But God

If you did a search, I think you might be surprised to find how many times the phrase "but God" occurs in Scripture. In my search there were 42 instances. "But" is a contrasting conjunction or preposition. It indicates "something else." As "and" is "in addition to" and "or" is "another choice," "but" is "in contrast to." Applying that preface to "God," then, is contrasting God with something else.

The very first "but God" in Scripture is found in Genesis. "But God remembered Noah and all the beasts and all the cattle that were with him in the ark; and God caused a wind to pass over the earth, and the water subsided." (Gen 8:1). The Flood was in full swing and the earth was covered in water and all looked bleak ... "but God remembered Noah ..." That is, "in contrast to the Flood, God ...". In contrast to the blotting out of all life on the planet, God remembered Noah.

In Egypt Joseph contrasted God with his brothers. "It was not you who sent me here, but God ..." (Gen 45:8). Joseph later comforted his brothers who feared reprisals with "You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good" (Gen 50:20), a contrast we can all use in our daily existence with the evil intentions around us in contrast to God's sovereignty and love. In 2 Chronicles, King Jehoshaphat feared the overwhelming forces coming their way, but God told him, "Do not fear or be dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours but God's." (2 Chron 20:15) Another good reminder in our own times.

In the New Testament Jesus used a frightening "but God" in his parable of the rich fool when He said, "But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?'" (Luke 12:20). In contrast to the man's wealth, God intervened with death. He did it again in a conversation with the self-righteous Pharisees when He told them, "You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts; for that which is highly esteemed among men is detestable in the sight of God." (Luke 16:15). A "but God" used in contrast with our own self-confidence can be ominous and devastating.

My favorites, though are in the writings of Paul.

For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Rom 5:6-8)

And you were dead in your trespasses and sins ... But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. (Eph 2:1-7)

Those two are huge. First, in contrast to our helpless state in our sin, God demonstrated His own love toward us by Christ dying for us. In the next, in contrast to our "dead in sin" condition, God in rich mercy and great love made us alive with Christ and even elevated and blessed us. These last instances are massive contrasts, setting our natural, sinful, helpless, spiritually-dead, rebellious condition against the unimaginable mercy and love of God who sent His Son to die for us.

In the Psalms David warned the wicked of their error of thinking that God was just like them (Psa 50:21). He isn't. "But God" gives a sharp distinction between God and other things. Things like our conditions and His plans. Things like our intentions and His. Things like our sin condition and His love and mercy. The incredible love of God that spans the gulf between our "enemies of God" status (Rom 5:10) and His saving grace exceeds our grasp (Eph 3:19). When we begin to think we understand it, we make the same error that David warned against. He is not just like us. He is in contrast to us. And that's a very good thing.