Well, this morning we are in the 14th session of our study of chapter 2 of the 1689 Confession of Faith of God and the Holy Trinity. I want to bring to your attention this morning the subject of God's foreknowledge of Christ and men. We have been studying the subject of God's knowledge. I have been trying to give you many quotes from the great Puritan divine Stephen Charnock and others concerning this subject. And this morning I want you to be able to see that God's foreknowledge and His ordination of all things, after the counsel of His will, go hand in hand. Men are free to make their plans, they're free to make their decisions about what they will and won't do, but God knows them all beforehand. and he has foreordained them for his own glory and for the good of all his people in relation to what he purposed in Christ Jesus before the world began. I want you to be able to see with me the greatness of the foreknowledge, the knowledge which existed in the holy mind of God from all eternity and indeed before the foundation of the world, if you'll turn with me to Acts chapter 2 and verse 22. I'll read you verses 22 to 24. It says here, Men of Israel, hear these words. Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves also know, him being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified and put to death, whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that he should be held by it. Now, the Apostle Peter was preaching a sermon on the day of Pentecost. And he and the others with him had been just before this anointed by the Holy Spirit, who came upon them as a mighty rushing wind, and it appeared to them that there were divided tongues as of fire, and one sat upon each of them, And they were filled with the Holy Spirit, and they began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. And there were people there dwelling in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation under heaven. And when this sound occurred, they came together, it says in verse six, they were all amazed, saying to one another, look, are not all these who speak Galileans? And how is it that we hear each one of us in our own language in which we were born? And then it lists all of the nations that they were from, and then in verse 12 it says they were all amazed and perplexed, and saying, what could this mean? So Peter preached a sermon. It says that he stood up with the eleven, verse 14, raised his voice and addressed them, told the people there that they were not drunk, it was only the third hour of the day, but that this was what was spoken through the prophet Joel. that God would pour out his spirit upon all flesh, and God's sons and daughters would prophesy. And he went on then to establish the truth that this was a fulfillment of those verses that were given in Joel, chapter two, verses 28 to 32. And what he's saying here in the sermon, the way that he begins it really, and is addressed to them, is to speak about the greatness of God's knowledge. It says here that him, that is, our Lord Jesus Christ, he says, was delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God. And you, the people whom he's speaking to, the rulers, the Sanhedrim of the nation of Israel, then the scribes and the Pharisees, the leaders of the nation of Israel, you, he says, have taken by lawless hands and have crucified and put him to death. whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that he should be held by it." But I want you to notice these very amazing words, that Jesus was delivered by the determined counsel and foreknowledge of God. Now, you would think that he would just simply say to them, you were the ones that delivered him up to Pilate, and then Pilate very foolishly executed him, and really all this is your fault. This never would have happened if you men had not been so blind. But that's not what he says to them. That's not what he says to them at all. He says to them that they're delivering him up was by the determined counsel and foreknowledge of God. And they had crucified him and put him to death, but God raised him up. And this was according to the determined plan and foreknowledge of God. The resurrection was also a part of this foreknowledge. All of these things were ordained by God from eternity past, and they came into being in time and space in exactly the way that God wanted it outworked, so that His purpose would be accomplished. It was accomplished by foreknowledge. Now turn with me over to Acts chapter four and verses 27 and 28. It says here, for truly against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed both Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together to do whatever your hand and your purpose determined before to be done. Now look, Lord, on their threats and grant to your servants that with all boldness they may speak your word. So what we see here was that Peter and John had been, and some of the others, of the apostles were arrested for boldly proclaiming the truth a little bit before this in time, and they had told them to speak not at all. nor to teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said to them, whether it's right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. But we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard. So when they had threatened them, it says in 421, they let them go, finding no way of punishing them for what they had done, that is, that they had healed this man who was lame, and caused a great commotion over it because this man was over 40 years of age. It says, verse 22, on whom this miracle of healing had been performed. The guy was leaping and walking and praising God. And they all knew that this was the man who had been there, lame from his mother's womb, and who had been carried to the gate beautiful all of his life, so that he might be able to sit there and beg for alms. Now, we need to take notice of the fact that all this was according to the foreknowledge of God. Whatever God's hand and His purpose was, it was determined before to be done, it says in verse 28, included not only all of the good things that took place in Jesus' ministry and in His resurrection, but I want you to notice that it also took place in relation to God's purpose in regard to all those wicked people that put Him to death and wanted to try to keep these apostles from speaking the truth. And so what are they doing here in these verses? They're praying. Verse 31 says, And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness. Now, you and I need to understand that this is the only way that we're going to come to the place where we will speak the word of God with boldness as well. It's if we'll remember that all these things came about by the foreknowledge and purpose of Almighty God. See how great this knowledge is in relation to our Lord