Today’s devotion comes from Exodus 29:26-46. Here is a link to this Scripture – http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus+29&version=NASB
I quote the following verses.
“I will dwell among the sons of Israel and will be their God. They shall know that I am the Lord their God who brought them out of the land of Egypt, that I might dwell among them; I am the Lord their God.” Exodus 29:45-46.
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Two of the things that we need to know about God is that is His sovereignty extends over all, but that His lovingkindness extends only to His chosen people.
There is God’s sovereignty over the Egyptians, but there is not God’s lovingkindness toward the Egyptians. God hurled them into the sea.
“4 “Pharaoh’s chariots and his army He has cast into the sea;
And the choicest of his officers are drowned in the Red Sea.
5 “The deeps cover them;
They went down into the depths like a stone.
6 “Your right hand, O Lord, is majestic in power,
Your right hand, O Lord, shatters the enemy.
7 “And in the greatness of Your excellence You overthrow those who rise up against You;
You send forth Your burning anger, and it consumes them as chaff.” Exodus 15:4-7.
However, for God’s chosen people, Israel, there is both God’s sovereignty over them and God’s lovingkindness toward them. God delivered His people through the Red Sea and conquered their enemies and established them in the land “flowing with milk and honey”.
“13 “In Your lovingkindness You have led the people whom You have redeemed;
In Your strength You have guided them to Your holy habitation.
14 “The peoples have heard, they tremble;
Anguish has gripped the inhabitants of Philistia.
15 “Then the chiefs of Edom were dismayed;
The leaders of Moab, trembling grips them;
All the inhabitants of Canaan have melted away.
16 “Terror and dread fall upon them;
By the greatness of Your arm they are motionless as stone;
Until Your people pass over, O Lord,
Until the people pass over whom You have purchased.
17 “You will bring them and plant them in the mountain of Your inheritance,
The place, O Lord, which You have made for Your dwelling,
The sanctuary, O Lord, which Your hands have established.
18 “The Lord shall reign forever and ever.” Exodus 15:13-18.
Another way of stating the truth that God’s lovingkindness extends only to His chosen people is to state that there is no common grace. We may see people rise in power and prosperity as part of God’s overall sovereignty, but it does not necessarily mean that God showed them lovingkindness or extended common grace to them.
As an example, consider all the power and prosperity that Pharoah of Egypt achieved. God in his sovereign power used Pharaoh, but Pharaoh did not receive lovingkindness nor grace from God. God used Pharoah to demonstrate His special love for Israel, so that “They shall know that I am the Lord their God who brought them out of the land of Egypt“.
“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.” … 22 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? 23 And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory, 24 even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles.” Romans 9:17 and 22-24.
Today, we need to know that that God is a sovereign God Who does not bow down to the alleged “free-will” of man. We need to know that God is not a god who loves everyone nor shows lovingkindness (a/k/a common grace) to everyone. Our God makes known to us (“They shall know …”) the riches of His glory upon His chosen people (a/k/a His “vessels of mercy” in the language of the Romans 9:23 above), which He prepared beforehand for glory, even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles.
Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions 