The
Providence of God (121)
The word "providence" is not found in any
translation of the Bible, but the Bible does speak about the providence
of God. The Bible teaches much about the God of providence. In some translations,
the word "providence" appears one time (Acts 24:2), but not in reference
to God.
Acts 24:2 And when he was called forth, Tertullus
began to accuse him, saying, Seeing that by thee we enjoy great quietness,
and that very worthy deeds are done unto this nation by thy providence,
(KJV)
Acts 24:2 When Paul was called in, Tertullus
presented his case before Felix: "We have enjoyed a long period of peace
under you, and your foresight has brought about reforms in this nation.
(NIV)
In these verses the word providence is in
reference to Tertullus having foresight in bring about reforms that brought
peace. I mentioned the word providence in a sermon on one occasion and
a man asked me what the word providence means. Providence has to do with
the foresight of God making preparation for each of us. In the word we
see the word provide, so we might coin the term "provide--ence. Were it
not for His providence, we would have no air, no water, no life, and no
universe. Every human being is a recipient of God's general providence.
Mt 5:45 That ye may be the children of your
Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and
on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. (KJV)
James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect
gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom
is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. (KJV)
Every human being, therefore is a recipient
of God's general providence. Is there a special providence for people whose
hearts are set on God? We cannot know how to be thankful without first
understanding the providence of God.
I. Examples of providence.
A. Abraham proved that he put God first.
James 2:21 Was not Abraham our father justified
by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? (KJV)
Gen 22:13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes,
and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns:
and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering
in the stead of his son. (KJV)
Gen 22:6-14 And Abraham took the wood of the
burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in
his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together. 7 And Isaac
spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am
I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the
lamb for a burnt offering? 8 And Abraham said, My son, God will provide
himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.
9 And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built
an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and
laid him on the altar upon the wood. 10 And Abraham stretched forth his
hand, and took the knife to slay his son. 11 And the angel of the LORD
called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said,
Here am I. 12 And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do
thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou
hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me. 13 And Abraham lifted
up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket
by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for
a burnt offering in the stead of his son. 14 And Abraham called the name
of that place Jehovah-jireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of
the LORD it shall be seen. (KJV)
Gen 22:14 So Abraham called that place The
LORD Will Provide. And to this day it is said, "On the mountain of the
LORD it will be provided." (NIV)
B. Joseph believed in custom-made providence.
Joseph believed that it was not his brothers who sent him to Egypt but
that God did it to preserve life. Joseph's statements show he believed
in custom-made providence.
Gen 39:9 There is none greater in this house
than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou
art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against
God? (KJV)
Genesis 43:5 But if thou wilt not send him,
we will not go down: for the man said unto us, Ye shall not see my face,
except your brother be with you. (KJV)
Gen 45:8 So now it was not you that sent me
hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all
his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt. (KJV)
C. Mordecai had no revelation of God's special
providence.
Esther 4:14 For if you remain silent at this
time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place,
but you and your father's family will perish. And who knows but that you
have come to royal position for such a time as this?" (NIV)
D. Ethiopian Eunuch.
Acts 8:26 Now an angel of the Lord said to
Philip, "Go south to the road-- the desert road-- that goes down from Jerusalem
to Gaza." (NIV)
Acts 8:29 The Spirit told Philip, "Go to that
chariot and stay near it." (NIV)
All the Eunuch knew was that an itinerant
preacher came along, told him about the Savior, and baptized him. He went
on his way rejoicing, unaware of the heavenly, custom-made providence that
had led him to Christ.
II. God Still Works.
A. Dedicated Christians have confidence that
the God who changes not still works in and through them.
Philippians 2:13 for it is God who works in
you to will and to act according to his good purpose. (NIV)
Phil 1:6 being confident of this, that he
who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day
of Christ Jesus. (NIV)
1 Cor 10:13 No temptation has seized you except
what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted
beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide
a way out so that you can stand up under it. (NIV)
B. God has promised never to leave us or forsake
us.
