Divine Providence

So Abraham called the name of that place, "The Lord will provide", as it is said to this day, "On the mount of the Lord it will be provided."  --Genesis 22:14

I am a bit of a history buff, so it is interesting to me that in the early settlement of the United States, one of the most prevalent titles of God was "Providence."  In 1636, Roger Williams was exiled from the Massachusetts Colony for espousing religious freedom, and he established Providence, Rhode Island as a haven for Baptists, Quakers, and other religious minorities.  140 years later Thomas Jefferson wrote in the Declaration of Independence these words: "And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually  pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor."

I think Providence is a great title for God, and one that we should consider using more today.  The title reminds us that God gives us what we need day by day. It also means that He can see the future, and prepare us for the coming storm.  Ultimately, as we shall see later, it means that God is sovereign over all.

Jehovah Jireh
In today's evangelical climate, we think of Providence as giving us what we need right now.  If a man is a good provider, he will see to it that his family is taken care of today--they have food to eat, clothes to wear, and a roof over their heads.  Jesus' modeled this thinking for us in the Lord's Prayer, when He said to pray like this: "Give us this day our daily bread."  Philippians 4:19 promises, "And my God will supply every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus."

In the book of Genesis we read about Abraham's faithfulness.  He believed that God would provide him an heir, and when Isaac was born that provision was made evident.  As a test of Abraham's faith, God told him to go and sacrifice his only son.  Abraham obeyed, and God stayed his hand before Abraham could slay his son.  When Abraham looked up, he saw a ram that God had provided as a sacrifice in the place of Isaac.

Genesis 22:14 says, "So Abraham called the name of the place, 'The Lord will provide'; as it is said to this day, 'On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided'."  We certainly can see divine Providence at work here.  The Hebrew name for that place is Jehovah Jireh, literally "the Lord provides" or "the Lord sees."  In this case, the Lord did see the faith of Abraham, and He saw to it that a substitute sacrifice was available.  He sees to our needs today, as well.  He sent a substitute sacrifice for us, His only Son, so that we may be forgiven of our sins today and have a hope for the future.

Providentia
If you look up the word Providence, you will find that it comes from the Latin word providentia, meaning foresight or prudence.  The root words are pro, meaning ahead or before, and videre, meaning to see.  Certainly it is one of the attributes of God that he can look ahead to what is coming, and foretell the future.

Another story from the book of Genesis is about the twelve sons of Jacob (Israel), and their hatred of their brother Joseph.  Their jealousy caused them to strip Joseph of the colorful coat that their father had given to him, and then sell him to a passing caravan.  Subsequently Joseph became a slave, then a prisoner, and ultimately a high official in Egypt.  God gave Joseph the ability to interpret Pharaoh's dream, foretelling of a coming famine.  The preparation that Joseph made gave Egypt a prominent position of power and wealth during the famine.

When Joseph's brothers came from Israel to buy food, Joseph recognized them.  In Genesis 45:5, he told them, "And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life."  By His divine Providence, God sent Joseph ahead to prepare for the coming famine, and to ensure the line of Abraham would be preserved.  In the same way God sent His Son to suffer and die so that we could be presented to Him as pure and blameless in the last day.

Sovereignty
We have seen how divine Providence means that God can provide for our every need.  We have also seen how Providence means He sees to our needs, both now and in the future because He knows what will happen and He knows how to prepare us for the coming days, whether good or bad.  I think it also means He controls all things by His righteous right hand.  Psalm 103:19 says, "The Lord has established His throne in the heavens, and His kingdom rules over all."

Romans 8:28 says, "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose."  Does this mean that people of faith will not go through trials or tribulations?  Of course not!  It does mean that God will provide what we need in every circumstance.

In the 8th chapter of Deuteronomy, Moses was exhorting the people of Israel to remember what God had done for them.

He humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, that He might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.  Your clothing did not wear out on you and your foot did not swell these forty years. --Deuteronomy 8:3-4

What a great reminder of the Providence of God--their clothes did not wear out, and their feet stayed healthy.  God did not keep them out of the wilderness, but He did provide for them while they were there.  Similarly, He did not keep Shadrach, Meshach and Adednego out of the fiery furnace, but He did stand there with them so that they were not burned up.  God did not even keep the devil away from His Son, Jesus, but Jesus remembered the Word of God to speak to Satan the same words that God had given Moses in the wilderness (see Matthew 4:4, where Jesus quoted Deuteronomy 8:3),

God's provides.  He sees to our needs, and He sees what's coming and sees to it that we are provided for.  Nothing is out of His control, as He is sovereign over all.  That, my friends, is Providence; a picture of His provision, His power, and His protection.