God's Providence

                                           "Providence is God's guardianship and care
                                            for His creatures and creation."
                                                                         James Montgomery Boice


                                                            **********


          God is sovereign over all things -- everything that exists and everything that
     happens is under His control.  He can and does use good and evil to bring about
     His purpose and will.


          Providence has a purpose -- God's purpose.

                                            "And we know that in all things God works
                                             for the good of those who love Him, who
                                             have been called according to His purpose."
                                                                                  Romans 8:28


          God purposed that Joseph would be sold into slavery by his brothers, so that
     he would be in position to help Israel during the time of famine.

                                           [Joseph said to his brothers], "... do not be angry
                                           with yourselves for selling me here, because it
                                           was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you.
                                           ... God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you
                                          a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a
                                          great deliverance."
                                                                                  Genesis 45:5b.7


                                          "But Joseph said to them, 'Don't be afraid. 
                                           Am I in the place of God?  You intended
                                           to harm me, but God intended it for good
                                           to accomplish what is now being done, the
                                           saving of many lives."
                                                                                  Genesis 50:19-20


          From eternity God has been sovereign and everything is dependent on Him.

          Through Jesus, He created everything.

                                         "He (Christ) is before all things,
                                          and in Him all things hold together."
                                                                                  Colossians 1:17


          God directs the course of all men, even kings.

                                        "The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD;
                                          He directs it like a watercourse wherever
                                          He pleases."
                                                                                Proverbs 21:1


                                        "In his heart a man plans his course,
                                         but the LORD determines his steps."
                                                                                Proverbs 16:9


                                       "Many are the plans in a man's heart,
                                        but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails."
                                                                                Proverbs 19:21


          God uses the evil actions of wicked men to bring about His purpose and will,
     but they are still responsible for the wrong they do.

                    "Men can do nothing but what God has appointed; still this does
                      not free them from condemnation, when they are led by a wicked
                      desire to sin.  For though God directs them, by an unseen bridle,
                      to an end which is unknown to them, nothing is, farther from their
                      intention than to obey His decrees."
                                                                                 John Calvin

                 
                                            "Then Jesus replied, 'Have I not chosen you,
                                              the Twelve?  Yet one of you is a devil!'
                                              He meant Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot,
                                              who, though one of the Twelve, was later
                                              to betray Him."
                                                                                 John 6:70-71

                   "Always place before our minds the providence of God,
                     which Judas himself, and all wicked men -- though it
                     be contrary to their wish, and though they have another
                     end in view -- are compelled to obey."
                                                                               John Calvin


                                            "This man was handed over to you by God's
                                              set purpose and foreknowledge; and you,
                                              with the help of wicked men, put Him to
                                              death by nailing Him to the cross.  But God
                                              raised Him from the agony of death, be-
                                              cause it was impossible for death to keep
                                              its hold on Him."
                                                                              Acts 2:23-24


                   "Christ's betrayal results both from divine fiat and human sin,
                    yet God, mysteriously, remains untainted by evil in the process.
                    This exemplifies the doctrine of providence."
                                                                               R.C. Sproul


                                            "Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met to-
                                             gether with the Gentiles and the people
                                             of Israel in this city to conspire against
                                             your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed.
                                             They did what your (God's) power and will
                                             had decided beforehand should happen."
                                                                                 Acts 4:27-28

                                                                  **********


                   "The Lord is able to bring about what He wills even through the
                     wicked deeds of men.  We should therefore trust that He is
                     working out His good purposes for His people, even as others
                     do evil to us."
                                                                                 R.C. Sproul