July 23, 2006
“God’s Control of Weather”
Genesis 8:1-5

Near the beginning of Genesis chapter 8, we read these words, “and God made a wind to pass over the earth.” It was these words, along with others, that early in this past week made me think that my topic this week would be God’s control of the weather. Our power at the church went out this week. Not because of failure to pay our bill, nor because of internal electrical problems nor because of any problem that influenced any great part of North Port, but because lightning struck right where electricity would start coming into our building. Does God have a message for us?

I. God has well established the fact both here and throughout Scripture, that He controls the weather – Genesis 8:1-5
Scripture contains many examples of God controlling the weather -
• Genesis 6:5-7:24 God judges the world with a flood
• Exodus 9:23-29 God brings hail and fire on Egypt
• Leviticus 26:19-20 God threatens a drought
• Deut. 11:13-15 God promises rain as a reward
• Deut. 28:24 God threatens drought as a punishment
• Joshua 10:11 God brings LARGE hail on the Amorites
• I Samuel 7:10 God’s loud thunder confuses the Philistines
• I Sam.12:16-18 God makes a point / response to Samuel
• II Sam. 21:1 God causes famine due to unrepented of sin
• I Kings 8:35-36 God brings rain and healing / repent
• I Kings 17:1-7 God withholds rain, due to sin
• I Kings 18:41-45 God ends drought / Elijah’s prayer
• Amos 4:6-10 God withheld rain (part of ineffective work)
• Jonah 1:4,10-15 God uses the storm / Jonah to Nineveh
• Matthew 5:45 God rains on the just and unjust
• Mark 4:39-41 Christ commands the wind and waves
• Revelation 16:21 God brings hail as punishment

II. God’s ordinary control of weather is for the provision of His creatures – Genesis 8:1; Matthew 5:45
1. God’s goodness is expressed in this – Matthew 5:45
2. Christ expects us to imitate this goodness – Matthew 5:43-48
3. This goodness of God is meant to lead to repentance – Romans 2:4
4. Even both the rain and withholding of rain should cause us to return to God in prayer – Amos 4:6-13

III. God’s extraordinary control of the weather, great storms, tornados, hurricanes, extreme withholding of rain is for various reasons:
1. Brings judgment upon sin – Genesis 6:5-7; :13; :17; Genesis 7:17-24
2. Is a wakeup call to the spiritually sluggish or sinful – 1 Samuel 12:16-18; II Samuel 21:1; 1 Kings 8:35-36
3. Is one way God defends His people from His and their enemies – Joshua 10:11; I Samuel 7:10

IV. God’s control of the weather is illustrative of His control of all things – Ephesians 1:11; Romans 8:28
1. God is control even of the most insignificant things – Proverbs 16:33
2. God is in control of the most unpredictable events – 1 Kings 22:26-29; :34
3. God is in control even of those emotions / circumstances that storm and bother us most – Psalm 42:1-11

V. How should we respond to these things?
1. By realizing who is REALLY in control, who we really need to please – Daniel 6
2. By praying more often – I Thessalonians 5:17
3. By living as those who live before ONE WHO has their lives in His hand – Luke 12:4-7

Pastor Arnold Brevick