Providence

McClintock & Strong on Providence

Proofs of Providence (Cont'd)

From Scripture (Cont'd)

By declaring His supreme authority over man

Ps 7:8 The LORD judges people. Vindicate me according to my righteousness and my integrity, Lord.
Ps 9:8 He will judge in righteousness. He will judge all people with equity.
Ps 10:16 The LORD is eternal King. Nations perish from His land.
Ps 22:28 The kingdom is the LORD's. He rules over all nations.
Ps 47:2 The Most High God is to be feared, for He is a great king ruling over all the earth.
Ps 47:7-8 He is King of all the earth, so sing praises with great skill. He reigns over every nation, sitting on His holy throne.
Ps 75:7 He is judge, and He humbles some and exalts others.
Ps 76:10 Even in his wrath, man shall praise You, and with the rags of that wrath, You clothe Yourself.
Ps 96:10 Tell the nations that the LORD reigns. The world is established solidly, and will not be moved. He will judge with equity.
Ps 96:13 He is coming to judge the earth. He will judge with righteousness and faithfulness.
Ps 97:1 The LORD reigns! Let the earth rejoice, let the islands be glad!
Ps 103:19 His throne is in the heavens, and His sovereignty rules over all.
Ps 139:9-10 Were I to follow the dawn, or live in the furthest parts of the sea, even there Your hand leads me, Your right hand lays hold of me.
Ecc 9:1 I have taken this to heard, and I explain it thus: that the deeds of righteous and wise men are in God's hands. Even they don' know whether love or hatred lies ahead of them, it could be anything.
Isa 10:15 Does the axe or the saw boast of itself over its wielder? That would be like a club wielding its bearer, or a rod of wood lifting a man of flesh.
Isa 14:26-27 This is the plan worked out against the whole earth, and the hand that opposes all nations. For the LORD has planned, and who can frustrate His plans? Where His hand is outstretched, who will turn it back?
Eze 18:4 All souls are Mine, both father and son, and that soul who sins will die.
Da 4:35 Compared to Him, all the inhabitants of the earth are nothing. He does as He wills in heaven and on earth, and none can stop His hand, or demand explanation from Him.
Ro 9:19-21 So you ask what reason He has to find fault, since we cannot resist His will. I'll say this: Who are you to talk back to God in such a way? Will the clay complain to the molder of the form he has given it No! The potter has every right to make whatever he will from the clay, whether a thing of honor, or something for common usage.