Jesus Christ. And then make application of this to yourself. if God knew in that day, and He did, all of the different plans that He had for the Lord Jesus, the Lord of glory, of how He would live and how He would die, the exact way that He would die, these wicked men being the ones who crucified Him, their hands are called lawless hands, and put to death, then shouldn't we also see that everything in our life is laid out in God's sight perfectly clearly? Past, present, and future. That's how great His knowledge is. That's how great His foreknowledge is. Listen to Stephen Charnock. As he says this, in the most villainous and unrighteous action that ever was done, God is said to have an influence on it. God is said to deliver up Christ. Acts 2.23. Not barely as an act of His prescience, but His counsel and that determinant. i.e. stable and irreversible. He makes a distinction between these two acts. In God it was an act of counsel, in them it was an act of wickedness, by wicked hands. There was God's counsel about it, an actual tradition Romans 8.32, that he spared not his own son, but delivered him up for us all. All the agents had several ends. God in that act aimed at the redemption of the world, Satan at the preventing of it, Judas to satisfy his covetousness, the Jews to preserve themselves from the Roman invasion, and out of malice to him for so sharply reproving them. God had a gracious principle of love to mankind and acted for the salvation of the world in it. The instruments had base principles and ends and moved freely in obedience to them. Well, that's my first point to you this morning in this Sunday school time. God's foreknowledge of the ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ encompassed His life and His death at every point, and so it does with our lives as well. Secondly, God knows all future contingencies. Contingencies, those things that depend one upon another. Stephen Charnock says that is, God knows all things that shall accidentally happen, or as we say, by chance, and He knows all the free motions of men's wills that they shall be to the end of the world. If all things be open to him, Hebrews 4.13, then all contingencies are, for they are in the number of things, and as according to Christ's speech, those things that are impossible to man are possible to God, so those things which are unknown to man are known to God because of the infinite fullness and perfection of the divine understanding. So the whole subject of prophecy, we can say by conclusion, rests upon God's communicating to men His knowledge of future events, which He has foreknown and foreordained. I want you to turn with me to the book of 2 Chronicles chapter 18, and we'll read verses 1 to 27. I know it's a long passage, but it proves more than almost any other in the whole Bible the foreknowledge of God in relation to all the events of men and their lives in this world. 2 Chronicles chapter 18 verse 1 says, Jehoshaphat had riches and honor and abundance, and by marriage he allied himself with Ahab. After some years he went down to visit Ahab in Samaria, and Ahab killed sheep and oxen in abundance for him. and the people who were with him, and persuaded him to go up with him to Ramoth Gilead. So Ahab, king of Israel, said to Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, Will you go with me against Ramoth Gilead? And he answered him, I am as you are, and my people as your people, we will be with you in the war. Also Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, please inquire for the word of the Lord today. Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, 400 men, and said to them, shall we go to war against Ramoth-Gilead, or shall I refrain? So they said, go up, for God will deliver it into the king's hand. But Jehoshaphat said, is there not still a prophet of the Lord here that we may inquire of him? So the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, there is still one man by whom we may inquire of the Lord, but I hate him, because he never prophesies good concerning me, but always evil. He is Micaiah, the son of Imla, And Jehoshaphat said, let not the king say such things. Then the king of Israel called one of his officers and said, bring Micaiah, the son of Imlah, quickly. The king of Israel and Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, clothed in their robes, sat each on his throne, and they sat at a threshing floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria, and all the prophets prophesied before them. Now Zedekiah, the son of Chaneiah, had made horns of iron for himself, and he said, Thus says the Lord with these, You shall gore the Syrians until they are destroyed. And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, Go up to Ramoth Gilead and prosper, for the Lord will deliver it into the king's hand. Then the messenger who had gone to call Micaiah spoke to him, saying, Now listen, the words of the prophets with one accord encourage the king. Therefore, please let your word be like one of them and speak encouragement. You notice that Micaiah isn't going to do that at all. And Micaiah said, As the Lord lives, whatever my God says, that I will speak.' Then he came to the king, and the king said to him, Micaiah, shall I go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall I refrain?' And he said, go and prosper, and they shall be delivered into your hand. So the king said to him, how many times shall I make you swear to me that you will tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord? Then he said, I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains as sheep that have no shepherd. And the Lord said, these have no master. Let each return to his house in peace. And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, did I not tell you that he would not prophesy a good concerning me, but evil? Then Micaiah said, Therefore, hear the word of the Lord. I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, and all the hosts of heaven standing on his right hand and his left. And the Lord said, Who will persuade Ahab, king of Israel, to go up that he may fall at Ramoth Gilead? So one spoke in this manner and another spoke in that manner. Then a spirit came forward and stood before the Lord and said, I will persuade him. The Lord said to him, In what way? So he said, I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And the Lord said, You shall persuade him and also prevail. Go out and do so. Therefore, look, The Lord has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these prophets of yours, and the Lord has declared disaster against you.' Then Zedekiah the son of Shaniah went near and struck Micaiah on the cheek and said, Which way did the spirit from the Lord go from me to speak to you? And Micaiah said, Indeed you shall see, On that