Good morning and welcome to our
study of the book of Ezra. We look forward to this continued
study. We're going to be in the seventh
chapter of the book of Ezra. We went through the eighth chapter
because it talks about the folks that went over from in the second
wave, in the second group of people that went from Babylon
to Jerusalem. And we're going to step back
into chapter seven where we left off And here we have a copy of
the letter that the King Artaxerxes gave unto Ezra. That's in Ezra
chapter 7 verse 11. Now this is the copy of the letter
that the King Ahasuerus, excuse me, Artaxerxes gave unto Ezra,
the priest, the scribe, even a scribe of the words of the
commandments of the Lord and of his statutes to Israel. Artaxerxes
king of kings Now that's in his estimation. We know who's the
true king of kings is the one who rolls out rules overall In
fact, that's what we're going to be dealing with and our message
this morning Artaxerxes king of kings unto Ezra the priest
scribe of the law of the God of heaven perfect peace and at
such a time I make a decree I Make a commandment I command that
all they of the people of Israel and of his priests and Levites
in my realm, which are minded of their own free will to go
up to Jerusalem, go with thee." We're going to stop there and
just deal with some of the thoughts that are found here and in verse
13 of this chapter. We do notice that this is a copy
of a letter, it was a scroll that was written, no doubt dictated,
and the king set his seal upon it, and this is the way that
the second group of people were able to go back to Jerusalem.
We've mentioned in the past why didn't these folks go back the
first time, and we probably would find out that some of them weren't
born yet, some of them whose hearts were not ready, who God
had not touched, just like it is today when the gospel goes
out. There are some that are touched,
and then years later there are some others that are touched.
Well, in this letter there's the word decree, a command. I have I make a decree, I make
a command that all they of the people... Now, an absolute monarch
are recorded as making a decree a number of times in the scriptures.
This man is not the first man to do that. Most of what we find
where these things happen are almost contemporaries. For if
you turn with me over to the book of Esther, in the book of
Esther chapter one, there is a decree that goes out It is
at the suggestion of some counselors and it is found in Esther chapter
1 and verse 19. A divine absolute monarch. In Europe we find that they call
themselves the divine right kings. They were in the stead of God
and over here in the Old Testament some of these folks thought that
they were God. And here in the book of Esther chapter 1 verse
19, if it pleased the king let their go a royal commandment. Now these counselors are talking
to the king and here we have the word royal commandment or
royal decree from him and let it be written among the laws
of the Persians and the Medes. Now it's interesting among these
folks that they had a ruling that went along with their decrees,
went along with their commandments, that it be not altered. So once the king had spoken it
there was no alteration to it, it had to be carried out. that
Vashti come no more before the king Ahasuerus, and let the king
give her royal estate unto another that is better than she." Now
there are some problems that develop between this king and
Vashti his wife, but in God's purpose, in God's decree, he
was removing her so that Esther could take her place and as God
had decreed there was going to be another commandment made against
the Jews that they should be destroyed and here it is this
Esther placed in the right place at the right time for such a
time as this by God's decree now it all falls into place as
we follow through here in the book of Esther but let us go
over to the book of Daniel In the book of Daniel chapter 6,
we find another king that is making a decree. Daniel chapter
6 and there in verse 12. Now we encourage you to read
more than just what we're reading this morning, but we're just
going to take the time to read this in the book of Esther and
also in the book of Daniel. Then he came near and spake before
the king concerning the king's decree. Hast thou not signed
a decree? Now this has been in the past,
just previous to this, and they set it up, they recommended,
and he made a decree, and here it goes on. Hast thou not signed
a decree that every man that shall ask a petition of any god
or man within thirty days, save of thee, O king, shall be cast
into the den of lions? The king answered and said, The
thing is true according to the law of the Medes and the Persians,
which altereth not. Now, if we follow this out, we
find that this king wished he could alter it, but he couldn't
because the decree had been made. There is another decree that's
found over in the book of Luke. New Testament, book of Luke,
chapter 1 of the book of Luke. Go over there with me as another
very powerful individual makes a decree. Now, we will find out
as we study the Bible that these people could not make a decree
unless it was already a decree by Almighty God. We find this
particularly when we have the words about the trial of the
