DAY 313

IS GOD IN CONTROL?

Jeremiah 46 & 47 and Hebrews 6

Today I hope to talk about two topics—the Old Testament text and the sovereignty of God—both speak to God being in control.

Turning to the Old Testament, we are entering a section of Jeremiah which is largely undated. Chapters 46-51 might be called prophecies concerning the nations. In these six chapters Jeremiah proclaims the future of what will happen to the nations, the nations that were at once instruments of God to punish Israel and Judah—and at the same time nations that did not esteem God.

Nearly every prophet was given words to speak to the nations that surrounded God’s people, and three prophets only prophesy to outside nations (we have not read them yet). The point is that the God of Israel is God of all nations—indeed of the universe.

While I wrote just a moment ago that we do not have dates in the text, because chapter 46 is about the nation of Egypt we can establish the timeframe. The location Carchemish is a famous place. One of the decisive battles of world history was fought there in 605 b.c. Seven years earlier Assyria (you may remember them) was defeated at their capital Nineveh. With this world power dethroned others began to fight it out as to who would be the next super power. Carchemish made the natural confrontation point between Babylon and Egypt. At first, Babylon was fighting elsewhere and Egypt amassed its forces in that location exercising control over Syria and Palestine for some 4 years, but then in 605 the Babylonians arrived and defeated Egypt—and Egypt was never quite the same. This might give you some insight into why Israel and Judah would at times turn to Egypt when they were threatened by both Assyria and then Babylon.

The chapter has a “battle ballad” (3-6) and a “taunt” (7-12). In verses 13-24 we see Egypt waiting for invasion, but Babylon did not do so until 568. In chapter 47 a much shorter prophecy is offered against the Philistines and we have a few scant pieces of world history that can help us with the setting, but the point is the same: God is in control.

God being in control; theologians refer to it as “God’s sovereignty.” Sovereignty—supreme power and authority—God has it and as we read the Old Testament we actually read that “God caused nations and kings to attack, or withdraw, or move on.” Some scholars suggest that this is just how people in days gone by rationalized what was happening. The “calculus” they argue is simple: God is in control of everything, so if something bad is happening, then God must be causing it for a reason…”

We at times think the same way. Some think “God caused the tsunami” or “God caused the tornado” or “God caused the Holocaust.” While I understand that math, I have a different point of view about the One True Living God—the God of steadfast love and mercy. So here is how I process those situations. I take the lead from the Bible. When the Bible says, “God caused "such and such to happen…” I believe that God did. Yet when we read of, or experience something bad, I don’t think we should immediately assume that “God caused it.” Yes God is sovereign, and yes He could move his hand and intervene, but that is different than reading in “God’s Word” that God directed an action. I tend to think that when we read in the Bible that “God directed it” then he did. In all those other occasions, I think we need to be careful about speculating, and certainly not announce, that God directed evil to happen. Bad things, evil, happens most of the time because of us, because of sin—at an individual and societal level. Might God intervene, he might, but sometimes he lets things run their course. I am not sure why, but I believe he has our best in mind which brings me all the way back to Jeremiah. Why did God do two things: both direct the overthrow of his nation AND place a prophet there with the people? I think the answer is so that they would know why, that God was trying to get them to change—

I am not sure how you think about “God’s sovereignty” but I wanted to offer you some food for thought.