4th Quarter: Present Truth in Deuteronomy.
Lesson 9: Turn Their Hearts
Monday: Seek Me and Find Me
Text: [[Deu 4:29]] KJV
But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.
Message
One of the most complex concepts about God is His Omniscience. God knows everything – from the past into the future. He knows all that will happen the next moment. He knew that Peter would betray him, when Peter himself didn’t know. This explains the foreknowledge of God – His ability to know to the tiniest detail what each of us will do in this life and how it’ll end us. He knows exactly what choices we’ll make in every situation. Yes, finally, He knows all who will go to heaven and hell. Honestly, this is scary. Is God not manipulating men to do something and then turn round to blame and punish them?
As confusing as it may appear, God’s foreknowledge doesn’t interfere with the choices we make. Stated differently, because God knew what Israel will in the promise land doesn’t mean He created them to do that (some call it predestination). Though God had earlier warned the nation not to enter into idolatry (Deut 4:15), yet, in verse 25, he tells them that is exactly what they will do. Not immediately, but eventually. And he tells them the consequence of the action. Was God saying what he’ll make Israel do? No! Rather He was telling the nation what his foreknowledge permits him to see.
Yes, they would find themselves in deep trouble because of their own evil choices. But even in that, God assured them that His grace will be there in the future. Isn’t it beautiful how God makes provisions for our weaknesses even before we fall? Like Israel, all we have to do is to admit and return to Him. This is the whole concept of repentance – that we can return to God after we’ve gone astray and messed up our lives, and he’ll accept us back.
Reflection
What comfort can we find in the fact that God knows the future? At the same time, why should the foreknowledge of God not cause us to be careless and think that He has preprogrammed our lives?