Lord Jesus. Now, believers see here that
Jesus Christ is not on trial. It is really Pilate that is on
trial. And he makes a comment and says that he, don't you know
that I have power to crucify you or I have power to let you
go? And the Lord Jesus' comment as King of kings and Lord of
lords, as God with us, Emmanuel, said, you have no power over
me, but such is given unto you. And so that's the way with the
king that we found in the book of Ezra. in the book of Esther,
in the book of Daniel. They had no power except what
was given them and they made those decrees as it fell out
according to the great decree of God. Here in the book of Luke
chapter 2 and verse 1 we have another decree that was sent
out. It came to pass in those days
there went out a decree, a command. from Caesar Augustus that all
the known world, his world at that time, should be enrolled
for taxation, should be taxed. So we have these absolute monarchs,
these Caesars, declaring what they believe needs to be done,
and they do it, and their words are basically unalterable. And
when we come to the study of God and his decree, View of the
decree of God and we're going to use that decree because everything
else falls under it God didn't have various decrees. He has
one mind. He has one purpose. He has one
goal He has one interest and that falls under that word decree
his sovereign decree the sovereign decree of God. How we view that
is really our measure of God. Is He the Lord God Almighty? When we study the decree of God,
is He truly the Lord God Almighty that can decree and carry it
out? or is he just the Lord God? A little bit less, he's trying
the best or whatever, or is he just a God with small letters? When we use the term God's decree,
do we mean he without exception for ordained whatsoever is done
in time before the foundation of the world? In other words,
did he state in his mind and as it were law Did He state all
the things that would take place in eternity that would be carried
out in time? Well, it doesn't take us very
long in studying the Bible that we have to agree with that. But
our view of God is really our measure of what He decrees. Or, I can say, our view of His
decree is our measure of God. Is he trying to do his foreordering
plan? I met a young preacher recently,
and I asked him where he heard the gospel or how he heard the
gospel. And he told me that he was attending
a gospel church. He hadn't been paying much attention.
And the pastor was gone one Sunday, and another pastor came in to
fill in. And he was a tall man, a large man with a very clear,
distinct voice. the first words out of his mouth
is God trying and this young man said that those words smacked
him right between the eyes God trying and then he said this
preacher said God doesn't try to do anything God does as he
pleases well, it started him on the Thinking and as the word
came to him the Lord revealed Christ to him gave him the gospel
and And it was a pleasure to rejoice with Him in that. But
God is not trying to do anything. Now, if we have that view of
Him, and we say He's trying to do His will, or He's foreordained
will, or He's trying to work with men, He's not getting the
job done very well, that's really our view or our measure of God. Is he a God that would not foreordain
what has happened in the world? There are those who don't know
the Bible, don't know the gospel, don't know the Christ of the
Bible, that they have this idea that God's just trying to keep
up. The Bible declares the Lord God
Almighty, the Lord of hosts or Lord of armies. Mentioned when
we were going through or starting the book of Zechariah that in
that book alone this name of the Lord Lord God or excuse me,
Lord of Hosts. This name is mentioned over 50
times in that book, and it's mentioned many, many times in
the Old Testament, and we run into it constantly, and it is
a constant reminder to us that He is the Lord Almighty. He is the Lord of Hosts, or Lord
of Armies. He doeth His will in the armies
of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth, and none can stay
His hand or say, What doest thou? the Lord God that purposed all
things after the counsel of His own will. This is the God of
the Bible. Now we get into real problems
when we try to apply human logic to anything. We can apply it
to mechanics, we can apply it to carpentry, we can apply it
to other different Things that happen in this world, but when
we start to apply human logic to the Bible, we're going to
fall We're going to well, we're not on thin ice We're just not
on any ice because human logic will not agree with God it takes
the Spirit of God Revealing the Word of God to his people for
us to even grasp a thought of it and believe it he gives us
the ability to believe what he has to say about himself and
We often respond as the disciples during the ministry of the Lord
Jesus when confronted with a hard issue. Can this be of God? Well, turn with me, if you would,
to the book of John, chapter 9, and we find point, issue and
point, right here, John, chapter 9, beginning with verse 1. Now, the Lord is traveling his
public ministry upon this earth and every step he takes is predetermined. He is not going anywhere that
he has not purpose to go. He will not meet anybody that
