Saturday, January 25, 2020

The Godhood of God # 6

The Godhood of God # 6

1. The Absolute Godhood of God is Seen in Creation.

With whom did He take counsel in creation? Whom did He consult when He determined the various and manifold arrangements, adjustments, adaptations, relationships, equipments of His myriad creatures? Did He not do everything after the counsel of His own will? Did He not decide that birds should fly in the air, beasts roam the earth, and fish live in the sea?

Did He not decide that there should be vast differences among the creatures of His hand - instead of making everything equal and uniform? Did He not determine to make a revolving world on the one hand - and a floating atom on the other? Did He not determine to create the exalted seraphim to stand before His throne throughout endless ages - and also to make another creature which dies the same hour it is born?

Was He not undisputed Sovereign in all His creative acts? Yes, truly, for the Three Persons of the Godhead were all alone in their solitary majesty. Why should God take counsel? Could man add to His knowledge, or correct His errors? God sovereignly assigned His myriad creatures their various habitations, members, movements - just as it pleased Him. God never consulted man about a single member of His body, or about its size, color, or capacity, instead, "God set the members every one of them in the body, as it has pleased Him" (1 Cor. 12:18). Man is as truly the product of Sovereign creation as any other of God's creatures - sovereign, we say, not arbitrary.

2. The Absolute Godhood of God is Seen in the Administration of His World. God not only created everything, but everything which He created is subject to His immediate control! God rules over the works of His hands. God governs the creatures He has made. God reigns with universal dominion. When He pleased, the sun and moon stood still (Joshua 10:12, 13) - and at a word from Him, the sun went backward ten degrees on the dial of Ahaz (Isaiah 38:8). At His command the Red Sea ceased to flow - and at His command it resumed its normal course (Exodus 14).

In response to the prayer of Elisha, God made iron to float on the top of the water (2 Kings 6:5). Yes, when He pleases, He reverses, He reverses the order of nature, as when the fires of Nebuchadnezzar's furnace did not burn, the hungry lions touched not Daniel, the ravens, which are birds of prey, were made to minister of Elijah.

At a word from Him who made it... a fish carried a coin to Peter, a tree withers suddenly, and the raging tempest becomes calm!

So it is also with men - they, too, are ruled by God! They are ruled by the unseen Hand - often, unknown to themselves.

Little did they know it, yet nevertheless, the sons of Jacob were but performing the good pleasure of Jehovah when they sold Joseph into the hands of the Ishmaelites who carried him down into Egypt.

Little was she aware of it, but when Pharaoh's daughter went to the Nile to bathe, she was being directed by God - directed there to rescue from the waters the babe Moses.

Little did he know it, but in issuing the decree that all the world should be taxed (Luke 2:1) Caesar Augustus was but setting in motion a movement which caused the word and decree of God to be fulfilled.''

Yes, even "The King's heart is in the hand of the Lord; He directs it like a watercourse wherever He pleases!" (Prov. 21:1).

And so it was with satan himself! He, too, is the unwitting and unwilling servant of God. He could not touch Job without first gaining Divine permission. He could not sift the apostles until he gained consent from Christ. At a word from the Lord Jesus, satan "left" Him (Matt. 4:10, 11). Of him, also, God has said: Thus far shall you go and no further!"

Even death, the "king of terrors," that which no arts of man can defy, is absolutely subject to the biding of the Lord.

~A. W. Pink~

(continued with # 7)

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