A. Perhaps there is no Bible subject being anywhere near as important as this
one that has had less attention given to it in this generation.
1. I can't recall having heard a sermon on it.
2. The consequences of neglecting any important subject is always very
grave and this one is no exception.
B. To speak intelligently concerning the providence of God is much like trying
to understand electricity - we know that it exists, but we are unable to
understand exactly how it works.
C. There are some things about divine providence, which we will never know.
1. The things we can know are found in the Bible.
2. We are concerned only with what it teaches.
Body
I. What is Divine Providence?
A. Two definitions:
1. Providence is: "Providing by forethought for the achieving of a
purpose." (Homer Hailey)
2. Divine Providence is defined as: "...That preservation, care and
government which God exercises over all things He has created, in
order that they may accomplish the ends for which they were
created." (International Standard Bible Encyclopedia.)
B. What ever means God uses to sustain or intervene into the affairs of
this world is included in what we call Divine Providence.
II. Scriptural Proof (Scriptures do teach it)
A. Bible examples:
1. Joseph was an ordinary man who experienced God's providential care.
a. Most of you are familiar with the story, so we won't go into it in detail.
b. You remember how he was sold into slavery by his brothers.
1) But through God's help he became second in command in Egypt.
2) And how that in this position he was able to help the Egyptians
and his own family during 7 years of famine.
i. Joseph showed he recognized this when he said, "And as for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in
order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive." (Gen. 50:20)
2. You are probably familiar with life of Moses, the man who God used
to deliver His people from Egypt, which had come to be ruled by an
evil man after the death of Joseph.
a. This wicked king ordered that all the male children of the
Israelites were to be thrown into the Nile river at birth.
b. To keep the Egyptians from killing baby Moses, his mother put
him in a basket and set him afloat on the river.
c. Pharoah's daughter found baby Moses and she loved him and
decided to rear him as her own.
d. Through the providence of God, the princess allowed Miriam,
Moses' sister, to select a Hebrew nurse for the child.
1) In this way Moses' own mother was employed to take care of him.
2) This famous story manifests God's providential love and care
for his people" (J. Milller).
3. God's providence is seen throughout the book of Esther.
a. Esther was put into the right position at the right time and was thus
able to save her people, the Jews.
b. Her cousin Mordecei said to her when she was reluctant to commit
herself, "For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance
will arise for the Jews from another place and you and your father's
house will perish. And who knows whether you have not attained
royalty for such a time as this?" (4:14)
B. Just as God providentially cared for his faithful in past dispensations, God
providentially cares for His obedient children in the Christian dispensation.
1. This is the very point Christ is making in Matt. 6:25-33 (read).
2. Romans 8:28
a. "And we know that God causes all things to work together for
good to those who love God, to those who are called according
to His purpose."
b. We must not conclude that there are no limits to be placed on
what is meant by "all things".
1) The language (Gk) would not allow that.
2) For one thing, we know God does not tempt man to do evil (Jas. 1:13).
3) But the passage surely sustains the idea of divine providence.
3. James 4:13-15
a. (read)
b. We must recognize that our plans might be changed by God.
C. We should recognize that God's providence in some way influences our lives.
1. We may not be able to explain certain happenings in life - or why things
are the way they are.
a. Gideon asked, "If the Lord be with us, why then is all this befallen us?" (Judges 6:13)
b. When we see the success of certain businessmen today, the same
question that perplexes us was on the mind of Jeremiah who asked:
"Wherefore doeth the way of the wicked prosper" (Jer. 12:1)
c. When the righteous die, some ask or think, "If God were with him,
watching and caring for him, why did He allow him to die?".
1) The error in this reasoning is that we confine providence
for the Christian to the things that are temporary.
2) We all must die sometime, and for the righteous, death is better
then life.
i. (Phi. 1:23) Paul desired death, saying it was far better, but
he knew that if he did not remain in the flesh he couldn't help
the brethren.
2. There is no doubt but that God manifested His watch and care over
some in times past because we have the Bible which tells us so.
a. These had faith in God's providence and today we can read about it all.
1) Much of the time they were totally unaware that some of the
things that happened to them were by the providence of God.
i. Mordecei said, "And who knows whether you have not
attained royalty for such a time as this?" (Esther 4:14).
2) We have the record that He did it then, and we must believe
that he will today.
b. However, as with them at the time (unless it was something they could
see), we cannot say this or that was caused by God's providence,
because we don't know for sure.
