God reveals himself through creation, right? What do we call that? I heard it over here, but I was waiting on this row. General revelation, yeah? And then what do we call the Bible, or how do we refer to that? Special revelation right and we need we need them both right? Yeah, we need them both special and General what makes the holy scriptures to be most necessary? because within Creation we don’t know that we’re sinners And we don’t know that we have a savior, and we certainly don’t know his name Jesus Christ all right, so Chapter two is about God, right?
There’s only one living and true God who’s infinite and being in perfection, a most pure spirit, invisible without body parts or passions. And this one is immense. That might be important today when we come to providence, immense, the immensity of God, right? Immensity, how does he govern all things? Maybe in part because he is immense. And then we went to chapter 3, which is about God’s eternal decrees.
What’s a decree? Like a law. So if you were in the courtroom, many times a judge will issue a decree, right? He will order something, like it or not. It’s his internal purpose, according to the council, is whereby for his own good, for the redeemed, whatever comes to pass. So it’s his purpose. Wow. Very good. Here’s the shorter catechism. What are the decrees of God? His eternal purpose. Excellent. He hath foreordained whatsoever comes to pass.
That might be important as we come to Providence as well. See how review kind of helps us as we’re going forward? We go back. It helps us when we go forward. Did you guys know that? Reviewing helps you going forward? OK. All right. Good, good. So this is the next Shorter Catechism question.
How does, we can use modern English, how does God execute his decrees? What’s the answer? God executes his decrees in the works of creation and providence. So what would you expect chapters 4 and 5 to be on? Because chapter 3 was on the decrees. Chapter four would be on creation, chapter five would be on, oh, look at that, look at that, creation. What do we learn about creation? That it pleased God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost for the manifestation of His glory, His eternal power, wisdom, and goodness in the beginning to create, to make of nothing the world and all things therein. So that’s the reason God created, right?
That’s important for us to remember as we go to Providence. So we wonder about providence sometimes, especially about frowning providence, providences that are hard for us to receive. Well, why? Well, for the manifestation of his glory, right? Excuse me.
So now we get to what you’re all waiting for. Chapter 5, Providence. Now, I’ve got Acts 2 in here, but I’m actually going to read from Genesis Chapter 50. So if you have your Bibles open, you could go to Genesis Chapter 50. I don’t have the page number for you. What has happened as we get to Genesis Chapter 50?
Jacob died. Jacob is dead, right? Jacob is dead. And this is the end of this particular book. And so from, I think, chapter 36 or 38 on, we’re getting the history, the account of Joseph. And here we’re ending up with the account of Joseph, in a sense, and his brothers were mean to him.
Is it good for brothers to be mean to brothers? No, but they were mean to him, and they threw him in that pit, and as a result of throwing him into the pit, he sold off as a slave, and he heads where? To Egypt, right? He’s in prison, unrighteously in prison, wrongfully imprisoned. He’s suffering, but then he’s lifted up, right?
And becomes second in charge in Egypt. And his brothers come down for food. And this is why Joseph was raised up, so that he could save many. And so this is what we read as Joseph’s brothers are now concerned. Their father’s dead. They come to Joseph, who’s second in charge in Egypt. They know he’s got all this power over them and they want forgiveness. Verse 15.
When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, it may be that Joseph will hate us and pay us back for all the evil that we did to him. So they sent a message to Joseph saying, your father gave this command before he died. Say to Joseph, please forgive the transgression of your brothers and their sin because they did evil to you. And now please forgive the transgression of your servants of the God of your father. Joseph wept when they spoke to him. His brothers also came and fell down before him and said, behold, we are your servants.
But Joseph said to them, do not fear for am I in the place of God. As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive as they are today. So do not fear. I will provide for you and your little ones.” As he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.
Let’s pray. Father, we ask as we open this passage in terms of seeking to understand providence that you’d help us. Guide our hearts now, open them, that we will be receptive to your word, your will, and that you would teach us this morning. Help us now. Encourage us in Christ. We ask this in His name, amen.