he has not purpose to meet. He will not call anybody that
he has not purpose to call. And here in this passage of scripture
we find thought about how the disciples looked at something
from human logic and how the Lord fills in and says this is
of God in verse 1 it says as Jesus passed by he saw a man
which was blind from his birth and his disciples using human
logic ask I filled that in for you ask him saying master who
did sin this man or his parents that he was born blind and Human
logic will always come to the wrong conclusion about spiritual
things. We just can't help it. Our human logic is affected by
our will, and our will and our heart is deceitful above all
things and desperately wicked. Who can know it? So, if you use
human logic to deal with things that are in the Bible, you'll
come up short. We need the Spirit. It is the
Spirit that reveals the spiritual things of God. Jesus answered
here in verse three, neither hath this man sin nor his parents. Now he's not saying that this
man has never committed a sin, and he's never saying that his
parents never committed a sin, but he is saying that there was
no particular sin that these people did that caused this affliction,
but that the works of God should be made manifest in him. This
is the driving force of God's eternal purpose, that people
might see the works of God, and should be made manifest in Him.
God is going to heal this man. The Lord Jesus, Emmanuel, God
with us, is going to heal this man. And He's doing it on purpose,
and it's not because there was some problem that one of characters
here committed, but it was done because God was going to receive
the glory in it and the Lord Jesus was going to be at the
right place at the right time to meet this man. I must work
the works of him that sent me while it is day, the night cometh
when no man can work. So he is telling his disciples,
and it's going to be a while before they completely understand
this, In fact, most of their understanding was opened up after
the resurrection. They were saved, they were born
again, but their understanding was darkened as we read there
concerning the two on the road to Emmaus, his own disciples
and so forth. So, after the resurrection, these
things were all cleared up. So, we find that the Bible declares
that the Lord God Almighty, the Lord of hosts, the Lord of armies,
the Lord God that purposed all things after the counsel of His
own will, does that very thing. He worketh all things after the
counsel of His own will. Now, it shares with us in the
Word of God, it is recorded with regard to God as making a decree
that His decree is for His glory and for the blessing of the church.
Much of what we find with regard to the decree of God is for us
to see and learn and hear and glorify God which is in heaven. And we find that is also the
decree of God is for the benefit of the church without God getting
involved that nobody would have ever been saved. We need this
God. We need this almighty God that
gets involved. Now his decree is for his glory
and for the blessing of the church and his decree is absolutely
eternal. It didn't start in time. God
was not caught short with what happened in the Garden of Eden.
He did not need to go to Plan B. He already had it laid out
before the foundation of the world, and we find that He even
had a sacrifice prepared. He had a lamb slain from the
foundation of the world. Would you turn with me over to
the book of 2 Timothy? We're going to be in 2 Timothy
chapter 1, Titus chapter 1, and Ephesians chapter 1, just reading
one verse in each of those books, but let's start here in 2 Timothy.
2 Timothy chapter 1, and there in verse 9 we find out that as
the Word declares, as our heart testifies after we've been born
again, our heart testifies of the fact God has given us that
testimony. He has witnessed to our heart
that everything falls out for the glory of God. Now sometimes
I must be sat down and the Holy Spirit must bring that to me
again. God has the royal prerogative to order as well as appoint things
that are coming and shall come. God has the royal prerogative
to do that. Now God's decree is not human
logic. Human logic said God is unfair. We are meeting today because,
in this Zoom meeting and on Sermon Audio, we're meeting today because
it is not recommended that 10 or more in our county gather
together. Now, I think about that and it
disturbs me because I really love meeting together. And yet,
on the other hand, a thousand or ten thousand may gather for
the destruction of property down in Portland, and they seem to
go away free without anybody having a word disagreeing with
them. Here we are, wanting to meet,
and we are instructed to have ten. There they are, all of them
meeting, and so many of them, and so destructive they are,
and yet nothing happens. Now if we apply human logic to
we'll have a problem. But if we can, by the grace of
God, realize that all things are falling out for the furtherance
of the gospel, all things are falling out because of God. God
has purpose before the foundation of the world. He's decreed before
the foundation of the world, and it will be for the furtherance
of the gospel. There will be the gospel taken
to someone that they would not have heard left to themselves.
