his throne as the sun before Me;37 It shall be established forever like the moon,Even like the faithful
witness in the sky." Selah
He turns it wherever He wishes.
Surely God has appointed the one as well as the other, So that man can find out nothing that will come after him.
They have also deluded Egypt, Those who are the mainstay of its tribes.
14 The LORD has mingled a perverse spirit in her midst; And
they have caused Egypt to err in all her work, As a drunken man staggers in his vomit.
They are drunk, but not with wine; They stagger, but not with intoxicating drink.
10 For the LORD has poured out on you The spirit of deep
sleep, And has closed your eyes, namely, the prophets; And He has covered your heads, namely, the seers
Yes, I have also baked bread on its coals; I have roasted meat and eaten it;And shall I make the rest of it an abomination? Shall I fall down before a block
of wood?" 20 He feeds on ashes;
A deceived heart has turned him aside; And he cannot deliver his soul, Nor say, "Is there not a lie in my right hand?"
Even I will carry, and will deliver you.
I am God, and there is none like Me, 10 Declaring the end from the beginning,
And from ancient times things that are not yet done, Saying, 'My counsel shall stand,
And I will do all My pleasure,'