The chosing of God, found all over the Old Testament and brought forward into the New Testament to reveal that God also has an Election for the gentiles as well as the Jews. God is an electing God a chosing God that knows the end from the beginning. God's own Son who was slain from the foundation of the earth was manifest in due time, being born in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin put it to death. God did so that he might bring to Himself his chosen people, not a people that chose God as a means to an end, or a people who use God for what they want or what they can get. But a humble people that are born of the Spirit of God, translated into His kingdom as well and have that same kingdom dwelling in them. God is revealing through his word that He is the Electing God, that the whole basis for discipleship stems from Gods calling them to be sons and dwelling in them by his Spirit. As a matter of course God perfects his people and sactifies them through the truth and the empowering Spirit whereby they are able to obey the word of God and live to love and know God. In times past when we were brand new in God's kingdom and just learning the things of God, we did not see the hidden work of God going on behind the scenes. When we were saved we spoke like this...I believed, I trusted, I called upon God, I read the word, I put my faith in Jesus, I accepted, I went forward, I prayed and so on and so on. The great end-all answer to our meeting Christ is "I did something" But when we begin to learn what God has to say about our salvation, we learn that God anonymously drew us to Himself, brought preachers to speak to us, a text or some sermon to convict us, the Spirit of God to open our eyes, and eventually the Spirit regenerated us enabling us to respond to the command to "repent and believe the gospel". We find God is the initiator of our salvation, that God must undertake to make the first move in order for anyone to come to a knowledge of God in Christ. Not everyone believes God can chose, many believe that their salvation rests in their wills, their zeal, their devotion, their obedience, their good works...all of which is to say, they maintain their own salvation. but what say you all? Do you believe God by grace saves and that because He decided to save people without asking their permission? Or must God ask your permission, or everyones permission for that matter, that you hold the ace when it comes to your eternal destiny?Josiahdefender
Election The Chosing Of God
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forgivenWretch
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I am following Jesus Christ, the God who said "you have not chosen me, but I have chosen you", the same Jesus that says"take up your cross and follow me" and the same Jesus that says "all that the father has given me will come to me". The Jesus of scripture the one true God and Savior Jesus Christ. That is who I follow. What say you Christina? I am amazed after reading my initial post you have to ask what religion I am. Do you not recognize orthodoxy? Josiahdefender
Sounds alot more like calvinist doctrine to me always trying to point out they are of the Elect and the chosen
Forgivenwretch:God does not want anyone to perish, so since multitudes do perish, tell me why is God not getting what He wants?Josiahdefender
Josiahdefender that was a GREAT POST...and when a person understands the Sovereignty of God, He sets us free fromthe grips of religion. The redemption of man is the completion of his creation, and depends for its final accomplishment on God and not on the individual.” A statement such as this causes us to reflect on the GREATNESS OF ALMIGHTY GOD. It introduces us to the idea that our Heavenly Father is all-powerful and SOVEREIGN. This would then mean that God is in TOTAL CONTROL of the destiny of the human race. When we recognize THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD, we are set free from the foolish notion that we are responsible "to make ourselves" in the image of God. Many people do not recognize that God is responsible for their creation, redemption, and completion. The result of this is a life of condemnation, frustration, and failure. They place all the emphasis of their Christian walk on their “so-called” free will. In doing this, we absolutely strip God of His power and sovereignty, making His Spirit and His Word of none effect.The scriptures are actually very plain concerning this subject. All we have to do is READ THEM AND BELIEVE THEM! Ephesians 1:11 tells us that God works ALL things after the counsel OF HIS OWN WILL … Ephesians 2:10 tells us that we are God’s workmanship … HOW PLAIN CAN IT BE??? God is the One Who is working on us, FOR WE ARE HIS WORKMANSHIP! Philippians 1:6 tells us ... to be confident of this very thing, that He which has BEGUN a good work in you WILL PERFORM IT until the day of Jesus Christ : … Who started the work? GOD! Who will finish the work? GOD! What work? YOU! YOU ARE GOD’S