God’s Sovereignty & Man’s Responsibility
Introduction
Looking at the interplay between God’s Sovereignty & Man’s Responsibility
Some might say – if God is Sovereign:
In what sense are we truly free?
In what sense are we truly responsible for our choices and actions?
If God has chosen a people for Himself – how can those who have not be chosen be held accountable for their rejection of Him
Judas
Zech 11:12-13
If this was prophesied – in what sense was Judas responsible for what he did?
God’s Sovereignty & Man’s Responsibility is like train tracks
Everything about God’s Sovereignty is true
Everything about Man’s Responsibility is true
Whilst it was ordained what Judas would do – he was absolutely responsible for his sin
Examples of his sin
Both for-ordained and personal responsibility
Acts 2:23 – God’s Sovereignty & Man’s Responsibility
We must not go to extremes
We must hold these two truths in balance
There is a deep mystery about this
v1 – God is angry at Israel
He moves David to number Israel and Judah
v10 – David is guilty for the decision he made
v3 – David goes ahead and doesn’t listen
v13 – David’s sin has consequences
v15 – 70’000 men died
The plague is removed by David building an altar and sacrificing
Other lessons:
God chastising His people
Pride of the human heart
v1 – The big context is that Israel has sinned
We are not told what the sin was
?when the people followed Absolom
?due to a second rebellion
?the people becoming too self-comfortable and forgetting God
The anger of the Lord was aroused against Israel
v1 – “moved” meaning gave permission
1 Chr 21:1 – Satan
Compare with Job
Is this perhaps a test for David?
David’s pride?
As David’s is growing older, is he becoming more prideful and starting to take glory to himself
23:8
v9 – he is concerned with the number of valiant men
Why did David not listen to Joab
Explanation of Joab’s background
Does the Lord forgive David’s sin?
v10 – David seeks forgiveness
Yes – but there are still consequences
Ex 30:12 – David had forgotten that a sacrifice was due when a census was made
He had forgotten that census’ were taken for specific purposes – not to see how strong he had become
David did not understand the big picture – he thought the people were innocent (v17) but remember v1