Thy mercy, my God, is the theme of my song. But there is one consistent theme in the Scriptures from the beginning until the end. They do not record for us a frustrated God who keeps trying to influence things for good, in spite of a myriad of setbacks and disappointments. Rather, we find His purpose to manifest His love for His people through blood redemption to be demonstrated on every page. It is impossible to have any right understanding of the proper use of the Scriptures if one misses that theme. One of the most glorious aspects of the redemptive work of Christ is the absolute certainty of His having accomplished the salvation of His people. Every event which must occur under the carrying out of His purpose has indeed occurred at the exact moment and precisely as He has determined it to take place. Judas made an agreement with the Jews on a sum of blood money for the purchase of Christ's betrayal. The amount of this transaction was determined before Judas was ever born and prophesied in the book of Zechariah and could not have been more or less than 30 pieces of silver. Some will no doubt say that Zechariah merely foresaw the future events as they were unfolding and knew ahead of time how much Judas would make a deal for. If that be the case, what kept Judas from changing his mind? How many Judas's had to be created in order to ensure that there would be one who would actually carry out this transaction? If one admits that the prophets could foresee events that would take place, then it must be certain that those events would take place. And so there needs to be no contingencies nor any doubts that they would happen. The reality of the matter is that the same God, who determined to send the Lord Jesus Christ into the world to redeem His elect bride, ordered and predestined every event to occur in the unfolding of that redemption. But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. If he determined the time that these events would occur, it is certain that he determined how they would occur, even to the minutest detail, such as the purchase price of Christ's betrayal. If one is given eyes to see the glory of his purpose in redemption, then that man can also rejoice in the fact that he has obtained it for those he came to save. This is no open-ended transaction, nor one whose outcome is uncertain. This is the very ground upon which the hope of God's children rests, wherein God, willing more abundantly to show unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel. Judas expected that this money would be to his profit, but in reality it was his admission price to the ante room of hell, which he willingly, though ignorantly, paid. In this he fulfilled the Lord's purpose as one marked out before under condemnation. Even the ways of the wicked fulfilled the purpose of God. While Judas envisioned what he might do with his wealth, it had already been determined that this blood money would be used for the purchase of a potter's field. Even this purchase of a potter's field with money which was meant to hurt the Son of God is a picture of the redemptive provision of Christ for his own, as this potter's field was a place of burial for the poor, awaiting the glorious day of the resurrection. It was a field of blood, thus demonstrating that it is the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ that is the purchase price of our redemption. It is also notable to point out that the bowels of Judas gushed out here. Isaiah says that Christ's garments are stained not only with his own blood, but with the blood of his enemies over which he has triumphed openly. The Lord both ordains who His enemies are and conquers them by His own power. And who can even dare question His doing? The Lord will destroy the wicked as a demonstration of the great mercy which He has unto all who call upon His name. For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Savior. I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Saba for thee. Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honorable, and I have loved thee. Therefore will I give men for thee and people for thy life. Fear not, for I am with thee. I will bring thy seed from the east and gather thee from the west. If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him freely give us all things? Blessed is that man whose God is the Lord. What a precious privilege it is to stand in the number of those whom the Lord has redeemed. Though not all of them have seen Him with natural eyes, they have all seen Him. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, has shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. For they shall all know Me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more." Do you know Him? If you would like a free transcript of this broadcast, email us at forthepoor at windstream.net.