WORKMANSHIP!!! As well, Hebrews 12:2 states, … looking unto Jesus the AUTHOR and FINISHER of our faith; … Many people do not realize that it is God Who is responsible for authoring and finishing their faith. WHERE IS THERE ANY ROOM FOR MAN TO BOAST? HOW CAN WE TAKE ANY CREDIT FOR THE WORK THAT IS BEING ACCOMPLISHED IN US, FOR WE ARE GOD’S WORKMANSHIP? It must become clear to us that GOD is responsible for, in charge of, and in total control of the creation, redemption, and completion of man ( mankind, the entire human race ). This will result in a race that has been totally and completely conformed to the image of its Creator. It will also result in man having DOMINION over all things ( except for God of course ), for this was the purpose of God from the very beginning ( Genesis 1:26 ). It is God Who has purposed the creation, redemption, and completion of man, AND IT IS GOD WHO WILL BRING IT TO PASS! The only part we play is one of recognizing, believing, and submitting to the very Spirit of God. WE CANNOT DO THE WORK! If we were able to bring this to pass, then why would God have sent His Son to be the Savior of the world? But rest assured, for our final outcome of being made into the image of our Creator depends on God, not the individual. This is good news!-BE CONFIDENT OF THIS VERY THING!- Logabe
Can someone answer this question? If God is in total control, why is the world in such a mess? Peace, Golfjack
Hi there.Deuteronomy 7:22 - And the LORD thy God will put out those nations before thee by little and little: thou mayest not consume them at once, lest the beasts of the field increase upon thee.Deuteronomy 19:1 - When the LORD thy God hath cut off the nations, whose land the LORD thy God giveth thee, and thou succeedest them, and dwellest in their cities, and in their houses;Joshua 23:3 - And ye have seen all that the LORD your God hath done unto all these nations because of you; for the LORD your God is he that hath fought for you.So what I am trying to say is... God is in total control. If there is a nation that hates God, God will put an evil government / king /whatever etc to rule and/or lead that nation that hates God... If a nation that loves God and wants God, God will appoint a godly government / king to rule and/or lead the nation.God will do what He sees fit and not on what we see fit. What we get is not what may or may not want to have. God will allow evil... God can not and will nor take free will away from mankind. Everybody is given a choice.If the majority wants to be godless... then they deserve it. So therefore we in America deserves Obama, even if Christians doesn't want him... Why? Because the majority wants Obama and we deserve it.
My point was that nothing gets done down here on earth until someone asks Him. I believe the devil has dominion here because of Adam's high treason. But you see, this is why we must pray and use our authority over the devil. Peace, Evangelist
True, we should pray and use our authority in the name of Jesus over the Devil. And if you don't mind, could you expand what you mean by Adam's high treason? I have no idea what you are talking about here...Speaking of Satan, he can't do anything, but to tempt us out of God's Will.Blessings
First of all, we see in Gen. 1:26,27 and Ps. 8:6 that Adam was given dominion over all the work of My hands. God did not say, I am going to dominate through you. Therefore, Adam had dominion upon this earth and in this world. He was originally, in a sense, god of this world. But Satan came and lied to Adam. Adam committed high treason and sold out to Satan. THen SAtan became the god of this world. ( 2 Cor. 4:4). Peace, Evangelist
Pardon me, Adam did not exist on the 6th day creation of men. Adam existed after God rested on the 7th day. (Genesis 2:1-2) Even Eve did not exist on Genesis 1:26-28. Adam existed on Genesis 2:7 and Eve existed Genesis 2:22. The people at Genesis 1:26-28 has a completely different job than Adam.Secondly, I never seen Adam saying of wanting to be god of this world. Do you have scripture for that?Blessings
I think there is disagreement here when there really shouldn't be.
Ultimately, God is in control because He is the ultimate authority. Remember Job, Satan was able to do what he was able to do only by the permission of God. Father laid the groundwork and always limited how far he could go. This is where faith comes in, because even when things appear evil or unfair, God is working through it one way or another. One cannot have the fatalistic notion that God does evil to people, but God allows that evil to happen.In a large degree of agreement with your statements, that's why Yeshua set the example in the Lord's prayer to ask for God's will to be done here on the Earth as it is done in heaven. I think you've got the right idea that we have to do our part, and that we're not just to sit back saved and content. Satan is certainly Mammon, and as it says he is the god of this world, but the gods (notice the little g) are subject to the one God, YHVH.
