The folly of man is demonstrated
in numerous ways, but there is probably no greater manifestation
of this foolishness than when he would presume to be able to
define God's habitation or place limits upon Him who rules in
the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth.
Any man who is acquainted at all with the glory which surrounds
him will place his hand upon his mouth and confess that he
alone dwells in the light to which no man can approach. Job
was brought to this place as the Lord answered him from the
whirlwind. Daniel fell upon his face in
his presence, confessing his corruption. John fell at his
feet as a dead man. The average person has many assumptions
about what they believe God can, should, must, or must not do. Many religious experts develop
great theories and philosophies to explain how that God, according
to them, is limited in many ways by the very creation which sprang
from His hand. They portray God as the purveyor
of what they call good and the vigilant warrior against all
that they would define as evil, much in the same way as the force
was set against the dark side in Star Wars. We would not presume
to be able to explain anything about the true and living God,
but hear him as he describes himself. I am the Lord, and there
is none else. There is no God beside me. I
girded thee, though thou hast not known me. that they may know
from the rising of the sun and from the west that there is none
beside me. I am the Lord and there is none
else. I form the light and create darkness. I make peace and create evil.
I, the Lord, do all these things." His own words speak volumes as
to who he is and what he will do and needs no commentary from
us. Remember the former things of
old. For I am God, and there is none else. I am God, and there
is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from
ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My
counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure, calling a
ravenous bird from the east, the man that executed my counsel
from a far country. Yea, I have spoken it. I will
also bring it to pass. I have purposed it. I will also
do it. We ever stand amazed at the volumes
written by religious men who desire to tell us that he didn't
really mean what he said, and that we have to take man's free
will into account and recognize that even God is stymied by it.
We cannot debate the great learned philosophers, for we are indeed
brutish in our knowledge of the Most High, yet we have been shown
enough that we must bow before him in adoring wonder, while
the wise and prudent explain to us his limitations and the
boundaries which he cannot cross. These wise men will seek to paint
the sovereign creator into a box of their own design and tell
us that God can't hold men accountable if he predestines their actions.
How foolish it is for the potsherds of the earth to presume to tell
other potsherds of the earth what God can and cannot do. According
to what we read in the scripture, He quite readily directs the
wills of men to perform His purpose and then sometimes destroys them
for doing so. Did He not do so with Pharaoh
and Judas? And could either of them have
avoided His destiny? Were not those who crucified
the Lord Jesus acting according to the determinate counsel of
the Lord? God created men to be accountable, just as surely
as He ordains every step they take, either unto life or to
well-deserved death. Who is sufficient to argue against
the Most High, or who would presume to correct Him? One of the first
revelations we have of God is when He said, I, the Lord thy
God, am a jealous God. He forbade men to have other
gods before His face, to make graven images of Him, or to take
His name in vain. He is jealous about His glory,
which is set before men as His name is proclaimed. His name
is His glory. Thus we find that he is pleased
to reveal his name in this latter day which was kept hidden from
the foundation of the world. Wherefore God also hath highly
exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name, that
at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, things in heaven,
and things in earth, and things under the earth, and that every
tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory
of God the Father. If you would like a free transcript
of this broadcast, email us at 4the4 at windstream.net.