Knowing God: Experience & Love Him
Series Introduction| Knowing God | The Revelatory God | Goodness of God | Holiness of God | Power of God | Omnipresent God | Exalted God | Faithfuness of God | Wisdom of God | Mercy of God | Wrath of God | Love of God | Sovereignty of God | Providence of God
Prophecy and the Sovereignty of God
– The Sovereignty of God –
Paul J. Bucknell
Introduction: There is some misunderstanding about prophecy and how it relates to the sovereignty of God. God does know the future but not as a fortune teller but as a Sovereign God working out all things according to His will.
Prophecy & the Sovereignty of God
In each of these difficulties, we will present various truths essential to keep in mind as we discuss this topic.
God at times reveals ahead of time what will happen.
This is often the same as what we call prophesy. Micah 5:2 tells us 400-600 years ahead of time that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem.
“But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Too little to be among the clans of Judah, From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, From the days of eternity.” => Commentary
God therefore knows what will happen.
“Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world” (Acts 15:18). The Lord stands outside of time and knows all that is and will be. Actually, as our understanding of quantum physics increases, time itself shows itself as all planned out.
God in fact controls what will happen.
“Whatever the LORD pleases, He does, In heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps” (Psalm 135:6). Job humbly repented after God revealed His glorious power to him, “I know that Thou canst do all things, and that no purpose of Thine can be thwarted” (Job 42:2).
“Thus says the LORD, 'Tomorrow about this time a measure of fine flour will be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria... It happened just as the man of God had said” (2 Kings 7:1,18-20).
Conclusion: God ordains not only the ends but the means.
Therefore, we should not merely conclude that because God knows all things that He can reveal future events. Quite the contrary, God knows the future because He controls all the micro events that lead to the significant events that we can observe. God makes sure everything works out to the smallest detail.
=> next: Prayer & the Sovereignty of God