All right, so what is providence? Anyone have a good, short definition? Nobody? All right, well, God’s will, okay. All right, it’s part of it. What’s holy, wise, and powerful, preserving, and governing all His creatures in all their actions. But that’s God, I mean, that’s God’s providence. Well, that’s what we’re talking about. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So this is from Webster’s Providence and Theology, The Care and Superintendence Which God Exercises Over His Creatures.
He that acknowledges a creation and denies a providence.” Webster’s doesn’t necessarily only define things, right? He’s speaking against those who would say that there’s no such thing as God’s providential works. And so within his definition he’s saying, he’s saying, he that acknowledges a creation and denies a providence involves himself in a palpable contradiction.
For the same power which caused a thing to exist is necessary to continue its existence. He’s saying, well, if you admit that God created all things, then logically, he must still be working to maintain that which he created. Right? That’s what Webster’s saying.
Some person has made a general providence, but deny a particular providence, not considering that a general providence consists of particulars. This is amazing, and within this definition that he’s arguing for scriptural providence. A belief in divine providence is a great source of consolation to good men, not to wicked men, just to good men.
This is from Herman Bovink. Who is Herman Bovink? He was a Dutch theologian, right? Not too long ago, not too long ago, not like back at John Calvin. But this is from his four-volume work. He defines providence this way, the providence of God, thus distinguished from God’s knowledge and decree, maintained against pantheism and deism. We’re going to talk about those for a minute. is in the beautiful words of the Heidelberg Catechism, right? Heidelberg Catechism, he’s Dutch, so he likes the Heidelberg Catechism. The almighty and ever-present power of God, by which he upholds, as with his hand, heaven and earth, and all creatures, and so rules them, that all things, in fact, come to us, not by chance, but from his fatherly hand. So that’s Bob Inc. He’s quoting from the Heidelberg Catechism. So here’s the question then.
What happens by chance? Can you name something this morning that happened by chance? Just one thing. What do you mean? What do you mean no? Nothing by chance. That’s what this is saying. Nothing. happens by chance. One of those words that some use today that just kind of raises the hair on the back of my neck, it’s random. Oh, that was random. What does that mean? Nothing is random. Be careful when you use that word. Oh, that was random.
Okay, so what’s pantheism? He’s saying that God’s providence distinguishes pantheism. His providence speaks against pantheism and deism. I got this from a website. So I would say this is what a current day pantheist would believe. First, that the universe is God. that there’s no distinction. Creation is God. You can’t distinguish between the two. Everything is divine. God is everywhere, so to speak. And so there’s no person who is God. It’s just creation.
And so if you believe that, then nature becomes sacred. And you can see where environmentalists might go today if they’re pantheist. Nature is sacred. Science is welcome. I would say they would say more than it’s welcome. It’s kind of everything. And that you’re part of it. You’re part of creation, thus you’re also God, if God is everywhere and everything. That’s pantheism.
It’s a denial of, obviously, the denial of a biblical living and true God. And so what Bovenk is saying is that God’s providence speaks against that. What about deism? What’s deism? This is from Ligonier, their guide on false teaching. Deism teaches that there is one supreme God who made all things and who watches over the world.
This God has been likened to a great clockmaker who winds up the world like a clock and lets it run by its own laws, not interfering. That’s deism. Others have said it was kind of like a top, God spun the top, put it on the table, and he just steps back, and he just kind of watches. He’s not involved. That’s deism.
In deistic thought, reason apart from revelation leads one to the supreme God. Deists deny the deity of Christ, suggesting the belief that there are three persons and one true God is irrational. So a deist is driven by human reason. Although deism tends to stress God’s non-intervention in the world, some deists have a view of providence in which God is guiding his creation. Still, they have not held to the full orb of the biblical doctrine of providence. So a deist, I guess there would be different ideas, but the general idea is that God created all things, he does exist, but he’s taken his hands off. And so there is no such thing as providence. All right, so God’s providence stands against these two, pantheism and deism.