1) We could only say, it appeared to be.
2) Nevertheless, we can be sure that providence does exist today.
III. God exercises His providential will in a general way and in specific ways.
A. ALL life upon earth (Christians included) benefits from His general
providence as the forces in nature, that he has set in motion, work
to supply what is needed for the various forms of life to survive and
live as He intended.
1. Gen. 8:22 - "While the earth remaineth, seed time and harvest, cold
and heat, and summer, and winter, and day and night shall not cease."
2. Matt. 5:45 - "He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and
sendeth rain on the just and unjust."
3. General providence benefits all...
B. God's providence is exercised in a specific way when specific persons
or things are involved.
1. God appeared unto Moses in the burning bush (Ex. 2) and commanded
him to deliver His people from bondage to the promised land.
2. Following this event we see many instances where God's providence
was exercised in specific ways.
a. Miracles were performed;
b. Laws were given;
c. When laws broken, many were punished, but it was all for their
good, thus, it was DIVINE PROVIDENCE!
IV. Lack of teaching on this subject has resulted in widespread acceptance
of two extreme and erroneous ideas.
A. The idea held by DEISTs, that God has set the universe in motion and
it is run entirely by natural laws - that He has never superseded nor
influenced them to bring about His will.
1. According to Deism, since the creation, God has never performed a
miracle nor intervened in the affairs of man in any way.
2. Few brethren would go as far as this, but many believe, along with
the deists, that God does not today influence persons or things to
do or to happen as He wills.
a. The consequence of such belief by brethren is seen in such
things as: insecurity, fear, depression, and anxiety.
b. This is so serious because one could hardly benefit from prayer
if he doesn't believe in providence.
James 1:6-7 - "But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for
he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by
the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive
anything from the Lord."
B. The second extreme view is the belief in the supernatural for our time.
1. Most who profess Christianity believe that God works in them or
through them in at least one of the following ways:
a. That He directly reveals religious truth to them. Several
denominations are based upon a supposed revelation (Christian
Science, Mormons and others).
b. That He directs their lives by speaking directly to them, such
as in a dream or vision.
c. That He today performs all kinds of miracles.
1) Have more to say about miracles later.
2) But these are ideas that exist today because they have not
been taught the truth about the providence of God.
2. What has resulted from the belief in such supernatural workings is:
a. False and damning doctrines (Matt. 15:9).
b. Division within those professing Christianity which causes the
world to not believe.
1) Such claims contribute more to the unbelievers cause then in
confirming the word.
2) The supernatural cannot be confirmed.
V. Let us now look at some reasons why some (even Christians) disbelieve...
A. Many people do not believe in divine providence because they confuse
it with miracles, which we'll discuss in a few minutes.
B. Some do not believe because they have set wrong values.
1. They see only the physical side of life.
2. They equate happiness with physical possessions and unhappiness
with the loss of these possessions.
a. When such a person loses something of monetary value he refuses
to believe that God watches over him.
b. He doesn't realize that a person might lose physical blessings
to gain spiritually.
C. Many reject the idea of divine providence because they fell it is
contrary to the free will of man, equating it with "predestination".
1. While there are some who believe that God's providence controls
the lives of men in every way, even to the extent of determining
his eternal destiny, they are mistaken because man is a free moral
agent. (Rev. 22:17) "And whosoever will, let him take..."
2. Parents give their children what they need, and they guide their steps.
a. Does their helping them eliminate their free will?
b. Certainly not!
1) It is also true that God's guidance and help does not
interfere with our free will.
D. Some reject or limit the idea of providence saying, "God does not
work direct today." Perhaps they confuse it with miracles or how He
speaks to us, or how He operates in conversion.
1. It is true that God does not work directly upon the heart of the
sinner to save - if He did it would be God's fault if anyone died
in a lost condition.
a. We know that it is His will that all be saved (1 Tim. 2:4), so
man has a choice...
b. But the plan of salvation and divine providence are two
different things.
2. It is also true that He "has given us all things that pertain unto
life and godliness" (2 Pet. 1:3). "That the faith has been once
delivered to the saints" (Jude 3); and that the scriptures "Are
inspired of God"...and (2 Tim. 3:16-17).
a. But where in any of these passages, or any other, is there the
implication that God cannot or does not directly cause things
to happen for the benefit of Man?
b. The Bible is complete and no man can take from nor add to it
without bringing damnation upon himself.
