Viewed from Above

On the forum*, someone wrote in response to my December 31 weblog post:

“As I read this, it appears that, biblically speaking, you are entirely right. And yet I still ‘miss’ something, something difficult to put into words. For example, how do you view human responsibility, which is also clearly emphasized throughout the Bible? How can God, for instance, place a choice before us if, in the end, He Himself determines what a person will choose?”

We can view human conduct from two very different perspectives. The first approach is from the human point of view. God commands a person to do something, and that person is expected to listen. When God told Pharaoh, “Let My people go,” Pharaoh knew what he was supposed to do. When Pharaoh failed to do so, God imposed sanctions on him. All perfectly straightforward and understandable.

We can also view the entire scene from above. That produces a completely different perspective. We then observe that, behind the scenes, God determined the entire scenario, including the actions of the “antagonists.” God intended to put His power on display, and a compliant Pharaoh would have been of no use for that purpose. So what did God do when Pharaoh was about to give in under the pressure? God hardened (Hebrew: strengthened) Pharaoh’s heart, so that he continued refusing to let the people of Israel go.

The first perspective focuses our attention on God’s will.
The second, on God’s purpose (or intention).
The first was publicly known.
The second was secret and hidden.
In the first perspective, God is one of the principal actors.
In the second, God is the Scriptwriter and Director who assigns every role in the “play.”
The first is the drama seen from the audience.
The second is the same drama, but seen from backstage.

The question is not which perspective is biblical – they both are. It is true, however, that the second perspective – the backstage perspective – is intended only for those close to God. God’s secret purposes were none of a disobedient Pharaoh’s business. Besides, he would not have understood them anyway. Even the people of Israel were unaware of them. Only Moses, as God’s friend (Exodus 33:11), knew His secrets.

7 He made His WAYS known to Moses, To the sons of Israel His ACTIVITIES.

Psalm 103:7

Together with the people of Egypt, Israel was confronted with God’s manifest deeds. There could be no doubt about them. But Moses was one of the few who was permitted to see more. He received insight into the various paths God was taking. That goes much further. The great secret of God’s “hidden agenda,” as Paul unfolds it in Romans 9, is not intended for people who refuse to give God the honor. They consider themselves – and their choices – too important, and that prevents them from glorifying and thanking God as GOD. They shudder at the idea that God holds all the strings because then they have nothing left to boast about.

Moreover, people cannot reconcile the presence of evil in the world with God’s love. That is pure shortsightedness and unbelief, for we have the assurance that the pieces will fit together only at the end. Only after Joseph’s brothers had reached Egypt and had learned their lessons did they hear from their brother that it was not they, but God, who had sent him to Egypt.

“7 But Elohim sent me on before you to set up for you a remnant on earth and to preserve lives for you in a great deliverance.
8 So now, not you sent me here, but the One, Elohim…”

Genesis 45:7–8

The brothers had their responsibility. As long as they had not become fully aware of it, the secret of God’s counsel was none of their business. But Joseph had always known, as one who truly loved God, that God had already written the entire script beforehand. What an immense privilege to know this and, in that knowledge, to be able to accept even evil from God’s hand (Job 2:10)!

God’s hidden fellowship is found
By souls in whom His fear abides.
The secret of salvation is revealed to His friends,
In accordance with His covenant of peace.

Psalm 25, stanza 7, metrical version

(*Forum is offline, 2026)

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