Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee: the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain.
God permits human anger to run its course for a time, then turns it to His own honor and holds back all that would go beyond His purpose for His glory and His people's good. He makes opposition, contempt, controversy and slander praise Him by forcing testing truth into open examination and discussion, awakening inquiry in minds that would otherwise slumber and making its excellence more clearly seen. This was fulfilled when the invading wrath of Assyria against Jerusalem was overthrown in one night with 185,000 slain, vindicating His honor before the nations and sending Sennacherib away in shame without entering the city. It was fulfilled again when enemies of Daniel were allowed to act against prayer so his deliverance would be more striking, when enforced idolatry in Babylon only spread knowledge of the true God, and when Paul's imprisonment carried the gospel to kings and rulers who otherwise would not have heard it. Therefore those under opposition can trust wholly in His power to save, refuse discouragement, keep doing their best as instruments in His hands, and keep speaking truth in love while patiently waiting His time for triumph.
Wrath Overruled in History
Surely human anger is made to praise God and its remainder is restrained, and this was fulfilled in the deliverance of Jerusalem from Sennacherib and Assyria. The threatening and invading wrath of Assyria against Judah was turned to praise when it was overthrown in one night by the angel who struck down 185,000 mighty men, leaders and captains. That overthrow vindicated the honor of Jehovah before the surrounding nations and filled Jerusalem with holy joy and songs of solemn praise in the temple courts. The remainder of wrath was restrained when Sennacherib, stricken with fear at the judgment, hastened away with shame of face to his own land without entering the city. His reign was soon cut short by assassination at the hands of his own household, and Esar-haddon reigned in his stead, proving that human anger cannot defeat divine purpose.
The same overruling was fulfilled for Daniel when his enemies were permitted to carry out their purpose against prayer. That permission was given so that his deliverance would be more striking and their defeat more complete. It gave Daniel opportunity to testify, and his deliverance proved the true and living God. His courage in choosing what was right over political advantage defeated the adversary's purpose and brought honor to God's name. In Babylon the attempt to enforce idolatry only spread knowledge of the true God. For Paul, imprisonment carried the gospel to kings, princes and rulers who otherwise would not have had the light.
God overrules satanic wrath and the plots of evil people to advance His glory and bring His people to safety. Persecution and exile can thus open the way to freedom.
Opposition Advances Divine Truth
God may permit opponents to follow their wicked inclinations for a time, yet He restrains their opposition once it has served His glory and the good of His people, exposing their presumptuous course and giving triumph to His truth. Human wrath against God and His servants is thus made to praise Him because it stirs people to investigate the truth and thereby serves His purpose. He makes the wrath of men praise Him by turning opposition, contempt, controversy, reproach and slander into His means of bringing testing truth to the front as a subject of examination and discussion. This agitation of minds awakens inquiry in those who would otherwise slumber and stirs others to investigate, so that efforts meant to retard truth only extend it and make its excellence more clearly seen. So it was when the attempt to enforce idolatry spread knowledge of the true God in Babylon, when the decree against prayer gave opportunity to testify and deliverance proved the true and living God, and when imprisonment carried the gospel to kings, princes and rulers who otherwise would not have had the light.
God's turning of human opposition to praise is linked with overturning human wisdom and bringing down proud imaginations. He causes the wrath of men to praise Him and makes of no effect the efforts of wicked men who oppose and sweep away the law of God and misrepresent His Word, for the work and the cause are the Lord's. Human anger is turned to praise that magnifies God when He reveals Himself through healing and the gospel's transforming power, while the wrath that would not serve His purpose and would go further is restrained. Threats to hinder the work will not stop it but can be used to bring Him honor.
The truth and the cause will triumph, but when, where and how is for the Lord to decide, for the Captain of salvation stands at the helm and His will shall be done.
Trusting God Under Opposition
Whole trust in God's power to save in time of great need, expressed in earnest entreaty mingled with confession of sin and tears, brings unfailing deliverance. Such deliverance calls for vows to be paid to the Lord and for presents to be brought to Him who is to be feared and is terrible to the kings of the earth.
Even when God permits opposition to follow His workers and to hedge up their way, they can put their trust in Him. They are to refuse discouragement and go right on doing their best while He turns the wrath to His glory.
Duty is to be only an instrument in God's hands, since the work and the cause are the Lord's. This means praying and working the very best one can with the will in submission to God's will. It means keeping on speaking the truth in love to those who will hear, without vindicating self, and patiently waiting God's time without despair or discouragement even when best efforts make little impression on deceived people. The truth will triumph, but when, where and how is for the Lord to decide, for the Captain of salvation stands at the helm and His will shall be done, while He causes the wrath of men to praise Him and makes of no effect the efforts of wicked men who oppose and sweep away the law of God and misrepresent His Word.