Let's quote the Apostle Paul in his commentabout the problem of creation in Romans 8:19-22, 19 For the earnest expectation of the creation waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.20 For the creation was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected [the same] in hope,21 Because the creation itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. Paul makes it clear that the creation had no choice in being subjected to "futility" and to "slavery to corruption." It was done by the sovereign will of God alone. Futility, vanity, or emptiness describe a path that appears to go nowhere and has no purpose. When Adam sinned, his sin was imputed to all mankind. We all became liable for Adam's sin, and thus we are all mortal, paying for a sin which we did not commit. And not only mankind, but ALL OF CREATION was subjected to this "corruption." Good and evil are children of time, and as such will be swallowed up when time is no more. Since good and evil are defined by the law of God, it is apparent that the law itself as such will also pass away. Jesus made reference to this in Matthew 5:18. 18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. When all is fulfilled at some future time, then and only then will the law pass away. It is yet with us today; but at the end of time, it will pass away along with the concepts of good and evil. Paul told Timothy that the law was not made for the righteous but for the unrighteous, the lawless, the sinners. The law will no longer be needed at the end of time, for all will instinctively obey and glorify God in every way. In fact, this is the ultimate goal of the New Covenant. Good and evil are products of time, not eternity. They deal with questions of defining law, which will pass away when no longer needed. It will be the same with faith, which passes away by "sight." It will be the same with hope, which passes away when its object is realized. Of the great three concepts, only love will transcend time and will last forever (1 Cor. 13:13). We cannot, in this present age, fully understand why God chose to do it this way, but we accept it, because this is the revelation of Scripture. Furthermore, it has been revealed in Scripture that at the end of time, the curses of evil will be abundantly overcompensated by the blessings of good (Romans 8:18). This can only occur if evil is abolished, along with the greatest of evils, the last enemy-death. We are constrained, therefore, to believe that all things will indeed work out for good, not merely for "the called" in the restricted sense, but in the widest sense (Rom. 8:28). It must include all men, for all men were affected by evil at the first. God's liability laws, if nothing else, constrain us to believe this. Otherwise God would be left as eternally unjust, and this we cannot believe. Although good and evil must always be equally existent, this does not mean that they are equal in power. If they were equal in power, then time might never end. Time can only end when evil is totally overcome. There will be no sudden divine rush at the end of the age to snatch the good out of the jaws of a victorious evil. There will never be any doubt as to the outcome of this present conflict. Each age has a progressive revelation and outpouring of the Spirit of God, which will, in the end, enable the good to overcome all evil. When that victory has abolished all evil, then good itself will also cease to exist, for there will no longer be any evil to give meaning to the good. Good itself will be swallowed up in the BETTER covenant (Hebrews 11:40). Universal reconciliation is God's final solution to the tension in creation brought about by the "temporary injustices" which He Himself instituted. The divine law defines the judicial question by insisting that Godtake responsibility for all "injustices" thatHe does or allows to be done. The Biblical account leaves us no alternative but to justify God by universal reconciliation. No other solution is adequate to ease the tension that He imposed upon creation by subjecting all to futility. Only when we recognize this can we resolve the greatest philosophical question ever conceived by man-the origin, purpose, and end of all evil. Logabe
The idea that God cannot do something, or that God is limited in His ability, is fairly common among Christians. Many think that God's ability to act is limited by man's “free will.” People often think that God either cannot override man's will or that He is incapable of making man change his will to conform to the will of God. So what is it that prevents God from saving all mankind? 