Getting Job-ed
Following is a paper written by Austin Rankin for Belhaven University’s Master of Arts in Biblical and Theological Studies program in 2023. This is part 1 of 2:
When studying the acts of God, seldom do these acts have the extensive and pervasive reach the act of God’s providence has on all of His creation. The purpose of this paper is to define the doctrine of the providence of God, to examine what Scripture teaches on providence, to discuss why providence is important, to state how providence shapes our understanding of God, and to discuss how providence shapes our life and ministry.
What is Providence?
The term ‘providence’ does not occur in Scripture. (1) However, this does not make the doctrine a moot point as the term “Trinity” does not occur in Scripture. Conceptually, the doctrine of the providence of God is evident on nearly every page of Scripture, whether explicit or implicit.
Perhaps one of the most all-encompassing definitions of providence is found in The Heidelberg Catechism of 1563,
What do you understand by the providence of God? Providence is the almighty and ever-present power of God by which God upholds, as with his hand, heaven and earth and all creatures, and so rules them that leaf and blade, rain and drought, fruitful and lean years, food and drink, health and sickness, prosperity and poverty－ all things, in fact, come to us not by chance but by his fatherly hand. (2)
The Heidelberg Catechism declares that nothing occurs without God’s ordering and ordaining of events. These events are not at random or to cause pain for his children but yet are done by “his fatherly hand.” The distinction between sovereignty and providence is subtle but important: sovereignty declares God’s right and power to rule all of creation; providence shows that God has wisdom and purpose in all that He does. (3) Providence is not merely God’s preserving and determining the movement of His creatures (4) but is also God moving history and His creatures in a purposeful way for His intended goal. (5)
Scripturual Evidence
Scriptural evidence of providence stretches all the way back to creation itself. In the creation account of Genesis 1:1-31, the term that is used when saying God “created” the universe is bara’ in Hebrew, which actually does not just insist that creation was just a one-time act of God at the beginning of time but rather is a constant preserving of His creation. (6) In the account of God commanding Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac in Genesis 22, Abraham states, “…God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering…” (Genesis 22:8 English Standard Version). The ram is then noted to be caught in the thickets in Genesis 22:13. Scripture then states, “So Abraham called the name of that place, The LORD will provide” (Genesis 22:14 ESV). The word in Hebrew used for “provide” actually translates to English as “to see” (yireh in Hebrew), meaning that God would “see to it” that He would provide for Himself the ram. (7) When considering all of the “accidental” processes that would have had to happen to have a ram stuck in the thickets for the exact moment in time needed, Scripture does not allow for such randomness. Instead, God “sees to it” (8) that all of those processes take place in order to save Isaac from death. Both grammatically and conceptually, the use of “provide” in Genesis 22 gives way to the concept of providence. (9)
How extensive is God’s providence for his creation? I will reference the outline of John Piper’s ten-part lecture entitled The Providence of God in an attempt to provide brief Scriptural evidence of God’s providence in nature, in angelic and demonic beings, in rulers and governments, and with individual humans. (10) We will conclude the Scriptural evidence section with God’s purposes of providence.
God’s Providence in Nature
Scripture declares that God commands all aspects of nature. Not only did God set in motion the creation account, but He also preserves His creation and commands it to do what His will has declared. God commanded the animals to come to Noah’s ark and the rain to cause the flood in Genesis 6-8. God commanded the plagues of Egypt (locusts, gnats, flies, the river turning to blood, frogs, boils on the skin, hail, death of livestock, light and darkness, death of the firstborn) in Exodus 7-12. In the Book of Job, we catch a large view of the extensiveness of God’s providence: He causes/provides the morning light and the edges of the sea (Job 38:8-12), hail to fall (38:22-23), the constellations to stay in place (38:31-32), lightning to strike (38:35), the prey for the lion and their cubs (38:39-40), food for the ravens (38:40), the mindlessness of the ostrich (39:13-18), the strength of the horse (39:19-25), the physics of the hawk’s flight (39:26), the eagle’s nests (39:27-29), the behemoth’s strength (40:15-24), and the leviathan’s fierceness (41:1-34). In the Book of Job, God is not saying that He exclusively only commands and controls these specific aspects of nature but is also insisting on the vastness and extensiveness of His control over nature.
