in times of adversity it is easy to question if God knows what he is doing, but He always knows what is best for us and what is the best way to bring about that result. Look at Paul's attitude in prison...
Wisdom can be defined as good judgement; the ability to develop the best course of action or the best response to a situation. Human wisdom is fallible - even the wisest men simply do not have all of the facts that God does.
God never has to agonize over a decision - He doesn't have to deliberate with anyone. His wisdom is intuitive, infinite, and infallible: "His understanding has no limit" (Psalm 147:5)
The best possible end of all of God's actions is ultimately His glory. John Piper said: "The chief end of God is to glorify God and enjoy himself forever". For a few supporting verses check out: John 15:8, Romans 1:21, 1 Corinthians 10:31, Ephesians 1:12,14, Revelation 4:11, 5:13, 15:4.
"Everything that is included in the concept of God's glory is a mystery we cannot fully comprehend. But we do know that it involves a display of all His grandeur and His wondrous perfections, including the perfection of His wisdom....The wisdom of God is displayed when He brings good to us and glory to Himself out of confusion and calamity rather than out of plesant times....just as a chess player is displayed more in winning over a capable opponent than a novice"- Bridges
The devil "prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour" (1 Peter 5:8). He wants to sift us like wheat as he did Peter (Luke 22:31) or make us curse God as he tried to get Job to do.
God's wisdom can achieve what it intends by taking hold of things and people which are meant for evil and making them work together for good. "God's infinite wisdom then is displayed in bringing good out of evil, beauty out of ashes. It is displayed in turning all the forces of evil that rage against His children into good for them. But the good that He brings about is often different from the good we envision" - Bridges. "It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees" (Psalm 119:71)
We may admire and even desire the character trait of patience, but we will never learn patience until we have been treated unjustly and learn experimentally to "suffer long" (the meaning of patience).
Usually when we are being trained by someone in a skill, such as athletics or music, our coach or teacher will explain to us the significance/purpose of the drill and we can then endure their difficulty/pain because we know their purpose and intended result. But God never fully explains His purpose. We can often see a purpose once the affliction is over and we see a change in our hearts or lives.
Psalms 10, 22 and 74 begin with the word 'why' ("why did you stand far off?" "Why have you forsaken me?" "Why have you rejected us forever?"). But ALL of them end on a note of trust in God. The did not lament on their 'why's'.
Trying to determine or comprehend for ourselves what God is doing is a futile and untrusting task. Isaiah 55:8-9 says "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."
In Job's final response (42:3) to God (after his adversity) he humbly acknowledges God's unfathomable ways: "You asked, 'who is this that obscures my counsel without knowledge?' Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know"
"There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the Lord" (Proverbs 21:30).
"It should fill us with joy, that infinite wisdom guides the affairs of the world. Many of its events are shrouded in darkness and mystery, and inextricable confusion sometimes seems to reign. Often wickedness prevails, and God seems to have forgotten the creatures that he has made. Our own path through life is dark and devious, and beset with difficulties and dangers. How full of consolation is the doctrine, that infinite wisdom directs every event, brings order out of confusion, and light out of darkness, and, to those who love God, causes all things, whatever be their present aspect and apparent tendency, to work together for good"
You know, if a non-Christian were to read this, or at the very least, an unbeliever in any sort of God, the phrase "The chief end of God is to glorify God and enjoy himself forever" would be a major sticking point. Classic argument of "If God loves us so much blah blah blah, God is just a selfish skyfairy" we've all heard it before.
ReplyDeleteSo I guess what I want to ask is, not to digress from the current series, how do we counterpoint this argument by making God seem 'unselfish,' for lack of a better word? My gut answer would be the sending of his only Son to die for US, but what other OT proof have you found?
Stephen,
ReplyDeleteGreat question AND great answer to your question! You're absolutely right, God glorifying Himself can sound slightly selfish at first glance. But God is THE God. He is the one that makes the rules, that created everything we see (and don't see), and even us. But you've hit the nail on the head with mentioning that God doesn't care at all about us in saying that "while we were still sinners [and sin directly against God], Christ died for us". God could have said: "Ehh, you guys figure out how to be perfect and get yourself to heaven". But he doesn't, he authors an incredible plan where Christ lives that perfect life and then is murdered on the cross in our place. God unselfishly is tortured on a cross so that we don't have to endure eternity in Hell. Yet, in this, Christ/God is glorified when we accept Him. Thus by God's sovereignty in predestining us for His kingdom as co-heirs with Christ before the start of time, we see God working for His glory. Our clean slate before God is because of what HE did for us, not anything that we did. That sounds pretty unselfish if you asked me...
On a side note, sorry I'm not posting as frequently as I'd like...I've been incredibly busy with research (thesis is due in a month and 3 days!)