2 Peter 3:9 says, 9 not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. Thus, if any are lost, it is not because it is the will of God. The Apostle Paul says in 1 Tim. 2:4, 4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. This, too, defines the will of God for all men. The problem is that evil men seem to thwart God's will, and God seems to be powerless to do anything about it. How powerful is God, anyway? The first verse in the Bible establishes that God is the Creator of all things. Most people in the world believe this, but few people understand what this implies. It means that God OWNS all things by right of creation.This is why God told Moses in Lev. 25:23, “The land shall not be sold in perpetuity, for the land is Mine.” In other words, under Bible law, God holds the right of eminent domain. God gave land inheritances to the families of Israel in the old land of Canaan and told them that they did not have the right to sell their property in perpetuity. If they incurred a debt, they could sell it until the Year of Jubilee, which occurred every 49 years (Lev. 25:8). This meant that a family could not lose their inheritance for more than a generation. It ensured that every citizen would have roots in the land. The land belonged to God, so no man had the right to lose it forever. He was only capable, by his own will, to “lose” it temporarily, because that was the extent of his authority.Now consider the fact that God created all men, both good and bad. In fact, He formed man of the dust of the ground (Gen. 2:7). God used building material that He created—and therefore owned. Does this not mean that God owns all men as well as all material things in the universe? God is responsible for all of His creation—even for the bad things that happen. God is ultimately liable for all the evil that has occurred in the world. One cannot blame the devil, because the devil created nothing and owns nothing. One cannot ultimately blame bad men either, because the bad men did not create themselves. In the case of Adam and Eve, whether these are actual people or just prototype human beings, the Bible story makes it clear that God created them. The “tree” of the knowledge of good and evil, however men may interpret the story, provided the temptation, and the “serpent” was the tempter. God created both the tree and the serpent. That means God, in effect, “dug a pit” and left it uncovered. That is, Adam and Eve—like the stupid ox—were given willful opportunity to stay away from the uncovered pit or not. Of course, man “fell” into the pit and died (became mortal).So who is legally liable in the divine court? Well, God is, of course. Adam and Eve did not dig the pit, nor did they create the serpent. They were just too stupid to stay away from the pit. They fell, and they died. God's own law, then, demanded that the Owner of the pit pay fully for the death of the ox (Ex. 21:34). In other words, God set up the law in such a way that He would make Himself liable for the fall of Adam and Eve. Did God know what He was doing? Of course He did. He knew from the beginning that the law would demand that He—the Creator and Owner of all—would have to pay the full penalty for sin. That is why Jesus came to earth to pay the full penalty for sin. First of all, He loved His creation enough to do this (John 3:16). Secondly, He made it mandatory by law that He would have to do this. In that sense, the law was prophetic. It prophesied that God would have to be born as a man in order to be capable of dying for the sin of the world. The final question is this: If God, through Jesus Christ, could redeem all mankind, would he, in fact, do it? This is really a question of how much He loves His creation. If He were an angry God that preferred to destroy the creation, then one might doubt that He really would redeem all of mankind. But the Bible says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have ever-lasting life” (John 3:16). Thus, we see that the law gave Jesus Christ the right of redemption; He had enough “money” and more to pay the full redemption price; and He certainly had the motive to do so. So, yes, God would indeed save all mankind if He could. He is not only capable of doing it, but He has actually done it. What a Plan... Logabe
Being "chosen" brings authority and responsibility. Whenever God sold Israel,
it was because they failed in their responsibility, and God held them accountable.
Israel experienced six distinct captivities in the book of Judges, and each time
they were "sold" into the hands of a different nation.
Being "chosen" is a legal term. It means "the elect." Israel was "elected" by God
to rule the world by the Dominion Mandate of Gen. 1:26. But they were also
"elected" to bring forth fruit by the Fruitfulness Mandate of Gen. 1:28. These two
Mandates--the authority to rule and the responsibility to bring forth fruit (the sons
of God)--constitute the Birthright. Whoever holds the Birthright is "chosen."
When God planted His Israelite Vineyard in Canaan, Israel was the chosen people.
But when God sold them as slaves to the king of Mesopotamia, they lost their
chosen status temporarily, and Mesopotamia became chosen. That is,
Mesopotamia was given the Dominion Mandate, and Israel was subordinated
to the will of the king of Mesopotamia. Likewise, Mesopotamia became
responsible to bring forth the sons of God ("fruit" of the kingdom).