day, when you go into an inner chamber to hide, then the king of Israel said, take Micaiah and return him to Ammon, the governor of the city, and to Joash, the king's son, and say, thus says the king, put this fellow in prison and feed him with bread of affliction and water of affliction until I return in peace. But Micaiah said, if you ever return in peace, The Lord has not spoken by me. And he said, Take heed, all you people." Now, as we look at this passage of scripture, we can see here that it is an amazing thing, is it not? That the Lord had given Micaiah such incredible foreknowledge, which he could only have learned from the Lord God Almighty. And because he was the Lord's prophet, and because the Lord's purpose was to come out at this time, that Ahab was going to fall at Ramoth-Gilead, and all of these terrible things were to happen to him that day, we can see and understand here the greatness of the foreknowledge of God. What an incredible thing it is that you can see that God is so very wise in all of the things that He does in relation to His foreknowledge, that even this whole matter would not have been revealed to Micaiah had it not been the Lord's will to bring judgment upon Ahab and to cause all the people around him to stand in fear of what the Lord God Almighty was going to do to him that day when a man would take a bow at a venture, draw it, and we would see here and read here that it would strike the king in battle. Let me read this. for you. It says, So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, went up to Ramoth-Gilead, verse 29. And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, I will disguise myself and go into battle, but you put on your robes. So the king of Israel disguised himself, and they went into battle. And the king of Syria had commanded the captains of the chariots who were with him, saying, Fight with no one, small or great, but only with the king of Israel. So it was when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat that they said, it is the king of Israel. Therefore they surrounded him to attack, but Jehoshaphat cried out, and the Lord helped him, and God diverted them from him. For so it was, when the captains of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, that they turned back from pursuing him. Now a certain man drew a bow at random and struck the king of Israel between the joints of his armor. So he said to the driver of his chariot, turn around and take me out of the battle, for I am wounded. The battle increased that day, and the king of Israel propped himself up in his chariot, facing the Syrians until evening, and about the time of sunset he died. Then Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, returned safely to his house in Jerusalem. And Jehu the son of Hanani, the seer, went out to meet him and said to King Jehoshaphat, should you help the wicked and love those who hate the Lord, therefore the wrath of the Lord is upon you, nevertheless good things are found in you, and that you have removed the wooden images from the land and have prepared your heart to seek God. Now notice how much All of this depended upon the knowledge of God. Not only the prophecy of Micaiah to Jehoshaphat and to Ahab, but even when they went into battle. the Lord's foreknowledge of where each and every man would be in that battle, and most especially the king of Israel, King Ahab, who was to die that day. It says here in verse 31, the king of Syria had commanded the captains of the chariots who were with him, fight with no one, small or great, but only with the king of Israel. And so it was, it says, when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said, it is the king of Israel. But it wasn't, and so they surrounded him to attack him, but Jehoshaphat cried out. Now, they could have very easily killed him at that point in time, but they didn't. And the reason that they didn't, because it was not God's purpose, that Jehoshaphat died in that battle that day. And it says the Lord helped him, and God diverted them from him. All this required great foreknowledge, knowledge which no man had, and the skill to direct men in this battle, which shows the sovereignty of God at every point, and His knowledge involved at every point. And so it was, it says in verse 32, when the captains of the chariots saw that it wasn't the king of Israel, they turned back. from pursuing him, but it says a certain man, doesn't even name him, drew a bow at a venture, it says in the King James, at random, it says in the New King James, and he let fly the arrow. And the Lord directs it very specifically, although it's unknown to that man or anyone else, and we would not know it were it not for the inspiration of Scripture and the one who wrote this book, that God himself directed that arrow so it hit King Ahab in the joints of his armor. Now this was a bow drawn at random by means of chance in the way that we think of things, but not so in regard to how God thinks of things in terms of his foreknowledge. This was God's purpose. And so, this is what took place. This is what happened. And the king of Israel died. And Jehoshaphat, I'm sure, came to fear the Lord even more that day when he heard that statement about himself, when Jehu, the son of Hanani, the seer, went out to meet him, and confronted him, and rebuked him, and said, should you help the wicked? such as King Ahab, and love those who hate the Lord? This is the reason why the wrath of the Lord is upon you, his anger is upon you. Nevertheless, good things are found in you, he says. Now, how would he know that? Unless it was that the Lord had revealed to him in prophetic understanding, which he did in accordance with his foreknowledge. He had removed the wooden images from the land, and he had prepared, Jehu says, to seek God. Well, that's an amazing thing, is it not? And that's what we should see is amazing in every way, that God would do these extraordinary things to the King of Israel that day, and God has done these extraordinary things through our Lord Jesus Christ. In regard to both, one of the most wicked men who has ever lived, Ahab, it was for knowledge of his death. And in respect to the only truly, fully, and perfectly righteous man who's ever lived, our Lord Jesus Christ, our great God, the Lord God, had perfect foreknowledge. Let's pray together. Father, we ask that you will bless us now With these truths, help us to understand not only how sovereign you are, but that all of your sovereignty in all of your righteous acts is based upon your holy foreknowledge of every man, his heart, and every event and what your purpose is. And help us then to fear you and to love you and to serve you with all of our heart through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. For we pray these things in Jesus' name. Amen.