The Providence of God

Writing

It is one thing to write about the providence of God (in a Philosophical Theology essay, for example).

We are responsible for what we would freely do in every possible situation in every possible world, and God is responsible for working all things (i.e. what we would freely do in every possible situation in every possible world) 'for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose' (Romans 8:28, NIV) in this particular world - the best possible world out of all possible worlds.

Reading

It is another thing to read about the providence of God. York Baptist Church is currently in the middle of a series of sermons on the story of Joseph and I just finished reading John Piper's recent book on Ruth, A Sweet and Bitter Providence.

Joseph and Ruth

"When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, "Why do you just keep looking at each other?" He continued, "I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us, so that we may live and not die." Then ten of Joseph's brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt. But Jacob did not send Benjamin, Joseph's brother, with the others, because he was afraid that harm might come to him. So Israel's sons were among those who went to buy grain, for the famine was in the land of Canaan also." - Genesis 42:1-5 (NIV)

"As they were emptying their sacks, there in each man's sack was his pouch of silver! When they and their father saw the money pouches, they were frightened. Their father Jacob said to them, "You have deprived me of my children. Joseph is no more and Simeon is no more, and now you want to take Benjamin. Everything is against me!" - Genesis 42:35-36 (NIV)

"In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land, and a man from Bethlehem in Judah, together with his wife and two sons, went to live for a while in the country of Moab." - Ruth 1:1 (NIV)

"Don't call me Naomi," she told them. "Call me Mara, because the Almighty has made my life very bitter. I went away full, but the LORD has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? The LORD has afflicted me; the Almighty has brought misfortune upon me." - Ruth 1:20-21 (NIV)

Two families (Jacob and Naomi). Two famines (Canaan and Bethlehem). Two foreign lands (Egypt and Moab).

Joseph

And suddenly you begin to see that this [Genesis 39] is not merely a morality play, again it's part of a deeply Christological reading of the whole Bible. It's bringing you to Jesus, how God in His own purposes, through the foibles and weaknesses and through the strengths and faithfulness of individual believers across redemptive history, has - in the fullness of time - brought forth His Son, the Redeemer, through Whom all the nations of the earth will be blessed.

And there is no text in Genesis 39 that says, "Now listen, pay attention folks, this is heading to the great Christological centre." It's not saying that. It's the narrative that conveys it, the narrative of Genesis 39 in the context of the book of Genesis, Genesis in the context of the Pentateuch, the Pentateuch in the context of the whole Bible, do you see?

- D. A. Carson, The Living Word 2008

Ruth

Sweet Providence Unseen (pg 58)

The hand of God had fallen hard upon Naomi and her family - a famine in Judah, a move to Moab, the death of her husband, the marriage of her sons to foreign wives, ten years of apparent childlessness for both daughters-in-law, then the death of her sons, and the departure of one of her daughters-in-law. One blow after another caused Naomi to say, "The hand of the LORD has gone out against me... [T]he Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me" (1:13, 20).

In fact, she is so oppressed by God's bitter providence in her life that she can't see the signs of hope as they start to appear. She knows there is a God. She knows he is sovereign and rules over the national and personal affairs of men. And she knows that God has dealt bitterly with her. Her life is tragic. What she does not see with the eyes of her heart is that in all her bitter experiences, God is plotting for her glory.

This is true of all God's children. In the darkest of our times, God is plotting for our glory. If we would believe this and remember it, we would not be as blind as Naomi was when God began to reveal his grace.

Closing the Circle for Naomi (pg 105)

But now there is a surprising shift in chapter 4. Notice how the focus in verses 14-17 is not on Ruth at all, nor on Boaz. The focus is on Naomi and the child. Why?

The story began with Naomi's losses. It ends with Naomi's gain. It began with death and ends with birth. A son is born. Whose son is it? Of course, we would say, it is Ruth's son - Ruth's and Boaz's. But that is not what it says. It says, "A son has been born to Naomi" (4:17). Not only to Ruth but also to Naomi!

Why does it say that? To make crystal-clear the complete reversal of Naomi's situation. She had said in Ruth 1:21, "I went away full, and the LORD has brought me back empty." But now she is full, and the LORD has given her a son through Ruth.

God was at work in the darkest times to bring about this amazing turn of events. If we would trust God implicitly, like Ruth, we would find that all our complaints against God are unwarranted. Our providences may be bitter, but God is at work for our good - whether we can see it or not.

Looking to the Farthest Meaning (pg 111)

The story of Ruth, at one level, is about God's sweet and bitter providences. He governs the famine, and the marriage of Naomi's sons to foreign women, and the death of her sons, and the faithfulness of Ruth, and the availability and nobility of Boaz, and the birth of a child to preserve the line of Elimelech. The story shows that God is at work in the darkest of times for the good of his people. The life of believers is not a straight path to glory, but they do get there.

But at another level, the story is about something much larger than one family and their sorrows and joys. It is about God's plan to glorify his grace in the Son of David, the Messiah, the Redeemer, Jesus Christ. Ruth and Naomi and Boaz are caught up in something of eternal significance. Glory is not too big a word for the destinies implicit in this story.

- John Piper, A Sweet and Bitter Providence

Experiencing God

It is yet another thing to experience the providence of God in our lives. More precisely, it is yet another thing to recognise the providence of God in our lives. We all experience the providence of God in our lives - the question is whether we recognise it or not.

Incidentally, quoting both Carson and Piper reminds me of listening to them at New Word Alive 2008, which was absolutely amazing. 77 days (exactly 11 weeks) to New Word Alive 2010!

During my national service from Jan 05 to Nov 06, I spent most of my time hoping that I could disrupt from national service and come to York in Oct 05, or at least Oct 06. But looking back, Oct 07 was exactly the right time for me to come to York.

Now I see that had I come to York earlier, I would not have had the opportunity to go for New Word Alive for all 3 years of my time in the UK (Word Alive only split off from Spring Harvest to form New Word Alive in 2008). Of course, New Word Alive is just one of many reasons as to why Oct 07 was exactly the right time for me to come to York.

"From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us." - Acts 17:26-27 (NIV)

Going mysteriously forward, I trust that Jul 10 will be exactly the right time for me to return to Singapore.

The best is yet to be!

Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning, new mercies I see
All I have needed, Thy hand hath provided
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

Link: Reflections on New Word Alive (20 Apr 10)