Isaiah 55:8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
10 For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returns not thither, but waters the earth, and makes it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:
11 So shall my word be that goes forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
The above passages reveal several very important facts about God which would lay the foundation for the study this evening. These stated facts are things that we must come to grips with, if we are to walk by faith, not questioning or arguing with God about things we may not yet understand.
One of the fundamentals to exercising an intelligent faith is for us to understand that God is always right in everything that He does and plans to do. He is the only One who has never made a mistake, and never will.
Some of His plans may seem strange to finite minds, and even angels may at times be befuddled at what God does, but at the end of the day, after the dust has settled, it’s always the best thing that could be done. Always!
In other words, finite minds can never improve on what God does, we cannot come up with any better suggestions, or solutions nor do us mortals have the capacity to plan, and to execute in a more efficient manner than God, that which needs to be done.
But there are many productions and inventions of mortals that seem to suggest that there are better ways of doing things, and as such, the Bible, with its sacred utterances is viewed by many persons, as an inferior document filled with irrelevant principles, and methods.
But the passage in Isaiah reveals the fact that God is in control at all times, and His good and perfect will gets done one way or the next. At times, the world may appear to be a runaway train, with no guide or Ruler, and there are other times when what God permits may seem to take us off the rails, but in all and through all, God’s intelligence, foreknowledge, and wisdom are displayed.
The following therefore, are the fundamentals that are mentioned in our first passage: [1] God does not think like us. The way we may come to our conclusions, and our finite modes of thought are no way close to His, and are indeed, greatly inferior.
[2] The way we choose to do things are often quite different than the way God chooses. In other words, when God is seeking to accomplish His perfect will, the way He does so, is often so strange and divergent to mortal minds that some persons are tempted to question whether or not God knows what He is doing.
This fact is evident by some of the statements and questions that have come from the lips of even the righteous. As God-fearing men and women in days of old brainstormed God’s providences they were at times baffled, and expressed their dismay in various ways. The following are just a few examples of what we’re speaking of. Let’s read:
Jeremiah 20: 7 O Lord, thou hast deceived me, and I was deceived; thou art stronger than I, and hast prevailed: I am in derision daily, everyone mocks me.
Exodus 5: 22 And Moses returned unto the Lord, and said, Lord, wherefore have you so evil entreated this people? why is it that thou hast sent me?
23 For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in thy name, he hath done evil to this people; neither hast thou delivered thy people at all.
Job 3:1 After this opened Job his mouth, and cursed his day.
2 And Job spoke, and said,
3 Let the day perish wherein I was born, and the night in which it was said, There is a man child conceived.
11 Why died I not from the womb? why did I not give up the ghost when I came out of the belly?
16 Or as an hidden untimely birth I had not been; as infants which never saw light.
Matthew 11: 2 Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples,
3 And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?
[3] God’s perfect will always gets done. It may seem like a long time in coming, and at times it may seem as if men and demons have defeated His purposes; but according to Isaiah the word which goes forth out of His mouth ultimately wins the day. Men may not agree with God, and others might not believe, but His will, would be done, in heaven and earth.
Indeed, the bottom line for us is whether we will be on The Lord’s side or not, but His side is always the winning side, and therefore, His ways and purposes are eventually, and inevitably going to rule the day.
When Judas betrayed Christ, it seemed to some as if evil had triumphed, but here again even the devices of devils were incorporated into God’s planning and what they did actually facilitated God’s will.
In fact, when the curtain that divides the invisible world from the visible, we will discover that devils were much more afraid of the dead Jesus than the living Christ before he died.
Thus, while poor ignorant human beings were there mocking, scorning, and laughing at Christ, satan was not laughing at all, for he understood better than any person did, that the dead Jesus posed a serious threat to his kingdom.
Some may not have been aware of this fact, but if there was one person on the planet who sincerely desired to save Christ from the cross, it was satan. In fact, he literally begged Christ not to die, but it was only when Christ insisted on dying that satan pulled out all the stops, and made Christ’s death as bitter, as horrible and as miserable as it could be.
But if it were up to him alone, he would have taken vengeance on anyone who would dare to threaten Christ’s life. Thus, he was put in the most miserable position of having to play his part, against his own will. God had predicted it in scripture, satan studied it, and now, without the use of force on God’s part, he is backed into a corner and left no choice but to fulfill God’s word to the letter.
Everything that persons and demons could do was incorporated into God’s planning, from the priests to Pilate, from the mob to Judas, even the Roman guards who were stationed at Christ’s tomb, with the hosts of evil angels gathered around, everyone and everything was incorporated into God’s plans, and inevitably facilitated His good will. Let’s read:
[The Desire of Ages pp 782] When Jesus was laid in the grave, Satan triumphed. He dared to hope that the Savior would not take up His life again. He claimed the Lord's body, and set his guard about the tomb, seeking to hold Christ a prisoner.
