#soap # Isaiah 53 ## Title: The LORD’s Good Plan ## Scripture: (Isaiah 53:10) “Though the Lord desired to crush him and make him ill, once restitution is made, he will see descendants and enjoy long life, and the Lord’s purpose will be accomplished through him.” (NET) ## Observation: There is much debate over the foreknowledge of God. Some say that all is already determined and others say that God doesn’t know the future because it has not been written yet. This would mean God dwells within time instead of outside it. If that is the case, God’s plans are conditional and left up to chance. This is more pervasive than you think. If you have ever heard someone talk about God’s perfect vs permissive will, you have been exposed to a conditional knowledge of God. This is not possible without altering your view of God. If God is truly Omniscient, then it means He knows the end from the beginning. How could He not? This raises the issue of the “Problem of Evil” and evil being done to the innocent. This does not mean God has decreed these things. It DOES mean He is aware of them. Think of it this way, when God created time, it could only be made in a way that He already knew how it would end because God is pure Actuality. God is not growing, learning, or developing. He is already who He is. This means He has no capacity to grow. He’s already perfect in every way. This means, long before you needed Him, He knew you would need Him. That’s where this passage comes in. It was God’s good plan to save you long before you needed it. ## Application: Celebrate the fact that God chose to save you even before you sinned. ## Prayer: Thank You, Jesus, for loving us from the beginning of eternity.