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Do Men Have a Choice? - Part 1
Do Men Have a Choice? - Part 1
By Derek Long
The Bible speaks about God choosing certain people. The fact passages exist which speak about God choosing people have led some believe mankind does not have a choice. Does the Bible teach mankind is capable of making a choice? Here are some passages to consider showing mankind does have the ability to make a choice:
Genesis 6:2 - “That the sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves of all whom they chose.” Here we read about sons of God choosing who they will marry. Does a person have the ability to make such a choice? God’s word says a person does choose who they marry!
Genesis 13:11 - “Then Lot chose for himself all the plain of Jordan, and Lot journeyed east. And they separated from each other.” Abraham and Lot’s herds had become too large for them to remain together. Abraham allowed Lot to choose which direction he would go and the Bible says “Lot chose.” If one says a person cannot make a choice, they are going to have to say the Bible lies when it said “Lot chose”!
Exodus 17:9 - “And Moses said to Joshua, ‘Choose us some men and go out, and fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand.’” Moses clearly commanded Joshua to make a choice. If individuals are incapable of making choices, then Moses was commanding Joshua to do the impossible.
Exodus 18:25 - “And Moses chose able men out of all Israel, and made them heads over the people: rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.” Jethro advised Moses to appoint men to help him in judging the cases of the Israelites. The Bible then tells us “Moses chose” something some people say is impossible for a man to do.
Deuteronomy 23:15-16 - “You shall not give back to his master the slave who has escaped from his master to you. He may dwell with you in your midst, in the place which he chooses within one of your gates, where it seems best to him; you shall not oppress him.” A runaway slave was to be allowed to choose a place within Israel to stay based upon what seemed best to him. If a person is without a choice, why would God say the slave gets to stay where he chooses.
Deuteronomy 30:19 - “I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live.” Moses said the Israelites had a choice to make which would result in them either receiving life and blessing or death and cursing. If mankind has no choice, why would Moses call upon them to choose life?
Joshua 8:3 - “So Joshua arose, and all the people of war, to go up against Ai; and Joshua chose thirty thousand mighty men of valor and sent them away by night.” As Joshua and the Israelites are seeking to take the city of Ai, Joshua makes a choice (something some people say is impossible) to send certain men to be in ambush.
Joshua 24:15, 22 - “And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord ... So Joshua said to the people, ‘You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen the Lord for yourselves, to serve Him.’ And they said, ‘We are witnesses!’” Joshua declares he had made a decision that his house would serve the Lord and calls upon the rest of the Israelites to choose who they will serve. If mankind lacks the ability to choose whom they will serve, why does Joshua command them to make such a choice? Israel decides to serve the Lord and Joshua says, “You have chosen the Lord.” Was Joshua mistaken when he spoke of them making a choice to serve the Lord?
Judges 5:8 - “They chose new gods; then there was war in the gates; not a shield or spear was seen among forty thousand in Israel.” Deborah and Barak describe the condition of Israel prior to the days of Deborah as the people choosing new gods. Did the Israelites really choose new gods?
Judges 10:14 - “Go and cry out to the gods which you have chosen; let them deliver you in your time of distress.” Here is part of God’s response to the Israelites one of the times they were oppressed in the book of Judges. God speaks here of the Israelites having chosen other gods. Did God not know whether man could make a choice or not? Clearly, God knows man is capable of making a choice about who he will serve.
1 Samuel 8:18 - “And you will cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, and the Lord will not hear you in that day.” Samuel is describing what will happen as Israel gets a king. He mentions will cry out “because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves.” Clearly this passage indicates the people could make a choice.
1 Samuel 12:13 - “Now therefore, here is the king whom you have chosen and whom you have desired. And take note, the Lord has set a king over you.” Samuel again is talking about king Saul and yet points out “here is the king whom you have chosen.” Here is another passage which speaks of the people making a choice.
1 Samuel 13:2 - “Saul chose for himself three thousand men of Israel. Two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and in the mountains of Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin. The rest of the people he sent away, every man to his tent.” The question arises “Did Saul actually chose three thousand men of Israel?” The Bible says he did!
1 Samuel 17:40 - “Then he took his staff in his hand; and he chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag, in a pouch which he had, and his sling was in his hand. And he drew near to the Philistine.” The inspired record says David “chose for himself five smooth stones.” If David did not choose, then the Bible is wrong. If David did choose, then man can make a choice.
2 Samuel 10:9; 1 Chronicles 19:10 - “When Joab saw that the battle line was against him before and behind, he chose some of Israel’s best and put them in battle array against the Syrians.” Here we read the Bible records Joab as making a choice. Did Joab actually choose or not? The Bible says he “chose”!
2 Samuel 24:12; 1 Chronicles 21:10-11 - “‘Go and tell David, “Thus says the Lord: ‘I offer you three things; choose one of them for yourself, that I may do it to you.’”’” God tells Gad to present three choices to David for the punishment God will send because of the unlawful census David took. If mankind cannot make a choice, then why does God send Gad to David to command David to make a choice?
1 Kings 18:23, 25 - “Therefore let them give us two bulls; and let them choose one bull for themselves, cut it in pieces, and lay it on the wood, but put no fire under it; and I will prepare the other bull, and lay it on the wood, but put no fire under it ... Now Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, ‘Choose one bull for yourselves and prepare it first, for you are many; and call on the name of your god, but put no fire under it.’” Elijah, a prophet of God, tells the prophets of Baal to choose two bulls to be used for the challenge upon Mount Carmel and then instructs them to choose one bull to use for their attempted sacrifice. If mankind cannot make a choice, why does Elijah talk in such a manner?
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