He was bitterly angry when his angels fled at the approach of the heavenly messenger. When he saw Christ come forth in triumph, he knew that his kingdom would have an end, and that he must finally die.
The same is true of nations and persons who may at times seem to be doing things of their own volition, especially leaders of nations who may appear to be exercising unbridled authority over those who are under their jurisdiction. When such leaders wreak havoc and brutalities on innocents, as is the case currently in Ukraine, it may seem as if God has lost control of situations, but this is not the case.
For example, when pharaoh of old commanded that the boy children of the Hebrews be thrown into the river and drowned, it seemed cruel to finite minds, and indeed it was, and the folks back then probably questioned in their minds if God was still in control.
But God who reads the future so accurately, knew where that command of pharaoh was headed, for the natural response of the Hebrew women would be to hide their male babies from pharaoh.
But, lo and behold, that is exactly what God wanted them to do, to hide their male children, for in doing so God’s intelligence would turn pharaoh’s so-called plots into total foolishness, and the king would end up financially supporting a Hebrew in his own back yard. Thus, while on the one hand his mandate may seem cruel, God’s plan was silently being done, and fulfilled in pharaoh’s own house. Let’s read:
Exodus 2:1 And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took to wife a daughter of Levi.
2 And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months.
3 And when she could no longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river's brink.
4 And his sister stood afar off, to see what would be done to him.
5 And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river; and her maidens walked along by the river's side; and when she saw the ark among the flags, she sent her maid to fetch it.
6 And when she had opened it, she saw the child: and behold the babe wept. And she had compassion on him, and said, This is one of the Hebrews' children.
7 Then said his sister to Pharaoh's daughter, Shall I go and call to thee a nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for thee?
8 And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, Go. And the maid went and called the child's mother.
9 And Pharaoh's daughter said unto her, Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages. And the women took the child, and nursed it.
10 And the child grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. And she called his name Moses.
At this point we must say that some may too often dwell on the writings and sayings of secular writers and by doing so we do a great disservice to our own souls. The study of God’s word gives breadth and a deep understanding of the wisdom and purposes of God, for the mind has to wrestle and figure out the difficult passages, prophecies, and laws that are in His word.
But with secular writers and worldly-wise men, the mind can become very cramped and blunted, if we choose their sayings and doings over what’s written in the Bible. By beholding we become changed, and if our mental energies are channeled into the carnal and secular, those thoughts and philosophies would be reflected in our depleted capacity to understand spiritual things. Let’s read:
[Christ’s Object Lessons pp 41] And here, too, is the great cause of mental weakness and inefficiency. In turning from God's word to feed on the writings of uninspired men, the mind becomes dwarfed and cheapened. It is not brought in contact with deep, broad principles of eternal truth.
The understanding adapts itself to the comprehension of the things with which it is familiar, and in this devotion to finite things it is weakened, its power is contracted, and after a time it becomes unable to expand.
In the situation with Joseph, what transpired with his brothers, and the consequent sale of Joseph to the Midianites may seem to baffle the mind, for it looked as if his envious brothers were having their own way. But here again, God was in control in the background, silently working out His own good purposes for not only Joseph, but for his brothers and for all of Egypt too.
It will be discovered that God could work with any hand that is dealt Him, because what may seem to thwart His purposes, is often incorporated into His planning, and in many cases, actually facilitates the outcome. Thus, we can agree or disagree with God, but at the end of the day, His will would get done. That is what the prophet Isaiah is actually saying in our first passage. To be frank, it can be pretty scary!
Genesis 37:3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colors.
4 And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.
5 And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more.
6 And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed:
7 For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf.
8 And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words.
9 And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me.
10 And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?
13 And Israel said unto Joseph, Do not thy brethren feed the flock in Shechem? come, and I will send thee unto them….
5 And a certain man found him, and, behold, he was wandering in the field, and the man asked him, saying, What seekest thou?
16 And he said, I seek my brethren: tell me, I pray thee, where they feed their flocks.
17 And the man said, They are departed hence; for I heard them say, Let us go to Dothan. And Joseph went after his brethren, and found them in Dothan.
18 And when they saw him afar off, even before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him.
19 And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer cometh.
20 Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, Some evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams.
21 And Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands; and said, Let us not kill him.
22 And Reuben said unto them, Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness, and lay no hand upon him; that he might rid him out of their hands, to deliver him to his father again.
26 And Judah said unto his brethren, What profit is it if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood?
27 Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmeelites, and let not our hand be upon him; for he is our brother and our flesh. And his brethren were content.
28 Then there passed by Midianites merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmeelites for twenty pieces of silver: and they brought Joseph into Egypt.