Deut 31:6 Be strong and courageous. Do not
be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with
you; he will never leave you nor forsake you." (NIV)
Heb 13:5-6 Keep your lives free from the love
of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never
will I leave you; never will I forsake you." 6 So we say with confidence,
"The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?" (NIV)
C. Things are mindless. On their own, things
are under no director, and what happens to them is purely accidental. But
when God takes over things, He can make them work together for good to
them who love Him. Custom-made providence for each Christian is the only
plausible explanation of:
Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things
God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according
to his purpose. (NIV)
Rom 8:28 And we know that all things work
together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according
to his purpose. (KJV)
The KJV leaves the impression that things
work together for God.
The NIV says that "in all things God works
for the good of those who love him."
Gal 1:15-16 15 But when it pleased God, who
separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace, 16 To reveal
his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I
conferred not with flesh and blood: (KJV)
D. The Bible teaches that God has His eyes
on each Christian, and He arranges circumstances for the long-range good
of each one.
E. Yet, it takes great faith on sad occasions
to look beyond today and say, "Better is the end of a thing than the beginning
thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit."
(Ecc 7:8)
Jesus challenged one who had just buried a
loved one:
John 11:25-26 25 Jesus said unto her, I am
the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were
dead, yet shall he live: 26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall
never die. Believest thou this? (KJV)
F. The Bible does not say only good things
happen to those who love God.
III. Real Life Examples.
A. In the early 40's, H. B. Cassell preached,
converted and baptized many natives in the Philippines, and he established
several congregations. then the Japanese took over the Philippines. Often
the rampaging soldiers went through the villages pillaging, raping, killing,
and burning homes. Worried about Christians he had converted, Cassell returned
to the island after the war. He went to village after village where he
had preached before the war. In one he met a man whom he had baptized and
asked how he had managed. The brother told him that he had heard about
the approaching Japanese, coming by nightfall.
He told his family, "Raise every shade, turn
on all the lights, sit in the living room." Then he read Psalm 91.
Psa 91:1-16 He that dwelleth in the secret
place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 2
I will say of the LORD,
He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in
him will I trust. 3 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the
fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. 4 He shall cover thee with
his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be
thy shield and buckler. 5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by
night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; 6 Nor for the pestilence
that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.
7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand;
but it shall not come nigh thee. 8 Only with thine eyes shalt thou
behold and see the reward of the wicked. 9 Because thou hast made the LORD,
which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; 10 There shall
no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.
11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all
thy ways. 12 They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy
foot against a stone. 13 Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder:
the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet. 14 Because
he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set
him on high, because he hath known my name. 15 He shall call upon me, and
I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and
honour him. 16 With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.
(KJV)
After a prayer, he and his family heard the
oncoming Japanese, and could see houses burning. The screams and noises
soon quieted, and all was still. The Japanese had passed on to another
village. No one had come to the brother's door. He attributed their deliverance
to special providence. He believed God had a purpose in protecting him
and his family.
Psa 147:5 Great is our Lord, and of great
power: his understanding is infinite. (KJV)
Psa 34:7 The angel of the LORD encampeth round
about them that fear him, and delivereth them. (KJV)
Isa 46:10 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: (KJV)
Ro 11:33-36 33 O the depth of the riches both
of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments,
and his ways past finding out! 34 For who hath known the mind of the Lord?
or who hath been his counsellor? 35 Or who hath first given to him, and
it shall be recompensed unto him again? 36 For of him, and through him,
and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen. (KJV)
B. Danny Dennis, an Oklahoma City Christian,
was sent to Saigon, Vietnam, which the army during the Vietnam War. He
was touched with the plight of the orphans. Dennis re enlisted and returned
to Saigon to help the orphans. The war was raging and in two weeks time
he was shot and killed. He had returned to help children, why was he shot?
Mt 19:14-15 14 But Jesus said, Suffer little
children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom
of heaven. 15 And he laid his hands on them, and departed thence. (KJV)
Why did God allow this to happen to a dedicated
Christian? No human knows, but somehow it was for good.
Rom 8:28 And we know that in all things God
works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according
to his purpose. (NIV)
God is not unjust to forget.
Heb 6:10 God is not unjust; he will not forget
your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people
and continue to help them. (NIV)
Mt 10:42 And if anyone gives even a cup of
cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell
you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward." (NIV)
The Philippine family received the protection
of unseen angels, Dennis did not. There was no comfort in Psa 91 for Dennis.
