In Everything Give Thanks

PRINCIPLES FOR SEEKING GOD’S WILL IN THE OLD COVENANT (part three in series on seeking God’s will)

There is a goal in mind for this series: Foster sincere seeking to do God’s will – just like we pray for it; believing that this can be done Biblically and by Scriptural principles, not just a roll of the dice.

Read Exodus 18

FOUR PRINCIPLES FOR KNOWING GOD’S WILL COME FROM THIS:

I. The Lord is always at work in the affairs of mankind – this is His Will for the nations (Exodus 18:1).

Egypt is ancient and was mighty in her day (thousands of years of history; not hundreds like ours). Her false idol worship was deep and entangled. A part of her monuments to themselves and their gods was built by the back of the children of Israel.

When their cry of God’s chosen nation became great, the Lord God moved. He is always at work in the affairs of mankind.

This does not seem to me to be in the exact same way as He is at work in His NT church or the individual lives of his born again children.

- His work among the nations (ethnos) is with saved and unsaved.

- He lifts one up or allows one to rule for a time, then when “the cry” becomes to great or the nations pride becomes to strong (same as the fall of Lucifer), the Lord moves among the nations.

- When His people sell themselves into sin, the Sovereign Lord can use a godless nation to discipline His nation.

- This moving is rather obscure to me; it seems that this work of the Lord is not clear in the present circumstance of its being worked out.

- Nations of rebellious and fallen little gods (this is what we became – “you will be like God knowing good and evil”) exercising a strong free will upon one another.

Psalm 117

PS 117:1 Praise the LORD, all you nations;

extol him, all you peoples.

PS 117:2 For great is his love toward us,

and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever.

This has always been recognized by sincere worshipers of God on both sides of the wars between the ethnos of this world – think about it!

- This will be corrected when the sovereign Lord completes the redemption offered to us.

Revelation 18:1 – 20:10 THIS IS THE SOVEREIGN WORK OF GOD IN THE NATIONS.

Revelation 20:11 – 22:6 THIS IS THE PERSONAL WORK OF GOD IN EACH INDIVIDUAL PERSON.

Yet notice how this will be fulfilled:

Revelation 21:24

Revelation 21:26

Revelation 22:2

(Extra Credit – count how many times the word “nation” and “nations” is used in Revelation)

The Lord is always at work in the affairs of mankind – this is His Will for the nations (Exodus 18:1).

II. The Lord is always at work in the lives of people – this is His Will for our families (Exodus 18:2-8).

Do the words “in-law” mean anything to you? Sounds mighty close to “out-law” to me.

When you think of family are your thoughts pleasant or quite unpleasant?

Who recorded the Exodus for us? Moses.

He doesn’t give us the grueling details; but more is going on here that what meets the eye (see Exodus 4:20-26).

From the very beginning, says Moses, in Genesis 2:24, the history and plan of this world is being worked out through people – that means that it will be worked out through families (the good, the bad, and the ugly).

EVERYTHING being done today is being worked out in the context of family – there is no other way.

Thus, moral instruction and law becomes very important.

III. The Lord is always being worshiped by the people – this is His Will for his family (Exodus 18:9-12).

Praise Adonai – “Lord”

Praise the Lord – Jehovah

Presence of God – elohim

IV. The Lord is always desiring to lead His people – This is why we seek His will for our lives (Exodus 18:13-27).

God’s Words were the guide before there was an inspired Word.

God is always using people to share His Word.

This is always a challenge for the people seeking God’s Will.