Sovereignty and Responsibility
From Eco-Bible 1
These are notes for an incomplete "Concept" page.
- Information is being added as the Bible Pages are added. In the end, everything will be compiled, further information added (as necessary), broken links connected, etc.
|
Passages that focus on the "interaction" of sovereignty and responsibility.
- See also: God's Sovereignty - Its Implications.
We freely make choices without being compelled. Those choices always happen to agree with God's sovereign decree.
Scripture Pages that Link to Here
- God would harden Pharaoh's heart (v. 3) / Pharaoh would refuse to listen to Moses and Aaron (v. 4). Both God's sovereignty and "human responsibility" are mentioned. (Both aspects work together.)
- Exo 10:1-2 - God hardened their hearts. Future generations (of Israelites) will know God's power.
- Exo 10:3 - Pharaoh refused to humble himself before God.
- Once again, the concepts of sovereignty and responsibility are placed parallel to each other, and are treated as equally true.
- Exo 11:9-10 - Again, sovereignty and responsibility are found in the same passage: "Pharaoh won't listen to you, that my wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt." / Yahweh hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he didn't let the children of Israel go out of his land.
- God told Joshua that he had delivered the enemies into Israel's hands. So Joshua (fulfilling his responsibility) fought them.
- Sovereignty: Psa 33:12 Blessed is the nation whose God is Yahweh, the people whom he has chosen for his own inheritance.
- Responsibility: Psa 33:18 Behold, Yahweh's eye is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his loving kindness; ...
- Pro 16:3 Commit your deeds to Yahweh, and your plans shall succeed.
- However, your deeds need to be consistent with God's will. Don't try to sin and think that God will help you! (Other verses explain why things might not seem to work this way - such as when God is doing something better in your life, or when there is sin in your life, etc.)
- Ecc 1:13 ... It is a heavy burden that God has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with.
- This heavy burden is the result of human sin. It is related to what happened in Genesis 3:1-24. Yet at the same time, it is said that God "afflicts" us with this burden. Scripture never sees a contradiction or conflict between God's sovereignty and human responsibility. (This "affliction" is part of the judgment that had to come, because of our sin against God - back to the human responsibility part.)
- God will send Assyria to judge Israel. This demonstrates that God can use nations that do not acknowledge him, to accomplish his purposes. But since Assyria does so with evil motives/intents (and refuses to give God the glory he deserves), Assyria will also be judged.
- God's use of Assyria, as well as their judgment because of their evil motives, is a demonstration of how sovereignty and responsibility work together.
- Isa 6:9-10 - He said, "Go, and tell this people, 'You hear indeed, but don't understand; and you see indeed, but don't perceive.' Make the heart of this people fat. Make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and turn again, and be healed."
- This prophecy shows the sovereignty element. History (and other Scripture) shows the responsibility element.
- (See also comments earlier on that page.)
- Though this passage is found at the end of a prophecy about Israel's future (which means that it would someday occur), it emphasizes the people's responsibility to choose whether or not they would follow God. As elsewhere in Scripture, God's sovereignty (illustrated by the prophecy) and human responsibility (illustrated by this command to choose) go together.
Unless otherwise noted, all notes and comments are © by Dennis Hinks.
|
