Purpose of God

Concise Bible Dictionary:

That God has His own purpose before Him, should ever be remembered. Behind all His outward acts towards His ancient people Israel, His dealings with the nations of the earth, and His discipline of the saints who form the church, there is His purpose concerning all, and to this purpose everything is made to bend, and towards its accomplishment everything in some way or other (however hidden from the sight of man) is working. “The Lord of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand....This is the purpose that is purposed upon the whole earth: and this is the hand that is stretched out upon all the nations. For the Lord of hosts hath purposed, and who shall disannul it?” (Isa. 14:24-27²⁴The Lord of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand: ²⁵That I will break the Assyrian in my land, and upon my mountains tread him under foot: then shall his yoke depart from off them, and his burden depart from off their shoulders. ²⁶This is the purpose that is purposed upon the whole earth: and this is the hand that is stretched out upon all the nations. ²⁷For the Lord of hosts hath purposed, and who shall disannul it? and his hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it back? (Isaiah 14:24‑27)). It is not a purpose formed because events have turned out as they have in the world’s history; but the events that have happened serve to bring about God’s purpose, and His purpose is an eternal purpose. This is more fully revealed, though not more certain, when the church is spoken of. He “worketh all things after the counsel of His own will.” “According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Eph. 1:11¹¹In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: (Ephesians 1:11); Eph. 3:11¹¹According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord: (Ephesians 3:11)).

From Anstey’s Doctrinal Definitions:

J. N. Darby said, “Purpose is the intention of His will, and counsel is the wisdom He takes in carrying it out” (The Christian Friend, vol. 9 [1882], p. 215). W. Scott said that purpose “refers to the blessed fact that God in Himself, in the exercise of His own divine and sovereign will, has devised a system of government and glory to be displayed in coming ages.” He also said that “counsel is a term that intimates the way, the means, and the method of carrying out that purpose” (Doctrinal Summaries, p. 46; Truth For the Last Days, vol. 2, p. 166). G. Davison said, “The term ‘eternal counsel’ is not once mentioned in Scripture, but ‘eternal purpose’ is [Eph. 3:11¹¹According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord: (Ephesians 3:11)]....Purpose necessitated counsel, and from this spring the ways of God. I have not yet found a Scripture connecting purpose with the ways of God, but we have at least two connecting His ways with His counsel [Acts 2:23²³Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: (Acts 2:23); Eph. 1:11¹¹In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: (Ephesians 1:11)]....Purpose is the objective which God has before Him; divine Persons took counsel as to how it was to be secured; and the ways of God are bringing it all into effect” (Precious Things, vol. 4, p. 212).