The Lord Did What He Pleased

[tyndale1946]

I was reading the Treasury Of David this morning and came upon remarks from others on Psalms 135:6

Psalms 135:6 Whatsoever the LORD pleased, that did he in heaven, and in earth, in the seas, and all deep places.


Verse 6. Whatsoever the LORD pleased, that did he, etc. He was not forced to make all that he made, but all that he willed he made. His will was the cause of all things which he made. Thou makest a house, because if thou didst not make it thou wouldest be left without a habitation: necessity compels thee to make a home, not free will. Thou makest a garment, because thou wouldest go about naked if thou didst not make it; thou art therefore led to making a garment by necessity, not by free will. You plant a mountain with vines, you sow seed, because if thou didst not do so, thou wouldest not have food; all such things thou doest of necessity. God has made all things of his goodness. He needed nothing that he made; and therefore he hath made all things that he willed.
He did whatsoever he willed in the heaven and earth: do you do all that you will even in your field? You will many things, but can not do all you wish in thy own house. Thy wife, perchance, gainsays thee, thy children gainsay thee, sometimes even thy servant contumaciously gainsays thee, and thou doest not what thou wiliest. But thou sayest, I do what I will, because I punish the disobedient and gainsayer. Even this you do not when you will. --Augustine.

Verse 6. Whatsoever the LORD pleased, that did he, etc. God's will obtains and hath the upper hand everywhere. Down man, down pope, down devil; you must yield; things shall not be as you will, but as God will! We may well say, "Who hath resisted his will?" Ro 9:19. Many, indeed, disobey, and sin against the will of his precept; but none ever did, none ever shall, frustrate or obstruct the will of his purpose; for he will do all his pleasure, and in his way mountains shall become a plain. --William Slater (- 1704), in "The Morning Exercises."

Verse 6. Upon the Arminian's plan (if absurdity can deserve the name of a plan), the glorious work of God's salvation, and the eternal redemption of Jesus Christ, are not complete, unless a dying mortal lends his arm; that is, unless he, who of himself can do nothing, vouchsafe to begin and accomplish that which all the angels in heaven cannot do; namely, to convert the soul from Satan to God. How contrary is all this to the language of Scripture -- how repugnant to the oracles of truth "Whatsoever the Lord pleased, that did he in heaven and in earth." --Ambrose Serle (-1815), in "Horoe Solitariae."

Comments... Brother Glen

 

[Martin Marprelate]

Excellent!
May I recommend most warmly Spurgeon's Treasury of David, his commentary on the Psalms. As well as His own comments, he includes a vast array of commentators. The book is a real treasury for those who love Christ, because Spurgeon unerringly finds Him in Psalm after Psalm.

 

[Calv1]

I was reading the Treasury Of David this morning and came upon remarks from others on Psalms 135:6

Psalms 135:6 Whatsoever the LORD pleased, that did he in heaven, and in earth, in the seas, and all deep places.


Verse 6. Whatsoever the LORD pleased, that did he, etc. He was not forced to make all that he made, but all that he willed he made. His will was the cause of all things which he made. Thou makest a house, because if thou didst not make it thou wouldest be left without a habitation: necessity compels thee to make a home, not free will. Thou makest a garment, because thou wouldest go about naked if thou didst not make it; thou art therefore led to making a garment by necessity, not by free will. You plant a mountain with vines, you sow seed, because if thou didst not do so, thou wouldest not have food; all such things thou doest of necessity. God has made all things of his goodness. He needed nothing that he made; and therefore he hath made all things that he willed.
He did whatsoever he willed in the heaven and earth: do you do all that you will even in your field? You will many things, but can not do all you wish in thy own house. Thy wife, perchance, gainsays thee, thy children gainsay thee, sometimes even thy servant contumaciously gainsays thee, and thou doest not what thou wiliest. But thou sayest, I do what I will, because I punish the disobedient and gainsayer. Even this you do not when you will. --Augustine.