God permits human anger to run its course for a time, then turns it to His own honor and holds back all that would go beyond His purpose for His glory and His people's good. He makes opposition, contempt, controversy and slander praise Him by forcing testing truth into open examination and discussion, awakening inquiry in minds that would otherwise slumber and making its excellence more clearly seen. This was fulfilled when the invading wrath of Assyria against Jerusalem was overthrown in one night with 185,000 slain, vindicating His honor before the nations and sending Sennacherib away in shame without entering the city. It was fulfilled again when enemies of Daniel were allowed to act against prayer so his deliverance would be more striking, when enforced idolatry in Babylon only spread knowledge of the true God, and when Paul's imprisonment carried the gospel to kings and rulers who otherwise would not have heard it. Therefore those under opposition can trust wholly in His power to save, refuse discouragement, keep doing their best as instruments in His hands, and keep speaking truth in love while patiently waiting His time for triumph.
Wrath Overruled in History
Surely human anger is made to praise God and its remainder is restrained, and this was fulfilled in the deliverance of Jerusalem from Sennacherib and Assyria. The threatening and invading wrath of Assyria against Judah was turned to praise when it was overthrown in one night by the angel who struck down 185,000 mighty men, leaders and captains. That overthrow vindicated the honor of Jehovah before the surrounding nations and filled Jerusalem with holy joy and songs of solemn praise in the temple courts. The remainder of wrath was restrained when Sennacherib, stricken with fear at the judgment, hastened away with shame of face to his own land without entering the city. His reign was soon cut short by assassination at the hands of his own household, and Esar-haddon reigned in his stead, proving that human anger cannot defeat divine purpose.
The same overruling was fulfilled for Daniel when his enemies were permitted to carry out their purpose against prayer. That permission was given so that his deliverance would be more striking and their defeat more complete. It gave Daniel opportunity to testify, and his deliverance proved the true and living God. His courage in choosing what was right over political advantage defeated the adversary's purpose and brought honor to God's name. In Babylon the attempt to enforce idolatry only spread knowledge of the true God. For Paul, imprisonment carried the gospel to kings, princes and rulers who otherwise would not have had the light.
God overrules satanic wrath and the plots of evil people to advance His glory and bring His people to safety. Persecution and exile can thus open the way to freedom.
Opposition Advances Divine Truth
God may permit opponents to follow their wicked inclinations for a time, yet He restrains their opposition once it has served His glory and the good of His people, exposing their presumptuous course and giving triumph to His truth. Human wrath against God and His servants is thus made to praise Him because it stirs people to investigate the truth and thereby serves His purpose. He makes the wrath of men praise Him by turning opposition, contempt, controversy, reproach and slander into His means of bringing testing truth to the front as a subject of examination and discussion. This agitation of minds awakens inquiry in those who would otherwise slumber and stirs others to investigate, so that efforts meant to retard truth only extend it and make its excellence more clearly seen. So it was when the attempt to enforce idolatry spread knowledge of the true God in Babylon, when the decree against prayer gave opportunity to testify and deliverance proved the true and living God, and when imprisonment carried the gospel to kings, princes and rulers who otherwise would not have had the light.
God's turning of human opposition to praise is linked with overturning human wisdom and bringing down proud imaginations. He causes the wrath of men to praise Him and makes of no effect the efforts of wicked men who oppose and sweep away the law of God and misrepresent His Word, for the work and the cause are the Lord's. Human anger is turned to praise that magnifies God when He reveals Himself through healing and the gospel's transforming power, while the wrath that would not serve His purpose and would go further is restrained. Threats to hinder the work will not stop it but can be used to bring Him honor.
The truth and the cause will triumph, but when, where and how is for the Lord to decide, for the Captain of salvation stands at the helm and His will shall be done.
Trusting God Under Opposition
Whole trust in God's power to save in time of great need, expressed in earnest entreaty mingled with confession of sin and tears, brings unfailing deliverance. Such deliverance calls for vows to be paid to the Lord and for presents to be brought to Him who is to be feared and is terrible to the kings of the earth.
Even when God permits opposition to follow His workers and to hedge up their way, they can put their trust in Him. They are to refuse discouragement and go right on doing their best while He turns the wrath to His glory.
Duty is to be only an instrument in God's hands, since the work and the cause are the Lord's. This means praying and working the very best one can with the will in submission to God's will. It means keeping on speaking the truth in love to those who will hear, without vindicating self, and patiently waiting God's time without despair or discouragement even when best efforts make little impression on deceived people. The truth will triumph, but when, where and how is for the Lord to decide, for the Captain of salvation stands at the helm and His will shall be done, while He causes the wrath of men to praise Him and makes of no effect the efforts of wicked men who oppose and sweep away the law of God and misrepresent His Word.