Why it is Imperative to Preach Predestination, Part 2

For a while, I had avoided teaching this doctrine. It breeds fights and disunity. However, I’ve come to see that, if I want to be faithful to Scripture and to my students, I have no choice.

God had given King Nebuchadnezzar little choice. God had ordained him

King over mighty Babylonia, but the King thought it was all about him. However, he had had a disturbing dream and he consulted with the only one who could interpret it – Daniel.

Daniel explained that the fallen tree that the King had seen in his dream was himself. The King would loose everything, but only for a period of seven years:

·        "This is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree the Most High has issued against my lord the king: You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like cattle and be drenched with the dew of heaven. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes” [“chooses;” NKJV]. (Daniel 4:24-25)

However, the King couldn’t accept this interpretation:

·        Twelve months later, as the king was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, he said, "Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?"  The words were still on his lips when a voice came from heaven, "This is what is decreed for you, King Nebuchadnezzar: Your royal authority has been taken from you. You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like cattle. Seven times [or years] will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes." (Daniel 4:29-32)

For seven years, the King thought that he was a cow until he came to see the truth of one single doctrine – “the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes [or “chooses”]."

Seven years of insanity is a great price to pay to learn one simple lesson. I had to learn this same lesson and had to pay a similar price. After God saved me, I was convinced that I had chosen Him and not He me, contra Jesus’ words (John 15:16). I was also convinced that He had a pretty good catch in me. Not that my good deeds had made me deserving of His salvation, but I thought that I had a more spiritual nature than others, and so I knew a good spiritual deal when I saw it. Although I didn’t see it at the time, this idea made me proud, even arrogant. I was better and more deserving than others!

I had no idea that my attitude was offensive to my Savior. It required years for me to let go of my self-inflating drug. However, in order to do this, I had to be brought low, very low, to the point where I painfully understood that there was absolutely nothing in me worthy of His love – even that, on my own, I would never choose Him.

If I don’t teach this doctrine, I would be condemning my students to endure a similar suffering. Their suffering would be upon my hands.