The Counsel Of God

Περὶ βουλῆς Θεοῦ· καὶ ὅτι ἄτρεπτος, καὶ ἀνέφικτος ἀνθρώποις ὑπάρχει. Κύριος διασκεδάζει βουλὰς ἐθνῶν, ἀθετεῖ δὲ λογισμοὺς λαῶν.  Ὡς φοβερὸς ἐν βουλαῖς ὑπὲρ τοὺς υἱοὺς ἀνθρώπων.  Πολλοὶ λογισμοὶ ἐν καρδίᾳ ἀνθρώπου· ἡ δὲ βουλὴ τοῦ Θεοῦ μένει εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα.  Ἃ ὁ Θεὸς ἅγιος βεβούλευται, τίς διασκεδάσει;  καὶ τὴν χεῖρα τὴν ὑψηλὴν τίς ἀποστρέψει; Τάδε λέγει Κύριος Σαβαὼθ, λέγων·  Ὃν τρόπον εἴρηκα, οὕτως ἔσται, καὶ ὃν τρόπον βεβούλευμαι, οὕτως μενεῖ.  Ποῦ εἰσιν οἱ σοφοί σου;  καὶ ἀναγγειλάτωσάν σοι ὅ τι βεβούλευται Κύριος Σαβαώθ. Τίς ἔγνω νοῦν Κυρίου, ἢ τίς σύμβουλος αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο, ὃς συμβιβάσει αὐτόν;  ἢ πρὸς τίνα συνεβουλεύσατο, καὶ συνεβίβασεν αὐτόν;  Θεὸς αἰώνιος ὁ κατασκευάσας τὰ ἄκρα τῆς γῆς.  Οὐ πεινάσει, οὐδὲ κοπιάσει, οὐδὲ ἔστιν ἐξεύρεσις τῆς φρονήσεως αὐτοῦ. Ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ Θεὸς, καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ἄλλος πλὴν ἐμοῦ. Πᾶσα ἡ βουλή μου στήσεται, καὶ πάντα ὅσα βεβούλευμαι, ποιήσω·  ἐλάλησα, καὶ ἤγαγον· ἔκτισα καὶ ἐποίησα αὐτό. Τὸ ῥῆμά μου ὃ ἐὰν ἐξέλθῃ ἐκ τοῦ στόματός μου, οὐ μὴ ἀποστραφῇ πρός με κενὸν, ἕως ἂν συντελέσῃ πάντα ὅσα ἠθέλησα. Τίς ἀνδρῶν γνώσεται βουλὴν Θεοῦ;  ἢ τίς ἐνθυμηθήσεται τί θέλει ὁ Κύριος;  λογισμοὶ γὰρ θνητῶν δειλοὶ, καὶ ἐπισφαλεῖς αἱ ἐπίνοιαι αὐτῶν. Μόλις γὰρ εἰκάζομεν τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, καὶ τὰ ἐν χερσὶν εὑρίσκομεν μετὰ πόνου·  τὰ δὲ ἐν οὐρανοῖς τίς ἐξιχνίασεν;  βουλὴν δέ σου τίς ἔγνω; Ὅπου Θεὸς βούλεται, νικᾶται φύσεως τάξις.  Εἰ ἠβουλήθη γὰρ, ἠδυνήθη.  Άγιος Ιωάννης ο Δαμασκηνός, Τὰ Ιἐρα Παραλληλα, Στοικειον Β'  Τιτλ Βʹ.  Migne PG 95 1264-1265

On The Counsel of God, that men are neither able to change or understand it. 'The Lord scatters the counsels of men, He reproves the thoughts of the peoples.' 1 'He is terrible in counsel over the sons of men.' 2 'Many the thoughts in the heart of a man, the counsel of God remains in eternity.' 3 'What the holy Lord has willed, who shall discount? And His high hand who shall escape?' 4 This says the Lord of Hosts: 'As I have spoken, so it shall be, and as I have willed it, so it will remain. Where are your wise ones, O men? Let them cry out to you how the Lord of Hosts is resolved. 5 'Who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been His counsellor, that he teach Him? From whom has He received advice and who has instructed Him? God eternal, who created the ends of the earth. He does not hunger, nor does He toil, nor is there finding out of His mind.' 6 'I am God and there is no other apart from me. All I will shall be and everything which I have resolved, I shall do. I spoke and it came to be, I created and it was. 7 'My word which has gone forth from my mouth, shall not return empty to me, until it complete all that I have wished.' 8 Who among men is able to know the counsel of God? Of who is able to conceive what God wishes? Fearful the thoughts of men and uncertain our foresight. With difficulty we judge the things in the world and what is in our sight with toil we discover. That which is in the heavens, who shall investigate? Your reasoning who shall know? 9 When God wishes it, the order of nature is conquered; for if He wishes it, so it is done. 10   Saint John of Damascus, Sacred Parallels, Letter B, Chap 2 1 Ps 32.10 2 Ps 68.5 3 Prov 19.21 4 Is 14.28 5 Is 19.12 6. Is 40. 13-14 7 Is 48.15 8 Is 55.11 9 Wis 9. 13,16 10 Chrysostom Homily on the Nativity of Christ.