1. Providence Articles
    1. McClintock & Strong (Part IV - Doctrine)

Overturning Providence

What the Doctrine of Providence Encompasses

Acts of Preservation

This covers such acts as God performs in the course of preserving the existence of all that is, and enables them to act as their natures require.

Heb 1:3 He is the radiance of the Father's glory, the exact representation of the Father's nature. He upholds everything by the word of His power. When once He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Father on high.

Acts of Governance

Here is considered all such actions as God may take in controlling that which He has created, such that the actions of creation are directed to His ends. Such governing acts may be immediate or mediate in nature.

Immediate

These are actions whereby God directly controls the universe, things generally considered natural forces.

Immediate

Here, are included such things as

As a holy God, such motives as God places before His creatures must necessarily be those which will tend toward the holiness and happiness of His creatures. However, the preserving aspect of His providence also secures to man the power of free will, leaving in man the power to choose obedience to these moral motives or rebellion. When man abandons this moral government of God, He must take action to punish or reform man. Natural evil is one of the governmental checks used on man's free will. As such, natural evil is not a black mark on God's character. There is no evil in God. The source of evil lies in the rebellious choices made by creatures of free will. It is not the purpose of this doctrine to vindicate God, only to explain His activity. Moral evil consists solely of the wrong decisions made by a free will. God preserves the right and ability of the agent of that free will to act upon even these wrong decisions, but the action does not determine the evil. The decision itself is a moral evil, whether acted upon or not. However, such actions as follow upon these bad decisions are attempts to usurp God's sphere of responsibility. They are attempts to take from Him the activities of providence, and assume to man the control of events. From this, it can be seen that the only possible distinction to make between God's permissive acts and His active acts in the realm of providence is to call His allowing free volition the permissive action. All else, all activity in the world, must be considered His active action. This is the only possible solution to the juxtaposition of God's control of creation with all the Scriptures that deny that He has or can have any involvement in what is morally wrong.

Consider such verses as point to God's involvement in the wrong decisions of man.

Ex 4:21 The LORD told Moses to be certain to do all that God had empowered him to do in Pharaoh's sight. He then declared that He would harden Pharaoh's heart, such that Pharaoh would not release Israel.
Ex 7:13 Pharaoh's heart was hardened, just as the LORD had said.
Ex 10:1 The LORD told Moses to go to Pharaoh, for He had hardened Pharaoh's heart, as well as his servants' hearts, so that His signs might be done among them.
Ex 10:20 The LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, and Pharaoh would not release Israel.
Ex 14:7 Pharaoh took hundreds of his best chariots, along with the officers of Egypt's army.
Dt 2:30 Sihon of Heshbon would not allow Israel to pass through, for the LORD hardened his heart in order to deliver him to you today.
Dt 13:1-3 If a prophet or visionary comes and gives you signs or wonders, even if these signs come true with regard to what he has said; if what he is telling you is to follow and serve other gods, don't listen to him, for God is testing your love for Him, to see if your whole heart and soul are His.
Jos 11:20 The hardening of their hearts was the LORD's doing, so that they would come to battle Israel, and He might thus destroy them. They will receive no mercy, for this was the LORD's command to Moses.
1Sa 16:14 The LORD's Spirit left Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD terrorized him.
1Sa 18:10 An evil spirit from God came upon Saul, and he was raving in the house, while David played the harp.
1Sa 19:9 An evil spirit from the LORD was upon Saul as he sat with his spear, and David was playing the harp.
1Ki 12:15 The king wouldn't listen to his people, because God had ordained this turn of events in order to make His word to Ahijah and Jeroboam firm.
1Ki 22:20-22 The LORD sought one to entice Ahab, and lead him to his fall. A spirit came forward before HIM and said, 'I will entice him.' The LORD asked how he would do this, and the spirit answered that he would become a deceiving spirit in the mouths of the prophets. The LORD told him to do so, and to prevail in doing so.
2Ch 18:22 The LORD put deceiving spirits in the mouths of your prophets, for HE has proclaimed disaster against you.
2Ch 25:20 Amaziah wouldn't listen, for this was God's doing. He intended to deliver them to Joash, because they had gone after the gods of Edom.
Ps 78:49 He sent His anger, fury, and indignation upon them; a band of destroying angels.
Ps 105:25 He turned their hearts to hatred for His people, such that they dealt treacherously with His servants.
Isa 6:9-10 Tell this people to keep listening, yet they will not perceive. Tell them to keep looking, yet they will not understand. Make their hearts insensitive, their ears dull, and their eyes dim. Otherwise, they might see and hear and understand. Otherwise, they might return and be healed.
Isa 19:14 The LORD has given Egypt a spirit of distortion, such that they go astray like drunken men in all they do.
Isa 44:18 They don't know or understand, because He has covered their eyes and they cannot see. He has covered their hearts, and they cannot comprehend.
Isa 66:4 I will choose their punishments, bringing their dread upon them, because I called and nobody answered; I spoke and nobody would listen. They did evil in My sight, choosing things in which I do not delight.
Jer 6:21 Therefore, I am placing a stumbling block before this people. They will stumble, both father and son, both neighbor and friend; all alike will perish.
Eze 3:20 If a righteous man turns from his ways into sin because of the obstacle I put before him, he will die. Because you did not warn him, he will die a sinner in spite of his righteous deeds, but I will require his blood of your hand.
Eze 14:9 If the prophet speaks, it is because I, the LORD, have prevailed upon him to speak, and I will be against him to destroy him from among My people Israel.
Am 3:6 If a trumpet is blown, the people will surely tremble. If calamity comes to the city, is it not clearly the LORD's doing?
Zech 8:10 Before then, neither man nor animal earned a wage, nor was there any peace to be found because enemies were thick in the land, and I set every man against every other man.
2Th 2:11-12 Because of this, God will send deluding influences upon them, and they will believe falsehood so that all who did not believe the truth, but chose to enjoy wickedness instead, may be judged.
1Pe 2:8 They stumble because they disobey the word, and they were appointed to this doom.
Rev 17:17 God put in their hearts the determination to do His purpose by giving their kingdoms to the beast until His words should be fulfilled.

Such verses as these must be contrasted with others which reveal His character and works:

Lev 11:45 I am the LORD who brought you out of Egypt to be your God. You shall be holy for I am holy.

You shall be (hayah [OT:1961])
It will come about, you will become, it shall be established, you will abide as, it will be done, it will be finished.

Dt 32:4 He is the Rock! His work is perfect for His ways are just. He is a faithful God, with no injustice. He is righteous and upright.

Righteous (tsaddiyq [OT:6662])
just in government, righteous in conduct and character, correct, lawful
 
Upright (yashar [OT:3477])
straight and level, right and correct, straightforward, fitting, proper