Obviously, Mesopotamia failed, because it was not in the Divine Plan that they
should succeed. Nor was it even the Divine Plan that fleshly Israel should
succeed. Ultimately, all flesh fails to bring forth the sons of God as God
intended from the beginning. But in passing the "chosen" status back and
forth among various nations, God gave each of those nations the opportunity
to prove itself to be incapable of permanently holding the Birthright. None of
them could fulfill its responsibility, though everyone wanted to enjoy its
authority over other nations.
Finally, the northern tribes of Israel were sold to the Assyrians (745-721 B.C.),
and Judah went into a Babylonian captivity a century later (604 B.C.).
The story becomes more complex at this point, because by this point God
had split the tribes into two nations--Israel and Judah. The two Mandates
comprising the Birthright were also divided between the two nations. Judah
had been given the Dominion Mandate (Gen. 49:10), while Joseph had been
given the Fruitfulness Mandate (Gen. 49:22).
After this division between the two Mandates, the Fruitfulness Mandate came
to be known as the Birthright. Hence, the term took on a more limited meaning,
because it no longer included the Dominion Mandate that had been given to
Judah. Hence, we read in 1 Chron. 5:2,
2 "Though Judah prevailed over his brothers, and from him came
the leader, yet the birthright belonged to Joseph."
When the Kingdom was divided (after the death of Solomon), the tribes of
Joseph separated from Judah, causing a further division between the two
Mandates of the original Birthright. Both nations eventually went into captivity,
Israel to Assyria and Judah to Babylon. Hence, the Birthright went to Assyria,
while the Scepter went to Babylon.
From this point on in biblical history, we must follow TWO story lines in
order to obtain the complete picture of the Divine Plan and how God
intends to "repair the breach" and re-unify the two Mandates under one
Head, Jesus Christ.
A big part of the plan is bound up in the fact that Jesus would have to come
TWICE. The first time He came of the tribe of Judah and of the seed of David
in order to secure His claim to the throne. But a second coming is required
in order to secure the Birthright of Joseph. For this reason, Rev. 19:13 says,
"And He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood." This identifies Him with
Joseph, whose robe was dipped in blood (Gen. 37:31).
Coming twice, once through Judah and the second time through Joseph,
is the manner in which the two mandates of the original Birthright are
reunited. And those who become manifested sons of God are the ones
"chosen" to rule with Him.
Logabe
it was because they failed in their responsibility, and God held them accountable.
Israel experienced six distinct captivities in the book of Judges, and each time
they were "sold" into the hands of a different nation.
Being "chosen" is a legal term. It means "the elect." Israel was "elected" by God
to rule the world by the Dominion Mandate of Gen. 1:26. But they were also
"elected" to bring forth fruit by the Fruitfulness Mandate of Gen. 1:28. These two
Mandates--the authority to rule and the responsibility to bring forth fruit (the sons
of God)--constitute the Birthright. Whoever holds the Birthright is "chosen."
When God planted His Israelite Vineyard in Canaan, Israel was the chosen people.
But when God sold them as slaves to the king of Mesopotamia, they lost their
chosen status temporarily, and Mesopotamia became chosen. That is,
Mesopotamia was given the Dominion Mandate, and Israel was subordinated
to the will of the king of Mesopotamia. Likewise, Mesopotamia became
responsible to bring forth the sons of God ("fruit" of the kingdom).
Obviously, Mesopotamia failed, because it was not in the Divine Plan that they
should succeed. Nor was it even the Divine Plan that fleshly Israel should
succeed. Ultimately, all flesh fails to bring forth the sons of God as God
intended from the beginning. But in passing the "chosen" status back and
forth among various nations, God gave each of those nations the opportunity
to prove itself to be incapable of permanently holding the Birthright. None of
them could fulfill its responsibility, though everyone wanted to enjoy its
authority over other nations.
Finally, the northern tribes of Israel were sold to the Assyrians (745-721 B.C.),
and Judah went into a Babylonian captivity a century later (604 B.C.).
The story becomes more complex at this point, because by this point God
had split the tribes into two nations--Israel and Judah. The two Mandates
comprising the Birthright were also divided between the two nations. Judah
had been given the Dominion Mandate (Gen. 49:10), while Joseph had been
given the Fruitfulness Mandate (Gen. 49:22).