By declaring His dominion over the welfare of nations

Ex 17:14 The LORD told Moses to record His words in a book, and read it to Joshua. The word He sought to have recorded was that Amalek will be completely removed, such that not even a memory of him remains.
Ex 23:25-30 You will serve the LORD your God, and He will bless your sustenance and take sickness from among you. None will miscarry, none will be barren in your land, you will live to the fullness of your days. I will send My terror ahead of you, and throw those nations you come into into confusion. I will cause your enemies to turn their backs to you. I will send hornets ahead of you to drive out those in the land, but not all at once, lest your lands be left desolate, and beasts beyond your ability to cope take over. No, I will drive them out bit by bit, until you have possession of the land, and are fruitful.
Dt 7:13 He will love you, bless you, and multiply you, as well as the fruit of your labors, both the womb and the land. Grain, wine, oil, herds, and flocks; all shall multiply as He swore to your forebears.
2Sa 22:15 He sent arrows and scattered them. He routed them with lightning.
Ezra 5:12 Because our fathers provoked God to wrath, He gave them over to Nebuchadnezzar, and allowed him to destroy the temple.
Ps 18:13-14 The LORD thundered in the heavens. He spoke, and hailstones and coals of fire fell. He sent the arrows of His lightning in great number, and routed them.
Isa 5:3-30 Now then, judge between Me and My vineyard. What is there that I have not done for it? So why does it continue to produce worthless fruit? I'll tell you what I'm going to do. I will remove the hedge that protects My vineyard, and allow it to be consumed. I will break down its walls, and allow it to be trampled under foot. I will lay it waste, no longer pruning, but allowing briars to overrun it. No, and I will no longer send rain to water it. For Israel is the LORD's vineyard, His delightful plant. He looked there for justice, but found only bloodshed. He looked there for righteousness, but found only cries of distress. Woe to those who multiply their property until no room is left, and they must live apart from others! The LORD has sworn that your many fine houses will be devoid of occupants, and your vast vineyards will produce but little. Woe to those who rise early only to drink, and remain awake for long hours to enjoy their wine. They accompany their feasts with music and wine, but disregard the works of the LORD, and forget the work of His hands. It is because of this that my people go into exile, because of their lack of knowledge. Their most honored men are famished, and all are parched with thirst. The grave lies wide open to swallow all of Jerusalem's splendor. Common men will be humbled, and great men abased, but the LORD of hosts will be exalted in judgment. The holy God will be shown holy and righteous. Then, lambs will graze, and strangers will eat amongst the ruins of the wealthy. Woe to those who carry their sins with bonds of lies, dragging their sins along as if on a cart. Woe to them who cry out to Me to speed My work so that they can see it, who call out to the Holy One of Israel to come and do as He purposes, so that they can witness it. Woe to them who call evil good, and good evil, who swap light for darkness, and sweetness for bitterness! Woe to those wise in their own estimation! Woe to those who boast in their drinking! Woe to those who twist justice for a price! They will be consumed like grass in a fire, because they have rejected the law of the LORD, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel. Because of this, His anger burns against His people, and He strikes them down. Mountains quake, and corpses litter the streets, because His anger is not yet spent. He will raise up nations, and call them from the ends of the earth. They will come with power, showing no weakness, and well armed. Their army will come like a lion, seizing its prey and carrying it off, and there will be none to deliver. Their army shall growl over Israel in that day, and if one looks to the land, there will be only darkness and distress. Even the light will be darkened by clouds.
Isa 13:6 The day of the LORD is near! It comes with destruction from the Almighty.
Is 13:9-22 His day approaches, cruel in fury and burning anger. He will make the land a desolation, and destroy all sinners from it. Stars will not shine, and the sun will be dark even when it rises. The moon will give no light. Thus will the world be punished for its evil. I will put an end to arrogance, and abase the pride of the ruthless. I will make living men scarcer than pure gold. The heavens will tremble, and the earth will be shaken from its place by the fury of the LORD of hosts in His anger. Men will flee to their own lands like sheep with none to gather them. Any man found will be taken by the sword. Even their children will be killed before their eyes. Their houses will be plundered, and their wives raped. I will send the Medes against them, for they care for neither gold nor silver. No, but they will mow down your young men, and have no mercy on the children. Babylon, that glory of Chaldean pride will become like Sodom and Gomorrah. None will ever live in it from that day forth. No Arab will pitch his tent there, no shepherd will take his flocks there. Only desert creatures will dwell in that place. Their houses will hold owls, ostriches, and goats. Hyenas will howl from their towers, and jackals shall live in their palaces. Her time is soon to come. Her days will not be long.
Isa 45:7 The one who formed light and created darkness; the One who causes both well-being and calamity; I am the LORD, and I do these things.
Jer 27:2-8 Make bonds for yourself, put yokes on your neck, and send word to Edom, Moab, to Ammon, to Tyre, and to Sidon, to come to Jerusalem. Tell them that the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel declares that He made the earth, and all the men and beasts upon it by His great power, and He will give it to the one whom He is pleased to give it to. I choose to give it to Nebuchadnezzar, My servant, along with all the beasts of the wild. All nations will serve him, and his descendents until the time comes for his own lands to be taken. Then many nations and many kings will make him their servant. Any nation that refuses to serve the king of Babylon, I will punish with death, famine, and disease, until I have destroyed that nation by him.
Jer 27:12-13 I spoke this message to Zedekiah, telling him to place himself under the king of Babylon, that his people might live. Why choose to die, and take all your people with you, as the LORD has warned you that nations will, which will not serve the king of Babylon?
Jer 49:36 I will bring the winds against Elam, and scatter them. There will be no nation to which their outcasts will not go.
Da 2:20-21 Let God be blessed forever, for wisdom and power are His. He changes times and empires, He removes kings, and He establishes kings. He gives wisdom to the wise, and knowledge to the knowledgeable.
Da 2:25 Arioch brought Daniel to the king because he was capable of interpreting the king's dreams.
Da 2:37-38 You are king of kings, because the God of heaven has given you the kingdom, the power, and the glory. Wherever men dwell, or animals roam, he has given them to you and caused you to rule over them.
Da 5:21 He was driven away from mankind, and became like an animal. He was made to dwell with wild donkeys, to eat grass like cattle, until he recognized that the Most High God rules over all the realm of mankind, and He sets whom He will over it.
Amos 3:6 When the trumpet is blown, the people tremble. If there is calamity in the city, is it not the LORD's doing?
Ob 1-4 This is the LORD's word regarding Edom, for we have heard the LORD's envoy telling us to arise and meet her in battle. He declares that He will make you small and despised among nations. Your arrogance has deceived you, and you think yourself safe in your rocky hiding places. But, though you build as high as the eagles, though you settle among the stars, the LORD will still bring you down from there.
Hag 2:17 I smote all that you did with hot winds, mildew, and hail, yet you would not come back to Me.
Zep 1:14-18 The day of the LORD comes quickly! You can hear it coming, and warriors cry out. That day will be a day of wrath, of trouble and destruction. It will be a day of gloom and darkness, a day of battle against the cites and their strong towers. I will bring distress upon men such that they will walk about like blind men because of their sins. Their blood will be poured out like dust, and their flesh will be as dung upon the land. Silver and gold won't deliver them from His wrath. The earth will be consumed in the fire of His jealousy, for He will make a complete end of it, a terrifying end for all who inhabit the earth.
Zep 3:14-20 Shout for joy, oh triumphant daughter of Zion! Rejoice with all your heart! The LORD has removed His judgments from you, and removed your enemies. The King of Israel, the LORD, HE is in your midst. No longer will you fear disaster. In that day, Zion will not be afraid, and your hands will not be weak. The LORD is in your midst, a victorious warrior, and He exults over you with great joy. In His love, He will be quiet, and He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy. I will gather those who grieve over the appointed feasts, those who came from you. The reproach of their exile burdens them. I will deal with your oppressors in that day, saving the lame and gathering the outcasts. Their shame will be turned to praise and renown in all the earth. I will bring you in. I will give you renown and praise among all peoples, and restore your fortunes in your own sight, says the LORD.
Ac 17:26 He made all the nations on the earth from one, and He has determined their times and boundaries.

By declaring that He sends bad rulers and adversaries, as well

Jdg 9:22-23 Abimelech ruled Israel for three years, after which God sent an evil spirit between him and the people of Shechem. Those of Shechem dealt treacherously with him.
1Ki 11:14 The LORD raised up Hadad the Edomite against Solomon.
1Ki 11:23 HE also raised up Rezon the rebel against him.
1Ki 19:15 The LORD told Elisha to return to Damascas and anoint Hazael to be king of Aram.
2Ki 8:12 Hazael asked Elisha why he was weeping. Elisha answered that it was because he knew what evil Hazael would do to Israel, destroying their land and killing their people, even the women and children.
2Ki 18:25 The LORD told me to go up against your land and destroy it. I have HIS approval in coming here.
2Ki 19:25 Don't you know that I did this long ago? I planned it far in the past, and now, I'm simply bringing it to pass. It is only because of this that you are destroying the fortified cities.
2Ki 24:20 It is because of the LORD's anger that Judah has been cast out of the land. This is also why Zedekiah chose to rebel against Babylon.
2Ch 15:5-6 There was no peace in that time, for all the land was disturbed. Nations and cities battled each other, for God was bringing all sorts of trouble upon them.
Ps 105:25 He turned their hearts to hate His people, and to deal craftily with His servants Moses and Aaron.
Isa 22:17-19 The LORD is about to take you firmly, and cast you into the land where you will die. There will your splendid chariots be, for you shame your master's house. HE is telling you that He will depose you from office, and pull you down.
Isa 37:26-27 Haven't you heard? I planned all this long ago, and now I am bringing to pass through you. That is why you are able to destroy cities.
Jer 27:6-7 I have given all these lands to My servant Nebuchadnezzar, along with all the animals in the fields. All nations will serve him, and also his descendants, until the time of his own land has come. Then, many nations will make him their servant.
Jer 28:14a I have put an unbreakable yoke upon the nations, making them serve Babylon, and they will serve him.
Jer 48:11-12 Moab has been undisturbed since the beginning, never going into exile. He has not changed. But days are coming when Moab will be tipped over, emptied out, and shattered.
Jer 52:3 This all came upon Israel because of the LORD's anger. Because of that, He cast them out of His presence, and Zedekiah rebelled against Babylon.
Lam 2:7 The LORD has rejected His altar and abandoned His sanctuary. The city has been given into enemy hands, and they rejoice in the palaces as if it were a feast day.
Eze 20:24-26 Because they have rejected My law, and profaned My Sabbaths, and looked to idols, I have given them statues that will not bring life, and declared them unclean. They caused their firstborn to be burned to the idols, so I will make them desolate in order that they might remember and know that I am the LORD.
Da 4:17 This is the decree of angelic watchers, the decision of the holy ones, sent that we, the living, might know that the Most High rules over mankind, and gives nations to whom He desires, setting even the lowliest of men on their thrones.
Hos 13:11 In anger, I gave you a king, and in My wrath, I took him away.
Mic 1:12 Those in Maroth grow weak waiting for good, because calamity has come down from the LORD to the very gates of Jerusalem.

