HomeVisionStatement Of FaithArticlesPhoto GalleryEditor's NoteLinksContact

Chasing After Destiny

Do we have a destiny? If we do, what is it?

The word "destiny" is not found in the King James Version (KJV) Bible.

The New King James Version (NKJV) uses the word only once in Lam. 1:9:

NKJV

KJV

Her uncleanness is in her skirts;
She did not consider her destiny;
Therefore her collapse was awesome;
She had no comforter.
"O LORD, behold my affliction,
For the enemy is exalted!"

Her filthiness is in her skirts;
she remembereth not her last end;
therefore she came down wonderfully:
she had no comforter.
O LORD, behold my affliction:
for the enemy hath magnified himself.

The Strong Concordance's definition for "last end" (OT:319) is 'achariyth. It means the future, latter or uttermost end or time, length, posterity, remnant, residue or reward.

However in the NIV version, the word "destiny" was used six times:

Job 8:13 Such is the destiny of all who forget God;
so perishes the hope of the godless.
Psalm 73:16-17

When I tried to understand all this,
it was oppressive to me
till I entered the sanctuary of God;
then I understood their final destiny.

Eccl 7:2

It is better to go to a house of mourning
than to go to a house of feasting,
for death is the destiny of every man;
the living should take this to heart.
Eccl 9:3 This is the evil in everything
that happens under the sun:
The same destiny overtakes all.
The hearts of men, moreover,
are full of evil and
there is madness in their hearts while they live,
and afterward they join the dead.
Isaiah 65:11-12

But as for you who forsake the LORD
and forget My holy mountain,
who spread a table for Fortune
and fill bowls of mixed wine for Destiny,
I will destine you for the sword,
and you will all bend down for the slaughter;
for I called but you did not answer,
I spoke but you did not listen.
You did evil in My sight
and chose what displeases Me.
Phil 3:18-19 For, as I have often told you before
and now say again even with tears,
many live as enemies of the cross of Christ.
Their destiny is destruction,
their god is their stomach,
and their glory is in their shame.
Their mind is on earthly things.

In all the six NIV verses, the word "destiny" was used with a negative connotation.

However, we do have a blessed destiny given to us by God. Our last end or destiny is Christ and Him alone. God wants us to become like His Son, Jesus.

Our destiny is not to become rich, famous and powerful such as a CEO or a president or other prestigious positions or a pastor of a megachurch or a powerhouse preacher or a televangelist having global networks or an apostolic leader having prophetic insights that span worldwide. These are earthly occupations and vocations, of which some of us may do for a living. These occupations and vocations may be necessary for the good and benefits of our societies. But they are not our destiny.

Our destiny is not a profession or a position but A Person. His name is Jesus. We are made in His image. And He is changing us to become more and more like Him each day, into the same image of Christ, from glory to glory. That's God's destiny for us.

And we know that all things work together
for good to those who love God,
to those who are the called according to His purpose.
For whom He foreknew,
He also predestined
to be conformed to the image of His Son,
that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called;
whom He called, these He also justified;
and whom He justified, these He also glorified.
Romans 8:28-30

However, many Christians are chasing after destinies, which are not based on the Word of God!

Let's take a look at the different Bible translations of Isaiah 65:11-12:

But because the rest of you have forsaken the Lord
and His Temple
and worship gods of 'Fate' and 'Destiny,'
therefore I will 'destine' you to the sword,
and your 'fate' shall be a dark one;
for when I called, you didn't answer;
when I spoke, you wouldn't listen.
You deliberately sinned before My very eyes,
choosing to do what you know I despise. (TLB)

But you are those who forsake the LORD,
Who forget My holy mountain,
Who prepare a table for Gad,
And who furnish a drink offering for Meni.
Therefore I will number you for the sword,
And you shall all bow down to the slaughter;
Because, when I called, you did not answer;
When I spoke, you did not hear,
But did evil before My eyes,
And chose that in which I do not delight. (NKJV)

But as for you who forsake the LORD
and forget My holy mountain,
who spread a table for Fortune
and fill bowls of mixed wine for Destiny,
I will destine you for the sword,
and you will all bend down for the slaughter;
for I called but you did not answer,
I spoke but you did not listen.
You did evil in My sight
and chose what displeases Me. (NIV)

The people of God were chasing after Fortune and Destiny. These were the ancient pagan gods of Canaan.

Fortune comes from the Hebrew word Gad, and it means luck or troop ( Strong's OT:1409). Destiny comes from the Hebrew word Meni, and it means number, the apportioner, idol of Fate (Strong's OT:4507).

In very simple words, Gad is the god of luck, and Meni is the god who determines the amount of luck. The people of God had prepared a table for Gad, and filled bowls of mixed wine for Meni. Because of what they had done, God said that He would destine them for the sword. As they bowed down before these idols, they would all bow down for the slaughter. Why? Because they sought after other gods, doing evil in the sight of God, and choosing to do what displeased Him.

Spreading a table for Gad means bringing food before the god of luck. Filling bowls of mixed wine for Meni means bringing mixed wine before the god who determines the amount of luck. Mixed wine means mixed teachings and doctrines, leading to mixed worship of God and other gods!

One of such mixed doctrines is the prosperity theology, which is sometimes referred to as the prosperity gospel, the health and wealth gospel, or the gospel of success. It is a religious belief among some Christians, who hold that financial blessings and physical well-being are always the ultimate will of God for them, and that faith, positive speech, and donations to special religious causes will increase and multiply one's material wealth tremendously. It emphasizes that the amount of blessings obtained is determined by the amount of donations given.

The prosperity gospel emphasizes the importance of personal empowerment and enrichment, proposing that it is God's will for His people to be happy, healthy and super rich. This is believed to be achieved through substantial donations of money, persistent visualization and positive confession.

No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.
Matthew 6:24 

Combining the word Baal and Gad, we will get Baal Gad, which means the lord of Gad or the god of luck. This was the name of a town in the Valley of Lebanon below Mount Hermon (Joshua 11:17). Joshua marched as far north as this city in his conquest of Canaan (Joshua 12:7; 13:5). In worshipping Baal Gad, the Israelites were actually worshipping Baal himself.

To believe in luck is to believe that God doesn't exist or that God's not sovereign. But God does exist, and He is sovereign, all powerful and all knowing. As He is the Creator and the God of the whole universe, He is the One Who upholds everything by His own power and will. As such, there is no such thing as luck. Luck is non-existent as long as God exists!

Destiny is regarded as fate by some pagan people. To them, fate is a fixed timeline of events that is inevitable and unchangeable. The future can be made known through some means of divination. This leads to fortune-telling, the practice of predicting the future of some self-seeking individuals.

In the church today, we too have this practice prevailing under the disguise of personal prophecies. God did, and still does send His Word through His prophets to give prophecies to individuals. But when individuals start to abuse the spiritual gifts, seeking personal destinies through prophecies, one after another, from this prophet and that prophet, then the danger arises.

We must wholeheartedly believe in the true Biblical prophetic ministry. But we must have some reservations, however, about some current prevailing practices that seem to go beyond the Biblical teachings and guidelines for prophets and prophecies. We need to be aware of those prophets who go around prophesying, one person after another, sometimes non-stop for hours. Even when their prophecies come true, we must be careful:

If there arises among you a prophet
or a dreamer of dreams,
and he gives you a sign or a wonder,
and the sign or the wonder comes to pass,
of which he spoke to you, saying,
'Let us go after other gods'--
which you have not known--'and let us serve them,'
you shall not listen to the words of that prophet
or that dreamer of dreams,
for the LORD your God is testing you to know
whether you love the LORD your God
with all your heart and with all your soul.
You shall walk after the LORD your God and fear Him,
and keep His commandments and obey His voice,
and you shall serve Him and hold fast to Him.
But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams
shall be put to death,
because he has spoken in order to turn you away
from the LORD your God,
Who brought you out of the land of Egypt
and redeemed you from the house of bondage,
to entice you from the way
in which the LORD your God commanded you to walk.
So you shall put away the evil from your midst.
Deuteronomy 13:1-5

Prophets are capable of foretelling the future. That's why many Christians, seeking Destiny and Fortune, are keen on personal prophecies as they seek out to find their unknown futures. Hereby, we need to exercise some diligence, wisdom and self-control. Instead of seeking God, many Christians are seeking "prophets" who will foretell them their destinies.

For, as I have often told you before
and now say again even with tears,
many live as enemies of the cross of Christ.
Their destiny is destruction,
their god is their stomach,
and their glory is in their shame.
Their mind is on earthly things.
Philippians 3:18-19

As God was not pleased with the Israelites, His people, when they sought after these gods of Destiny and Fortune, He is also not pleased with Christians who do the same.

Let's not chase after destiny. Let's take up our cross and follow Christ! He is our only Destiny!

John 3:30
He must increase, but I must decrease.


Source: Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary

 

Written on: 11 July 2006