The Predestination Debate (White vs Brown)

Opening Courtesy, Shared Faith, and the Terms of the Debate

Well, it's a real delight to be with you tonight. Special delight to be with my dear friend and colleague. Dr. White. Sorry, we couldn't be more colorful a few years ago. I debated rabbi silver in Florida.

Followed by a debate with rabbi gold. We tried to have a third one, but seriously, but we could not find rabbi platinum or rabbi diamond. So we just left it there, but you're left with brown and white.

I know it's Valentine's Day. But I have to say this is this is a more appropriate debate than the one I had five years ago on Valentine's Day with A gay activist claimed to be a born-again Christian.

Although James and I will really do our best to lay out why we differ on some of these subjects of Calvinism. Predestination election what the Bible says about how God saves us. We'll do our best to lay out our differences our mutual prayers that God will be glorified and that you will leave here more devoted to him and in love with him and hungry for his word than when you came in and Although we definitely have differences here that we'll do our best to highlight and challenge each other on why we hold to what we hold.

To James is a frontline apologist going into mosques in London and debating Muslims. Taking on cults and false religion and doing it fearlessly for the gospel. So I honor my brother in the midst of these differences.

I noticed earlier today that someone posted on my Facebook page a comment. That was a derogatory comment towards dr. White and I said we don't have that here in my Facebook page. Thankfully it balanced out with someone just instant messaging me that I'm not saved.

So it's all working out falling into place. I Was a Calvinist for five years 1990 at 1977 to 1982. So I'm not going to caricature Calvinism tonight. I'm not a basher and we could give a list of many great Calvinist scholars teachers preachers evangelists missionaries.

My desire is that we understand the God of Scripture. I am very jealous for the glory of God. I am very jealous that we understand the grace of God and my only question is are we willing to bow down? To the God of the Scriptures, that's my challenge.

That's my question. I'll be quoting a lot of Scripture to you tonight. I Assure you though that I can back up every point I make with detailed Exegesis of the text in the original languages, so I'm not just throwing things out even if everyone gets challenged I assure you I can back them up carefully.

God Does Not Ordain Human Sin and Evil

Number one. It's absolutely clear From the word that there are many things that people do that grieve God and are contrary to his will and desire. He certainly did not in any sense ordained them. Throughout the word he distances himself from human sin and evil.

It makes clear that this was not what he intended for his creation for example Genesis 6 5 and 6 the generation of the flood the Lord saw. How great was man's wickedness on earth and how every plan devised by his man was nothing but evil all the time and the Lord Regretted that he had made man on earth and his heart was saddened.

He did not say I ordained for you to do these things or in any sense predestined them for you rather He was grieved and pained over these actions. In fact Jeremiah 7 verse 31 this was the generation that was about to go into exile when they were burning their sons and daughters in the fire to to Molech and the high places of Tophet.

God said this the things that they did burning their sons and daughter in the fire. I did not command nor did it come in my mind. In other words. I absolutely never Intended for you to do these things.

It's summed up in Ecclesiastes 729 where the author says this see this alone, and I found that God made man upright, but they sought out many schemes. Second point. Throughout the word God calls us to make choices commending those who trust and obey him like Abraham whom he calls his friend in Isaiah 41 8 and Condemning those who refuse his grace.

If you just start reading the Bible from the beginning without theological Presuppositions as much as as humanly possible you will see that the Bible Presupposes that there is an ability to choose life or death or to receive an offer of grace or to Reject it even if you say God is the one who enables us to make that choice.

He calls us to make a choice, and he commends those who choose to put their trust in him and condemns those who refuse. That's why it's written in Deuteronomy 30 verse 19 I call heaven and earth to witness against you today.

Moses speaking that I've set before you life and death. Blessing and curse let the whole universe see. I'm giving you a choice to make therefore choose life. That you and your offspring may live. Luke 13 24 Jesus urged the people of his day strive to enter the narrow door for many I tell you will seek to enter and will not be able.

And When Paul is explaining in Romans 2 how there's no partiality in God. This is what he writes. God will render to each one according to his works to those who by patience and well-doing Seek for glory and honor and immortality he will give eternal life, but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth.

But Oday unrighteousness there will be wrath and fury for God shows. No partiality. And There are many scriptures that indicate to us that God does not Predetermine all the responses of humanity. Can God work out his plan in the midst of sinning people he does it every day.

