TALKING BACK TO GOD

Kasuku...Richard's African bird

 

 

TALKING BACK TO GOD 

November 14, 1965

Pastor Henry F. Kulp

 

Romans 9: 19 - 21 Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will? Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?

In this chapter Paul has been showing that God has the right to do what He wants, but whatever He does, it is right, for remember, Hosea 14: 9 Who is wise, and he shall understand these things? prudent, and he shall know them? for the ways of the Lord are right, and the just shall walk in them: but the transgressors shall fall therein.

The ways of the Lord are right. This is a big key as we consider this chapter. The Jews were upset. He was upset with Paul, because Paul has said, God has set aside the KINGDOM program, has postponed it for a season, and is now dealing with the Gentiles, taking out of them a people for His name. And Paul points out that God is righteous, He is just in what He is doing. He shows that the nation Israel deserves to be turned aside. They had not obeyed God, they had rejected His grace, and so God set them aside for a season, and is now dealing with the church, the Body of Christ.   

1/  Here in these verses that we read for you, we have men finding fault with God. It is man talking back to God. Here we have man criticizing God…what a foolish thing to do. But in every man, because of his sin nature, there is this tendency to find fault with the program of God. 

2/  If we go to the Book of Job, we find that Job finds fault with God. Job becomes very self-righteous, Job 29: 11 - 17 When the ear heard me, then it blessed me; and when the eye saw me, it gave witness to me: Because I delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless, and him that had none to help him. The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me: and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy. I put on righteousness, and it clothed me: my judgment was as a robe and a diadem. I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame. I was a father to the poor: and the cause which I knew not I searched out. And I brake the jaws of the wicked, and plucked the spoil out of his teeth.

We have Job bragging and bragging. He said, when the ear heard me, it blessed me, when the eye saw me, it gave witness to me, He said, I delivered the poor, the fatherless, and he that hath none to help him. He said, I put on righteousness and it clothed me. 

He is really fond of himself. He said I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame. I was father to the poor. Yes, Job certainly was self-righteous. But let us go to Job 38: 1 Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said,

God stop him and says to Job out of out of the whirlwind. Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge? Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me.

Who is this that darkeneth council with words without knowledge? Gird up now thy loins like a man—answer thou me. 

Job has been laying upon an ash mound in dumb misery, ever since he attempted to vindicate himself. So God says, Come Job, rouse yourself and give me your attention. Put your mind upon the questions I ask you, and answer me. And the Lord put Job in his right place as a creature before his creator. Where were you when God created earth? Were you there? Did you help me? Did I not make a pretty good job of it without you? And if I had asked you how to do it, would it have been a good job? 

So God says to Job—where were you when I created the earth? And He says to all who would find reason to criticize God, to talk back to God. Where were you when the earth was created, did you help? Could you have done a better job? Would God have done a better job if He had had you to help Him? Of course the answer is ”no”. 

Then look at Job 38: 12 Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days; and caused the dayspring to know his place? 

In other words, did you help make the sun come up that first morning? Did you do that? No, Job, has to admit he didn’t have a thing to do with it.  

 

And God says, Was it good? And, of course, it has been good. And He puts us all in our place, He doesn’t need our help. And whatsoever God does, it is right. Creation shows that very clearly.

3/   But now it is important to see the answer from Job to Jehovah. 

Job 40: 4 Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth.

He says I am vile. He does not need to be told of his corruption, and then notice, Job 42: 3 Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered that I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not.

God’s ways are too wonderful. Job is amazed that he would ever dare raise a cry against the One Who is perfect and also did the right thing. Yes, we cannot always understand the ways of God, but we can know His ways are right.

4/  Let us just stop and think of God’s dealing with man. Even though God did what He wanted. Was it right? Of course. Take for instance, Adam and Eve. Was God arbitrary with Adam when sin first entered the human race? Did God very hastily bring heavy penalties upon Adam? Were Adam and Eve flung off into hell so God could begin with another creation? Of course not, He was full of love and compassion toward Adam and Eve. 

As I read the story in Genesis, one of the most touching lines in all of the Bible is the question that came from a loving voice of God after man had sinned. 

Genesis 3: 9  And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?

Adam, where art thou? God, of course, knew where Adam was, and He could have appeared before him in the brightness of His majesty, but instead, knowing the sin had brought fright to Adam, God sent on ahead His voice, given as it were, time for Adam to calm his fears. And then, notice, before any word of judgement was pronounced against the man, the loving God pronounced judgement against Satan and He comforted man by giving to him the first promise in the Bible. This always thrilles my heart as I read the story in Genesis, I say, yes, Hosea, the ways of God are right.

5/  Genesis 12: 1 - 3 Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

The Lord said unto Abram, get thee out of the country and from thy kindred and from thy father’s house, into a land I will show thee. 

I wonder if you realize that when God spoke to Abraham He was bowing down to sticks and stones like all of the rest of the people around him. God didn’t have to call him, but He did. Then notice, when He called him He said, I will bless thee, in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. 

Yes, I cry out, Hosea, you know what you are talking about. The ways of the Lord are right.

6/   Now let us turn to Romans 9: 25 As he saith also in Osee, I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved.

The subject here is God made certain promises in the Old Testament, and He has been bringing them to pass, and they come to pass just exactly as God said they would. The Jews said to Paul, God promised us, the Jews, everything, and now you are giving everything to the Gentiles. And Paul says, there is a reason for this. God also made certain plans in the Old Testament by which He is going to set the Jews aside and bring the Gentiles in. 

Paul refers to the Prophet Hosea – Hosea 2: 23 And I will sow her unto me in the earth; and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy; and I will say to them which were not my people, Thou art my people; and they shall say, Thou art my God.

Now when Israel was God’s beloved, God said, I am going to bring in some folks and call them my beloved and they will not be Jews, they will not be Israel. And God has done just that. We have seen how the time came when God let the Jews be scattered over the face of the earth, and God has another people, another, beloved. 

Now go to Ephesians 3: 1 - 5 For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; 

Notice this, For this cause I Paul, a prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, if ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given to me to you-ward. God has a dispensation of grace, and is sending it through Paul to the Gentiles. He did just what He said He would do in the Book of Hosea. I will call a people that are not my people, I will make them My people, I will call a people that were not beloved, and I will make them beloved. 

All that God said in the Old Testament was that He would make a people that were not His people, and make them His people, and He would make them beloved. He didn’t say how He would do it, He didn’t say who these people would be. He didn’t give an outline of the church at all. He said nothing about that. It was all in the mind of God. This is the mystery.

7/   Notice, Romans 9: 27  Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved:

Isaiah also crieth concerning Israel. The number of the children of Israel will be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved. 

I think this very definitely that you could put the word, only, in there. That is what He means. Of all the children of Israel, only a remnant shall be saved. That is a very sad thing for Israel, very, very sad thing. We have not seen the full persecution of the Jew yet. The time is coming in the tribulation period when the Jews will persecuted down to a remnant…so sad.

AMEN

Ref: 11/14/1965 / 306 - TALKING BACK TO GOD / 08/16/2020