As we read here in the book of 2 Timothy chapter 1 and verse
9, who hath saved us, and called us with a holy calling, saved,
past tense, called, past tense, not according to our works, but
according to his own purpose and grace, unmerited favor to
us, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.
Before the world began, we find out that God decreed, its eternal
decree, His decree is for His glory, is for the blessing of
the church, but it is eternal. It is not time, in time. We notice in the Scriptures that
this was done, that the salvation should be really salvation. Not just some word that a preacher
might use, but it is actually that He saves His people from
their sin, as it tells us here in this verse of Scripture. Well,
let's go to Titus now. Let's go over to the book of
Titus. Titus chapter 1 and verse 2. Titus chapter 1. In hope of
eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the
world began. This hope that we have in Christ,
it was set in motion before the foundation of the world in eternity.
As the old preachers would say, old eternity. We can't put our
hands around it. We can't get our mind around
it. And yet, the Bible declares that God decreed before the foundation
of the world, in old eternity, all things that would take place,
those things that humanly, logically, don't seem right. And yet, they're
falling out for the furtherance of the gospel. He is doing exactly
as he purposed to do. In Ephesians chapter one, Ephesians
1, verse 4. Turn there with me. Ephesians
1, verse 4. says, according as He has chosen
us in Him before the foundation of the world. What does this
decree mean to us? It means He will call us. It means He will give us His
grace. It means He has chosen us in
Him before the foundation of the world. And that in that choice
that He made, we should be holy and without blame before Him
in love. Verse five, having predestinated
us, another term for God's great decree, having predestinated
us unto the adoption of children, this purpose of grace, this purpose
of God, this decree of God is for the church's wonderful blessing. It is for God's glory and for
the church's wonderful blessing. We use human logic as we look
out and see things going on, and we just can't see how this
is going to be used. Well, that's the difference between
us and God. God is God, and He has purpose,
and He's not a man like us that He should repent, but He is God.
God's decree is not human logic. It is not human logic. And if
we apply human logic to it, we'll find ourselves up short. So here
it says, Accordingly, as He has chosen us in Him before the foundation
of the world, His decree, His predestination, is eternal before
the foundation of the world. God's decree is unchangeable.
As we find God, He changes not. So is His divine decree. So is
His predestination. So is His purpose of grace. It
is unchangeable. There is a passage of scripture
over in the book of Hebrews chapter 6. I'd ask you to turn over there
with me in Hebrews chapter 6 verse 17. Hebrews chapter 6 and verse
17, wherein God willing more abundantly to show unto the heirs
of promise. Now notice what he's going to
show us here. Hebrews chapter 6 verse 17, God willing more
abundantly to show unto the heirs of promise the immutability of
his counsel, of his purpose, of his grace, of his decree,
of his predestination. He confirmed it by an oath. He
promised He promised. Now God is unchangeable in himself. There is no changeability about
God. There is no shadow of turning. There is just no turning with
God. He's not going to change his
mind. This is brought out over in the book of Numbers. I'd encourage
you to turn over there to the book of Numbers. Now, I also
encourage you to read more than just I'm reading this morning,
but for the lack of time and our subject, We just want to
say a few words here in Numbers chapter 23 and verse 19. Numbers
chapter 23 and verse 19. Now God is not a man that he
should lie. David said in my haste I said
all men are liars. I had a preacher tell me one
time he could have said that just walking away too. Well all
men are liars but God is not a man that he should lie neither
the son of man that he should repent or change his mind or
say, I wish I hadn't done that to Daniel. I wish I hadn't done
that to Vashti. I wish I hadn't done that. I
wish I hadn't done that. But I've already written it down
so it's going to have to be carried out. He doesn't have that. He
is a benevolent Dictator if you please he's a benevolent sovereign.
