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Words of Life - Providence
Series: Words of LifeWORDS OF LIFE
“But you, beloved, ought to remember the words that were spoken beforehand….” / Jude 17
PROVIDENCE
prov e-dens
1. Care or preparation in advance; foresight.
2. Prudent management; economy.
3. The care, guardianship, and governance exercised by God; divine direction.
Definitions #1 & #3 best apply to today’s study.
> Questions & Observations For Discussion ?
Preface: This topic is so deep and so profound that it is almost impossible to wrap our brains around it.
In light of this and in spite of the danger of providing “thumbnail sketch”, we offer this brief overview as a starting point.
For a biblical snapshot of this theme, study the life of Joseph (Gen.37-50) and the account detailed in the book of Esther.
1. God’s providence includes His provisions by means of the natural order of things.
Job 10:12 / You gave me life and showed me kindness, and in Your providence watched over my spirit.
~ He “visits” the earth and causes it to overflow (Ps.65:9) … He gives food to all flesh (Ps.132:15 & 136:25) …
~ He feeds birds & grows lilies (Mt.6:28-30) … His eye is on the sparrow (Mt.10:29) … Our hairs are numbered (Mt.10:30)
~ He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous (Mt.5:45) …
God has ordained laws of nature that govern our physical world.
~ In this realm we may pray, but we must recognize the sovereignty of God in all matters.
~ God’s thoughts and ways are not always in alignment with our ways (Isa.55:8-9).
~ Sometimes God’s wisdom remains hidden from our eyes (Job 28:20-21 - - cf. Job 38:1 thru 42:6).
~ How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways (Ro.11:33).
2. God’s providence included actions throughout sacred history to fulfill His plan of redemption.
He chose Israel to be the nation through whom The Christ would come (Amos 3:2).
He ordained the coming of The Messiah (Deut.18:15-19; Acts 3:22-23 and Gal.4:4-7).
~ He appointed nations to rise and fall (Isa.41:2-3) and determined their appointed times & boundaries (Acts 17:26).
~ Throughout the pages of sacred (redemptive) history - - leading up to the coming of Christ and the full establishment
of Christ’s church, God was intricately engaged (often with miraculous intervention) in guiding the affairs of men.
Throughout this special period, God was “hands on” in many minute and varied ways.
~ Noah was called to make an ark (Gen.6:13-14) … Abraham was charged to go forth to Canaan (Gen.12:1f) …
~ Isaac was born to aged parents (Gen.21:1f) … Isaac was spared by God (Gen.22:8)
~ Jacob was blessed instead of first-born Esau (Gen.27:33) … Joseph went from pit to The palace (Gen.37:28 & 41:40) …
~ Moses was retrieved from the Nile (Ex.2:5) … Israel drank from a Rock (Ps.78:20) … Rahab sheltered spies (Josh.2:8) …
~ King Saul was struck by a “random” arrow (1Kgs.22:3) … Pilate’s wife had a dream (Mt.27:19) …
~ The lot fell on Matthias (Acts 1:26) …Paul’s niece warned of an ambush (Acts 23:16) …
~ The Romans destroyed Jerusalem as ordained by God (Lk.17:37 & 21:20 with Rev.4:7 and Rom.13:1-7).
P.S. Next week we will continue this topic of discussion with a study of FREEWILL:
providence in personal experience and providence and personal freedom.
“The preacher sought to find delightful words and to write words of truth correctly.” (Ecclesiastes 12:10)