C. Neither did Jesus get any comfort from
the 91st Psalm.
Mt 4:6 "If you are the Son of God," he said,
"throw yourself down. For it is written: "`He will command his angels concerning
you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike
your foot against a stone.'" (NIV)
Psa 91:11-12 11 For he will command his angels
concerning you to guard you in all your ways; 12 they will lift you up
in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
(NIV)
D. In another example, righteous Abel would
say that the psalm was not written for application to him, for in verse
16 it promises a long life. No angel stopped Cain's attack.
E. In another example, no angel protected
Stephen from deadening rocks.
Acts 7:58-60 58 dragged him out of the city
and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their clothes at
the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 While they were stoning him, Stephen
prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." 60 Then he fell on his knees and
cried out, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." When he had said
this, he fell asleep. (NIV)
Acts 7:56 "Look," he said, "I see heaven open
and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God." (NIV)
But Psalm 91 was not written to him either.
F. Jesus refused the devil's challenge to
apply Psalm 91 to Himself. Three years latter God refused to apply the
psalm to Jesus. He knew that 72,300 angels stood ready to deliver Him from
His crucifiers if He could get His Father's permission. Jesus prayed that
this time it might apply, for He dreaded death:
Mt 26:39 Going a little farther, he fell with
his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this
cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will." (NIV)
Mt 26:53 Do you think I cannot call on my
Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions
of angels? (NIV)
While Peter, James, and John were sleeping,
Jesus pleaded in the darkness of Gethsemane for special providence.
He 5:7 During the days of Jesus' life on earth,
he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one
who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent
submission. (NIV)
The Son of God was persistent. He prayed the
same words a third time.
Mt 26:44 So he left them and went away once
more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing. (NIV)
G. Another persistent child of God prayed
three times for special providence, pleading for relief:
2 Cor 12:7-8 To keep me from becoming conceited
because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn
in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8 Three times I pleaded
with the Lord to take it away from me. (NIV)
Paul, like Jesus, was turned down, but for
a different reason. Jesus had been turned down because sinners could not
be saved without the shedding of Jesus' blood.
Heb 9:22 In fact, the law requires that nearly
everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there
is no forgiveness. (NIV)
Paul said he was turned down for another reason.
2 Cor 12:7 To keep me from becoming conceited
because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn
in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. (NIV)
H. Special providence then to Paul, tailored
to his individual need, was his personal affliction, a providence he did
not want. Although Paul had a miraculous ability to lay hands with prayer
on the father of Publius. He could not heal himself.
Acts 28:8 His father was sick in bed, suffering
from fever and dysentery. Paul went in to see him and, after prayer, placed
his hands on him and healed him. (NIV)
H. We must not forget that God's providence
may give us something we do not want. Yet we will receive a discipline
that only the father will administer.
Heb 12:5-6 And you have forgotten that word
of encouragement that addresses you as sons: "My son, do not make light
of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, 6
because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he
accepts as a son." (NIV)
A good father does not discipline all his
children in the same way. Special providence then is tailored for one person
only.
Conclusion:
"The providence of God is like Hebrew words--it
can be read only backwards," said Puritan writer John Flavel. We can no
more read the detail of God's secret purpose for our individual lives than
we can understand Hebrew if we try to read it from left to right. This
principle applies to our big decisions, the tests that come to us, tragedies
in our lives, and the whole of our lives. ("The task of seeking God's mysterious
will" by Sinclair Ferguson. Eternity, May 1988. Page 25.)
"In modern language, we might express the
"I shall not want" of the 23rd Psalm as "I shall not lack." Physically,
God has provided for all our creature needs. (Mt. 6:25-34) Emotionally,
we can find peace through Jesus. (Phil.4:7) In our spiritual lives, we
are restored through Christ. (II Cor. 5:19) Morally, Jesus' example and
words give us guidance. (I Cor. 10:31) In our social experiences, fellowship
is given new meaning for Christians. (Phil 1:21) Facing a crisis, we have
hope. (John 14:1-6) Eternally, we are assured of a place with Christ. (Rev.
21:23) As the Psalm tells us, Christ is all we need. "All we possess that
He has not given we neither need nor should have." ("The Lord is all I
want" Pulpit Helps, Aug 1988. Page 24.)
