Guess Who God Uses to Fulfill His Purposes!

             Romans 13: 1 makes it very clear that “The authorities that exist have been established by God” (NIV84).  When we read this, most of us only consider that those in authority are there to do good works according to God’s plan, but that’s not necessarily the case.  Did you ever stop to consider how many times God has used pagan authorities to fulfill His purposes?  I think you might be surprised. Here are just a few that I thought about this morning.

            The Gospel of Luke tells us that the Roman officials ordered a census that would require Joseph to return to the home of his ancestors.  That home was in a small village called Bethlehem, the place of King David’s birth.  Why is that important?  It was a fulfillment of prophecy.  The prophet Micah had prophesied that this little village would be the birthplace of the Messiah (Micah 5: 2).  Bethlehem was at least a three-day trip from Joseph’s home in Nazareth.  Without the government decree, he would have had no reason to take his pregnant wife-to-be to a small village three days away from home.  God wove all the details together, even using a pagan ruler, to accomplish His goal.

            In the Gospel of John, after Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, the Jewish rulers were beside themselves.  They feared that Jesus’ popularity would grow and that they might lose their power or even the entire nation might be destroyed.  The High Priest came up with a plan that he thought would solve all their problems.  Little did he know that it was not “his” plan but God’s plan.  He spoke these prophetic words, “You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish” (John 11: 50 NIV84).   The Scripture goes on to say that what he didn’t realize was that he was prophesying that Jesus would die for the entire nation “and not only for that nation but also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one” (John 11: 52 NIV84).  This man did everything he could to deny that Christ was the Messiah, but God used him to clearly state Christ’s mission to save the world from sin.

            Much later in the New Testament, we find the Apostle, John, on the isle of Patmos.  It was a rocky island, a little smaller than Disney World, located near the coast of Ephesus.  It was used by the Romans as a penal colony, and the government had sent John there to stop him from preaching the Gospel.  Once again, God had other plans!  While on that small strip of land, John received “the revelation of Jesus Christ” (Revelation 1: 1 NIV84).  While much of the book remains a mystery to most of us, it is a reminder of the need for perseverance, of God’s encouragement in the face of suffering, and is a celebration of God’s ultimate victory!  Just think what we might have missed, if John had not been exiled.   

            There is no question that God uses ordinary people, even people who are opposed to Him and His mission to complete His purpose.  While they may have their own agenda, His agenda will always triumph!  I wonder if He ever feels like smiling and saying, “Gotcha”.

Luke 2: 1 – 7

John 11: 47 – 53

Revelation 1: 1, 9 - 20

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