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Humans are very creative when a situation must be confronted by an explanation of “why this could not happen to us.” Recently, I listened to a discussion based on this premise: “Things happen not because of what you can do but because of who you know.” Thus, something bad cannot happen to “us” because of who “we” are, and “we” know the “right” people.
Humans too often think they even will escape just divine wrath because of who they think themselves to be, or because of who they know.
As an example, consider the confidence of many Christian individuals and congregations who would declare today, “Nothing bad could happen to us American Christians or our American congregations because of who we are. What would God do without us? Who would do . . .?” When people feel indispensable to their perception of God’s purposes, they enter grave peril. God’s resources are never confined to the actions of a single person or a single group.
It is easy to place our confidence in “who we are” and/or “who we know” instead of in God and His purpose.
While time is a huge factor to humans, time is not a factor to God. Remember Numbers 14: 11, 12? In spite of all God invested in getting Abraham’s descendants through Isaac out of Egypt, in spite of what God did in rescuing these people at the Red Sea, and in spite of all God did for these people for almost a year in the wilderness, God was more than willing to began again with one man of faith. To God it was a viable option to begin to construct a nation with Moses.
Israel at their entrance into Canaan the first time (Numbers 13, 14) is an excellent example of the fact that time and investment are meaningless to God in achieving His purpose.
God’s options are never limited to the “group at hand.” God is never forced to do “the best He can with what He has.” God could fulfill His promise to Abraham and accomplish His intent by rejecting these Israelite mourners He first brought to Canaan! Time is of human concern, not of divine concern! God’s options never struggle with the limitations humans confront in the limitations of being physical beings.
It is simply too easy for humans to put their confidence in their imagined worth and to limit God’s choices in His objectives. God is never limited to us no matter what we think of ourselves or what the situation is at the moment. Consider Esther 4:14. Esther’s decision was only if she would serve God’s purpose. She was not God’s only solution. God would act to save His people no matter what she decided.
Consider Amos’ last recorded words to the Kingdom of Israel as Amos closed his prophetic message.
Amos may have said other words not recorded.
First, “My work and purposes involve much more than just you. Because the Kingdom of Israel disappears forever from maps does not mean My intent disappears. Simply because you are gone does not mean that My work (God’s work) is out of options. That truth should be self-evident to you as you look at the nations around you. My purpose is accomplished in spite of the acts of nations. I am always at work. Of all nations, you should understand that.”
God worked through other nations to achieve His objectives. All His work was not done just in Israel.
Second, “Of all people, you should know that I, God, will not tolerate prolonged, unrepentant evil. I know how wicked you have been. I know how long you have been wicked. I know both your rebellion and your refusal to repent that characterize you as a people. You are a sinful kingdom. You have been an unrepentant, sinful kingdom for generations. As God, I declare to you that you will no longer exist as a kingdom.”
The genuine repentance of people has a profound effect on God, and so does people’s refusal to repent. God’s patience in the sinfulness of humans exists because of the divine hope for human repentance to occur. Remember 2 Peter 3:8, 9?
“What I am about to do to you could be compared to a sifting process I will not lose one kernel of grain, but every sinful person will be killed in the violence I am sending. The time of accountability has come for you! I have had enough of your wickedness!”
God has the power to save and destroy in the same act -- and make no mistake doing that!
Third, “I know some will say, ‘This cannot happen! God cannot do this to us! He has forgotten who we are! All we have to do is remind Him of who we are!’”
We often think “who we are” restricts “what God can do” even if we deliberately act wickedly.
“I am not dependent on you! Despite what you think of yourselves, there is more to the descendants of Abraham through Isaac than the Kingdom of Israel. I will take the tattered, seemingly worn out tabernacle based on King David, resurrect it from its ruins, and function through the remnant of those who still belong to Me (those who are not involved in the rebellion and evil. Remember, not all in the Kingdom of Israel were involved in the idolatrous rebellion against God. See 1 Kings 18:3, 4 and 19:18.).
Never am I or “my group” God’s only option. God can and will function with or without us. God always will achieve His objective.
“When I, God, finish restoring what I intend, incredible success will occur. There will be successful days! I, God, promise it! However, you people will not see those days. You people will hardly be a memory when My success comes.”
God will not alter His objective due to the attitudes or behavior of several generations. His people may resort to wickedness, but God will persist and prevail.
(My understanding of God’s intent is this. God’s promise to achieve His intent was announced to Abraham in Genesis 12:3b when God promised a universal blessing to all nations through Abraham’s descendants. [See passages like Acts 3:19-26 and Galatians 3:8, 16.] Jesus was often referred to as “the son of David.” [See passages such as Matthew 1:1, 9:27, 12:23, 15:22, 20:30, 21:9, Mark 10:47, 12:35-37, Luke 18:38, etc.] The intent of God will be accomplished in Jesus’ death, resurrection, and the return of all things to God [see 1 Corinthians 15:20-28].)
(The Bible does not include all the acts of God, but the acts of God that resulted in the crucified, resurrected Jesus and the coming of God’s kingdom. Christians base their existence on the rule of God.)
The choice confronting all in every age: will we with understanding cooperate with God in achieving His intent, will we rebel against God’s intent, or will we see ourselves as God’s intent to the exclusion of all others (thereby granting us the “right” to live as we please)? We can rebel against God’s intent, or we can help God achieve His intent. The Kingdom of Israel made the wrong choice.
Our choice is basically this: will we allow God to use our lives to achieve His intent, or will we use our lives for other purposes?
For Thought and Discussion
1. Humans are very creative when? Give a scriptural example.
We are very creative when we must explain why something could never happen to us. The example is based on a common attitude of American Christians which declares, “God could not do without us.”
2. God’s resources are never confined to what?
God’s resources are never confined to one human or one human group.
3. What is a huge factor to humans but no factor to God?
Time is a huge factor to humans, but no factor to God.
4. God’s options are never limited to what?
God’s options are never limited to “the group at hand.”
5. In Amos’ last recorded words to the Kingdom of Israel
a. What is his first emphasis?
God’s work and purposes involved much more than the Kingdom of Israel.
b. What is his second emphasis? What comparison did Amos make?
God would not tolerate prolonged, unrepentant evil. The illustration was based on the sifting process. The good would be saved; the wicked would be punished.
c. What is his third emphasis?
You will not escape because you think, “This could not happen to us!”
6. Amos told the Kingdom of Israel that God was not what?
God was not dependent on them.
7. When God finished restoring what He intended, what would be the result?
The result would be incredible success.
8. Discuss God’s intent.
God’s intent was to produce the Christ. Thus Jesus’ death, Jesus’ resurrection, and the re-establishment of God as the all in all are the fulfillment of God’s intent.
9. What are the choices confronting people in every age?
Link to Student Guide
Lesson 13
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