After this division between the two Mandates, the Fruitfulness Mandate came
to be known as the Birthright. Hence, the term took on a more limited meaning,
because it no longer included the Dominion Mandate that had been given to
Judah. Hence, we read in 1 Chron. 5:2,
2 "Though Judah prevailed over his brothers, and from him came
the leader, yet the birthright belonged to Joseph."
When the Kingdom was divided (after the death of Solomon), the tribes of
Joseph separated from Judah, causing a further division between the two
Mandates of the original Birthright. Both nations eventually went into captivity,
Israel to Assyria and Judah to Babylon. Hence, the Birthright went to Assyria,
while the Scepter went to Babylon.
From this point on in biblical history, we must follow TWO story lines in
order to obtain the complete picture of the Divine Plan and how God
intends to "repair the breach" and re-unify the two Mandates under one
Head, Jesus Christ.
A big part of the plan is bound up in the fact that Jesus would have to come
TWICE. The first time He came of the tribe of Judah and of the seed of David
in order to secure His claim to the throne. But a second coming is required
in order to secure the Birthright of Joseph. For this reason, Rev. 19:13 says,
"And He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood." This identifies Him with
Joseph, whose robe was dipped in blood (Gen. 37:31).
Coming twice, once through Judah and the second time through Joseph,
is the manner in which the two mandates of the original Birthright are
reunited. And those who become manifested sons of God are the ones
"chosen" to rule with Him.
Logabe
You are correct in that God must make the first move, and He does.
John 1:5-9 ( KJV )
And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.
He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
Light is a metaphor for understanding, it seems that Christ gives understanding to "every" person that comes into the world.
Because God's will is not always done.
Christ's statement, "you have not chosen me, but I have chosen you" was made to the disciples, they were the one that were chosen.
The Birthright includes Authority and Responsibility in equal measures.
It is the Dominion Mandate and the Fruitfulness Mandate. To be "chosen"
(or "elected") means that God gives Authority and with it comes the
responsibility to bring forth the fruits of the Kingdom. This was the main
subject of Jesus' parable in Matt. 21:33-43. God planted a vineyard in
Canaan and then expected Israel to render to Him the fruit of the Kingdom.
The story is complex, because it also involves transfer of authority to other
nations at various times, putting Israel into captivity. Thus, the rise and fall
of nations are explained in terms of God's desire for "fruit," which is the
"fruit of the womb," or the manifestation of the sons of God. This has
always been the divine purpose for the earth, and God will not be satisfied
until this purpose is accomplished in his Chosen ones.
But getting back to the last post...so we can understand how God deals
with the Israelites and with us, so we can learn obedience and qualify for
the 1st Resurrection or as Paul says, " the High Calling".
Israel sinned against God, thus incurring a debt to the law. (All sin is
reckoned as a debt in Scripture.) Israel was unable or unwilling to pay
the debt, so God brought the nation into the Divine Court for judgment.
He found them guilty of idolatry, and because they could not pay, they
were SOLD to slavemasters (in this case, Mesopotamia).
This was according to the law found in Exodus 22:3, "He shall surely
make restitution; if he owns nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft."
In biblical law, the one who buys a debtor is a redeemer. In other words,
the debtor comes under the authority of the redeemer and must serve
him according to the number of years mandated by the court. In return,
the redeemer is responsible to pay the debt of the debtor.
It is a good trade-off. The debtor does not have to be put to death for
his inability to pay off the debt, while the redeemer can profit from the
labor of his newly-purchased slave. The downside, of course, is that
the debtor loses his freedom, and on the other side, the redeemer
becomes responsible for the debt.
In the case of Israel as a nation, the prophets speak of this situation
in terms of God planting a vineyard in the land of Canaan, and the
people were responsible to bring forth fruit unto God. This is the
parable of the vineyard in Isaiah 5 and again in Matthew 21:33-43.
This parable shows us that God expected Israel to bring forth the
fruits of the Kingdom. However, they failed in this responsibility,
refusing to render to God the fruits of His labor. This became a
"debt" to the law, and under those circumstances God "sold"
Israel to the king of Mesopotamia for eight years.
This "sale" was a merciful act of God, for on a legal level it temporarily
relieved Israel of her responsibility to pay off the debt that was owed.