Can God accomplish his ultimate will in the midst of a rebellious planet? He does it every day. Do people sin against his will and reject his will by the choices. They've been given yes. Absolutely, and God does not Predetermine that people reject him.

Look at what's written in Jeremiah 36. God tells the Prophet to write down on a scroll all the words of judgment Against Israel and Judah and then he says this in verses 2 and 3 perhaps Hebrew allies simply means perhaps When the house of Judah hear of all the disasters I intend to bring upon them.

They will turn back from their wicked ways, and I will pardon their iniquity and their sin. Now there's some who come to a wrong theological conclusion open theists as they're called that God actually doesn't know what people are going to.

But for this text to have any meaning at all when this prophecy is given God saying there's actually the possibility in terms of their Own experience that they may choose to obey or not obey. That's why God says perhaps to Jeremiah because they had not yet made their decision.

Did God for know it yes He for those things we do but for knowledge and free will are not opposites. Look what God says in Ezekiel 22 Verses 30 and 31 and I sought for a man among them Who should build up the wall and stand in the breach before me for the land that I should not destroy it destroy it?

But I found none so instead. I've poured out my indignation and wrath. I was I was looking to give them an opportunity. If I found one Person that would stand in the gap and intercede I'd hold back my fury.

I couldn't therefore. I destroy. There was no one there even if we think of the image of God the Potter in. In Jeremiah the 18th chapter is the most detailed account where God sends Jeremiah look at the Potter look at what he does.

He makes one piece of pottery doesn't like it. He smashes it. He starts afresh with something new and he has the freedom to do it because he's the Potter. In fact you should write a book on that theme one of these days James.

What is the Potter layout. What is the divine Potter say in Jeremiah chapter 18 that when he decrees disaster for a nation. If they repent then he'll relent of the disaster won't bring it on them if he declares blessing and they turn to evil.

He'll relent of the blessing and instead bring judgment. So the Potter has set it up by his free Sovereign choice as God and King and ruler. This is the way he set it up and this is explicitly what's in Scripture a Principle then that emerges from this is simple if he calls us to repent he enables us to repent.

That's why Paul writes in Romans 1 16. The gospel is the power of God to salvation everyone who believes and. And that's why to the dead helpless sinner. The word says in Ephesians 514. Awake-o sleeper and arise from the dead and Christ will shine on you.

God awakens us. God gives us opportunity. Will we receive his grace. Will we refuse his grace? Number three. Throughout the word God makes clear that he takes no delight in the death of the wicked. But desires rather that they would repent and live.

Many scriptures point to this. I'll just give you a few. Ezekiel 18 23 is it my desire that a wicked person shall die says the Lord God is rather that he shall turn back from his ways and live. Or the ESV renders it have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked declares the Lord God and not rather that he should Turn from his way and live.

Then it continues in verses 30 to 32. God says therefore I will judge you Oh house of Israel everyone according to his ways. Declares the Lord God repent. He's urging them. He's calling them repent and turn from all your transgressions.

Less iniquity be your ruin cast away from you all the transgressions your transgressions. Excuse me that you've committed and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. How by the call to repent. That's where the empowering comes from.

Why will you die. Oh house of Israel. For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone declares the Lord so turn and live. Ezekiel 33 11 as I live declares the Lord. It's not my desire that the wicked shall die, but that the wicked shall turn from his evil ways and live.

Turn back turn back from your evil ways that you may not die. Oh house of Israel. When some determinately refuse him then God will righteously judge that person and even give them over to unbelief and delusion and Even in that sense harden them in their sin by giving them over to it.

That's when they refuse his gracious invitation to repent. But his desire his preference for human beings is that we repent and live. Micah 718 asked the question who is a God like you the very name Micah short for Michael.

Who is like Yahweh and he closes out his book by saying who is a God like you? Who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance. You do not stay angry forever. But to delight to show mercy he hath faith has said who he delights to show mercy.

That's the God that we serve. Look at what he says in the midst of a rebuke of Israel. Jeremiah 3120 is not Ephraim my dear son the child in whom I delight though. I often speak against him. I still remember him therefore my heart yearns for him.

I have great compassion for him. I Contrast that with a famous saying of John Calvin from his Institutes God arranges all things by his sovereign counsel in such a way that individuals are born Who are doomed from the womb to certain death and are to glorify him by their destruction?

