Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

Today’s devotion covers Mark 14:10-21 which concerns the intent to betray by Judas and the revelation by Jesus of the upcoming betrayal.  This devotion focuses on the following verse 21.    

 

^“21  “For the Son of Man is to go just as it is written of Him; but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed!  It would have been good for that man if he had not been born.”  Mark 14:21.

 

Yes, there is predestination of both the actions of vessels of mercy and the actions of vessels of wrath.  But, this verse makes it clear that the people who do the evil are still responsible for doing it.  God is just, and they will be punished for doing the evil. 

 

^“You will say to me then, “Why does He still find fault?  For who resists His will?”  On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God?  The thing molded will not say to the molder, “Why did you make me like this,” will it?  Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for common use?  What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction?  And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory, even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles.”  Romans 9:19-24. 

 

In the few verses prior to these verses in Romans Chapter 9, we read another account of predestination in Romans 9:17:  “For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “FOR THIS VERY PURPOSE I RAISED YOU UP, TO DEMONSTRATE MY POWER IN YOU, AND THAT MY NAME MIGHT BE PROCLAIMED THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE EARTH.”  God predestined the actions of Pharaoh and his army to hold Israel captive for a while and then chase them through the Red Sea.  “The LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and he chased after the sons of Israel as the sons of Israel were going out boldly.”  Exodus 14:8.  We also read in Exodus 14:17:  “As for Me, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them; and I will be honored through Pharaoh and all his army, through his chariots and his horsemen.   

 

And yet, we also read that God caused these Egyptians to be killed.  “At the morning watch, the LORD looked down on the army of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and cloud and brought the army of the Egyptians into confusion.  He caused their chariot wheels to swerve, and He made them drive with difficulty; so the Egyptians said, “Let us flee from Israel, for the LORD is fighting for them against the Egyptians.”  Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the waters may come back over the Egyptians, over their chariots and their horsemen.”  So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to its normal state at daybreak, while the Egyptians were fleeing right into it; then the LORD overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea.  The waters returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen, even Pharaoh’s entire army that had gone into the sea after them; not even one of them remained.”  Exodus 14:24-28. 

 

The next few verses help us understand how God can use a display of His punishment on vessels of wrath to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy (as was stated in Romans 9:22-24).  “Thus the LORD saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore.  When Israel saw the great power which the LORD had used against the Egyptians, the people feared the LORD, and they believed in the LORD and in His servant Moses.”  Exodus 14:30-31.

 

Going back to our key verse for today, we know that although Judas intended evil in His betrayal, God used it for good as part of His plan to save His people through the death of His Son Jesus Christ.  Likewise throughout Scriptures, we read similar accounts.  For example, we read about a similar type of betrayal of Joseph by his brothers.  Joseph later said to his brothers:  “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.”  Genesis 50:20

                                              

In conclusion. God predestinates, God punishes, and God is just.  “but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,” declares the LORD.”  Jeremiah 9:24.