All right, Westminster Confession, chapter 5, paragraph 1. God, the great creator of all things, does uphold, direct, dispose, and govern all creatures, actions, and things, from the greatest even to the least, by his most wise and holy providence, according to his infallible foreknowledge and the free and immutable counsel of his own will, to the praise of the glory of his wisdom, power, justice, goodness, and mercy.” Now remember, we began with decrees of God. The question is, how does he work out his decrees through creation and providence? So what stands behind providence? The decrees of God. His will. What he’s determined. His plan. So he’s working it out, creation and now providence.
All right. So objection, does God really govern all things? That seems impossible or maybe improbable. Everything? I mean, that’s what they said, right? God, the great creator of all things, does uphold, direct, and dispose, govern all creatures, actions, and things. All things, what do you think? Yes, no? Does he really? All things? All right, well, let’s see. It just seems really hard. I mean, I can’t govern all things in my house. I mean, what are they basing that on? Okay, I’ll take the other side. I can’t keep water out of my house. It’s a problem. It keeps on coming in.
Well, you’ve been created by God, so you’re limited in that sense. But I’m the governor of my house. In fact, I went into the shed yesterday. But who’s the governor of all creation? Well, wait a minute. Who’s the governor of all creation, of everything? This is where the improbability comes from, because I am the governor of my house.
I went into the shed yesterday, there was a mouse. And I told it to get out, I don’t think it did. So it’s improbable, right? Improbable that God can govern everything. All I’m trying to say is, I think we kowtow too much to the impossibility of our faith instead of latching on to the greatness of our faith. That to me is, the fact that it seems impossible is nonsense.
Because we’re making God in our own image. Yeah, and he’s the creator. He’s the governor, as you said, of all things. I’m just trying to take the position. Well, I’m just trying to emphasize that we fall back in fear sometimes. It just seems irrational to us or whatever. But it’s not. That’s nonsense. I agree. Jim, did you? One of my favorite questions. Good, bad, and ugly. Some of it’s tough to take. Yes. All right. So let’s go to scripture to push back on that objection.
From Dan chapter 4, I blessed the Most High and praised and honored him who lives forever, for his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom endures from generation to generation. All the inhabitants of the earth are counted as nothing, And he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth. See how they include both heaven and earth there?
See that? That’s scripture. I don’t know, Westminster Confession, they just spoke of the world. And none can stay his hand or say to him, what have you done? Right? Oh, this is speaking of the providential hand of God. Dan, Daniel. From Psalm 135, for I know that the Lord is great and that our Lord is above all gods. Whatever the Lord pleases, he does in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps.
Everywhere. Doesn’t matter. The fish in the sea. And there are some places I guess we can’t even reach yet. It’s too deep. But God’s governing them. What about the stars? How many are there? I don’t, I’m not a scientist, I’m not an astrologist, but I don’t think we’ve counted them. He has named each one, right?
And Job, where were you? Now who’s speaking here? God, right? Job is He’s saying, I want to have my day in court with God. I want to explain. I want to prove myself righteous before him. Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements? Surely you know. Who stretched the line upon it, or on what were its bases sunk? Or who laid its cornerstone?
What’s? I think Job wrote Job, but I don’t know. What’s he saying here? I mean, God is rebuking Job. He’s going back to creation and saying, I created all things. What do you know? I created all things, and I do what I want with the things I’ve created. What do you know?
Seemingly based in part on the work of creation, providence. They go together. They’re inseparable. Creation and providence, that’s how God works out His decrees. But in order to understand providence, we’ve got to understand and fall back to creation. Job 39, is the wild locks willing to serve you? Or the mouse. Or the mouse. Will he spend the night in your manger? Can you bind him in the furrow with ropes, or will he harrow the valleys after you? Can you draw out the levithan? What’s the levithan?