1Sa 6:20 Who can stand before the LORD, this holy God? To whom shall He go up from us?
Job 8:3 God does not pervert justice, or do wrong.
Job 34:10 Listen, you who claim understanding. The Almighty God can do no wrong, to do wickedness is far from Him.
Job 34:12 He will not act wickedly and pervert justice.
Job 34:23 He does not need to think further on a man who stands before Him in judgment.
Job 36:3 I will gather knowledge from far and wide, and I will declare that my Maker is righteous.
Ps 5:4 God takes no pleasure in wickedness, and no evil can dwell with Him.
Ps 11:7 The LORD is righteous and loves righteousness. The upright will see His face.
Ps 33:5 The LORD loves righteousness and justice. The earth is filled with HIS lovingkindness.
Ps 89:14 His throne is built upon righteousness and justice. Loving mercy and truth go before Him.
Ps 92:15 The LORD is upright. He is my Rock. There is no unrighteousness in Him.
Ps 97:2 Clouds and darkness surround Him. Righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne.
Ps 119:137 You, O LORD, are righteous, and your judgments are upright.
Isa 5:16 The LORD of hosts will be exalted in judgment. The holy God will show Himself holy in righteousness.
Eze 18:29 Israel claims that the LORD's ways are not right. But My ways are right, and you know it. Clearly, it is your own ways that are not right.
Hab 1:13 He is too pure to condone evil, He cannot look upon wickedness. Why, then, are You favoring those who deal so treacherously with us? Why are You silent when the wicked swallow up the righteous?
Zeph 3:5 The LORD is righteous. He will do no injustice. Every morning He brings justice, He never fails. But the unjust are shameless.
Ro 2:2 We know that God's judgment is right to fall upon those who practice such evils.
Jas 1:13 You cannot claim you were tempted by God. He cannot be tempted by evil, and He does not tempt anyone Himself.
1Pe 1:15-16 Be holy in all you do, just like the Holy One who called you. Scripture tells you that you are to be holy because He is holy.
Rev 16:7 O, Lord God Almighty, truly Your judgments are righteous and true.

Since truth cannot contradict itself and remain true, these two views of God must be reconcilable. That reconciliation comes in recognizing that God has allowed man supremacy in his own volition, while God remains as governor of all action. His will, then, rules all except our will, because He has willed that our wills rule themselves. Apart from this understanding, the doctrine of providence cannot be made to adhere to the fact that God is good

New Thoughts (10/22/02-10/25/02)

Some people either disregard or actively dislike matters of theology and doctrine. However, I find it most wonderful to recognize that the God who created me as a reasonable and reasoning man is Himself reasonable. As one created in His image, it makes sense to me that He would be, if anything, more reasonable than I. As a reasonable God, there is much about Him that we can indeed understand by the efforts of reason. This is what I find so awesome about Him, that when we look into the sound doctrines of theology which He Himself urges us to study, we find that they all fit together. All of true doctrine stands in perfect harmony with all the rest of true doctrine. There's nothing there that needs to be excused, overlooked, or simply accepted. It all fits.

The other factor I am seeing more and more in this matter of doctrine, is that the true doctrines of God are so intertwined that you really can't consider one without considering the others at the same time. You can't, for instance, look at God's providence without coming up against the question of man's free will. They are so inter-related that one is bound to stumble upon one while considering the other. And, as I've said, the true doctrines regarding these two matters will be seen to be in perfect harmony with each other. We will find no need to set aside our understanding of one of these matters in order to accept what we are learning about the other. God's truth does not require the acceptance of blind faith. It invites us to explore Him to the utmost of our abilities. God's truth invites us to truly know and understand, for thereby do we renew our minds by the power of God.

In seeking out this harmony of truth, the authors of this particular text have claimed that we must draw a line of distinction between God's permissive acts and His active acts. In the area of permissive acts, they place only the free will of man. God permits man to make whatever decisions he desires to make. However, the actions that may follow from that decision are placed back under God's actively working. In drawing this line, the author's have quite openly set aside the question of evil's origin. In order for evil to be chosen, whether in freedom or not, there had to be an evil already present for the choosing. We cannot choose what we do not know.

Even with that, I surely do not lay the source of evil at the feet of my God. Scripture is clear that He is not, indeed, cannot be, the source of anything unholy. For God to participate in unrighteousness would be for God to cease being God. That which is pure and holy cannot be partially impure. This is not a place where I can claim to have an answer as yet. I know, however, that when the time comes that God chooses to reveal that answer, I will find it fitting in with everything He's revealed to date. His providence, our free will, salvation by His grace alone, faith by His grace alone, predestination, and this matter of where evil has come from - all of it will be seen to fit into a workable, understandable, whole system of truth.

