Calvinism Everywhere, Part 32

Now we find ourselves in Chronicles in this series of posts on "Calvinism Everywhere." And I want to point to two answered prayers and two military moves in the opening genealogical lists.

First, there is the now famous (made famous infamously) prayer of Jabez (1 Chr. 4:9-10). We're not told much about Jabez. But we are told that he "was more honorable than his brothers" (v. 9). Presumably this is because he "called upon the God of Israel" (v. 10). He seems to have prayed for three things: the blessing of an enlarged border; that God's hand might be with him; and that God would protect him from evil. And the text tells us: "And God granted what he asked" (v. 10). Now consider what sort of God the Lord must be to grant these requests. We often don't dwell on such; but doing so should open our eyes. If he's not the Lord of all history, he could grant none of these.

The same is true for the second prayer, this time found in chapter five in a brief section on the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh (1 Chr. 5:18ff). These tribes, we're told (v. 18), had valiant men who were warriors, carrying shield and sword, drawing the bow, expert in war. They waged war against the Hagrites, Jetur, Naphish, and Nodab (v. 19). They "prevailed over them" as YHWH gave them "into their hands" (v. 20). Why? "For they cried out to God in the battle, and he granted their urgent plea because they trusted in him." Again, I ask, what sort of God must YHWH be to be able to grant such urgent pleas? If he were not sovereign of all, he could grant no such thing. And so "many fell, because the war was of God" (v. 22). And this "war of God" is the first of what I mentioned above as "military moves." God's military moves.

The second "military move" came when Manasseh "broke faith with the God of their fathers, and whored after the gods of the peoples of the land . . ." (1 Chr. 5:25). The divine reaction to this idolatry: "So the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria, the spirit of Tiglath-pilesar king of Assyria, and he took them into exile, namely, the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh . . ." (1 Chr. 5:26).

Here it is again. We've seen this before. The God of the spirits of all flesh moves man in military might against a rebellious people. Is this divine coercion? Are the determinists right after all? Of course not. We've got a whole canon to keep us from such conclusions. God is utterly sovereign everywhere at all times; and man is completely responsible for his free choices. Scripture makes these tandem realities crystal clear. Let's live with the mystery, live with the tensions, live without full comprehension. But, for the glory of God, for the display of his excellencies, for the worship of his name, let's never, under any circumstances, deny his absolute dominion over all, in all, and through all.