God’s sovereignty goes hand-in-hand with His providence. God’s providence can be defined as “sovereignty in service of God’s wise purposes”. God's sovereignty, though an abstract concept concerning His attributes and their implied supremacy over creation, finds its practical expression through His providence. This manifestation of sovereignty is how God actively governs and sustains the universe. The Westminster Confession of Faith 5.4 articulates,
God, the great Creator of all things, doth uphold, direct dispose, and govern all creatures, actions, and things, from the greatest even to the least, by His most wise and holy providence, according to His infallible foreknowledge, and the free and immutable counsel of His own will, to the praise of the glory of His wisdom, power, justice, goodness, and mercy.”
The Heidelberg Catechism also writes on God’s providence:
[God’s providence is] the almighty and everywhere present power of God; whereby, as it were by his hand, he upholds and governs heaven, earth, and all creatures; so that herbs and grass, rain and drought, fruitful and barren years, meat and drink, health and sickness, riches and poverty, yea, and all things come, not by Chance, but be his fatherly hand.
A particular and profound quote by Cornelius Van Til captures the strongest sense of God’s providence found in Reformed theology:
[We may never subvert] the clear teaching of Scripture on the all-controlling if ultimate and mysterious power of God. The moment a Christian theologian admits that anything happens in the whole course of history, whether by devil, or man, or power of nature, without the will of God, that moment the foundations of a Christian theology are shaken. For to admit that anything happens outside the will of God is to admit the pagan notion of Chance. God by his plan controls whatsoever comes to pass.
Consider Jeremiah 31: 35-26:
Thus says the Lord,
who gives the sun for light by day
and the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night,
who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar—
the Lord of hosts is his name:
“If this fixed order departs
from before me, declares the Lord,
then shall the offspring of Israel cease
from being a nation before me forever.”
Jeremiah 31 presents a sweeping affirmation of God's sovereignty and providence. It describes God as the creator who appoints the sun to shine by day and sets the moon and stars in their courses to light the night. This arrangement is a result of His divine command (providence). Furthermore, God asserts His sovereignty by drawing a parallel between the unchanging order of the celestial bodies and the enduring nature of Israel as a nation. Just as the cosmic order remains steadfast (by His providence), so too will the descendants of Israel continue to exist as a nation, underscoring the permanence of God's will and the certainty of His promises and His sovereignty.
The title “Lord of hosts” underscores God's absolute dominion over all creation, illustrating His comprehensive authority. It signifies that no force or entity operates beyond His governance, affirming His supreme control over every dimension of existence.
Throughout Scripture, God's providence is vividly demonstrated in numerous events, showcasing His active involvement and care for His creation. Notable examples include the protection of Noah and his family during the flood, the miraculous parting of the Red Sea to deliver the Israelites during the Exodus, and the provision of manna from heaven as sustenance in the wilderness. Other instances include Joshua's victorious conquest of Jericho, God's deliverance of Hezekiah and Jerusalem from Assyrian aggression, and Esther's pivotal role in saving her people from extermination. These examples, among many others, highlight the diverse ways in which God's providential care manifests in biblical history.
God's providence is not limited to biblical times but is also evident throughout human history, reflecting His ongoing engagement with the world. A compelling example is the miraculous evacuation at Dunkirk during World War II. In what appeared to be a moment of inevitable defeat, a surprising turn of events enabled the successful rescue of hundreds of thousands of Allied soldiers from the beaches and harbour of Dunkirk, France. Despite overwhelming odds, a combination of favourable weather conditions, strategic blunders by the enemy, and the mobilization of a vast fleet of military and civilian vessels facilitated a remarkable mass evacuation. This event is often cited as a clear demonstration of divine intervention, showcasing how God's providence can unfold in the midst of modern crises, altering the course of history in ways that reflect His sovereignty and care for humanity.
Similarly, the Battle of Blood River serves as another historical testament to God’s providential intervention. On December 16, 1838, in Natal, South Africa, a group of 464 Voortrekkers (a group of Dutch-speaking settlers) had to fight a much larger (approx. 25,000 strong) Zulu force. Despite their vast numerical disadvantage and the additional challenge of malfunctioning firearms due to wet gunpowder, the Voortrekkers managed to hold their ground. They had made a vow to God before the battle, promising to build a church and commemorate the day if they were granted victory. The remarkable success of the Voortrekkers, resulting in no loss of life on their side as opposed to 3000+ on the Zulu side, has since been touted by many as a clear testimony of God’s providence, solidifying the Battle of Blood River as a significant event in South African history.
While the extraordinary events in both biblical and secular history often capture our attention as manifest examples of God’s providence, it's crucial to recognize that God’s providence is equally evident in the ordinary aspects of our lives. The regularity and reliability of natural laws, such as gravity, the cyclical pattern of day and night, and the consistent behaviour of the natural world, are all sustained by God's providential care. None of the mundane facts of our experience fall outside of God’s providential control.
Interestingly, this broader understanding of God's providence lays the foundation for scientific inquiry and the application of the scientific method as we know it today. The expectation of patterns and consistency in the natural world, rooted in the belief that God is the ultimate author of creation, enables humans to engage deeply with nature. This divine orchestration ensures that the universe operates under a set of orderly laws, making it possible for us to study, understand, and predict natural phenomena.
As a result, fields like science, engineering, and mathematics flourish, allowing us to describe the world's intricacies with remarkable precision. Techniques in actuarial science, which rely on the predictability of certain events, are also made feasible under the assumption of this consistent natural order governed by God's providence. Thus, the problem of induction, as introduced in chapter 3.6.2, does not apply to the Christian worldview. Christians have a sure foundation that allows them to justify their presupposition that the future will resemble the past and that the patterns they observe are real because God, as the Creator, is behind them all. This assurance underpins the entire enterprise of scientific exploration and rational analysis, reinforcing the coherence and reliability of our engagement with the natural world.
Refreshing to read. It is sad to live in a culture today in which concepts such as luck and chance have become more greatly esteemed than the very Creator alone, and where providence, such a wonderful blessing, is only ever frowned upon. On the other hand, my anticipation for this book of yours, Arne, only rises!