There is no such thing as arbitrary providences with God, as it pertains to the trials His servants may go through. Some persons have erroneously concluded that God permits capricious trials to come our way for no reason, and that at times we may be tempted and tried for no reason.
This is absolutely not the case, because in every instance where like Joseph, Job, Abraham, and any other believer for that matter, one is taken through the wringer, it has always been for a valid reason and purpose. Let’s read:
Ecclesiastes 3:1 To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.
2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
3 A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up.
Joseph had some character flaws which needed to be corrected in order for him to fill the position God intended for him to fill. His parents had spoiled him to some degree, through favoritism, and because of his many dreams, and God’s favor, he was in danger of becoming self-righteous.
This is the reason, and the only reason why God had permitted Joseph to pass through the fire as it were but as soon as the dross was removed, he would be released from prison, and the experiences of former years would no longer be necessary. The pruning of God is for the sole purpose of producing more fruit, and when that goal is accomplished, pruning stops. Let’s read:
Malachi 3: 3 And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness.
[Patriarchs & Prophets pp 213] Joseph with his captors was on the way to Egypt. Bitterly he wept at thought of that loving father in his loneliness and affliction. Again, the scene at Dothan came up before him. He saw his angry brothers and felt their fierce glances bent upon him.
The stinging, insulting words that had met his agonized entreaties were ringing in his ears. With a trembling heart he looked forward to the future. What a change in situation—from the tenderly cherished son to the despised and helpless slave!
For a time, Joseph gave himself up to uncontrolled grief and terror. But, in the providence of God, even this experience was to be a blessing to him. He had learned in a few hours that which years might not otherwise have taught him. His father, strong and tender as his love had been, had done him wrong by his partiality and indulgence.
This unwise preference had angered his brothers, and provoked them to the cruel deed that had separated him from his home. Its effects were manifest also in his own character. Faults had been encouraged that were now to be corrected. He was becoming self-sufficient and exacting.
Thus, through all of the ups and downs, the trials and grief, the jail time, and the false accusation of Mrs. Potiphar, God was still in control. To the finite mind some of those experiences may have seemed to be directed by mortals, with no input or guidance from God, but in all and through it all, God was in control. Let’s read:
Genesis 39:1 And Joseph was brought down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him of the hands of the Ishmeelites, which had brought him down thither.
2 And the Lord was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian.
3 And his master saw that the Lord was with him, and that the Lord made all that he did to prosper in his hand.
Psalms 105: 17 He sent a man before them, even Joseph, who was sold for a servant;
18 Whose feet they hurt with fetters: he was laid in iron:
19 Until the time that his word came: the word of the Lord tried him.
20 The king sent and loosed him; even the ruler of the people, and let him go free.
21 He made him lord of his house, and ruler of all his substance:
22 To bind his princes at his pleasure; and teach his senators wisdom.
Fast forward to our day when it seems as if nations and individuals are going off the rails. Covid wipes out millions, churches are shuttered, economies are collapsing, there’s serious bottle neck in supply and demand, Crypto is tanking, mass shootings are now multiplying, and all the while Putin, is adding more headache to the toxic brew, and it may seem as if God is missing in action, and nowhere to be found.
To mortal minds, it may seem as if no one is at the helm, and things are looking so fragile, and haywire that many persons deny the very existence of God. But just as the prophet Ezekiel beheld the wheels within a wheel, just so the complicated providences of God may seem to be spinning out of control, but at the end of the day it would be seen that God was always in the driver’s seat.
Out of chaos God brought order at the beginning of this world’s history, and at the end of time, God will again bring order out of chaos. Things will seem to be getting out of control, and even nature might be in a tailspin in different parts of the earth, but in the end, everyone who is to be saved, will be saved and God will finally usher in His everlasting kingdom of righteousness.
Men and demons may not agree, some may doubt, and others may become riled up at what they may perceive as injustice, unbridled violence and crime, but in the fullness of time, The Great God of heaven will wrap things up, and this earth, together with all who have chosen to serve Him would be placed in a position permanent peace and security.
The kingdoms of this world are soon to become the kingdom of Jesus Christ, and thus, we are not to be shortsighted, in groveling in the here and now, but rather, believers should look forward to that final day, when prophecies will converge with reality, for God is still in control.
We will end with several passages of scripture taken from the book of Daniel, which confirm to us that, not only is God still in control, He will also land the proverbial plane, that has been subject to so much turbulence in the rise and fall of nations throughout history. Let’s read:
Daniel 2: 31 Thou, O king, saw, and beheld a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof was terrible.
32 This image's head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass,
33 His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay.
34 You saw till a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and broke them to pieces.
35 Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floor and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.
42 And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken.
44 And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.
45 Forasmuch as you saw that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.
God Bless!