FWD: Morning Manna (Sept. 19); BP: Jer. 27; RBTTY: II Cor. 11:16-33;

 
Samuel D. High
sdhigh@aristotle.net

 

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-----Original Message-----
From: Apostle Tom <pressingon@hotmail.com>
Sent: Thu, 18 Sep 2008 05:20:03 -0500
To: <pressingon@hotmail.com>
Subject: Morning Manna (Sept. 19); BP: Jer. 27; RBTTY: II Cor. 11:16-33;
 

September 19                                                                                                                 “When God Uses Evil”

 

“And command them to say unto their masters, ‘Thus says the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel:  Thus shall you say unto your masters—I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are upon the ground, by My great power and by My outstretched Arm and have given it unto whom it seemed meet unto Me.  And now have I given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, My servant—and the beasts of the field have I given him also to serve him’.”

                                                                                                                                                    Jeremiah 27:4-6

     Although He may not “cause” everything that happens, it’s clear He will “use” it for our good and His glory (Rom. 8:28).

     Nebuchadnezzar was an evil king.  There’s no doubt about it.  Also called Nebuchadrezzar in the book of Jeremiah, Nebuchadnezzar ruled the NeoBabylonian Empire from 605 B.C.-562 B.C.  He’s the one who captured Jerusalem, destroyed the Temple and carried the people of Judah into captivity in 586 B.C.

 

     The oldest son of the evil king, Nabopolassar, who founded the dynasty of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar ascended to his father’s throne in 605 B.C. and immediately began his conquest of the surrounding nations.  After serving as one of Babylon’s vassals for three years under Nebuchadnezzar, Judah’s King Jehoiakim decided to throw off their pagan yoke in 602 B.C. and declare their independence.

 

      Needless to say, this didn’t set too well with Nebuchadnezzar.

     He immediately “came up against Jehoakim, bound him with bronze fetters and planned to carry him off to Babylon” (II Chron. 36:6).  But, he changed his mind and, instead, “dragged him through the streets, cast his body out beyond the gates of Jerusalem and buried it with the burial of a donkey” (Jer. 22:19).

 

     Yet, in today’s Manna he’s called “My servant” by the Lord God.

     How can this be, dear Pilgrim?

     Does this mean God resorts to using evil men to accomplishing His will?  Doesn’t that amount to complicity or some type of conspiracy?

 

     No, not at all.

     It simply shows that our omniscient (all-knowing) and omnipotent (all-powerful) God can do what He pleases and use what He will to accomplish His purposes in this world.  Although He didn’t create Judas for the “purpose” of betraying Jesus, He knew in the historical scheme of things that there’d be a deceitful man from the southern city of Kerioth who’d be one of Jesus’ closest followers and would betray Him for a measly 30 pieces of silver.

 

     It wasn’t His omniscience that “caused” it; but it was His omniscience that “used” it.  And, that’s exactly what He did with Nebuchadnezzar.  Sin always has its “wages” (Rom. 6:23a) and it’s up to the Lord to determine what method He’ll use to dispense payment.  That’s why we shouldn’t “despise the chastening of the Lord nor faint when we’re rebuked by Him—for the Lord loves those whom He chastens. . .and chastens us for our profit that we might be partakers of His holiness” (Heb. 12:5-6, 10).