Throughout the Bible, we find instances where God instructed people to do things that did not make sense to them. God tells Abraham to offer Isaac as a burnt offering in Genesis 22, even though Isaac was the child of promise, the son through whom Abraham would become father of a great multitude. (Hebrews 11:19 tells us how Abraham reconciled this in his own mind.) God tells the children of Israel to march around Jericho once a day for six days and seven times on the seventh day. This would lead to the collapse of the city's fortification. Jesus told His disciples, who had toiled all night out on the sea as experienced fishermen, to cast their nets on the other side of the boat. This led to (likely) the most voluminous catch of their careers. There is almost a pattern here where God instructs His people to do something that doesn't make sense to them and (this is key) requires faith as evidenced by their obedience.
Earlier in my ministry, I taught that God did this, because He operated outside of logic. The scaffolding of my teaching was not awful, but my language was imprecise. I began to struggle with the idea that God, who created logic, who is not the author of confusion, would be illogical. By no means do I suggest that God cannot suspend the principles of logic just as He does the laws of the physical realm to accomplish His purpose. I just felt there was something here that I was missing. Bible study led me to this clarification. God is indeed an intensely logical God. Information has a significant bearing on what is logical. Can one boy's lunch feed 5,000 people? Ordinarily, no; it cannot. But if you have the ability to multiply it and if you know that you intend to do so, then yes, it can. This information about God's power and plan - known at that time only to God Himself - makes all the difference. In 2 Kings 6, Elisha and his right hand man are surrounded by the chariots and horses of the king of Syria. However, the LORD opened the eyes of Elisha's servant, and he was able to see that those who were with him and Elisha were greater than those who were against them. Information made the difference between what was logical and what was not logical. The principle is this. God gives us instruction to follow in faith, at times, with incomplete information. We are to depend on God. His ways are higher; his thoughts are higher. Why? For one thing, because He has all knowledge. You cannot add information to Him. Therefore, His logic is supreme. It doesn't mean that He is not a logical God; it just means that He has more information. Therefore, His logic is superior. We should therefore trust Him and obey His instruction in faith.
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AuthorPastor Billy Shaw is a full-time pastor, husband, and father with a passion for helping other pastors. Archives
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