God's Choices
by Mrs. G. Metcalfe

God has been making choices since the days of Adam.

He chose to accept Able's sacrifice of a lamb instead of Cain's offering of fruit.

He chose to make Seth, Adam's third son the appointed seed and placed a curse on Cain.

Coming down to Noah, who was a just man throughout all his generations, the Lord God saved Noah and his family in the great flood, the 1656th year of Adam.

Gen. 9:26 we read - And he said, Blessed be the Lord God of Shem or as the Revised Version puts it, Blessed by the Lord my God be Shem, and let Canaan be his slave." Cursed be Canaan a slave of slaves shall he be to his brothers." Again blessings for Shem "God enlarge Japheth and let him dwell in the tents of Shem." We are perfectly correct in saying God chose Shem ahead of his two brothers because the Abram line came down from Shem.

The next choice recorded was Terah and family.

Genesis 12:12 states God called Abram out of the wicked moon-wor shipping City of Ur . God made a covenant with Abram and also changed his name to Abraham - He also allowed him to go through the terrible test in being willing to sacrifice his son, Isaac. Abram believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness. Read Gen 17, also 26th chapters.

Abram and Sarah had one son given to them when they were 100 and 90 years respectively, and that son Isaac was chosen by God from all Abraham's sons. Isaac was a godly man and desired his sons to take wives from the Hebrew people.

Isaac married his cousin's daughter and they had twin sons. At nearly 40 years of age the elder son Esau despised his wonderful birthright. Some time later Jacob stole the elder son's blessing. God was watching over Jacob. He had already made His choice, when Jacob went away he slept on a builder's rejected stone outside a city wall and God made a great covenant with him. Jacob took wives, daughters of cousins, Esau took two women of the Canaanites.

You all know the story of Joseph and his brethren. God again was especially watching over Joseph. It all worked out for good to Joseph who became the prime minister of Egypt and thus was able to save his whole clan from the famine. Read chapters 37 to 48 of Genesis.

In Genesis 48 we are told of Jacob giving his blessing to Joseph's two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, giving the greater blessing to Ephraim the younger son. Nations would come of him and Manasseh the elder was to be "a great people."

Then in Genesis 49 we read of Jacob's prophetic blessings on his twelve sons while on his death bed. A special choice was made of his fourth son Judah, the Sceptre and Throne would always come of his tribe and Jesus Christ was to come out of Judah.

After over 400 years God made a choice of Moses causing him to be saved from destruction while a babe because He was going to use him to lead His people out of Egypt. Moses was the man for the job because he was a willing vessel for God to work through.

Before Moses' death, God had already chosen Joshua to really take the children of Israel into the Promised Land. He was a soldier of great strategy and also a godly man. Joshua said: "As for me and my house we will serve the Lord."

After many years under Judges the children of Israel wanted a king.

After having a king which the people themselves chose, Saul of Kish of the wrong tribe, for Saul was of Benjamin. He turned out badly and the Lord allowed him to die. God was about to make a choice of a king for Israel . It was now ten generations from Judah , so David the godly shepherd was anointed by Samuel, his seven brothers being re jected. God looketh on the heart. David was 30 years of age when he was made king. The people sang: God save the King! God made David a House, a name which still stands today and our Queen Elizabeth II sits on the Throne of David.

About forty years prior to the first setting up of the Ten Tribed House of Israel, God made a choice of the Tribe of Benjamin. This Tribe was to be lent to Judah so that some of that tribe would return to Jerusalem when the 42,000 of Judah returned. God knew the Jews would not accept the Gospel so Benjamin and Judah made up the House of Judah and it was Benjaminites or Galileans who became the early church. From them the Gospel was carried to the world.

Another outstanding choice was Saul of Tarsus of the Tribe of Benjamin, educated highly in the religion of the Jews. He became the greatest apostle Paul to the Gentiles.

The last choice made in the Bible was John on the Isle of Patmos, who was given the Revelation of Jesus Christ. There have been many more choices. If you know your history you can pick them out.