Indeed, the question of how it is that evil is allowed on the earth has plagued man as long as man has had a mind to think with. We see these same concerns on the minds of the authors of the oldest portions of the Bible. Job is generally believed to be the oldest material in Scripture, and there we find that whole question being explored in great detail. In some ways, this is the whole subject of Job: how are a wholly, holy and righteous Creator and the evil clearly present in His creation to be reconciled? Notice, in the course of their consideration of this problem, there is never any question as to the nature of God. After all, for God not to be of the nature He is would be for God to cease being. In our present day, we've lost the wisdom that the men of Job's day had.

Job 34:10 speaks to those who claim understanding. Clearly, the intent of the speaker is to show these men just where their understanding has gone astray. The corrective he brings in points directly to where their problem is. God can do no wrong, he says. This is a basic foundational truth. It is just as basic as the unity theorem - as the fact that one is one is one. All of man's understanding is based upon such foundational concepts. Man's understanding is progressive, but for it to progress, there must be something to progress from. We need these basics to stand upon. Here, the book of Job is providing the most foundational, the most important, basic building block we will ever have: God can do no wrong. God cannot produce wickedness.

If we would claim understanding, and have a true claim, we must stand in one accord with this. Modern man has lost this in large part. He looks around at the world as it is, and fails to recognize his own part in the blame. Societal training has brought man to a place where he always seeks someplace outside of himself to place the blame. For many, if there is any consideration of God at all, He is considered as the one to blame. He must, their reasoning goes, be a bad God, for He has created a bad creation.

Job has the answer for this kind of thinking. You claim understanding, yet you have forgotten the most basic fact: God can not do wrong, He cannot do an evil thing. As a being who is good - not simply one who behaves well, but one who is the very definition of good, who is good in His essence - there is no room for evil to exist in Him, and there is no opportunity for evil to proceed from Him. If we would find the source of evil, we will have to look elsewhere. We will have to look to ourselves.

This was God's answer to Israel, when Israel sought to blame the state of things on Him. As they suffered in the exile that their sins had brought them to, they looked for anywhere else but themselves to place the blame. In their understanding, it became God's fault that they were in the mess they were in. But God would have none of it. He's not willing that we should be so self-deluded. In Ezekiel 18:29, the answer comes down: You claim that My ways are not right, but they are right, and you know it. It is your own ways that are not right. In essence, God is telling them, "you have nobody to blame but yourself." How often do we need to explain this to our own children?

How often do we need this explanation ourselves? Modern society has become a breeding ground of victims. Everybody is looking for someplace to lay the blame for their own shortcomings. Nobody wants to be responsible for themselves anymore. What's wrong with my life can't possibly be my own fault. My parents must have failed me somehow, or maybe it was the government. Perhaps it's the way all the kids treated me when I was younger. I should sue them for damages. How is it that it never occurs to us to look inward? How is it that it never occurs to us to look inside for a reason why these things might be occurring?

This is the habit of our society, and sadly, it becomes the pattern for our churches as well. If our physical life isn't going well, being good Christians, we know to look for spiritual causes. So we do. We look to see if we can lay the blame at the feet of our Pastor's spiritual condition, or perhaps we can blame it on the poor spiritual shape of our fellow church members. They just don't show enough Christian character. That's why I'm suffering. Maybe I'm being punished because this church is spiritually dead. That's probably it! Again, it never occurs to us that the issue may be in us, and not around us. Perhaps, just perhaps, it's our own spiritual deadness that needs to concern us.

Yet, the question of evil in the world, even after we have come to our senses and done a self-check, remains a problem to be wrestled with. We needn't be ashamed that it bothers us so. It has always bothered God's people. Habakkuk, a prophet of God's own choosing, had such questions. He understood that God was pure, that in His purity He could not possibly condone the evil that was in the world (Habakkuk 1:13). He knew this well, and knowing it, it bothered him greatly to look about and see that the wicked appeared to have the upper hand in the world. How could this be? The problem perplexed him greatly.

