Sermon Tone Analysis

God’s providence is supreme, and therefore sovereign … He is the sole arbiter of events and destines … So that it is as clear that God rules alone as that he rules at all, that he rules everywhere as that he rules anywhere; that he governs all agents, all causes, all events, as that he governs any of them.

To surrender in whole or in part his control of the universe would be to admit that he was not God.

—William S. Plumer

Where does sin fit in?

If God is working in and through the free acts of men, directing all events in order to accomplish his will, where does sin fit into the picture?

Does it fit anywhere, or is sin outside the realm of God’s providential control?

What part does Satan play on the stage of providence?

How does God providentially maneuver through all this murky terrain of free will, sinful impulse, human wickedness, and Satan’s prompting without becoming sullied Himself?

What Does the Bible Say?

One of the best contexts from which to address the problem of God’s providence is the Book of Job.

When “bad” things happen, is it God or man or Satan?

Who’s Responsible for This?

Who is responsible for what happened to Job? God or Satan?

Whose hand is being described in v. 11? God’s hand

A Closer Look at a Key Verse

Job 2:3 is a crucial verse to understanding the book of Job, and to understanding our problem of providence.

Let’s dissect the terms of the text that are central to our problem.

Job 2:3 (ESV)

3 And the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?

He still holds fast his integrity, although you INCITED me against him to destroy him without reason.”

"Incited” (סות)- means “to allure, entice, incite, provoke.”

It is used 18x’s in the OT in different senses.

Only once does anyone ever do this to God.

Job 2:3 (ESV)

although you incited me against him to destroy him without reason.”

Only here, in Job 2:3, is God the object of this verb.

By God’s own admission, Satan incited/provoked/motivated/persuaded Him against Job to swallow him up undeservedly.

God Himself admits that He has been “moved” by Satan to do this to Job.

To do what?

Job 2:3 (ESV)

you incited me against him to DESTROY him without reason.”

“Destroy” (בַלְּע֥)- is a graphic word that literally means “to swallow up” or “to gulp down.”

God admits that what He did to Job was not unlike the earth swallowing up houses or the fish swallowing up Jonah.

Why did God say He was moved to do this?

To what end?

For what cause?

Job 2:3 (ESV)

you incited me against him to destroy him WITHOUT REASON.”

“Without Reason” (חִנָּֽם)- can mean either “without compensation” or “without cause, undeservedly.”

Most instructive is this Messianic reference:

This prophetic reference to Messiah’s suffering focuses on the single event of history that puts all our suffering, even Job’s, into proper perspective!

Was there any other suffering that was more undeserved than that of the spotless, holy, harmless Lamb of God?

How should Jesus’ suffering cause us to gauge our own suffering?

We must always gauge our attitude toward our own suffering not by the experiences of other by by the experiences of Christ!

Back to the Question

Who did all this to Job? God or Satan?

The answer is YES.

God placed Job in Satan’s hand or power.

Then who is responsible for all this?

God.

This is the answer Scripture gives us.

And it is the answer that Job and his friends never doubted throughout the entire book.

Why do we?

When we say that God only “permitted” everything that happened to Job, we must remember who started it all in the first place?

God spoke first, not Satan.

God first brought up Job’s name and character, not Satan.

Knowing exactly what would happen and how it would end, God not only permitted Job’s circumstances but also initiated the whole process of Job’s suffering.

Principles of Providence

1. God is NOT responsible for my (or anyone else’s) wrong actions or choices.

Free will exists and is corrupted by man’s fallen sinful nature!

There is such a thing as human responsibility.

2. God IS, by His own admission, responsible for what happens to me, even when it involves sinful actions and choices of others.

The “free acts of men” in our definition of providence.

That is providence.

Remember Joseph, remember Job, remember Jesus.

3. God is the ultimate cause of every moral right (for no moral right can originate from fallen man) but the cause of no moral wrong (for no moral wrong can originate from an unchangeably holy God).

Yet He sovereignly controls and orchestrates both to accomplish His purposes.

How does He do this?

Before and after the flood- intention of man’s heart is evil!

Only evil continually!

It’s like God opens the lid on this bottomless pit of human depravity just so far- filtering what escapes.

Allowing only that which accomplishes His will, and restraining the lion’s share that does not.

Given the depth of man’s depravity, the wonder is not that God permits harm and difficulty and even devastation to befall us; the wonder is that He prevents and restrains so much!

But Why?

What is the one question that Job kept asking over and over again in the midst of his suffering?

Explain what Job is saying- charging against God.

Why are you doing this to me God?

I don’t deserve it!

What answer did God never give Job?

What answer did God give Job?

God demands an answer from Job!

These kinds of questions go on for four full chapters.

God relentlessly asks Job question after question after question!

God goes on relentlessly asking Job questions- about light and darkness, about the number of his days, about snow and hail, about wind and rain, about constellations and clouds, about thunder and lightning.

Then God goes on for an entire chapter about the wisdom and creativity and power necessary to create and sustain the animal kingdom.

God is asking Job two very important questions in this passage.

Job who are you?

Who are you Job? Did you lay the foundation of the earth?

Did you determine its boundaries?

Or its foundations?

Job Who am I? I am the one there in the beginning before the foundations of the earth.

I am the one who determined its measurements and sunk its bases.

I laid the cornerstone of the world.

Job then tries to respond...

And God is having none of it!

Who are you Job?

And more importantly Who am I?

Then God goes into a discussion about Behemoth and Leviathan.

And the point?

Job if you cannot even control two of the creatures in the world, what makes you think you are in a position to judge the one who providentially rules over all things?