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A pair of 4:28’s should prove interesting and encouraging. At least, that is my hope for today’s devotional.

During the ministry of Jeremiah, the Lord specifically and explicitly called Israel to account. On several occasions He told His chosen nation of the doom that waited if they did not change their ways. However, at some point even the patience of God is stretched beyond that which He is willing to allow. That certainly occurred at the flood and has occurred at other times. We cite now the first 4:28 as an example. “For thus says the LORD: ‘The whole land shall be desolate; Yet I will not make a full end. For this shall the earth mourn, And the heavens above be black, Because I have spoken. I have purposed and will not relent, Nor will I turn back from it.” (Jeremiah 4.27-28). Note the last expressions in the text: “I have purposed and will not relent, nor will I turn back from it.” The it from which He would not turn back was the promised destruction of the nation that His hand had protected for centuries. Yet, in spite of His displeasure with them, He said, “I will not make a full end!” Although the destruction would be extremely broad ranging, God’s plans required that Israel not perish entirely from the earth; He would not make a full end!

Hundreds of centuries later, Peter and John were called up before the rulers of the restored nation of Israel. There they were threatened and beaten because of their actions in support of Jesus of Nazareth. Quite frankly, they spoke out on behalf of Jesus because there was nothing else that they could do! The evidence was insurmountable in that both of them had seen the resurrected Christ. Their faith was not a second-handed faith; they knew for a fact that the Jesus whom they professed was the promised Messiah of the Old Testament. When they were released to their company of believers they praised God saying, “Truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done.” (Acts 4.27-28). Here is the second in our pair of 4.28’s.

Note that in both of our focus texts the reality and immutability of God’s purposes. He brought destruction on Jerusalem, but He did not make a full end of them. One reason was because He had promised that the Messiah would come through the seed of Abraham, father of the Hebrew nation. Had God brought the nation to a full end, or even damaged it such that the lineages could not be traced, His promises to Abraham would have been lost. Knowing this was the case, He purposed to bring Israel to her knees, but not to totally terminate the nation.

In the second text, the purposes of God reached back into the Old Testament and were merged with His purposes in the New Testament. The promises of the Old Covenant were brought to pass in and through the New Covenant. Even the atrocities that were visited upon His Son were foreseen by the prophets operating under the dim light of the Old Testament. The purposes of the Romans, the Jews, and the Gentiles were not consistent with the purposes of God, but He used them anyway to achieve His purposes in Jesus Christ. Paul observed that had they (his persecutors) known that they were bringing about God’s purposes, they “…would not have crucified the Lord of Glory.” (1 Corinthians 2.8).

There is a strong and undying message here as regards God’s purposes. Man cannot thwart the plans of God! To say it another way, “Do not be deceived; God is not mocked!” (Galatians 6.7).

Questions:

1. How can you and I know the purposes of God?

2. What benefit did those who killed the Son of God suppose that His death would bring?

3. List three reasons that you can think of which verify the statement that God will not be mocked?

4. Do some people actually think they can mock God? If you answered yes, what kind of things do they do which caused you to answer as you did?

"Today's Little Lift" from Jim Bullington

Mercy and not Sacrifice (Sept. 29, 2010)