New Thoughts (10/18/02-10/19/02)

What great reason we have to praise Him! Yet, I wonder if we truly believe that He reigns over all the earth. Here, it is declared over and over again in unequivocal terms: He rules over every nation, every moment, every man, and every creature. There is nothing that is that is not under His dominion. This is the great proclamation of the psalmist in Psalm 97:1! The LORD reigns! Here is great reason for all the earth to rejoice! The LORD reigns! This corruption, this fallen state in which we find ourselves at present does not reign. The sin that once bound us and held us captive does not reign. The enemy and adversary of our souls does not reign, though he may be a principality in the earth. No! The LORD reigns, and the earth rejoices to know that He is still in control, that His righteous rule will prevail. The earth rejoices! Will we join in with our lesser fellow creatures in rejoicing to know our King is King of kings?

If we know Him to truly be King of all the earth, this will place a demand on us. Actually, it will place several demands on us - first and foremost, that we obey the commands of our King. If He truly rules, and we truly believe that He does, what possible excuse can we give for not heeding His commandments? What can we hope to say in our defense? Have we even tried to obey? If we think to say 'yes' to that, be reminded of the truth by the words of Scripture: "You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin!" (Hebrews 12:4). Chances are, you haven't even resisted to the point of sweating a little bit. That's the reality of our fallen condition. It's not in us to obey the commands of a Holy God and King. But, praise be to His wonderful Name, He has given us an Advocate, a Helper, One who can do in us what we cannot do in ourselves!

Is it any wonder that we are commanded to praise Him who is King of all the earth? How can we not? He has done for us all the things we could not do in ourselves! He has brought the answer to our broken lives. He has brought healing to us, not only in our physical being, but in our emotional being and in our spiritual being. He has so healed us that for the first time in our lives we can truly love one another, and we can truly love Him who has healed us! Again I ask: is it any wonder that we are commanded to praise our great and glorious King? And no half-hearted, toss-off word of thank you will suffice for this. The command, as we have it in Psalm 47:7 is to praise Him in song, to praise Him with great skill.

This is not mindless shouting, and this is not just the overflow of some emotionally charged moment. This is thought out, worked out, practiced and perfected, majestic songs of praise worthy of Him to Whom they are sung! What does this mean for us? Does this mean our praises must be performed to the setting of some classical accompaniment? This is a discussion that runs through churches throughout this nation, if not the world. It's a discussion that has come up in my Table Talk studies recently, and it's a discussion in which I find I must disagree, at least in part, with the conclusions reached by the authors of that study.

While I share their concern over churches that are becoming performance centers, rather than centers of prayer, worship, and study, I am not convinced that this necessarily requires that we believe modern or contemporary forms of worship are to blame. Do they have an impact on the layout of the church? I suppose they are bound to have some impact. The equipment used by a contemporary worship team simply takes up more space than the average organ console, or upright piano. However, I would have to say that few, if any of the worship team members I have worked with over the years have any desire to be the focal point of a service. The majority of us would be perfectly happy, happier really, to lead worship from just about anyplace but the platform.

At the same time, I will recall to mind once more what the psalmist tells us here. He tells us to sing praises with great skill. Does that suggest that only those that know a particular method of singing should sing? Does this suggest to you that those who have not had professional training in operatic singing should, perhaps, be silent? I don't see that. Certainly, we want to bring Him our very best offering! Certainly, we want that offering to be both in Spirit and in Truth. Singing empty words, devoid of significance to us is not worship. Singing because everybody else is singing, or because that's what the service calls for at the moment is not worship. And, yes, we should certainly be concerned about the possibility of bringing strange fire before our God.

I simply am not convinced that the instruments used in worship, or the style in which our praises our couched, will qualify as strange fire. It is certainly possible for us to offer a thoroughly carnal offering of worship. This is equally true, whether the style we choose to perform in be classical, jazz, rock, or any other form. Is dance necessarily carnal? David danced before his God. Are shouting and clapping necessarily carnal? Look at Zephaniah 3:14-17! We are being told to shout! We are being told to rejoice with all our heart! We are being told to get all emotional! Why? Because the King has come into our midst! When the day of your release from the POW camp comes, are you really going to just sedately walk along? I don't think so! Will you simply shake your deliverer's hand, say a polite British 'thank you,' and be on your way? Hardly! Shout for joy! He has removed His judgments! He has removed your enemies! He is in your midst!