1) But God's written will and His unwritten will (or desire)
for us as individuals are two different things.
2) When man makes a will and dies what is said is it! That's
all! but God isn't dead and He cares about us as
individuals and He knows what is best for us personally on a
daily basis.
3) If He cares and knows what is best, and He undoubtedly does,
then it is His will or desire that it come to pass.
a) We pray, "thy will be done in all things" as we are
taught (Matt. 26:39).
b) We pray for our nation that we may continue to have freedom
to worship etc.
c) Still yet many have come to the conclusion that if God
directly caused something to take place or kept something
from happening, it would be a miracle.
i. They don't believe in miracles so they don't believe
God does anything.
i. But their definition of a miracle is not consistent with
Bible teachings.
VI. Miracles In Providence
A. Throughout the Bible we read of occasions where God performed
miracles in order to accomplish His will.
1. The purpose of it was usually to confirm that those who spoke for
Him were indeed speaking the word of God.
a. However, in Old Testament times, many miracles were wrought in
order to protect the people of God from their enemies.
1) Parting of Red Sea, etc.
b. In the New Testament, we see where Paul was on the road to
Damascus and a great light shone about him and God spoke to him
(Acts 22).
1) This was a special case where a miracle was performed (light
from heaven and struck blind), and direct revelation was given
to convince a certain man of his error in persecuting Christ.
2) So we see that miracles were necessary in order for God to
accomplish His will. This type of thing would fall into the
category of divine providence.
B. Miracles do not happen today - they have ceased.
1. Paul affirmed that when "that which is perfect is come that which
is in part will be done away."
2. A careful study of 1 Cor. 13:8-10 reveals to us that "that which
is perfect" is the New Testament, and upon its completion (into
written form) near the close of the first century, miracles ceased.
VII. Prayer and Providence
A. It is upon the belief in God's providence that prayer is founded.
1. We pray because we believe that God will hear our prayers and that
if we meet God's conditions He will grant our petitions through
His providence.
2. But how does He do it?
a. Before miracles ceased, God sometimes performed a miracle in
answering prayers.
b. Healed sick instantly, dead were raised, etc.
i. But today it would be futile to pray for something that only
a miracle could accomplish.
B. In order to understand (at least to an extent) how God answers prayer
today, we must understand what a miracle is and what it isn't.
1. "A miracle is an event and/or effect in the physical world that is
transcendent of the laws of the physical world, and is brought
about by the agency of Deity."
a. "A miracle does not destroy the laws of nature, and therefore
must temporarily arrest and suspend those laws."
b. "A miracle must go beyond and accomplish that which natural
laws cannot accomplish" (Homer Hailey).
1) Example: Water to wine; feeding of multitude with 5 loaves
and 2 fish; healing of leper instantly; raising the dead, etc.
2) In each of these examples, laws were temporarily suspended.
3) Such incidents were "signs" and "wonders" - they confirmed
the word by causing men to wonder or marvel at such an act.
4) A miracle is something that man can never do.
5) It is not something that happens naturally or can occur by
coincidence.
6) A miracle surpasses natural laws and independent of them
accomplishes the desired effect.
2. God exercising His power over nature doesn't necessarily have to
be miraculously done.
a. Those things, which He does within the realm of and by the use
of His established laws are not miracles.
b. James 5:17-18 - "Elias was a man subject to like passions as we
are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it
rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six
months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the
earth brought forth her fruit."
1) "God will not instantly change a blue sky into a raging
storm, but He can certainly cause the conditions to change
and a cloud to arise and grow into a storm."
2) Such an example is what James was speaking of.
3) God made a cloud to rise in direct response to a prayer by Elijah.
a) That particular cloud would not have come at that moment
if God had not made it come.
b) It was not a "miracle" but a phenomenon of nature - the
fact that it hadn't rained for 3 1\2 years, or that it
was in answer to prayer didn't make it a miracle.
c. Acts 1:23-26 - "And they appointed two, Joseph called Barsabas,
who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias. And they prayed, and
said, Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all [men], shew
whether of these two thou hast chosen, That he may take part
of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by
transgression fell, that he might go to his own place. And
they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias; and
he was numbered with the eleven apostles."
1) There was no miracle, sign, or wonder, upon this occasion.
2) However, the apostles accepted that God caused the lot to
fall on the one that it did.
d. Divine providence today, is God working within the laws of
nature to accomplish His desired purpose.
