The LORD said to Moses, “When you return to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders I have given you the power to do. But I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go. Then say to Pharaoh, ‘This is what the LORD says: Israel is my firstborn son, and I told you, “Let my son go, so he may worship me.” But you refused to let him go; so I will kill your firstborn son'” (Exodus 4:21-23).
What does it mean to say God is in complete control of creation? It means that God has the first and last word about everything that happens. No matter how big or how small. No matter how important or how mundane. God has no need for contingency plans. He did not begin creation with plan A with plan B ready to go as a backup. Nothing happens without His permission—nothing. God is in complete control.
Our choices are not surprising but rather expected by God. In this passage, God told Moses—before he even went in to see Pharaoh for the first time—that Pharaoh would not let him leave Egypt with the children of Israel. “The LORD said to Moses, “When you return to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders I have given you the power to do. But I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go” (Exodus 4:21). Yet God still holds us responsible. God says in the next verse, “Then say to Pharaoh, ‘This is what the LORD says: Israel is my firstborn son, and I told you, “Let my son go, so he may worship me.” But you refused to let him go; so I will kill your firstborn son'” (Exodus 4:22-23).
Pharaoh was free to make his own decisions (Exodus 5:2), God held him responsible for his decisions (Exodus 6:1), and yet God also claims sovereignty over his decisions (Exodus 9:16).
A couple of questions to ponder:
- Why is it important that God’s sovereignty extends even over our own choices?
- What would be the implications if He were not?
Learning To Be Full Of Grace And Truth. 