He is benevolent on his people He cares for them and he's going
to make sure that every last one of them will be found Everyone
will be brought into the fold God is not a man that he should
lie neither the son of man that he should repent Hath he said,
and shall he not do it? Or hath he spoken, and shall
he not make it good? What wonderful words to the ears
of a Christian, what wonderful words to the heart of a Christian
to read these words that are found over here in the writings
of Moses so long ago as Moses wrote by inspiration of the Holy
Spirit and declared that the God that the God that was leading
Israel, the God of creation, the God of predestination, the
God of decree, the God of all, this God, shall, hath he said,
and shall he not do it? Whatever was in the mind of God
before the foundation of the world in old eternity, areas
that I have trouble getting my hands around, whatever he purposed
shall be carried out. And whatever he purposed is being
carried out, and whatever he purposed will be carried out.
And the salvation of God's people are dependent upon it. The eternal
life of God's people are dependent upon it, as we'll soon see. Malachi
chapter 3, that wonderful passage of scripture in the book of Malachi
that shares with us so much. Malachi chapter 3. and there
in verse 6 shares so much about God and again how it stirs the
heart of a believer to be thankful to God for I am the Lord that
word Lord is in capitals all capitals that's the word Jehovah
that's the way the translators of this translation decided to
show that name all capital letters I change not what a wonderful
statement is made here I change not all the other gods of humanity
have changed. They are influenced by others. The stories of the Roman gods,
the stories of the Greek gods, the stories of all the gods of
human thought, human logic, they all change. They are unstable. They are influenced by other
quote-unquote gods, and here we have the God of heaven that
has decreed all things, for I am the Lord, I change not. And then he shares this with
us, therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. Do we say thank
you Lord? If God should regard iniquity,
who should stand? So we're thankful that He does
not change. Once He has decreed, it will
not be changed. He's not going to say, I wish
I could change my mind. He's not going to do that. He
is a benevolent, loving, caring Father for all His children.
In the book of James, we just mentioned that verse of scripture,
but let's go over there to the book of James chapter 1 and read
this wonderful verse of scripture about the Lord here. James chapter
1 verse 17. James chapter 1 verse 17, every
good gift and every perfect gift is from above. Our righteousness,
our holiness, our salvation, our election, our faith, Our
hope, we could just go down a long list, and they all are from above. They come down from the Father
of lights. God is light, and in Him is no
darkness at all. There is no sin. There is no
possibility of sin. God cannot sin. We're thankful
that we find that in the scriptures. They shall call his name Jesus,
and in another place they shall call his name Immanuel, which
being interpreted as God with us. So he's not going to sin. He's not possible to sin. We're
thankful for that. He says, He comes down from the
Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow
of turning. Not even a twinkle of the wind
upon a leaf of a tree is seen in this God. No changing. He is not dependent upon a pole
that some pollster is taking. He is not dependent upon some
thought or some idea. He is going to carry out all
things after the counsel of His own will, and He is not influenced
by others, he's only going to do what he is pleased to do.
