PREDESTINATION II. I. Introduction. II. Abraham

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1 PREDESTINATION II. I. Introduction The last time I pointed out difference between predestination and God's intervention into lives of people. By God intervening in human lives He can create conditions for fulfilling His predestined plan of salvation. II. Abraham Today I will demonstrate again on examples what is and what is not predestination. Predestination is by no means God choosing individual people for salvation or damnation, regardless of their relationship to God. Predestination is that God made a plan even before the creation of the world that He would provide the way for salvation of humans from the punishment for their sins. God fulfilled this plan by choosing specific persons for specific roles. For instance God chose Abraham for role of father of physical and spiritual nation of God and gave him important promises pertaining to the plan of salvation. The reason why God choose Abraham was because Abraham believed His promises. Abraham believed God when God told him to leave his country, his kindred, his father's house and go to the land that God would show him (Ge 12:1). He believed God when God told him that he and his wife Sarah would have a child (Ge 18:10). He believed God when God told him that he would be a father of a great nation (Ge 12:2). He believed God when God told him that to his descendants He would give the land of Canaan (Ge 12:7). Again and again Abraham believed God and His promises despite of opposite reality of natural world. Ge 15:4 And behold, the word of the LORD came to him, "This man shall not be your heir; your own son shall be your heir." 5 And he brought him outside and said, "Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them." Then he said to him, "So shall your descendants be." 6 And he believed the LORD; and he reckoned it to him as righteousness. Not only that Abraham believed God's promises, he also obeyed God. Thus he left his country and came to Canaan. Or he went to sacrifice his promised son Isaac (Ge 22:2). To sum it up. Because of his relationship with God, God saved Abraham and used him in His plan of human salvation which God made beforehand. III. Melchizedek Likewise God chose other people, because of their relationship with God, He saved them and used them in His plan of human salvation, though sometimes we are told very little information about them.

2 For instance Melchizedek. He was a king of Peace and priest of God Most High and thus he held higher position then Abraham. Melchizedek came with bread and wine to Abraham, blessed him by God and told him that God gave him victory over his enemies. Abraham gave this messenger of God one tenth of everything he owned. This passage in Ge 14:18-20 and a prophecy about Savior who would be a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek in Ps 110:4 is all we know about Melchizedek from the OT. Because we have God's will revealed in NT, we can easily put Jesus in place of Melchizedek as the King and Priest of God Most High. In bread and wine we can see symbols of Jesus' body and blood sacrificed because of our sins. We understand that in Jesus we are blessed by God and given victory over our spiritual enemy. But Abraham could not know it and neither Melchizedek. From the Bible we do not know what was the reason that God chose Melchizedek for the role of king and priest. We can only deduce that Melchizedek was one of the righteous descendants of Noah who settled in the fertile land of Canaan in southern end of the fertile crescent south of mount Ararat where Noah's ark had landed after the flood. The fact that God had His priest here on the earth even before giving Moses' Law indicates that people who fell away from God because of their sins, needed a mediator between them and God. Although Bible speaks of several priests prior to Moses' Law, only one of them - Melchizedek bears the title the priest of the most high God and a King of Peace. Patriarchs, like Abraham, fulfilled the role of priest in times when God's people were scattered on the Earth, but they did not bear title the priest of the most high God. IV. Beside God choosing people who had relationship with Him to save them and to use them in His plan of human salvation, God also chose people who did not have relationship with Him, intervened in their lives and used them in His plan of human salvation as well. In this process, some of these people turn to God, He saved them and they became part of his people on the Earth, others rejected God and because of that God condemned them. Pharao a) Pharaoh of Egypt in time of exodus is one such example. I will make a detour here to say that God is the one who instituted governing authorities in human societies. Ro 13:1 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. 2 Therefore he who resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of him who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, 4 for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain; he is the servant of God to execute his wrath on the wrongdoer.