Do we know? I’m not sure. I don’t know, but it’s big. It’s monstrous. Can you draw out the levithan with a fishhook or press down his tongue with a cord? Can you put a rope in his nose or pierce his jaw with a hook? God is saying to Job, I’m the one who not only created these things, but I govern them. What can you do? Are you able to do the same that I can do? From creation, then to the work of governing, right? All things.
Paul proclaimed the same things as he preached to those in Athens, right? As Paul’s walking through Athens, he’s seeing all these various statues, these temples that have been built for these, so to speak, gods. And he founds this altar with an inscription to the unknown God. And so what’s he preaching about? He’s preaching about the God they don’t know. What therefore you worship is unknown, I proclaim to you.
The God who made the world and everything. Where does he start? He starts with creation. Made the world and everything in it, and he who made from one man every nation of mankind to live on the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods in the boundaries of their dwelling place. Providence, right? Again, it’s with creation. He moves to providence. He’s determined allotted periods in the boundaries of their dwelling place.
I mean, this sermon is not too long in the Areopagus, and these are the things Paul’s touching upon. So he can reveal God to them, creation, providence. Even the small things, really? Even the small things? I mean, that’s what they say in the confession, from the greatest to the least. Is God governing? Is his providential hand upon all things, the little things? Yes? No? Yes? OK.
Matthew 6, look at the birds of the air. Why is he pointing the birds of the air? They neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. So as Jesus is preaching and he knows that the disciples are concerned about what they’re gonna wear, what they’re gonna eat, he’s saying, look, God providentially cares for even the birds. Even the birds he cares for.
What are you concerned about? He’s gonna providentially care for you as well. Are you not of more value than they? Two sparrows. Sold for a penny. Now what’s going on in Matthew 10? He’s sending the disciples out in Matthew 10. He’s telling them, okay, don’t take stuff with you. Wait a minute, why not?
Because God’s gonna provide, providentially provide for you as you’re doing his work, as you’re going out ministering to the people. Remember, are not two sparrows sold for a penny, and not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your father, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Providence of God, he cares for you.
All things. The eyes of God. If God is in the heavens, above the heavens, and He is looking down upon all things, you think, okay, the eyes of God are on everything, even the little things. The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good, from Proverbs 15, from Job 31. Does He not see my ways and number all my steps? It’s a rhetorical question, and the answer to that is yes. Yes, God sees everything, even Even what you’re putting on this morning with the clothes you’re wearing, in His providential care, He’s ordained it.
The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward Him. Let me just stop for a moment and ask if there are questions. Or let me ask this, what is it that God’s eyes are not on? What are hidden from God’s eyes? And what is beyond His control then? For my eyes are on all their ways. They are not hidden from me, nor is there iniquity concealed from my eyes.
Now that’s kind of a separate subject, isn’t it? In part. And yet it still goes along with providence. And not just the Old Testament, Hebrews chapter 4, no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give an account. So the writer of the Hebrews is speaking more along the lines of our iniquity. And we seek to hide it from God. And he’s saying you can’t, you can’t hide it.
But it also goes to providence, doesn’t it? As God is providentially working all things out, he must see. Not that he does anything because he sees something, but they go together. I don’t wanna confuse. Okay, this can’t be true. We’re getting back to our objector, he’s back.
On what basis does God uphold, direct, dispose, and govern? How does He know? In order for God to govern, He must know. So what’s the basis for that? God, the great creator of all things, does uphold, direct, dispose, and govern all creatures, actions, and things, from the greatest even to the least, by His most wise and holy providence, according to His infallible foreknowledge. and the free and immutable counsel of His own will, to the praise of the glory of His wisdom, power, justice, goodness, and mercy.” Now, we have to make a distinction. We’re not saying that God providentially works because He looks and sees, okay, this is what’s going to happen, or this is what I think this person’s going to do, and therefore, I’m going to do this.