Verse 6. Whatsoever the LORD pleased, that did he, etc. God's will obtains and hath the upper hand everywhere. Down man, down pope, down devil; you must yield; things shall not be as you will, but as God will! We may well say, "Who hath resisted his will?" Ro 9:19. Many, indeed, disobey, and sin against the will of his precept; but none ever did, none ever shall, frustrate or obstruct the will of his purpose; for he will do all his pleasure, and in his way mountains shall become a plain. --William Slater (- 1704), in "The Morning Exercises."

Verse 6. Upon the Arminian's plan (if absurdity can deserve the name of a plan), the glorious work of God's salvation, and the eternal redemption of Jesus Christ, are not complete, unless a dying mortal lends his arm; that is, unless he, who of himself can do nothing, vouchsafe to begin and accomplish that which all the angels in heaven cannot do; namely, to convert the soul from Satan to God. How contrary is all this to the language of Scripture -- how repugnant to the oracles of truth "Whatsoever the Lord pleased, that did he in heaven and in earth." --Ambrose Serle (-1815), in "Horoe Solitariae."

Comments... Brother Glen

Wonderful! Who is the commentator? Can't quite figure out who it is? It's too short to be Henry!!!

Isn't it amazing how liberals speak so much of "Free Will", well what about GOD'S FREE WILL?????? Is He not free? Shall we bind his hands and feet, and prevent our Creator who is forever blessed to do what He wills? Is our will better and purer than God's? Shall we frustrate His plans?

Isn't it amazing that a pagan King, Nebuchadnezzar knew that God was sovereign over EVERYTHING, the Kings of the world, mans will, yet modern "Christians" don't know this? How can this be?

This is just one of thousands of such verses, but it's enough, my question is how does the Arminian miss it? I have a theory, though it could be wrong. When I was first introduced to the debate, I thought Reformed Theology the worst of things, I mean isn't the Universe all about me and not God first? So I fought it, I debated and lost, and lost. Then, and this thrills me to my bone, SCRIPTURE IS SVERWHELMING with this teaching I could no longer deny it.

Then I said "Wait, so God ordained all of this pain ahead of time". I'm just being honest, it troubled me at first, sometimes up all night thinking through the ramifications. Once I YIELDED IN FAITH, and I realize I sound like Edwards, but it DID seem at once bright and beautiful, it made sense. I tried using opposite arguments, that is the Arminian says "Oh it's so terrible God ordains people to Hell", but what is their view? IT'S THE SAME! Think, right now there are BILLIONS who've never had scripture, is God not able to get them His word? Of course He COULD but He doesn't, so by not doing that He's in a way sending them to Hell. Billions in Iran, China, etc. will end up in Hell as God didn't get them Scripture, SO WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES IT MAKE?

My point is if I didn't understand something, I used a thing in Christianity called FAITH, I'd step out in faith, and it seemed God would reveal to me more. I understand that God's GLORY is the highest consideration in the universe, if His full glory is not shown by Him, it's sin, both the glory of His mercy and the glory of His justice, and it's not hard to understand, we demand justice, why not God? However I do think we won't understand the FULL value of God's Glory until we are there, we get snippets of it now, there we'll see in full, and join those in Heaven saying "Lord how long until you AVENGE those who have harmed your saints" Rev.

I think a true, born again Christian can have trouble with it, deny it, fight it, and maybe even be Arminian. HOWEVER I'm convinced that if a Christian KNOWS ALL THAT GOD HAS SAID, AND THEN DENIES IT, they are not truly Spirit filled but a professor only. I've just debated this topic for over a decade, once debated a Pentecostal pastor for 12 hours, I've heard it all as they say. I'm certain there are some Arminians who are saved, they are just ignorant of what scripture teaches, but if they KNOW IT, THEN DENY IT, the Spirit can't be in them. This is my view, well it's RC Sprouls also.

 

[utilyan]

God can do ANYTHING HE WANTS except not implement the nonsense of Calvinism.

That's hardly omnipotent.

