Not Luck or Chance But Providence
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Introduction:
Introduction:
On December 3rd of 1982 a young woman, pregnant with twins started into labor. It was two and a half months before her due date. When she got to the hospital the emergency room doctor quickly determine that she was a high risk pregnancy, something they were not equipped for at that hospital. The decision was made to call for a helicopter and air lift her to the nearest hospital able to provide the care she needed. The mother to be, doctor and medical support staff boarded the helicopter and took off. Everything seemed okay, the woman was having contractions but it looked like they were going to make it to the other hospital just fine. But everything wasn’t fine. A few minutes into the flight the pilot notified the doctor and crew, not the mother to be, that an oil line broke and that he was going to have to land. In the process of trying to land the pilot was unable to control the helicopter and it crashed. Thankfully, none one died in the crash. The mother was dazed but okay, the doctor suffered some cuts and bruises, but the other medical staff were injured and required medical assistance. The doctor now considered the very real possibility of delivering those twins in less than ideal environment. The pilot had been able to send out a signal that they were going to crash and ambulances and emergency crews were dispatched to the crash site. They got there in time to get the mother to the other hospital were she delivered two beautiful little girls, weighing about 3 pounds each.
How do you explain the good things that happened to her? Luck? Karma? Fate. The mother was a believer and told the reporter . . .
The Bible describes how God is involved at all times in creation, preserving, controlling and directing both animate and inanimate objects to accomplish His will. This behind the scenes activity of God is called providence. Today we are going to see that God’s providence touches all of our lives and knowing that it does should comfort, encourage and strengthen our faith.
There are many examples in the Bible of God’s providential care. I have chosen one of the first, it is part of the story of God’s command to Abraham to sacrifice Isaac. Turn with me in your Bibles to Genesis 22.
1. An example of God’s providence: Genesis 22
1. An example of God’s providence: Genesis 22
1 After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 2 He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.”
a. God’s command to Abraham vv. 2
a. God’s command to Abraham vv. 2
This is a simple, straightforward but unbelievable devastating command. In the previous chapter it is described how God told Abraham to send Ishmael away; he was not the son of promise. Abraham obeyed. Now God isn’t just moving Abraham out of his comfort zone, he is shoving him out with a thought so painful that one cringes at the very thought of it.
Yet, as often happens in the Bible, you and I, as readers, are blessed with more knowledge about this situation than Abraham had at this time.
b. God’s purpose revealed to us v. 1
b. God’s purpose revealed to us v. 1
This was a test of Abraham’s faith. God tests us as a way to build us up to cause us to grow. Like it or not, God does this. It is never a temptation to sin, it is when God brings something into our life to challenge us so that we will depend more upon him.
As the story continues we see
3 So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. 4 On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar. 5 Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you.” 6 And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. And he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of them together. 7 And Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” 8 Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them together. 9 When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son.
c. Abraham’s obedience to God vv. 3-10
c. Abraham’s obedience to God vv. 3-10
The story is remarkable for what it doesn't say. We are given insignificant details about Abraham's preparation for the trip, getting up early, saddling his donkey, cutting wood. But we don't hear anything from the mouth of Abraham. He takes two servants with him and set out to travel two full days. On the third day (the distance they traveled was about 50 miles) Abraham sees the mountain in the distance and then speaks. He matter of fact tells the servants to wait. He and the boy will return after worshiping.
Next we have a description of more details, pertinent to the story line, but not the main point. He takes the wood, for the fire, puts it on Isaac, he takes the fire and the knife and off they go. Isaac, who appears to be an observant lad, realizes they have nothing to sacrifice. He has no idea what God told Abraham to do and so he asks the logical question, where's the lamb for the sacrifice? I have the wood, you have the fire and the knife, but what about the animal?
Abraham says something that is completely unexpected in the narrative. We are not told what Abraham was thinking during these past three days, we don't have to be told! The question was a logical question. I wonder if it was a question that Abraham expected Isaac to ask. Yet the answer was not expected. We have had no hint up to this point in the story that anything was going to happen next. What we have is Abraham acting out of obedience. His answer is profound and opens up a possibility that we had not considered yet. "God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." Genesis 22:8
I don't think it would be right for us to view Abraham's words as an attempt to hide the truth or avoid the issue. In fact, since Abraham's words foreshadow the ending of the story, rather than being a half-baked explanation for a difficult situation, they demonstrate the genuineness of Abraham's total trust in God.
What was the basis for this trust? Was this blind or foolish faith? Not at all! What was it that Abraham may have reflected upon during the three day walk to Moriah that would have given him strength and the confidence to be able to assure his son that everything would be alright? There are several things we could point to, God's blessing upon him and providing for him materially, God's protection when Abraham and his 300 men rescued Lot and his family. Perhaps the most significant was the miraculous provision of his son Isaac when his wife Sarah was well past the age of bearing children. God had provided and Abraham knew he would provide again.
Hebrews 11 gives us an interesting perspective on this.
17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, 18 of whom it was said, “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” 19 He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back.
So Abraham proceeds to build an altar, lays the wood on it and then lays the boy on the altar. Did he assure Isaac again? Did he tell him once again that it would be OK? We aren't told.
What we are told in verse 10 is “Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son.”
11 But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 12 He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” 13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 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 shall be provided.”
d. God’s provision for Abraham vv. 11-14
d. God’s provision for Abraham vv. 11-14
I have to believe that at moment Abraham sighed a huge sigh of relief! A calm replaced the tension that had building up since God commanded him to do this. In his relief he turned and looked and saw something not far off. A ram caught in a thicket of thorns.
Now as fascinating as this story has been up until this point, it is here that I would like to pause and consider what happened. Abraham knew and we know how that ram got there at that moment. God provided. How do we know that Abraham believed that? Verse 14 says, 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 shall be provided.”