Verse after verse after verse that I've read and that I could read says the opposite of that if The people repented God would have been glad. Their failure to repent brought him grief and clearly God desired their repentance.

God's Desire, His Will, and the Remnant Chosen by Grace

Number four. This is further confirmed throughout the word as God expresses his ardent desire. For his creation to know him with Israel often as the focus of his love. Look at what he says in Jeremiah 3 19 and 20.

I said how I would set you among my sons and give you a pleasant land a heritage Most beautiful of all nations, and I thought you would call me my father and would not turn from following me. But you've been treacherous.

That's what I desired. That's what I wanted. That's what I was offering to you. Think throughout Jeremiah how many times the description occurs that God rose early and sent the prophets. I'm giving you opportunity after opportunity after opportunity not simply so that I can be deemed Righteous in judging you but to give you the genuine opportunity to repent because I don't take pleasure in the death of the wicked.

But rather that they turn and live. Jesus echoes this speaking as pre-existent wisdom in Luke 13 34. Oh Jerusalem Jerusalem you who killed the prophets and stole most sent to you. How often I've longed to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing.

Whether you apply this to the leaders of Jerusalem to the people as a whole the fact is he said I ardently Desired to gather your your people together. And it didn't happen. Why. Because of sin and disobedience on the part of the leaders and the people.

How about this from the book of Isaiah beginning in verse 17 of chapter 48? Thus said the Lord your Redeemer the Holy One of Israel I the Lord I'm your God instructing you for your own benefit guiding you in the way.

You should go if only you would keep my commands. This is God expressing ardent desire. This is his wish. If only you would keep my commands then your prosperity would be like a river your triumph like the waves of the sea.

Your offspring would be as many as the sand. And it goes on. You say well. Then why didn't God just make it happen. Because that's not the way he created the universe and that's not the way our sovereign God chose to do it.

In fact look at this in Deuteronomy the fifth chapter. God speaks these words after the giving of the Ten Commandments again by Moses if Only it would really be their desire to fear me and obey all my commandments in the future.

So that it may go well with them and their descendants forever. How can anyone say that was not God's desire for his people in the nation? Two well-known Calvinist scholars Ned Stonehouse and John Murray addressed some of these passages that were somewhat troubling to Calvinism in a book called the free author of the of the gospel and This is what they concluded.

We have found that God himself Expresses an ardent desire for the fulfillment of certain things which he has not decreed and his inscrutable counsel to come to pass. This means that there is a will to the Realization of what he is not decretively willed a pleasure toward that which he has not been pleased to decree.

Which they said is indeed mysterious. I think it's fairly basis. God does not ordain to come to pass everything that he desires in every human life and the scriptures make that abundantly clear. If I bow down to the witness of Scripture then my theology has to be adjusted to fit to that.

You want the summary of the biblical message over and over and over. God says I was willing you were not Isaiah 65. I was ready to be sought by those who did not ask for me. I was ready to be found by those who did not seek me.

I said he nanny he nanny here. I am here. I am to a nation that was not called by my name. I spread out my hands giving an offer. I spread out my hands all the day to a rebellious people. You say but no one can reject his will.

Of course people can. There are things that God has determined to carry out that he will carry out and ultimately his plan. To have a people in his son who will glorify him forever that will come to pass in fallible.

That's what he has ordained to come to pass but individual choices along the way can be rejected. Luke chapter 7 verse 30. But the Pharisees and the lawyers reject it the purpose of God for themselves not having been baptized by John.

The word for purpose there is the Greek boule which is the same word used in Ephesians 1 11 that says that God Works out everything according to to his purposes. Number five. Jesus then comes into the world as the full expression of the Father and Sheds his blood for the entire world meaning he shed his blood to pay for the sins of every human being and thereby Secured the salvation of those who put their trust in him.

You may be worn out with hearing John 3 16. But it's a glorious truth. For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son and whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. And if You'll study John Carefully cosmos is used speaking often frequently for the inhabited world for all human beings.

And Jesus in John 17 verses 6 and 9 makes clear that the world refers to everybody. Because he's praying for his people who he takes out of the world. Not for the world as a whole in that passage. And yet John says he died for the world.

That's what's written in 1st John 2. That if any man sinned we have an advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous and he's the propitiation For our sins and not for ours only but also for those of the entire world.

