Recently while thinking through the narrative of Israel and the selection of Saul as king, I highlighted the Scriptural account indicated that God considered what Israel did amounted to treason of the ultimate kind. I suggested that this is an indication that God’s original plan was for Israel to be a theocracy, but in rejecting God, Israel frustrated God’s original plan by preferring a human monarch; yet God’s ultimate purposes were fulfilled in spite of Israel’s waywardness and rebellion. This I said underscored the perseverance of God’s grace and mercy and His sovereignty in human history. In spite of allowing us our freedom of choice, God’s ultimate purposes will be fulfilled because His Holy Spirit constantly works to cajole, to woo, to convict and to inspire the spirits within His creatures. And, in the end, His will will be accomplished but He chooses to work through His people who are willing.

One of my commenters (Jeremy Peirce) pointed out correctly that this was prefigured in Deuteronomy, so on that basis, he didn’t think my characterizing it as Israel thwarting God’s original plan was completely accurate. In other words, it could well be within God’s plan for Israel to reject God, and for God to select Saul as king, for Saul to fail and then for God to raise up David as a replacement. Actually, whether or not that was God’s original plan, I think the more important point is that even though Israel rejected God by wanting to have a human king, God’s mercy, grace and longsuffering shone through in this account of Him working with Israel in spite of the fact that what they wanted was contrary to what He thought was best for them. God used their folly to glorify Himself and fulfill His purposes for their lives through their story.

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The latest edition of the God or Not carnival is presented by Eternal Revolution on the topic “Proof”. This is a unique carnival of blogposts from both sides of the theistic belief fence, fostering dialog on various topics. In the post that I submitted to the carnival, I question whether the demand for proofs as evidence for belief is really necessary. There are quite a collection of posts from both sides. The inaugural God or Not carnival was held on the topic of sin at the Skeptic Rant.