The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-23
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= E.sTUDY-oN =
MEN OF DESTINY

blessed are they. that mourn: for
they shall be- comforted. Matthew
5:4,
Napoleon was styled a man of des
tiny, and surely many things con-
neeted with his experience seem provi-
Dental. This does not signify that
he was servant of God-far from It
But it signifies that Divine Wisdom
has ever been able to overrule the
wrath of man to serve Him. and the
remainder TO restrain. thus causing all
things to work out the divine pur-
pose.
| Just what was the divine purpose in
Napoleons day was far from clear.
even to the saints of God then living
Indeed that purpose is only partially
understood by the Lords people IT.
although Bible students see with
the eye of faith many ways in which
Napoleons campaigns worked changes
which undoubtedly have had much to
do with the worlds progress during
the past century
The Pharaoh of the Exodus was also
man of destiny. We have the divine
assurances of the fact For this cause
!
in thee My power and that My name
may be declared throughout the
earth EXODUS 916.) st. Paul de-
clared that God hardened Pharaohs
heart, that he should not let Israel go,
and quotes this very scripture.-Ro-
mans 9:17, IS.
But Gods people very seriously mis-
understood the purport of these words
when in the past they Interpreted these
to mean that God had created Pharaoh
wicked. hard d-hearted man, and that
subsequently He still further hardened
Pharaoh's heart. Not sol The scrip
lures declare that all Gods work is
perfect. 1t is sin that has wrought
the havoc. that has made man selfish
and hard hearted
Bible students now realize that the
Apostle meant to tell us that from
amongst the princes of Egypt God
raised up to the throne of that king
dom stubborn ruler. upon whose
| heart the mercies of God. in lifting one
plague after another would have only
| a hardening effect. God raised this
| prince to the throne. so as to teach
a great lesson respecting divine ten
derness, mercy and forgiveness, and
| to illustrate the principle that Gods
| greatest blessing to mankind-a free
will--may be perverted by Satan to
work mans greatest injury.
Viewing the Other Side
! Not oil men of destiny are in oppo-
| sition to God, however. Abraham, Isaac
Jacob. Moses, David, Solomon, and the
prophets, as well as Jesus Apostles
and all His followers, are men of des-
| tiny-foreknown, called of Cod" Upon
these His mercies have softening eff
rect, making them tender hearted low
ing, more and more tending towards
the development of the graces of the
holy spirit-"meekness, gentleness. pa
tienee, long suffering, brotherly kind
ness. love"
Such of these saints as lived before
the Redeemer offered His sacrifice for
sins are to have a better resurrection
TO earthly nature than the remainder
of mankind will have, and are to be
princes in all the EARTH" as human
representatives of the Messianic king
dom. The men of destiny from the
time OF the first advent of the Lord
down, are to have still higher re-
ward--a change of nature The cap
tain or their salvation, the Redeemer,
has already reached His destiny of
hlgh exaltation, far above angels,
principalities and powers'-'at the
right hand of God."-Philippians 29:
Ephesians 1:21.
The loyal band now following in
Jesus footsteps in the narrow way
are waiting until the full number of
the elect shall have been chosen and
proved faithful. Then their destiny
VIII be reached by the glorious change
OF the first resurrection.
Know Not the Lord"
In due course Moses, accompanied by
Aaron, his mouthpiece, presented him
self before Pharaoh and delivered the
divine message respecting the liberia
ton of the Israelites He was met with
derision, Pharaoh declaring, II know
not Jehovah neither will let Israel
60. 1t seemed as though the whole
work would be a failure. 1t was a
time of testing to the faith not only
of Moses and Aaron. but of all the
Israeltes. Pharaoh with great hard
ness of heart sent forth the edict that
the tasks of the Israelites should be
increased.
The lsraelites were doing forced la
Dor, making brick for public buildings
The bricks were made of unburnt clay,
with straw as binder BY the new
rule. the Israelites must produce the
same number of bricks per day. but
must additionally scour the fields to
gather stubble to serve as binders.
Thus their tasks were practically dou-
bled; and if not performed. they were
beaten. Can We wonder that the Is
raelites. of less faith. murmurei
against Moses and Aaron. and blamed
them with the increase of their tasks .
Nevertheless, by these bitter expe-
riences the people were all the more
prepared to welcome the liberty sub
i scquently offered them in Gods provi-
4 dence Is this not true in respect
to some of our spiritual liberties also !?
!! To some extent, at first, our efforts to