Paul echoes this in 1st Timothy 2 saying that God desires all to be saved and that Jesus is a ransom for all. In 1st Timothy 4 10 Paul says that God is the Savior of all people. Especially of those who believe.

Titus 2 11 says the grace of God has appeared bringing salvation for all people. Hebrews 2 9 says that by the grace of God Jesus might taste death for everyone. Please tell me how it could have been said more specifically than everyone all people and the world and not just us.

But the whole world. That's reflected in 2nd Peter chapter 2 verse 1 that speaks of people false teachers. Denying the master who bought them. Master being a word used for the Lord in Revelation 6 10 and.

And the verb used for bought is the identical verb used in 1st Corinthians 6 20. You are bought with a price. Here Paul expressed his heart when he was with King Agrippa and Agrippa said it's such a short time.

You're gonna get me to become a Christian. And Paul said whether short or long I would to God that not only you but also all who hear me this day might become such as I am. Except these chains I desire that all of you would be followers of Jesus was he expressing God's heart or not.

That's why he could preach in Acts 17 30. God commands all men everywhere to repent. He commands all men everywhere to repent because Jesus died for all men everywhere. Jesus died for the world for everyone for all.

God commands all people everywhere to repent and thus to all who receive him. Supernaturally born of God, it's all grace. It's all God's work. All we can do is receive his gracious offer. Faith is not a work.

Paul tells us in Romans the fourth chapter. What when the rope is thrown into the burning house? And we can't possibly save ourselves and the only thing we don't do is push the rope away and accept the help.

No one in their right mind dreams of boasting and I took the rod took the rope when they took the rope. No, it's everyone else that gets the praise for the rescue. That's why the gospel invitation is completely genuine to all people not requiring any theological distinctions between an alleged revealed will and secret will allowing us to say with certainty that God means what he says and allowing us to answer in the affirmative if a law senator s so.

You're telling me Jesus died for me and I can receive forgiveness as a gift. Yes, we can look him in the eye and tell him. Yes. That's why Paul preached this in Acts 1338. Let it be known therefore to you brothers all the Jews in the synagogue.

I'm speaking to that through this man. Forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to do all of you. It's proclaimed to all of you number six. This is what our amazing sovereign God does. Before the foundation of the world.

He determines that he will get a people for himself who will love and serve him and be with him forever chosen and elected his son. Trophies of his grace and he carries us out in the midst of a sinning rebelling world.

That's what's written in Ephesians the first chapter that speaks of us being chosen and predestined in Jesus before the foundation of the world. That's what's written in Romans the eighth chapter verses 29 and 30 as God determines to take for himself a people and destined those people in his son to be glorified.

That's what's written in first Peter the first chapter verses 1 and 2 that says we are elected according to the foreknowledge of God. A .W. Tozer had this observation. God sovereignly decreed that man should be free to exercise moral choice.

We're talking about a sovereign God a king. This is how he chose to set it up. God sovereignly decreed that man should be free to exercise moral choice and man from the beginning has fulfilled that decree by making his Choice between good and evil when he chooses to do evil.

He does not thereby countervail the sovereign will of God but fulfills it in as much as the eternal decree. Decided not which choice the man should make but that he should be free to make it if in his absolute freedom God has will to give man limited freedom who is there to stay his hand or say what doest thou?

Man's will is free because God is sovereign. A God less than sovereign could not bestow moral freedom upon his creatures. He'd be afraid to do so. When he speaks of moral freedom limited freedom, it means simply the freedom to receive God's grace.

To borrow a phrase from dr. White this is the potter's freedom to make that choice. And he's determined to interact with his people in conjunction with choices we make. According to a W pink Calvinist scholar a God whose will is resisted whose designs are frustrated whose purpose is checkmated.

Possesses no title the deity and so far from being a fit object of worship merits not but contempt. But think of the greatness of a God who designs and purposes. Come to pass despite human sin of satanic activity.

In fact whatever the flesh and devil mean for it for evil God can turn for good. So in keeping with his perfect character he confirms rebellious unbelievers in the rebellion and unbelief and Shows himself to be just in judging them.

But he gives grace to the humble who put their trust in him. And there's no room for boasting since it's all of grace by faith and because faith is not a work therefore we glory in the Lord alone. I'm sure if we study scripture long enough that we will confront many mysteries.