Now that would be a conditional response of God. God does not conditionally respond to anything. He works all things according to His free and immutable counsel of His own will. Free, meaning there’s nothing that comes and intervenes, nothing outside of God intervenes and causes Him to turn one way or another.
Okay, so this is the basis. His providence is according to His infallible foreknowledge and the free and immutable counsel of His own will. Infallible foreknowledge. Where does that come from? Isaiah 42. Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare. Before they spring forth, I tell you of them. God knows everything. Nothing is hidden from his sight. Before they happen, he knows. It’s infallible.
Ezekiel 11, and the Spirit of the Lord fell upon me and he said to me, thus says thus, say thus, says the Lord. So you think, O house of Israel, for I know the things that come into your mind. God even knows your thoughts, even before they hit the tip of your tongue. And so God has this complete knowledge And we think, well, he’s made all things, and so he knows everything intimately. And thus he’s able to govern, direct, uphold, dispose, everything, because he knows.
All right? And so how does, I mean, think of this, how did Jesus heal? How did he heal someone? How did he heal the woman who had been bleeding for 12 years? You know what was wrong? Why did he know what was wrong? Because he’s God, because he made her, right? He made her, and so he knows her intimately. And he knew what was happening. And she’d been to many, many, many doctors, right? And none of them could help. Because they didn’t make her. And he didn’t have this infallible foreknowledge.
I think that’s the best way to think of the infallible foreknowledge, that as creator, God is intimately knowledgeable of everything. And so he can, from a human perspective, he can fix it. Before they spring forth, I know the things that come into your mind. Infallible foreknowledge. Notice how you’re thinking. How does the Lord bring a person to Jesus Christ? He knows how you’re thinking. He knows your heart.
He knows what needs to be done to change it. We talk about that as being regeneration. We think of that in terms of just this removal of one heart and replacement of another one, just kind of like a carburetor, right? The carburetor’s not working right, so you gotta put in a new one.
But God knows you intimately, and thus He’s able to change the corruption that’s within your current heart. It’s amazing, it’s supernatural, infallible foreknowledge. I know the things that come into your mind. I can change your heart, so now the right things come into your mind. You begin thinking about the things above, not about the things of the world. Infallible foreknowledge after these things is from Acts chapter 15 after these things I will return and I will rebuild the tabernacle of David which has fallen and I will rebuild its ruins and I’ll restore it So that the rest of mankind may see the Lord Seek the Lord and all the Gentiles who are called by my name says the Lord who makes these things known from long ago Infallible foreknowledge Free and immutable counsel of his own will. Those are the two things, right? That’s the basis upon which God providentially directs, upholds, disposes, governs all things. Free and immutable counsel of his own will.
Psalm 33, the Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing. We think we determine and direct everything, right? And scripture says that’s absolutely wrong. He brings the counsel of the nations to nothing. He frustrates the plans of the peoples. It’s the counsel of the Lord that stands forever, the plans of His heart to all generations, free and immutable counsel of His own will.” Remember, this is why we talked about the fact that God determines His decrees are not conditioned upon anything outside of Him. So that now comes to bear as we’re talking about providence. The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of his heart to all generations, and it’s not guided or directed or influenced by anything outside of him.
He takes the plans of the nations and they’re gone. How many times have you planned something and it hasn’t come to pass? Has that ever happened to you? Happens constantly to me. But God’s plans are always coming to pass. This is actually an objection. It’s just not fair. It’s just not fair. How do you respond?
From James chapter three, but the wisdom from above is pure, first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy, and good fruits, impartial and sincere. Now, James is saying that if you’re thinking God’s thoughts after him, this is the kind of wisdom that you will have. But, okay, where does that come from? It comes from God. This is his wisdom, right?
And so if you’re, well, a free and immutable counsel of his own will, that’s just not fair, that’s not good for me. Well, wait a minute, James is saying that’s really, really, really good for you. Every single time God determines something, is it good? Is it good for you? Yes, absolutely.