It gave time for the nation to repent. It gave them a grace period. Their
responsibility to pay the debt was transferred to Babylon for a time,
and if the debt remained unpaid, the Babylonians were held
accountable--not Israel. After all, Israel was only the slave, and by the
law of authority, Babylon was responsible for the debt.
Of course, we know that Babylon cared nothing about the law. From
their perspective, they had conquered Israel by their own power and
might. They seemed unaware that their conquest made them
accountable to God to bring forth the fruits of the Kingdom. They never
dreamed that divine authority came with a divine responsibility.
After eight years, Israel repented and seemed ready to handle the
responsibility to bring forth the fruits of the kingdom. So when time
ran out for the king of Mesopotamia, God brought judgment upon
him and reversed the captivity. Israel was once again set free and
regained the responsibility that came with being "chosen."
Logabe
It is the Dominion Mandate and the Fruitfulness Mandate. To be "chosen"
(or "elected") means that God gives Authority and with it comes the
responsibility to bring forth the fruits of the Kingdom. This was the main
subject of Jesus' parable in Matt. 21:33-43. God planted a vineyard in
Canaan and then expected Israel to render to Him the fruit of the Kingdom.
The story is complex, because it also involves transfer of authority to other
nations at various times, putting Israel into captivity. Thus, the rise and fall
of nations are explained in terms of God's desire for "fruit," which is the
"fruit of the womb," or the manifestation of the sons of God. This has
always been the divine purpose for the earth, and God will not be satisfied
until this purpose is accomplished in his Chosen ones.
But getting back to the last post...so we can understand how God deals
with the Israelites and with us, so we can learn obedience and qualify for
the 1st Resurrection or as Paul says, " the High Calling".
Israel sinned against God, thus incurring a debt to the law. (All sin is
reckoned as a debt in Scripture.) Israel was unable or unwilling to pay
the debt, so God brought the nation into the Divine Court for judgment.
He found them guilty of idolatry, and because they could not pay, they
were SOLD to slavemasters (in this case, Mesopotamia).
This was according to the law found in Exodus 22:3, "He shall surely
make restitution; if he owns nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft."
In biblical law, the one who buys a debtor is a redeemer. In other words,
the debtor comes under the authority of the redeemer and must serve
him according to the number of years mandated by the court. In return,
the redeemer is responsible to pay the debt of the debtor.
It is a good trade-off. The debtor does not have to be put to death for
his inability to pay off the debt, while the redeemer can profit from the
labor of his newly-purchased slave. The downside, of course, is that
the debtor loses his freedom, and on the other side, the redeemer
becomes responsible for the debt.
In the case of Israel as a nation, the prophets speak of this situation
in terms of God planting a vineyard in the land of Canaan, and the
people were responsible to bring forth fruit unto God. This is the
parable of the vineyard in Isaiah 5 and again in Matthew 21:33-43.
This parable shows us that God expected Israel to bring forth the
fruits of the Kingdom. However, they failed in this responsibility,
refusing to render to God the fruits of His labor. This became a
"debt" to the law, and under those circumstances God "sold"
Israel to the king of Mesopotamia for eight years.
This "sale" was a merciful act of God, for on a legal level it temporarily
relieved Israel of her responsibility to pay off the debt that was owed.
It gave time for the nation to repent. It gave them a grace period. Their
responsibility to pay the debt was transferred to Babylon for a time,
and if the debt remained unpaid, the Babylonians were held
accountable--not Israel. After all, Israel was only the slave, and by the
law of authority, Babylon was responsible for the debt.
Of course, we know that Babylon cared nothing about the law. From
their perspective, they had conquered Israel by their own power and
might. They seemed unaware that their conquest made them
accountable to God to bring forth the fruits of the Kingdom. They never
dreamed that divine authority came with a divine responsibility.
After eight years, Israel repented and seemed ready to handle the
responsibility to bring forth the fruits of the kingdom. So when time
ran out for the king of Mesopotamia, God brought judgment upon
him and reversed the captivity. Israel was once again set free and
regained the responsibility that came with being "chosen."
Logabe
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