If I'm working on a commentary on Job now and the one thing I'm convinced of is that there's not just one correct interpretation to the book. But remember Deuteronomy 29 29 the secret things Belong to the Lord our God how he does what he does behind the scenes if it's not revealed in Scripture the secret things belong to The Lord our God that which is open and revealed belongs to us and to our children to do all the words of this law.

Let me just leave you with some closing words of Scripture here. This is why the invitation is so universal. Because God's love is universal. Because Jesus dying on the cross Sets forth that universal love and opens the door to every human being so that everyone is without excuse before him.

That's why the invitation says this in Revelation 22 17 the Spirit and the bride say come and Let the one who hears say come a genuine invitation from the throne of God and let the one who is thirsty come.

Let the one who desires take the water of life without price. And even to those who've been cut off in judgment. Like my Jewish people so much of my nation cut off in judgment. No longer attached to the olive tree.

What does Paul say in Romans? 11 that if they do not continue an unbelief in other words if they turn back in faith They can be grafted into. God has the power to graft them in and when you get to the end of the marvelous discussion in Romans 9 10 11 a text I'd love to dig into more along with John 6 and other key texts if they come up, which I assume they will.

How does Paul sum up God's dealing? Why has God brought hardness here judgment here? What's his purpose Romans? 1132 for God has consigned all to disobedience that he may have mercy on All with that I rest my case.

Thank you.

Okay now we'll have a 25-minute opening from dr. Y.

The Divine Decree, the Prescriptive Will, and God's Sovereignty Over History

All right. Well, it is indeed a privilege to be with you all this evening. It is certainly a privilege to be with dr. Brown this evening and I want to simply reiterate what he was saying. This is an in-house debate.

This is a debate where we are going to the Word of God as our final authority. We stand together in defense of the faith and in doing so we have to Seek unity and the only way for us to seek unity is not by some ecclesiastical decree.

But instead to go to the Word of God and that is what we are doing this evening. We come as fellow believers we come as firm confessors of the Trinity the deity of our Lord and Master his substitutionary work his resurrection and His return.

Dr. Brown. I have defended the deity of Christ against Unitarians, for example. And that is something that's joyous to do but it's because we have that joy in defending these things that we have to Take the time this evening to be on the opposite end of this most important debate.

We believe in salvation by grace through faith alone and the absolute necessity of repentance and holiness. That is something that separates us from some who would call themselves Evangelicals and we also believe in the sufficiency of Scripture as our final and only infallible rule of faith.

I too want to go to the scriptures this evening. I'd like you to think if you'd like to turn your Bibles to Isaiah chapter 10. I'm going to be there for a few moments actually. So you might actually have time to turn there more importantly debate you don't even bother you just write it down.

But if you want to turn to Isaiah chapter 10, let me remind you of the contents of that chapter. God has said that he will bring the Assyrians against his people to punish them in Isaiah chapter 10 while at the same time Saying that he will punish the Assyrians because of the intentions of their hearts.

So he has one action in mind he's bringing the Assyrians against the people to punish them in line with the blessings and cursings that came in the law in Deuteronomy and then Because of the attitudes of the heart the mind of the Assyrian king.

He will then punish the Assyrians for what they did. Some people would say that's unfair. God has one thing in mind. He has one holy intention in mind and yet he then Punishes the instrument that he used by which to bring about his own purpose.

That's very interesting this theme of God's sovereignty coinciding perfectly with his justice in judging mankind based upon the intentions of the heart is found throughout scripture culminating in the greatest act of God's redemptive love and the greatest act of human evil.

That was the crucifixion of the sinless Son of God there. We are told in Acts 4 27 to 28 that the gathered group of men remember Herod Pilate the Jews the Romans all sorts of different intentions and different purposes and yet they were all Sinfully guilty before God for their actions yet.

What did the early church confess in its prayer? They did exactly what God's hand and God's purpose predestined to occur now back in Isaiah 10 after announcing the punishment of the king of Assyria's arrogant heart a new promise is given a Remnant a Shahar a Lima in the Greek language chosen by grace Romans 11 5.

Will return not may return not. God's looking down the corridors at times as oh, but look a remnant returns. No, God is saying a remnant will return and it's a remnant chosen by grace. It's God who reserves for himself the 7 ,000 who have not bowed the knee to bail.

It's not because they were better than somebody else. God has reserved a people for himself. This is not a prophecy. It's a promise. Very very important to see that Paul uses the term cata lipo there in Romans 11 5.