God’s Providence Over Angels and Demons
God’s providence reigns over the actions of both angelic and demonic beings. We see that Jesus has full command over the armies of heaven and can command them whenever He pleases (Matthew 3:6, 26:53). However, the more difficult concept to grasp is God’s rule even over the actions of demonic beings. We see that Satan is actually under the leash of God’s providence with his persecution of Job (Job 1:6-12, 2:1-6). Satan was asking for Peter but Jesus was actually praying for him that when Peter turns back (a definitive outcome that will occur) he will strengthen his brothers (Luke 22:31-32). Satan actually enters into Judas in order to betray Jesus (Luke 22:3) but yet this event was actually foreordained by God to bring about His will (Acts 2:23). A “messenger of Satan” was given to Paul as a thorn in the flesh yet it was ordained by God in order to keep Him from becoming proud (2 Corinthians 12:7-9 ESV). The movement of angelic beings and even Satan himself does not fall outside God’s control. In fact, they even bring about His sovereign will that is even for the good of God’s children (Romans 8:28).
God’s Providence over Governments and Rulers
Governments and rulers do not fall outside of the providential rule of God. Genesis 20:6 explicitly says that God kept King Abimelech from sinning against him (note the causation of God’s action). God hardens pharaoh’s heart in order to use him to proclaim His name throughout the world (Exodus 4:21, 7:3-5, 9:13-16). He causes the prideful King of Babylon to lose his mind so that when he regains his senses he humbles himself and praises the one true God (Daniel 4:34-37). God “stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia” to decree the return of the Israelites to Jerusalem and rebuild His temple, all in fulfillment of Jeremiah’s prophecy in Jeremiah 29:10-11 (Ezra 1:1-3 ESV). God even “sees to it” (11) that a decree from Caesar Augustus is made that everyone should return to their hometowns to be taxed, making Mary and Joseph make the voyage back to Bethlehem, just in time to give birth to Jesus, all to fulfill the prophecy of Micah 5:2 (Luke 2:1-7). Proverbs 21:1 ESV states, “The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD; he turns it wherever he will.” God raises up kings and kingdoms and sees to their end when His will decrees it (Daniel 2:21). The decisions of rulers and governments are not outside of the providential rule of God. In fact, they do His bidding in fulfilling His sovereign will.
The next article will continue the study of the Providence of God (Part 2 of 2)
-Austin
Footnotes
- Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine, 2nd ed., (Michigan, Zondervan, 2020), 420.
- Chad Van Dixhoorn, Creeds, Confessions, & Catechisms: A Reader’s Edition, (Illinois, Crossway, 2022).
- John Piper, Providence, (Illinois, Crossway, 2020), 29.
- John Frame, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Christian Belief, (New Jersey, P&R Publishing Company, 2013), 141.
- Austin Rankin, “Three Reasons why God’s Sovereignty and Providence are Good News for Us,” accessed January 30, 2023, https://gettingjob-ed.org/three-reasons-why-gods-sovereignty-and-providence
- R.C. Sproul, “Creation and Providence,” accessed January 29, 2023, https://youtu.be/gJTqUH9vi3Q
- Piper, Providence, 30-31.
- Piper, Providence, 30-31.
- Piper, Providence, 30-31.
- Piper, John, “The Providence of God: Session 1,” accessed January 20, 2023, https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/the-providence-of-god-session-1
- Piper, Providence, 30-31.
Bibliography
Frame, John, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Christian Belief, (New Jersey, P&R
Publishing Company, 2013).
Grudem, Wayne, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine, 2nd ed., (Michigan,
Zondervan, 2020).
Piper, John, Providence, (Illinois, Crossway, 2020).
Piper, John, “The Providence of God: Session 1,” accessed January 20, 2023,
https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/the-providence-of-god-session-1
Piper, John, “The Providence of God: Session 8,” accessed January 27, 2023,
https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/the-providence-of-god-session-8
Rankin, Austin, “Mankind’s Responsibility,” accessed January 31, 2023, https://
gettingjob-ed.org/mankinds-responsibility/
Rankin, Austin, “Three Reasons why God’s Sovereignty and Providence are Good News for Us,”
accessed January 30, 2023, https://gettingjob-ed.org/three-reasons-why-gods-
sovereignty-and-providence-are-good-news-for-us/
Sproul, R.C., “Creation and Providence,” accessed January 29, 2023, https://youtu.be/
gJTqUH9vi3Q
Van Dixhoorn, Chad, Creeds, Confessions, & Catechisms: A Reader’s Edition, (Illinois, Crossway,
2022).