In going back into the Old Testament again, let's go to the book of
the Psalms, Psalm 33. Psalm 33 and there we read in
verse 11, Psalm 33. Psalm 33 and verse 11, The counsel of the Lord standeth
forever. The purpose of the Lord, the
predestination of the Lord, the decree of the Lord standeth forever. the thoughts of his heart to
all generations. He is unchangeable. His very
thoughts are unchangeable. As we look at these thoughts
about the decree of God and we find it's eternal and it's unchangeable. And I want to look at one other
verse here in the book of the Proverbs. Proverbs 19, next book
over. Proverbs 19 verse 21, we have
this recorded, there are many devices in a man's heart, nevertheless
the counsel of the Lord that shall stand. All kinds of ideas,
logic, all these things come up and yet it is the counsel
of the Lord that shall stand. What a blessing it is to the
church to be given the information, the understanding from the Word
of God, from His Holy Spirit, as He reveals it to our heart,
that God changes not, and His decree changes not, and it's
eternal and unchangeable, and it is also absolute. There is no modification. It is set in stone, if you please. I'm just going to use that figure
of speech. It is set in stone. His decree
is absolute. A conditional decree makes a
conditional God, and an absolute decree shares with us the nature
of an absolute God. This whole river of the decree
of God flows from the throne of God. And if we had the ability
of analyzing the water that flows from that throne, putting it
under a spiritual microscope, we would find every drop of it
is pure, number one, and every drop of it is eternal, and every
drop of it is unchangeable. and every drop of it is absolute. There is nothing in that water
that would cause a problem. Now we have in the water we drink,
how many places it's been, water's become polluted because of various
reasons and chemicals that have been added to it. I remember
having a student one time that went swimming in a pond and he
swallowed some water and it ruined his kidneys. Now I don't understand
all that, but that's what he said. He got into some bad water
and it ruined him. And this water that flows from
the throne of God, this decree of God's water, we're going to
use it, this river that flows, there's nothing in it that would
harm God's people. It is so pure, and it is so eternal,
and it is so unchangeable, and it is so absolute. There is nothing
in it but the pure decree of God. This decree This divine
decree is absolute. It is conditioned on nothing
but God. Turn with me, if you would, to
the book of Romans chapter 9. Romans chapter 9, we have those
words over here that were brought out of the Old Testament about
a potter. And this potter, he's talking
about a potter. Nay, but, O man, who art thou
that replyest against God? Using human logic, people will
say God's unfair. Using human logic, someone is
sick. God's unfair. Using human logic,
something happens that we just assumed didn't happen. and God's
unfair. And on and on the list goes.
But when we look at God, when we look at His Word, we find
out that everything redounds to God's glory and for the good
of the Church, for the good of His people, for the good of the
flock of His pasture. Nay, but, O man, who art thou
that replies against God? Shall the thing form say to him
that formed it? Why hast thou made me thus? Shall
I use human logic trying to find out God? No, it will fail every
time. Shall I look into the Word and
find out what the Word has to say about God? That is right. And then, when God is pleased
to reveal the Word to us, He is pleased to reveal that He
does have a purpose He doesn't have to give us the reason for
it, he doesn't have to give us the intricacies of it, but we
just trust him for it. Sometimes he sets us down and
says, this is my decree, don't worry about it. Someone comes
to us and says, my mother is sick and going to die, my friend
is sick, there's a terrible accident. Sometimes we just sit down and
it grates against us about what happened, and God comforts us
by saying, All these things have fallen out for the fervence of
the gospel. Rest in me. Rest in me. Here in verse 21
of the ninth chapter of the book of Romans, hath not the potter
power over the clay? He's absolute of the same lump
to make one vessel unto honor and another unto dishonor. What
if God willing, it's so interesting as we go through the writings
of the apostle Paul, so often, Before the question is brought
up, the Holy Spirit gives Paul the ability to head it off. So,
as not the potter, power over the clay? Well, some of those
people he's writing to are potters. Don't they have the right? I
remember walking into Chuck Cornegy's class at the high school here
in the Dalles and watching those kids run those pottery wheels
and they'd go and go and go and pretty soon one of them would
have a problem and he'd just smash that clay back into a pile
and start over and work and you know they worked it and worked
it. They were the potter and this is the clay and the clay
is not going to tell the potter what to do. Well, hath not the
potter power over the clay? of the same lump to make one
vessel into honor and another into dishonor? What if God willing
to show his wrath and to make his power known, you know this
wrath and his power known is the dessert of every person ever
born in the family of Adam. That's what we deserved. What
if God willing to show his wrath He had the right to show his
wrath. He could have showed his wrath
to everybody, but he chose a people not to show his wrath to. And
he make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels
of wrath. Some vessels of wrath are permitted
to live 50, 60, 70, 80, 90 years as he watches them ruin
the lives of others, as he watches them do such very terrible things,
and then he has the judgment, well, and that he might make
known, verse 23, the riches of his glory and the vessels of
mercy which he hath prepared unto glory. So his divine decree
is absolute. There's vessels of wrath, there's
vessels of glory. Turn with me over to the book
of Isaiah, if you would. Isaiah chapter 14. Isaiah chapter
14 and verse 24. Isaiah chapter 14 and
verse 24. The scriptures share, The Lord of
hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely, as I have thought, so shall it
come to pass. and as I have purposed. so shall
it stand." And the church says, oh my goodness, thank you, Lord.