But the wisdom from above is pure, peaceable, gentle, Full of mercy, good fruits, impartial, and sincere. Description of God’s wisdom. Okay, objection. I don’t trust God. If all things happen according to the counsel of His will, what is He up to? What’s He doing with the creation? What is He doing with my life?
Have you ever met somebody who thought that? Maybe they didn’t say it this way. But I think that’s fairly common. This idea of, well, no one should be governing my life. I am autonomous. What’s that word? What does autonomous mean? I govern myself. Right? Anyone have children who thought that way? You don’t think that way, right? Okay. Yeah, our children are born that way. I was born that way. I govern myself. I don’t trust God.
God, the great creator of all things, does uphold, direct, dispose, and govern all creatures, actions, and things from the greatest. even to the least, by His most wise and holy providence, according to His infallible foreknowledge and the free and immutable counsel of His own will, to the praise of the glory of His wisdom, power, justice, goodness, and mercy.” So this is the goal of God, so to speak, as we would put it in our human terms. This is why God is providentially upholding, directing, disposing, governing all things, including us.
It’s for his glory, to the praise of his glory, showing forth his wisdom, power, justice, goodness, and mercy. And so every time we think that, well, this isn’t fair, I should be able to do it myself, we’ve got to remember, again, we go back to creation.
Why was anything created? for the manifestation of the glory of God. Why was I created? For the manifestation of the glory of God. I usually think that I’m here for me, right? I’m here for me, to get the most I can out of everything around me. That’s why I’m here, that’s my purpose. Well, no, no, no. Your purpose is to manifest the glory of God. And so here we see it. In Providence, that’s what God is doing. He’s working out all things to the praise of the glory of his wisdom, power, justice, goodness, and mercy.
And so we get back to Genesis, right? We get back to Joseph, and we get back to his brothers. How was Joseph feeling when he was thrown into the pit? Probably not very good, right? But who really threw him into the pit? God. Now, God didn’t sin. And He didn’t twist the arm of the brothers. But who planned that? God did. This is part of His providential plan. It was a frowning providence on Joseph. It wasn’t fun. It was hard. And then who threw him into the prison when Potiphar’s wife was seeking to call him into sin? God.
It was part of God’s plan. Now, God didn’t sin, but it was part of his plan. And so he uses Potiphar to come to the conclusion that it’s Joseph’s fault, not his wife’s fault, and wrongly imprisons Joseph. all so that he could be primed and prepared in his suffering now to be lifted up to this position where he’s able to save many because of the famine.
And so we read in chapter 45, it’s almost a parallel text to chapter 50, God sent me before you, he’s speaking now to his brothers before they’re coming to him and asking for forgiveness. God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to keep alive for you many survivors.
So it was not you who sent me here, but God. Now, actually, it was his brothers. It was their wickedness, but God was using that wickedness in his providential plan to send Joseph to now become second in charge so he could preserve a remnant, right? It was not you who sent me here but God.
And so we hear from Joseph really this wonderful example of God’s providential work. Even in hard or frowning providences where he was hated by his brothers, cast off, thrown in prison, suffered many years, all part of God’s providential plan. Even the small things. Romans 9, for the scripture says to Pharaoh, for this very purpose, I’ve raised you up that I might show my power in you for the manifestation of his power, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth. All the oppression that the Israelites went through for this very purpose I’ve raised you up.
God’s providential hand, even working in and through Pharaoh. Yes, sir? Yeah, I think you’re using a lot of the negative consequences. Let’s take the flip side. I mean, God raised up Silas, wicked man, to save his people. And we’re looking at all the bad things that happened to Joseph and everything. And it also means, on the other hand, that he used men to bring salvation and death. Just to kind of balance that out. I like balance. Does that make sense? It does make sense. I appreciate balance. Thank you. It’s not fair. You’re going to meet this. If you haven’t already, you will continue to meet this. It’s just not fair. I should be able to govern and direct my own life.
