THE MYSTERY OF GOD'S WAYS


A. "O THE DEPTH OF THE RICHES BOTH OF THE WISDOM AND KNOWLEDGE OF GOD! HOW UNSEARCHABLE ARE HIS JUDGMENTS, AND HIS WAYS PAST FINDING OUT!"
  1. These words are most expressive:
    1. They show that Paul had come to the end of his resources
    2. He has been pondering the ways of God and he realizes that they are passed finding out
  2. This is certain:
    1. That with the expansion of man's knowledge, there has come a corresponding expansion of the unknown
    2. While science, from being a feeble lamp, has become a great searchlight casting its beams far and wide and revealing many wonderful things -
    3. The overspreading arc of mystery was never more tremendous and awesome B. LET US, THEN PONDER FOR A LITTLE AS BEST WE MAY, THE MYSTERY OF GOD'S WAYS
  3. God's Ways in Nature:
    1. "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handiwork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge." - Ps. 19:1-2
    2. "He hath compassed the waters with bounds, until the day and night come to an end. The pillars of heaven tremble and are astonished at His reproof. He divideth the sea with power, and by His understanding He smiteth through the proud. By His spirit He hath garnished the heavens...Lo, these are parts of His ways; but how little a portion is heard of Him? But the thunder of His power who can understand?" - Job 26:10-14
    3. Man can only view the ways of God in nature within the bounds of his environment. There are creatures in the deep seas of which natural science has no knowledge
  4. God's ways in history:
    1. What is true of God's ways in nature is true of His ways in history
    2. Ponder, if you will, His dealing with the nations - great and small. Of them He says, "The nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the dust of the balance"
    3. There is a mystery not only with the Jewish nation but His ways with many great nations who served His unsearchable purpose, including the U.S.A. C. OF SPECIAL INTEREST TO US, HOWEVER, ARE GOD'S WAYS OF GRACE
  5. It is here where the mystery of His ways deepen and are passed finding out:
    1. "He made known His ways unto Moses, His acts unto the children of Israel." - Ps. 103:7
    2. Writes the Psalmist, "Thy way O God is in the sanctuary." - Ps. 77:13
    3. It is there where the throne of grace has been planted - Ex. 25:17-22; where our Advocate pleads our case - Heb. 7:27-28
    4. It is there where a record is kept of God's dealing with men all the way - Rev. 20: 10-11
    5. It is there where God deals with sin - where sin is blotted out - Acts 3:19
  6. It is there where the destiny of every human being will be decided:
    1. That is where the destiny of the kingdom of Babylon and its ruler was decided - Dan. 5:5
    2. It is there where Daniel learned God's plan for his people - Dan. 9:20
    3. It is there where light was seen about the closing events in earth's sin-stained history - Dan. 8:13-14
    4. It is there where John saw the books opened the judgment scene begin - Dan. 7:9-13; Rev. 14:6-12
  7. And what is the hope of man in the light of God's ways of grace?
    1. Here a penitent sinner learns, "that where sin abounded, grace did much more abound" Rom. 5:20. Examples: Think of the deeds of Saul before he became Paul - Acts 8:1; 9:1, and what grace did for him! Think of Mary Magdalene out of whom the Lord cast out seven devils and what grace did for her - Luke 8:2
    2. Here the puzzled saint sees the end of the wicked and the reward of the righteous - Ps. 73:1-17
    3. Here God's infinite graces has had its ways and dispensed its gifts to the fallen race from the moment sin darkened the path of man. Tit. 2:11. And yet, how little do we know of the ways of God!


Design © John Bryant 2011