The Purpose of More
Romans 9:17
”For the scripture saith unto Pharoah, Even for this same purpose have raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.”
Sometimes it’s really hard to figure things out. We have a tough time putting two things together, which don’t seem to match, fit, or add up right. Dill pickles and ice cream aren’t supposed to go together, let alone in the same bowl. Sometimes, we discover with one of these pairings, which turns out really good. We wouldn’t have known unless we tried it. Still, it just doesn’t seem right. In our lives, we like to have everything line up, go together, fit perfectly, and work out just the way it’s supposed to. It is really easy to get frustrated, even downright angry when this happens.
In our heart of hearts, we know all things don’t work out the way we planned. This knowledge is not foreign to us. When we see things starting to get out of control, we adjust as needed until we either get back on the path or careen out of control.
We know we have a sovereign God who is in control of everything, and we know we should trust him with everything. We know there is a purpose for all things, even that which seems to us to be a failure, a big mistake, or a lost opportunity. In the “Opportunity of More,” we saw there are opportunities God is presenting individuals and the church to take advantage of. Those opportunities have embedded within them the purpose of God.
It has been said we will never obtain that which we will not pursue, and we will not pursue that which we believe to be unobtainable. There has to be a purpose, a reason, an end result, which will make the pursuit worth the effort. Otherwise, we continue on, even if we don’t necessarily like where we are, and the “taskmasters” keep us so busy we can’t move on toward anything, let alone see the purpose of God.
How does God show us the purpose, even the purpose of more? We know the account of the Exodus pretty well. God sent Moses to deliver his people out of bondage. In his way was a ruler who had come to power to keep God’s people bound. Moses accepted the challenge, but not without first letting God know of his limitations. He accepted the purpose, even though God sent him with a single message, “Tell Pharoah I AM hath sent thee.” Moses, with his staff, had confidence in his message but found the message which impressed him did not impress Pharoah. Why didn’t God make it an easy, one trip to the court of Pharoah, in and out, done and delivered?
God wanted the purpose to be engrained in the hearts, minds, and being of his people. The scripture above says he raised up Pharoah, that he might show his (God’s) power. The promise was deliverance, but Pharoah didn’t need deliverance from Egypt, the children of God did. This match of Moses and Pharoah had been set up years before. These two men were brought up together for this deliverance. In reality, they didn’t match up, they were opposed from the beginning, yet God had allowed Moses to learn the ways of the Egyptians, which was contrary to the ways of God. God had a purpose, a purpose of more, for the Hebrew children who relied on Moses to speak, and Pharoah to harden his heart. Moses delivered the message of the plagues, and God brought the plague to pass. Romans 9:22‐24 tells us, “What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory, Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?”
This scripture, along with others in the Bible, tells us God is willing to go to any and all lengths to accomplish his purpose. The “More” of his purpose we are willing to pursue, the “More” of his purpose will be revealed in us, his people. God let Pharoah wield his power as the leader of the Egyptians so he could prove to the Hebrew children they would be delivered, and the Name of God would be declared throughout all the earth. He allowed Pharoah to put their lives in further turmoil by increasing their workload and suffering, yet his purpose was still deliverance.
So, let’s not get too hung up on the “how”, but the “who” is providing this deliverance for us. God is in everything going on, he has placed into this earth his power, and even though we feel we are in a world of trouble (literally and figuratively), his purpose is still to deliver his people whole out of it all.
The final verses of Romans 9 go like this, (32‐33) “Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone; As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.”
Yes, it is easy to stumble; there are plenty of stumbling blocks for us to trip over. Faith overcomes. This could be added to, but simply, “Faith Overcomes.” The Chief Cornerstone, the Head of the Corner, desires more for his people. His purpose is for our deliverance. Pharoah (the world) has his purpose, but it is to selfishly hold on to that which is not his, so God uses what he has created to prove to us his purpose. Let’s rely on Him, and let him lead, even if it seems life isn’t match up the way it should be.
In this time of worldly turmoil, keep your faith in God. His purpose is deliverance from this world, the riches of his glory to us, his vessels, the vessels he has already bought with a price we cannot pay. Believe in the purpose of more, and there is a great opportunity for more in it! The time of God’s purpose for his people is now!