3 God is the one who elevates people in ruling positions or removes them from ruling positions: Jer 27: 4 Give them this charge for their masters: 'Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: This is what you shall say to your masters: 5 "It is I who by my great power and my outstretched arm have made the earth, with the men and animals that are on the earth, and I give it to whomever it seems right to me. 6 Now I have given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, my servant, and I have given him also the beasts of the field to serve him. 7 All the nations shall serve him and his son and his grandson, until the time of his own land comes; then many nations and great kings shall make him their slave. 8 "'"But if any nation or kingdom will not serve this Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and put its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, I will punish that nation with the sword, with famine, and with pestilence, says the LORD, until I have consumed it by his hand. Da 4:24 this is the interpretation, O king: It is a decree of the Most High, which has come upon my lord the king, 25 that you shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field; you shall be made to eat grass like an ox, and you shall be wet with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over you, till you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men, and gives it to whom he will. Da 4:27 Therefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to you; break off your sins by practicing righteousness, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed, that there may perhaps be a lengthening of your tranquillity." Da 4:33 Immediately the word was fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar. He was driven from among men, and ate grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven till his hair grew as long as eagles' feathers, and his nails were like birds' claws. 34 At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives for ever; for his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom endures from generation to generation; 36 At the same time my reason returned to me; and for the glory of my kingdom, my majesty and splendor returned to me. My counselors and my lords sought me, and I was established in my kingdom, and still more greatness was added to me. 37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven; for all his works are right and his ways are just; and those who walk in pride he is able to abase. That does not mean that anyone who usurps power is elevated in ruling position, because God chose him. Example of this is Zimri, who conspired and murdered King of Israel and self-appointed himself for the King of Israel. He ruled only 7 days, because God elevated someone else in the position of King of Israel. Now, back to the Pharaoh, God is the one who elevated Pharaoh in the position of the king of Egypt and kept him in this ruling position for a specific purpose, that God may show his power in Pharaoh. Ex 7:2 You shall speak all that I command you; and Aaron your brother shall tell Pharaoh to let the people of Israel go out of his land. 3 But I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and though I multiply my signs and wonders in the land of Egypt,

4 4 Pharaoh will not listen to you; then I will lay my hand upon Egypt and bring forth my hosts, my people the sons of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great acts of judgment. Ex 9:13 And the LORD said unto Moses, Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh, and say unto him, Thus saith the LORD God of the Hebrews, Let my people go, that they may serve me. 14 For I will at this time send all my plagues upon thine heart, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people; that thou mayest know that there is none like me in all the earth. 15 For now I will stretch out my hand, that I may smite thee and thy people with pestilence; and thou shalt be cut off from the earth. 16 And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up, for to shew in thee my power; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth. Does God hardens human hearts? This brings us to an interesting question: Does God harden human hearts? Is this the way how He predestines people's eternal destiny heaven or hell? The answer to this question is: NO. God could show his power in Pharaoh in two ways. The first way would be if Pharaoh who was a ruler of a powerful kingdom and worshiper of pagan gods would humble himself before monotheistic God of slave nation of Israel. The second way would be if Pharaoh rejected the true God of Israel. God gave this choice to Pharaoh when He intervened in Pharaoh's life with His message to let His people go to serve Him or to face terrible consequences. Pharaoh chose to reject God. Then followed the terrible consequences of his choice. God proved to Israelites and to the pagan world the He is the only true God, established Passover, saved Israelites from physical slavery, gave them Moses' Law, led them to the promised land, all of which were parts of fulfilling His plan of human salvation. Because God knew ahead of time that the Pharaoh would reject Him, and that God's intervention in Pharaoh's life with His message to let His people go to serve Him or to face terrible consequences, would become impulse for Pharaoh to reject God, He could tell Moses that He would harden Pharaoh's heart. However it was Pharaoh's free decision and it was possible for him to humble himself before true God of Israel. Ex 8:15 But when Pharaoh saw that there was a respite, he hardened his heart, and would not listen to them; as the LORD had said. One more example to demonstrate that God does not harden human hearts. After king Saul had rejected God of Israel, God rejected Saul, quit protecting him against his enemies and foretold Saul's death. Following after that Saul was wounded by Philistines in a battle, took his own life and died, yet God had an inspired writer of Scriptures to write that it was God who slew Saul: 1Ch 10:3 The battle pressed hard upon Saul, and the archers found him; and he was wounded by the archers. 4 Then Saul said to his armor-bearer, "Draw your sword, and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised come and make sport of me." But his armor-bearer would not; for he feared greatly. Therefore Saul took his own sword, and fell upon it. 5 And when his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell upon his sword, and died. 6 Thus Saul died; he and his three sons and all his house died together. 1Ch 10:13 So Saul died for his unfaithfulness; he was unfaithful to the LORD in that he did not keep

5 the command of the LORD, and also consulted a medium, seeking guidance, 14 and did not seek guidance from the LORD. Therefore the LORD slew him, and turned the kingdom over to David the son of Jesse. God did not harden Pharaoh's hear any more than He slew Saul. God did not predestined Pharaoh for condemnation any more than He predestined Abraham for salvation. Rahab b) Rahab from Jericho in time of conquest is another example of a person who did not have relationship with God. God intervened in her life. In this process, she turned to God, He saved her and she became part of his people on the Earth. Further God used her in His plan of human salvation she is in Jesus' genealogy. V. Conclusion Predestination is not in God choosing individuals for salvation or damnation regardless of their relationship to God. God predestined plan of human salvation through obedient faith, Jesus' sacrifice as the means of the salvation and gospel as the message of salvation for everyone who believes. L April 6, 2014 Last Revision June 8, 2014 Robert Hodanko