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God Refutes the Doctrine of ‘Free Will’

Posted by on May 28, 2013 in General | 1 Comment

Yesterday I posted this article relating Memorial Day to ‘the feasts’ which Israel was to observe every seventh year and made some practical applications.

In a parallel passage, specifically Exodus 34:23-24, there is an interesting addition to what God says He will do for all the males of Israel who are being required to come before Him 3 times in the year:

Three times in the year shall all your males appear before the LORD God, the God of Israel. For I will cast out nations before you and enlarge your borders; no one shall covet your land, when you go up to appear before the LORD your God three times in the year. – Exodus 34:23, 24

As we know quite well, Canaan was a land “flowing with milk and honey,” that is, it was a very desirable land. We also know from Scripture that the pagan nations surrounding Israel were not exactly the most kind-hearted and respectful neighbors. In fact, they would steal your land and other possessions in half a heartbeat if given the opportunity – and if God were not Sovereign in and over all things.

The passage says clearly, “no one shall covet your land” while they are absent from their property, having left women and children alone. In fact, the opportunistic, greedy heathens will not even have the desire to covet, much less steal the land.

Why? Because God is sovereign over the will of every human. In this case, He promises that the wicked shall not have the ‘free-will’ to covet their neighbors lands while the owners are away.

With such assurances of God’s sovereignty throughout Scripture, is it not a silly argument that any man has ‘free-will’ to do as He pleases whenever He wants to – including “asking Jesus into his heart”? Indeed it is, for Scripture teaches otherwise, that our Lord God knows the hearts of all men and can dictate the desires of their hearts and minds as so pleases Him.

Matthew Henry:

Let us check all sinful desires against God and his glory, in our hearts, and then trust him to check all sinful desires in the hearts of others against us. The way of duty is the way of safety. Those who venture for him never lose by him.