Which in its substance high will form is the term for remnant used even here in Isaiah 10 in the Greek Septuagint. Now here is God's active sovereign grace saving the Shahar the remnant. God will do this just as he will raise up all those he gives to his son Jesus.

Here is powerful sovereignty divine promise it's unquestionable, but note that in the midst of the promise is the corollary truth. Look at the verse toward the end there a Destruction is determined overflowing with righteousness.

Did you see that a? Destruction is determined. Overflowing with righteousness. Punishment is fixed. It will happen. But is with all of God's actions. He has a purpose to fulfill. He's not merely responding to us.

He has a purpose to fulfill. His punishment is overflowing with righteousness. What a concept that is. It troubles a lot of folks. God's punishment overflowing with righteousness. The question I have to ask us is do we have the same?

Priorities that God says we should have in Romans 9 22. There's a phrase. What if God was willing to demonstrate his wrath and to make his power known? I just have to ask each one of us this evening. Is that a priority for us?

When we think of God is the demonstration of God's wrath and the demonstration of God's power one of our priority. If God did that in my life. What I glorify him for that or I only glorify him when he gives me good things and comfort and ease.

Do we pray? For all of God's attributes to be expressed is that something we desire. Do we allow God and our thoughts and desires to demonstrate all of his glorious attributes from his great mercy love and grace all the Way through to his holiness power and wrath.

You see in Isaiah 10. We see the balance that we must hold firmly to tonight God's sovereign purposes and the demonstration of his holiness. His power his justice and wrath against sin. Together with his sovereign gracious purpose to redeem a remnant chosen according to grace.

Here then in one text We have together the two truths that we must hold together in which I assert over against dr Brown's position this evening. The two truths are these number one the eternal decree of the king.

Whereby the triune God has ordained the self-glorification of the Godhead in creation and final redemption. They're providing a glorious demonstration of all the divine attributes in their fullness. That's number one the divine decree and number two the prescriptive will of God and Shrined in his law which reveals his holy purposes for those who seek to follow after him.

It was this prescriptive will the people of Israel had flaunted bringing the curses of Deuteronomy 29 upon them. And it is that prescriptive will even found in the hearts of the Gentiles Due to the Imago Dei the image of God within them that the Assyrians likewise Violated bringing God's just judgment upon them even as he used them to punish Israel.

Our debate this evening must be focused right here for this is the foundation of all of our differences. Michael just said he is not an open theist. He has said he is not a Molinist. As far as I can tell he would fall into the simple foreknowledge view.

Exemplified by David hunt. That's not Dave hunt by the way David hunt in the 2001 IVP work on the subject of differing views of foreknowledge so two things the divine decree of God and the prescriptive will of God.

I affirm both of them as Necessary to anyone who hears all of scripture for example. We know the texts psalm 135 6. Whatever Yahweh pleases he does in heaven and in earth in the seas and in all deeps whatever he pleases.

Well if it's his pleasure to save every person well, then he can save every person. Could God be a universalist could universalism be true. There are some people who say no. Open theist would say no. There are certain Molinists who say no.

God could not save every person if he desired to do so. I affirm He could not that he would not that he has chosen. He's going to do so, but if God chose to do so he certainly has the power to do so. Even a pagan king understood this in Daniel chapter 4 when Nebuchadnezzar at the end of his period of loss of sanity says.

But the end of that period I Nebuchadnezzar raised my eyes toward heaven and my reason returned to me and I blessed the Most high and praised and honored him who lives forever. For his dominion is an everlasting dominion and his kingdom endures from generation to generation.

All of the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing. But he does according to his will in the host of heaven and boy. Everybody's happy about that, but he didn't stop there and Among the inhabitants of earth and no one can ward off his hand or say to him.

What have you done? The sovereignty of God that is reflected in Scripture is not limited to well. He has a final purpose at the end and he'll get there somehow. That's true. I'm glad we can affirm that together, but it's much more extensive than that and Nebuchadnezzar understood it.

Nebuchadnezzar understood that he fulfills all his will not only in the host of heaven. But among the inhabitants of the earth as well was Nebuchadnezzar wrong in the 33rd Psalm. We have that wonderful text.

Where again the original language makes this even more clear than we really can almost in in English. But in describing God's sovereign creatorship, it says. For he spoke and it was done. He commanded and it stood fast and because he's the creator Yahweh Nullifies the council of the nations.