1) It is not miraculous intervention for God to work within His own laws.
2) Exactly how He does it we do not know.
i. But most assuredly, He intervenes in the governments of men,
(Isa. 10:24; Jer. 50:17-18; 51:11,28; Rev. 1:5) and in the lives
of individuals.
B. R.L. Whiteside said what I've been trying to say in few words.
(Reflections p. 499)
"God's Providence
A word or two about special providence: 'No good thing will be
withheld form them that walk uprightly' (Ps. 84:11). That is
fundamental. But it does not mean that he will give us everything
that we think is good for us. It is hard for people to keep from
putting their experiences and observations up against the plain word
of God. The sectarian interprets his feelings as conversion, and
then puts his experience up against what God says. We make up our
mind as to what is good and what is not good for us, and then decide
that if God exercised any special care for his children he would do
thus and so. We fail to recognize that a Christian walks by faith
and not by appearance. Even an earthly father finds it necessary to
withhold some things from his children, and sometimes chastise them.
The father is looking to the ultimate good of the child, but he child
sometimes gets into a pout and thinks father does not care. The
father sometimes makes a mistake; God makes no mistakes. He wants
what is best for us. God is to wise to be indulgent.
Few people can sincerely pray, and they can do so only
occasionally: 'Lord, whether prosperity or adversity is best for me,
I know not; but grant to me those experiences in life that are best
for me-best to make of me what I ought to be.' But we think we know
what is best, and because things work out differently from what we
think they should, we decide that God has no special care for us.
How like spoiled children we are!
But we talk of 'the immutable laws of nature,' and decide God
cannot do any special thing without working a miracle..... It is a
pity that we cling to a theory that makes God more helpless than we
are, more helpless even than a small bird. A bird can pay special
attention to its young, bringing food directly to them, and no one
thinks the bird works a miracle in so doing. No one thinks parents
violate any law of nature when they do special things for their
children. In a thousand ways we can do special things for one
another, and yet violate no law of nature. Surely no one will
contend that God is more limited and circumscribed than his dependent
creatures. If so, it is folly for such a one to pray to God for
anything, or even to thank him for anything." (That was the way he
ended the book.)
C. Denominational people sometimes accuse us of not believing in prayer;
not because we don't believe God performs miracles today, but because
many of us do not believe that He can use people and nature to bring
about His will in regard to us.
1. If we believe this are they not right?
2. If we do not believe in providence, our prayers are not prayers at
all but merely words spoken to ourselves, and such faithless
petitions cannot meet the approval of God.
Heb. 11:6 - "But without faith [it is] impossible to please [him]:
for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and [that] he
is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."
Conclusion
I. Divine providence is, "...that preservation, care and government which
God exercises over all things He has created, in order that they may
accomplish the ends for which they were created.
A. In answer to prayer (if faithful), God will bless us with good and
will deliver us from evil.
1. But we must not conclude that this means we will never get sick or die.
2. It is the same God who hears our prayers who says we must someday
die. (Heb. 9:27).
B. We must always pray with, "Thy will be done" at heart.
1. Our will must be subject to God's will.
2. God always answers the prayers of the faithful, but He answers in
His own time, and, sometimes, the answer is No.
a. Rest assured He knows best.
b. Anything that will benefit you or other to prepare for heaven
we can pray for, if such doesn't involve a miracle.
II. Just as surely as the devil does all he can to cause us to be eternally
lost, God does all He can to cause us to be saved.
A. I Pet. 5:6-10 and I Cor. 10:13 (R E A D)
B. How can any Christian read these passages and yet not believe in
divine providence?
C. It is evident that God loves us and wants us to be saved; but, to be forgiven
of past sins we must obey the gospel and thereafter endeavor to be faithful.
1. Nothing is more important than being faithful unto death (Rev. 2:10).
2. If we are faithful and work and pray, what we need but cannot
achieve for ourselves, God will do for us.
III. I hope that this lesson has helped to strengthen your faith in the
power of prayer that you might pray more often and more fervently
that God might keep that which you have committed unto Him against
the day of judgment (2 Tim. 1:12).
Bibliography:
Human Suffering - Bob Waldron (Tract) Jewl Miller Home Study Course
Vanguard Magazine - Aug. 11 p. 21 Jim Jones
Gospel Guardian Vol. 23 Nov. 11, and 18, 1971 Harry Ozment