By providence God caused that ram to get stuck at just the right time. But not everyone would agree with us that it was God who bought this to pass. There are many different views of how it is that things like this happen. Let's consider them briefly.
2. The Worldly perspective
2. The Worldly perspective
Deism: God created the world then abandoned it.
Pantheism: Creation is part of God not separate from Him
Chance: Events occur randomly
Fate: An impersonal force determines what happens – “As fate would have it . . .”
Luck: The impersonal good fortunes of life – lady luck
Serendipity: Unintentional discoveries of good without God!
History: A series of inevitable events – manifest destiny
Progress: Everything is getting better on its own
Nature: Creation personalized - Emerson and Thoreau attributed to nature gifts of providence – mother nature
Natural Selection: Survival of the fittest – no place for God!
None of these give God the credit, the glory, for what happens. Let’s consider
3. The biblical perspective
3. The biblical perspective
a. God upholds and sustains everything. Hebrews 1:3; Job 34:14-15;
a. God upholds and sustains everything. Hebrews 1:3; Job 34:14-15;
We take for granted something that the scriptures describe explicitly, namely that God provided the force that keeps everything together. God is not that force, but that force comes from him with the result that everything we see in creation has properties and is consistent. Wood is wood, and always has the qualities of wood. You can saw it, burn or petrify it, but it is still wood and will act the same way every time. Here is how the Bible describes this,
3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
e.g. This is a book, and you expect it to act like a book. You read it, use it to flatten leaves for science projects or just put it on the shelf to look good. When you open a book you expect to see pages, if you see something else, you realize, that isn’t a book, not any book that I’ve ever seen, and you’d be right.
Why do scientific principles work? Because of God’s providence. He sustains and upholds everything.
Abraham cut wood, got a knife, prepared for a trip based upon the fact that world in which we live follows consistent principles. By the way, even our breath depends upon God!
14 If he should set his heart to it and gather to himself his spirit and his breath, 15 all flesh would perish together, and man would return to dust.
God gives us each breath we breathe.
Simply put, it is God that enables the atoms and molecules that form us and objects around us to work in the way that they do, all the time. See also Col 1:17; Acts 17:28, Neh. 9:6;
Not only does God provide the fundamental cohesion that hold everything together,
b. God is actively involved in all of creation. Psalm 148:7-8; Job 37:6-13; Matthew 6:26; Psalm 104:27-29; Proverbs 16:33
b. God is actively involved in all of creation. Psalm 148:7-8; Job 37:6-13; Matthew 6:26; Psalm 104:27-29; Proverbs 16:33
There are many things that we view as “natural” occurrences that the Bible describes as happening because God causes them to happen.
The weather
7 Praise the Lord from the earth, you great sea creatures and all deeps, 8 fire and hail, snow and mist, stormy wind fulfilling his word!
6 For to the snow he says, ‘Fall on the earth,’ likewise to the downpour, his mighty downpour. 7 He seals up the hand of every man, that all men whom he made may know it. 8 Then the beasts go into their lairs, and remain in their dens. 9 From its chamber comes the whirlwind, and cold from the scattering winds. 10 By the breath of God ice is given, and the broad waters are frozen fast. 11 He loads the thick cloud with moisture; the clouds scatter his lightning. 12 They turn around and around by his guidance, to accomplish all that he commands them on the face of the habitable world. 13 Whether for correction or for his land or for love, he causes it to happen.
Providing food and life for animals
26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?
27 These all look to you, to give them their food in due season. 28 When you give it to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are filled with good things. 29 When you hide your face, they are dismayed; when you take away their breath, they die and return to their dust.
Seemingly random events are controlled by God!
33 The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord.
c. God directs all things to fulfill His purpose. Daniel 4:34-35;
c. God directs all things to fulfill His purpose. Daniel 4:34-35;
34 At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever, for his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom endures from generation to generation; 35 all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, “What have you done?”
The nations
There is a fascinating aspect of God’s providence revealed in this passage that you may have missed. Where was Abraham when God commanded him to go to sacrifice Isaac? In Beersheba. Where did God tell him to go for the sacrifice? To Mt. Moriah. Was there any significance to that place? Yes, it later became the city of Jerusalem, where Jesus triumphantly rode into town on a colt of a donkey and was crucified five days later. Today it is either where the Dome of the Rock is or nearby.
Was it a chance that God sent Abraham there to sacrifice His son, something that God Himself would do later? Just a lucky coincidence? Not on your life!
4. A biblical response
4. A biblical response
There are many questions that arise as a result of studying this doctrine that are outside the scope of this message. What about sin, what about our free will, what about pain and suffering. Those are all valid questions and although not easy, questions that I believe the Bible addresses, but not what we will address in this message. In thinking through our response, I want to focus on some things of which we can all agree and be certain of once we understand God’s providence.
a. Thankfulness
a. Thankfulness
Let us be thankful that God is in control, you and I are not.
b. Comfort
b. Comfort
It is comforting when you know that the God of the universe, who loves you immensely is making wise decisions for your good!
c. Dependence
c. Dependence
We need to depend upon God for safety when traveling, guidance in making decisions, even small ones.
d. A change of vocabulary
d. A change of vocabulary
We should stop saying things like “Good luck” “knock on wood” “beginner’s luck” and the such.
e. A change of behavior
e. A change of behavior
Stop gambling, whether it is on the lottery or anything else. I don’t play the lottery because I don’t for one minute believe that is how God chooses to bless people.
5. A personal example Proverbs 3:5-6; Psalm 127:1-2
5. A personal example Proverbs 3:5-6; Psalm 127:1-2
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
1 Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. 2 It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep.
It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep.