The Book of Proverbs
Study #15: Providence
October 24, 2004
Jim Bordwine, ThD
Introduction
How frequently do you fret? How
often do you complain, even mildly, about some issue, some circumstance or life
in general? This is a question that all Christians need to ask themselves on a
regular basis because fretting or complaining is grounded in dissatisfaction
and dissatisfaction is grounded in a lack of understanding of and submission to
the providence of God.
God's providence is His
governing of all His creatures and all their actions. When we speak of God's
providence, we're speaking of His orchestration of all events,
circumstances, possibilities, and outcomes. Solomon addresses this matter in a
number of verses. He writes in a general manner about the providence of God,
and he also gives us a few specific examples or declarations concerning this
activity of God whereby He oversees our lives.
Our Memory Verse
The
lot is cast into the lap,
but
its every decision is from the LORD.
(Pro.
16:33)
I'll begin with this verse that
in which a basic principle related to our topic is illustrated. It doesn't need
a lot of analysis, so my comments will be brief.
In Solomon's time, the casting
of lots was a way to reach a decision. No one knows for sure how the procedure
worked, but it has been speculated that this might have been something as
simple as stones having one side one color and the other side another color
being cast on the ground. The pattern created would then be interpreted as a
"yes" or "no" concerning whatever issue was at hand. However this was done, it
could play an important role in the affairs of men.
While those casting lots might
have believed in any number of explanations for the way the procedure turned
out, Solomon says that the answer provided through this practice was, in fact,
whatever God determined it should be. So while men depended on this basic
practice to settle questions and gain guidance, some believing God determined
the outcome and some not, Solomon tells us that the LORD very definitely
governed the outcome. In this way, Solomon puts before us a basic truth--the
LORD controls or oversees all things, even something as seemingly insignificant
as the casting of lots.
And not how specific Solomon is:
"its every decision is from the Lord." Sometimes, when we think of God's
providence, we think of it in very broad terms, as if God determines the
general way things turn out or the general manner in which history unfolds. But
the principle taught here is that God controls down to the simplest level. This
truth is reflected in our Confession that says: "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." (WCF VIII:I)
In our verse, Solomon is
teaching that there is no such thing as chance--and this, by the way, takes us
to one of the most strongly stated truths in our Reformed heritage: there is no
such thing as luck or good fortune, as if the universe is controlled by unseen,
randomly active forces.
Additional verses
For
the ways of a man are before the eyes of the LORD,
and
He watches all his paths.
(Pro.
5:21)
This verse certainly speaks to
the matter of God's providence. Solomon gives us an image of God's careful
consideration of our lives. But there is more implied here than God's awareness
of us. The doctrine of providence says that God guides our lives, that
He causes our lives to unfold according to His purposes, and that He arranges
causes and second causes so that His will is done.
In the first phrase, Solomon
says that ways of a man are "before" the eyes of the LORD. The word translated
"before" (nokach) speaks not only of awareness, but of scrutiny, as when
something is wide-open to observation and influence. Once again, the doctrine
of providence means more than that God is aware of what is going on in our
lives; it means that He is causing His purposes to be worked in our lives. In
that way, therefore, the ways of a man--his plans and experiences--are known to
God.
To reinforce this notion of
something more than God's mere awareness of us, Solomon adds: "and He watches
all his paths." This time, he uses a word (palas) that means "to weigh
something" or "make something level." Again the idea of affecting our lives is
conveyed, not only an awareness of what is happening to us. God causes our
lives to take certain turns and He causes our lives to unfold in particular
directions. Solomon isn't saying that God sets us on a course in life as if we
are uninvolved; he means that the LORD coordinates the events of our lives. We
make plans, but God determines how those plans turn out; we head off in one direction
but God determines what happens along the way and might, in fact, alter that
direction.
And, of course, the better we
know God and His ways, the more likely will be a harmony between what we choose
and what God allows. This is one of the wonderful aspects of providence. You
can grow in your discernment of what God is doing in your life and why He
causes certain things to happen. With maturity comes the ability to read God's
providence, as it were. The place to begin, however, is with a recognition of
the basic truths Solomon is relating about God's influence in our lives.
Do not boast
about tomorrow,
for you do not
know what a day may bring forth.
(Pro. 27:1)
This, of course, is a classic
statement regarding our perspective--or what should be our perspective--on God's
providence. Since we don't know for certain what He has ordained for us to see
or hear or experience tomorrow, we should be careful about speaking as if we are
certain about such things. Solomon warns: "Do not boast about tomorrow."
That word "boast" (halal) literally means "to shine." Figuratively, it
means "to speak arrogant or self-assuredly." Specifically, Solomon mentions
behaving this way in regard to "tomorrow." He has in mind the man who speaks
confidently about what he is going to do and what he is going to experience.
This is a man who believes he alone determines how his hours unfold each day.
But Solomon reminds us that we do not know what a day may bring forth.
His point is that we don't
determine what has been ordained for tomorrow. Therefore, we can't speak very
confidently about what we're going to do tomorrow. The wise man recognizes that
God alone determines what we will encounter tomorrow, so he speaks guardedly.
In the book of James, there is a
passage that appears to come directly from what Solomon says here:
James 4:13 Come
now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and
spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit." 14 Yet you do not
know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears
for a little while and then vanishes away. 15 Instead, you ought to say, "If
the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that." 16 But as it is, you
boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil.
James expands Solomon's basic
statement. He has in mind those who put great confidence in themselves and,
consequently, lived as if they alone determined their fate. This kind of
attitude is a direct denial of the providence of God. Remember, providence is
defined as God's governing of all His creatures and all their actions. A man
who speaks as James imagines doesn't believe in the providence of God. He is
boasting in his ignorance and showing just how little he understands how God
operates.
The
plans of the heart belong to man,
but
the answer of the tongue is from the LORD.
(Pro.
16:1)
This verse is a bit difficult to
interpret unless we understand that Solomon is writing in a rather generalize
manner, as he often does. In this verse, "the plans of the heart" is a clear
enough statement; but "the answer of the tongue" is not so clear. I think
Solomon is using two simple notions, that of planning and speaking, or that of
preparing and doing, to get across a point. The contrast here is between making
plans and executing them. We can make plans and we can attempt to carry them
out--represented, once again, by what comes out of our mouths. But we must not
forget, as Solomon puts it, that the answer of the tongue is from the LORD,
meaning that our plans are not automatically carried out as if the making of
the plan is all there is to it.
This verse brings out two truths
we've seen so far: One, that providence is not fatalism; that is, God's
providence doesn't mean we are uninvolved in our own lives. And, two, God does,
in fact, overrule us according to what He has ordained should come to pass. When
it comes to the carrying out of our plans, represented first in what we say, Solomon
teaches that the LORD determines the outcome.
The
king's heart is like channels of water in the hand of the LORD;
He
turns it wherever He wishes.
(Pro.
21:1)
I said before that Solomon
speaks in a general way about God's providence, but here is a specific example
that he provides to illustrate how the LORD rules His creatures and their
actions. Notice what a vivid image Solomon uses. He compares a king's heart,
which would be his decision-making capacity or that part of him that determines
his desires, to a channel of water that is directed this way and that by the
hand of the LORD. This is a picture of complete control but also a picture of
gentle control. The image used here doesn't sound brutal; it sounds tender.
The king's heart--his desires,
his determinations, his disposition--is like water in God's hand. And God moves
His hand ever so slightly, and the water goes in this direction, or He moves
His hand in another manner and the water goes in that direction. This speaks of
God's oversight of the king's rule. He may be the one on the throne, but God is
determining what he does while occupying his throne. As Solomon puts it: God
turns the king's heart wherever He wishes.
He
who finds a wife finds a good thing
and
obtains favor from the LORD.
(Pro.
18:22)
I include this verse because it
is another specific application of God's providence. Solomon teaches that the
finding of a wife is not a random event. He's referring, of course, to a wife
in the most positive sense, one that will fill the role of wife as God intends.
A man doesn't just "happen" to stumble upon such a woman, although he may think
he did. In fact, the word translated "find" (matsa) is a bit more
pointed than this translation might imply. The term means "acquire." The word
speaks of a deliberate attainment, not an arbitrary or accidental discovery.
In reality, God is directing
that man's steps. This is brought out in the second phrase: "and obtains favor
from the LORD." A wife is a blessing to a man and blessings to us have one
ultimate source and that is God. If we "obtain favor," it means that God has
shown us favor; it doesn't mean that we have done some good all by ourselves. If
a man becomes acquainted with a woman who becomes his wife, God has
orchestrated the events of the lives of both in order to prepare them for one
another. One of the lessons this verse teaches is that we should be seeking the
LORD first as we seek other things in life. Any goal that is important to us
should begin with our petitioning the LORD for His favor in our endeavor.
The remainder of the verses I
picked for this study may be examined at your convenience.
When a man's
ways are pleasing to the LORD, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with
him. (Pro. 16:7)
House and
wealth are an inheritance from fathers, but a prudent wife is from the LORD.
(Pro. 19:14)
Man's steps are
ordained by the LORD, how then can man understand his way? (Pro. 20:24)
Like clouds and
wind without rain is a man who boasts of his gifts falsely. (Pro. 25:14)
Many seek the ruler's favor, but
justice for man comes from the LORD. (Pro. 29:26)
Practical Responses
As a practical response to this
material, I would urge you to become more familiar with the notion of God's
providence. It is a wonderful doctrine. Rightly understood, it testifies to us
concerning God's enduring, day by day, love for us. Learning to read
providence, by which I mean, learning to recognize how God directs our lives,
can be a most helpful skill. Keeping in mind the reality of God's providence
will keep you from fretting and complaining as much as you do now. Keeping in
mind God's providence will bring stability to your life when circumstances
aren't the most pleasant. You can always say--and say with full conviction--this
is what God has ordained for me and it is good.