 

[Calv1]

I was reading the Treasury Of David this morning and came upon remarks from others on Psalms 135:6

Psalms 135:6 Whatsoever the LORD pleased, that did he in heaven, and in earth, in the seas, and all deep places.


Verse 6. Whatsoever the LORD pleased, that did he, etc. He was not forced to make all that he made, but all that he willed he made. His will was the cause of all things which he made. Thou makest a house, because if thou didst not make it thou wouldest be left without a habitation: necessity compels thee to make a home, not free will. Thou makest a garment, because thou wouldest go about naked if thou didst not make it; thou art therefore led to making a garment by necessity, not by free will. You plant a mountain with vines, you sow seed, because if thou didst not do so, thou wouldest not have food; all such things thou doest of necessity. God has made all things of his goodness. He needed nothing that he made; and therefore he hath made all things that he willed.
He did whatsoever he willed in the heaven and earth: do you do all that you will even in your field? You will many things, but can not do all you wish in thy own house. Thy wife, perchance, gainsays thee, thy children gainsay thee, sometimes even thy servant contumaciously gainsays thee, and thou doest not what thou wiliest. But thou sayest, I do what I will, because I punish the disobedient and gainsayer. Even this you do not when you will. --Augustine.

Verse 6. Whatsoever the LORD pleased, that did he, etc. God's will obtains and hath the upper hand everywhere. Down man, down pope, down devil; you must yield; things shall not be as you will, but as God will! We may well say, "Who hath resisted his will?" Ro 9:19. Many, indeed, disobey, and sin against the will of his precept; but none ever did, none ever shall, frustrate or obstruct the will of his purpose; for he will do all his pleasure, and in his way mountains shall become a plain. --William Slater (- 1704), in "The Morning Exercises."

Verse 6. Upon the Arminian's plan (if absurdity can deserve the name of a plan), the glorious work of God's salvation, and the eternal redemption of Jesus Christ, are not complete, unless a dying mortal lends his arm; that is, unless he, who of himself can do nothing, vouchsafe to begin and accomplish that which all the angels in heaven cannot do; namely, to convert the soul from Satan to God. How contrary is all this to the language of Scripture -- how repugnant to the oracles of truth "Whatsoever the Lord pleased, that did he in heaven and in earth." --Ambrose Serle (-1815), in "Horoe Solitariae."

Comments... Brother Glen

Not only DOES the Lord do whatever He wills, Scripture demonstrates what He wills. Hardened the Israelite's hearts so they'd fear Him not. In the New Covenant He will "Put the fear of me in them so they will not leave me", "Assigns all kings and rulers", "Determines who we are, where we are born, will die, and what we'll do", "Open our hearts to hear the gospel", "Close our hearts so we will not hear the gospel", "Kills and makes alive, creates the poor and makes the rich", it's just endless.

My brother, who never reads the bible, always wonders why he's broke "I'm smarter than these people, I can't understand why I'm not making money", then I send him 1 Samuel "The Lord creates the poor and makes the rich", yet he doesn't believe it. When God says "Who kills, and makes alive, is it not I says the Lord", and someone doesn't believe it, that means simply they do not believe God's word, IE are UNBELIEVERS. What I don't understand is why unbelievers want to come on this forum, what to aggravate us?

God even says "I will bring a delusion upon them so they will believe a lie". I had two Mormons here yesterday, man I had them checkmated in 5 moves, no where to go, I had them admit they were anti-biblical, and should be anathema (Galatians 1) different gospel, of course they "Had to go", but even though they KNOW the truth, they reject it. We are ALL SINNERS WORTHY OF HELL, that should ring in the Arminians ear every day and night, for once they get it, they'll quickly realize that if we have BREATHE God is being kind to us.

 

[Reformed]

The discourse between God and Job (Job 38-42:1-6) is nothing less than a manifesto of the omnipotence and omniscience of God. Indeed, Job confesses this when he says, "I know that Thou canst do all things, and that no purpose of Thine can be thwarted" (Job 42:2). The idea that man, in the presence of such a Creator, possesses an autonomous free will is preposterous.