François-Marie Arouet was born in Paris, France on November 21, 1694. He was raised Catholic, educated by Jesuits, and headed for a career in law according to the plans of his father for him. However, this is not what he wanted to do. Living in the Age of Enlightenment, he was an avid student of French and Western philosophy. Against his father’s wishes, he desired to write history, poetry, and essays.
As he wrote, he began drifting into satire. He also began to heavily critique and criticize the French government which caused him to be arrested, incarcerated, and temporarily exiled to England. Another target of his vitriol was Christianity.
“In 1764 he wrote, “The Bible. That is what fools have written, what imbeciles commend, what rogues teach and young children are made to learn by heart”. “We are living in the twilight of Christianity” (Philosophical Dictionary). In a 1767 letter to Frederick the Great, King of Prussia, he wrote: “Christianity is the most ridiculous, the most absurd, and bloody religion that has ever infected the world…My one regret in dying is that I cannot aid you in this noble enterprise of extirpating the world of this infamous superstition.”
“Arouet ended every letter to friends with “Ecrasez l’infame” (crush the infamy — the Christian religion). In his pamphlet, The Sermon on the Fifty (1762) he attacked viciously the Old Testament, biblical miracles, biblical contradictions, the Jewish religion, the Christian God, the virgin birth and Christ’s death on the cross. Of the Four Gospels he wrote, “What folly, what misery, what puerile and odious things they contain [and the Bible is filled] with contradictions, follies, and horrors”. Arouet regarded most of the doctrines of the Christin faith – the Incarnation, the Atonement, the Trinity, Communion – as folly and irrational. And finally, “To invent all those things [in the Bible], the last degree of rascality. To believe them, the extreme of brutal stupidity!”1
While we’ve probably never heard the name François-Marie Arouet, we know him by his nom de plume – his pen name or pseudonym. Arouet is none other than the infamous Voltaire.
History.com had his birthday listed among the famous people born on November 21. My first reaction was, “Well, that’s nothing worth celebrating.” Almost instantly, the Lord corrected me.
Did God “fearfully and wonderfully” make Voltaire in his mother’s womb? Did God love Voltaire? Did God desire to save Voltaire? All of the answers are YES.
Did God know Voltaire was going to become an atheist? Did God know that Voltaire would spew vile, blasphemous words against the church, Christians, the Bible, and God? Did God know that Voltaire would reject God’s plan of salvation? Again, a resounding YES.
Romans 9:22-24 asks, “What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: (23) And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory, (24) Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?” Knowing full well that the Voltaires of this world would reject the Gospel, God still created them and gave them every opportunity to turn from sin, calling them to salvation knowing that they would reject the call.
Why? To make His power known.
Romans 9:17 says, “For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.”
God’s plans and purposes are not thwarted by the wickedness and evil of man. Rather, they are enhanced and magnified. God accomplishes His design perfectly despite the efforts to destroy any knowledge of Him.
Today, the news will be discouraging. It always is! Remind yourself that things are not out of control and that God has a purpose behind it all. And take to heart the counsel provided in Isaiah.
Isaiah 14:27 For the LORD of hosts hath purposed, and who shall disannul it? and his hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it back?
Isaiah 46:9-10 Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, (10) Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:
1https://crossexamined.org/voltaires-prediction-home-and-the-bible-society-truth-or-myth-further-evidence-of-verification/
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