And God said, let us make man in our image, and after our likeness, let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the heavens, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth. It goes back to creation, doesn’t it? Who owns you? Who owns you? God. Does he get to do with you as he wishes? Yes. Yes. Yes, sir? The very last thing we want from God is death. Yes. Yes, if that were the case, we would all be in hell right now. Unless you’re in Christ. God to send you to hell would not be fair.
Was it fair that an innocent one pay the price for our sins? So, yes, you’re taking from the position of the person who’s saying it’s not fair, then the response is, well, if God were fair, you’d be in hell right now, right, for your sin. You’d suffer the punishment that was decreed for you because of your sin right now. if God were, according to your definition of fairness. So that’s just a response to that argument, it’s not fair. So when you make that statement before you decree, is that what we’re saying, pre-decree determined fairness? No, what we’re saying is people come to us with the argument that it’s not fair, I should be able to govern my life, not God, and so What’s the response to that? Well, the response to that is, okay, using your definition of fairness, if God were truly fair to you today, using your definition of fairness, you’d be in hell because you’d be punished immediately for your sin, your sin in Adam and your actual sins, immediately.
That would be in accordance with your definite, meaning the one that you’re conversing with, with your definition of fairness. So you don’t actually want that. You have misconstrued and misunderstood this concept of fairness because what you’re doing is you’re making God in your image and you’re saying, well, God should be fair like I’ve defined fairness. So you’re trying to bring that person to understand that your definition of fairness is not in keeping with who God is.
So now that I’ve addressed your definition of fairness, now let me bring you to God’s mercy and grace in Christ. That’s what I think we’re trying to say. So, it all goes back ultimately to creation. God being the creator. And thus, as a result, and this is the point why, this is why creation is so important for us to understand. This is where so many people go off the tracks.
They go off the tracks of creation. And if you go off the tracks of creation, You’ll never grasp providence. You’ll never appreciate providence. You’ll never understand who God is and what he’s doing by his providential hand. So that’s why I go back to Genesis with regard to providence. All right, so that’s the end of part one. We’ll spend a little bit more time on providence, but we’ve got one minute for questions. Well, I can talk about the deficiency.
And that would be, assuming that a person you’re talking with is in agreement that God exists, that there would be that argument that if God is a good God, then these things wouldn’t happen. Then Joseph wouldn’t have been thrown in the pit. And Joseph wouldn’t have suffered in prison as a righteous man. And so if God were good, then that kind of providence wouldn’t come to pass. Well, that’s the false definition of the goodness of God. It’s the false understanding of who God is, and it’s a misunderstanding of how God works things to manifest His wisdom, power, glory, and mercy.
So that would be the easiest one to address. I’m not sure I can go to an excess in terms of, well, that’s just too much providence. I’m not sure that’s what you’re asking. seeing it is it almost becomes irrational on the part of the human. So I think of it as like going across the highway, covering your eyes with your hand, and then walking across the highway and saying, God’s providence about everything. If God wants me to die, I will die. So it’s almost irrational. So if you put so much on the doctrine of providence that it takes away human reason in that sense. That would be a wrong understanding of the providence of God. Satan tells Jesus, you know, throw yourself off the tower, the pinnacle here, and God’s going to uphold you. He’s not going to let your foot strike a rock.
And Jesus responds by saying, well, I should not put God to the test, right? And so that I’d have to work out my response a little bit further. But that would be the idea, right? We don’t test God. And that’s a misunderstanding of providence. We can talk about that more later. But that’s a good question. I appreciate that. OK, we’re out of time. Sorry. More next week, Lord willing. Let’s pray.
Father, we thank you. We praise you for your providential works. Oh, Lord, sometimes we have so much difficulty in receiving your providential hand, especially when the providences are frowning or difficult. So we ask now that you’d help us, give us receptive hearts, understanding hearts, and above all, submissive hearts, as we trust in Christ. Prepare us now for worship. We ask all this in Jesus’s name. Amen.