Tag: foreknowledge

The thing that amazes me about God is that he’s never surprised; he’s never caught off guard by the things that happen in this world.

We, on the other hand, are often caught up short by our circumstances, and as a result we often panic.

Sometimes we see God in that way. We think that when God made Adam and Eve in the garden, he had no idea that they would fall, that he panicked, and that he suddenly had to come up with a backup plan.

Or we think that when he chose the Israelites to be his people, he was shocked that they would turn their backs on him so quickly, and that he had to readjust his plans as a result.

But God knew from the beginning the choices Adam and Eve would make. He knew what choices the Israelites would make out in the desert and after they reached the promised land. And based on this knowledge, he built his plan.

I think you can see that clearly in this passage. Here, God scathingly rebukes the Israelites for their sin, saying,

Have you no king? Has your counselor perished, that pain seizes you like that of a woman in labor?

Writhe in agony, O Daughter of Zion, like a woman in labor, for now you must leave the city to camp in the open field. You will go to Babylon… (Micah 4:9–10)

In other words, God was saying, “I should have been your king. I should have been your counselor. But you turned your back on me, and now the people you relied on are gone. All that’s left for you is exile and captivity.”

But God makes clear that even in this, he had a plan for the Israelites, adding,

There you will be rescued. There the Lord will redeem you out of the hands of your enemies. (Micah 4:10)

There’s no sense of panic here or of changed plans.

Rather, God knew what the Israelites would do, and how he would respond. That he would punish his people for their disobedience, but that in his grace and mercy he would bring them back.

Am I saying that our choices don’t matter then? That God’s plan will be accomplished no matter what, so it doesn’t matter what we do?

No. It makes a big difference for us personally.

For when we cooperate with God in his plan, we find his blessing in our lives. But when we fight against his plan, we end up finding only pain and suffering.

The Israelites found that out when they went into exile. And the nations that conquered Israel discovered that soon enough as well. God said of them,

But now many nations are gathered against you. They say, “Let her be defiled, let our eyes gloat over Zion!”

But they do not know the thoughts of the Lord; they do not understand his plan. (Micah 4:11–12)

The nations around didn’t know God’s plan. As a result, they ended up fighting against God’s will and were eventually broken, just as Israel was.

But unlike the remnant of Israelites that repented and were saved, there was no salvation for these nations. They were utterly destroyed.

How about you? Are you seeking God’s will in your life? Are you cooperating with his plan?

When we do so, that’s when we truly find life. When we don’t, we will end up defeated and broken, just like Pharaoh, Babylon, and all the other people and nations that fought against God.

So as Moses once told the Israelites,

Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him.

For the Lord is your life. (Deuteronomy 30:19–20)