In Isaiah 66:4, I hear God's answer to that question. "I will choose their punishment. I will bring upon them the very thing they are dreading because they have not listened when I called. They do evil before My very eyes, choosing things that are against My will for them." This is where our understanding gets fouled up. Is evil found in the punishment of evil, or in the evil act itself? Does a parent violate the laws of righteousness in punishing his child's disobedience? Is it an evil act to so enforce the rules of proper, moral behavior? I suppose it can be, if it's done incorrectly, but disciplinary actions are not evil. They are acts of loving concern for the one disciplined.

Why does wickedness flourish in the land? Because we won't listen to the voice of our Father God. If we won't obey our Father, should it not be expected that He will bring disciplinary action to bear? He loves us entirely too much to allow us to continue in our disobedience. He is all wise. He knows what is best for us, and His directions when He speaks are aimed at bringing us into our best. Our intentions are all to often aimed at our worst. God has always disciplined those He loves, to bring them back onto the pathways of righteousness. We need to recognize His disciplines for what they are, and stop declaring them as evil. The evil is in our own choices, in our refusing to respond to the discipline His love provides. "Therefore," Jeremiah 6:21 records, "because of your refusal of My disciplines, I am placing a stumbling block before you, over which both father and son, both neighbor and friend will trip and fall. All of you alike will perish, because you will not listen." This is the cause of evil in the world. The evil is not in the punishment, it's in what led to punishment. Because you would not accept correction, you will perish. You need look no further for a cause.

Yet, I find I am still wondering over the origins of evil. We understand that the Fall came due to the first man's first sin. We understand that this sin was not something he was forced into, but something he chose as a free moral agent. But, how is it there was something to choose? Even if we chase it back further, to Satan's fall, the question remains: how is it there was something for him to choose? I'm afraid I don't have the answer to this one at present. Someday I may understand, but that day is not now. Someday, God may explain it in a way I can understand, but for now, I must leave it in His timing.

I do think, however, that some of the problem remains in our definition of evil. We tend to think that anything which opposes our own wills must be evil, it must be the work of the enemy. We forget that it's not our wills that determine, but His. Evil is that which opposes His will, not ours. Ezekiel 3:20 points to this situation. If a man turns from righteousness into the ways of sin because of an obstacle God puts before him, he will die. Notice, the obstacle was put there by God. Was the obstacle evil? No. Was God's putting it there evil? No. Yet, in placing it there, He had His purposes. He will not suffer the evil of man to remain hidden in the heart, but will require it to be exposed to the light of truth. We are all capable of acting like good, righteous people. How many times do we hear the neighbors of a convicted killer telling us what a nice young man he was, how he was always so polite and helpful? But, God knows what we keep hidden in our hearts, and He brings along testing situations to reveal our state.

The wise man will see the results of that testing, and seek change for his own internal condition. When God reveals our hearts to us, it is always in hope that we will see it and come to Him for healing. If we stumble over the obstacle He has placed before us, it is only because we refuse to listen to Him any longer. Therefore we perish.

But, notice also the role of the brother in what God speaks to Ezekiel. If you do not warn him, seeing what is happening and why, if you step aside and allow him to fall in his sins, I will require the death by which he must be punished from your own hand. You, who failed to bring correction, are as guilty as him whom you would not correct. Here is another place in which the society around us is having a negative impact on the church at large. Too often, we will not bring correction. To often, we will simply look on, and decide not to get involved. Hey, it's their own life. Let them do as they will. This is the case with us if we will not bring the message of the Gospel into the lost world. We have consciously decided that we'll just let them continue in darkness, knowing that it must lead to eternal death and damnation. We need to hear the warning of Ezekiel: God will require their blood of our hands. He is not pleased, not willing, that any be lost. Woe to us, if we allow them to be lost against His will. As Pastor has been saying, we need to make it very hard for our neighbors to go to hell.