I needed that verse today. I needed that help today. I needed
that counsel today. As I look around me and say things,
it looks like they're just falling apart at the seams. I need to
know that this is working for your glory, your honor, and your
praise for the good of the church and for the furtherance of the
gospel. Thank you for sharing that with me. And I can sit down
and rest. Surely as I have thought, so
shall it come to pass. So everything that comes to pass
has been the thought of God. And it goes on, and as I have
purposed, so shall it stand. It's not going to be changed.
It's eternal, it's unchangeable, and it is absolute. In the book
of the Psalms again, would you turn there with me? Psalm 115.
Psalm 115. Let's look at this verse together.
Psalm 115 and verse 3. But our God is in the heavens. He hath done whatsoever he hath
pleased. He didn't take anybody into counsel. He just does as he pleases. It's
an eternal purpose. He's carried it out exactly on
time, just as He purposed to meet with Peter, James, and John,
just as He purposed to meet with the woman at the well, just as
He purposed to meet with you. He has purposed all things whatsoever
that happens, and He's carried it out just as He purposed. And then, would you turn with
me again back to the book of Isaiah? Isaiah chapter 64. Let's go back there for just
a moment, or I should say go ahead there to Isaiah chapter
64. Isaiah chapter 64 and there in
verse 8. Isaiah 64 and verse 8. But now,
O Lord, thou art our father, we are the clay, and thou art
our potter, and we all are the work of thy hand. We just are
thankful that God would take time in eternity, and I'm using
words I know don't apply to eternity, but God would take time to consider
what is man that he should consider us? What is a church that he
should consider us? What a group of people that he
should consider us? Fallen, wretched people, children
of Adam without any hope. without any help and without
God in this world that he would apply his grace and mercy to
and lift us out of the plight that we're in. The decrees of
God relate to all future things without exception. Whatever is
done in time is foreordained before time began and that boggles
our mind and a lot of times human logic gets involved and we just
go, oh no, oh no, but. He worketh all things after the
counsel of His own will. The decrees of God are wise.
We have to admit that. The decrees of God are wise.
Wisdom is shown in the selection of the best possible ends and
the fittest means of accomplishing them. It is a wise decree that
God has made. It is going to accomplish the
best possible end for His people. He has the right He has the right,
as God, to say to those on the left hand, depart from me ye
workers of iniquity, I never knew you. But it is of grace,
those on the right hand, he says, welcome into the kingdom that
I have prepared for you from the foundation of the world. The decrees of God are free.
God was alone when He made His decree, and He determined them
by no external cause. He was free to decree or not
to decree, and to decree one thing and not another. He's free
to do that. He's not influenced by us. Oh,
we think about the decree and human logic will bring up his
angry head and go through all kinds of fits about it. But the
church rests in that because it is our salvation is based
upon the decree of God. His decrees are absolute and
unconditional. The execution of them isn't suspended
upon any condition which may or may not be performed. He's
not caught short. When Adam sinned in the Garden
of Eden, God didn't have plan B. It's going according to plan. God is not the author of sin.
He is not a sinner, he cannot sin, but he has used sin to his
advantage. We find that it is because of
sin he sent his only begotten Son into this world, and that
only begotten Son had the sins of all his people imputed to
him God poured out his righteous wrath upon him and and wrapped
him up as a sacrifice on an altar in the Old Testament just oh
the terribleness of that the consumption of that and yet The
Lord Jesus was able to cry out, it is finished, be buried, and
rise again the third day victorious over all that. And all that was
because of God's eternal decree. We're thankful for God's decree.
At times, as I said, I have to be sat down. God's got to instruct
me. and what's going on in this situation
or that situation or someone's health or friend's health or
accident or whatever. I shouldn't even use the word
accident, should I? Whatever happens, God is decreed. So,
the decrees of God. I've just brought up three thoughts
about them. They are eternal. They're unchangeable. And they're
absolute. and that king in the Old Testament
in the book of Ezra tried to mimic God but he couldn't because
we know that he gave a decree because God had already decreed
it. God bless you and we look forward
to the next time we can meet.