Note one other thing in this passage: He exults over you with great joy! He shouts with joy over you! God gets excited! Angels rejoice in heaven over the salvation of one lost soul! They're not simply marking a point on the tally board. No! The word says they rejoice! Shouts of joy are heard in the heavens! Why, then, if God and His heavenly creatures rejoice with shouts of joy, would we think we who were created in His image should somehow avoid such behavior in His presence?

I must also consider that I am created in His image. As one created in His image, I enjoy the beauty of the things He creates, whether He creates them solely by His own hand, or through the agency of man. I find that I enjoy music in any number of forms and styles. I find that even forms that I am not particularly fond of, when done with excellence, are yet appreciable. I'm not a great fan of country music, yet there are exceptional works that I enjoy. I enjoy a great deal of classical music, yet I would not find it so enjoyable if I were the one attempting to perform it (nor would anybody else).

I must consider that particular forms of music are written for particular instrumentations. A most wonderful piece written for string orchestra may not sound particularly pleasant when performed on a pipe organ, or a grand piano. This is where I find the majority of the older hymns today. Most of them simply do not translate well, musically, to the instrumentation that is available. Thus, new material suited to that instrumentation has become necessary. There are exceptions. There are those who have been able to re-set the words and melodies of some of these older hymns into something that shows great skill when played in a contemporary format.

There are other 'classic' hymns which I find I must question whether they ever qualified as sung with great skill. Nor do I find that the 'classic' hymns are safe from the dangers of bad theology. Yes, there are songs within the contemporary genre that, while they may be catchy, are absolutely incorrect in what they are saying. As I said, this is not something reserved solely for this contemporary genre. It has always been a true and present danger that what is offered in the words of the song may not necessarily reflect God's truth. Scripture is inspired. Hymns are not.

Here is another place for us to be concerned in the area of offering strange fire. As worship leaders, we must be considering the truth of what we sing. As songwriters, we must prayerfully consider the content of what we write. As worshipers, we must be concerned with what we are allowing our ears to hear, even if it comes labeled with a 'Good Christian seal of approval.' "I Found Jesus" is a particularly catchy and up-beat song. On the surface, it seems like one of those songs that should be brought out for evangelism purposes. But, it's wrong. Scripturally, theologically, it is just plain wrong. I didn't find Jesus. He came and found me.

There's another song that has begun to bother me of late, although I have enjoyed it for awhile. The climactic lyric of "Above All" speaks of the fact that when Jesus was there on the cross, paying the atoning price for our sins, making a way for us to enter into the holy courts of God, the top-most thought on His mind was me. This sounds so sweet, so loving. It's a pretty popular sentiment around church circles, but it's wrong, just plain wrong. Look back at Ezekiel 36:22. It is not for your sake that He is acting. It is for the sake of His own holy Name. It is because of the shame that we manage to bring upon His reputation that He is acting. When Jesus died on the cross, we were certainly on His mind, certainly our salvation was an underlying purpose in what He was doing, but it was not for us that He was taking action. It was for the glory of the Father. That was His goal in all He did. That is supposed to be the goal in all we do.

If we will to glorify our God and King, we must certainly do all things decently and in order. We must certainly do those things He has commanded us to do in the way He has commanded us to do them. Our acts of worship must certainly be done with great skill. But, they must just as certainly be done with great honesty, with great love, with great joy. After all, we have been commanded to rejoice before our Lord and King, for He is in our midst!

Here, also, let me offer a caution. Isaiah 5:16 tells us that the holy God will be shown holy and righteous. This, He will most certainly be shown to be, whether through our actions or in spite of our actions. God will not be mocked. If His children will not behave as His children ought, they will be removed from His presence. If His subjects will not subject themselves, and do those things He has created and commanded them to do, if they insist on rejecting His rule, He will also reject them. Our salvation is not an excuse for inaction. We dare not trust in our temple to preserve us from God's wrath. He will be shown holy and righteous. He will be shown just and true. Our purpose must be to show Him holy, righteous, just, and true in our own lives. Our words and our actions, our thoughts and our lives, must be united in displaying the truth of His holiness. Let this be my prayer today. May God so work in me that my life reflects the truth of all that He is. May I find it in me to call upon the Holy Spirit in my times of weakness, relying upon Him to provide the resolve this flesh so sorely lacks. May all I do be pleasing to You, my God and King. Amen.