The Dangers of Reading Providence
April 18, 2018 3 CommentsAs I’ve been preaching through the book of Revelation it has become ever more evident to me that reading divine providence is a tricky and often dangerous business. By “reading providence” I mean the tendency that all of us have to interpret what God is doing in the world around us and even in our own lives. We typically try to read providence because we are uncomfortable with mystery. We don’t like being kept in the dark about why God does or doesn’t do certain things. We don’t like having to tell people that we can’t answer their questions about why, if God is good and powerful, he permits evil to flourish in the world. We would much rather create an answer, even when the Bible remains silent.
I am regularly asked what natural disasters mean. Why do they occur? Is God trying to tell us something? Is it always punishment for sin, or could it be a wakeup call to repent, or perhaps both? How do we account for the horrific wildfires in California or the devastating winter blast that strikes the northeast? What purpose could there possibly be for earthquakes and tornadoes? Why does the murderous Assad still rule in Syria? Why does Kim Jong Un hold power in North Korea? Why was John F. Kennedy assassinated at such a young age and why did Ronald Reagan survive the attempt on his life? Why do most children come to full term while others die in the womb? Why do the wicked prosper and the righteous die young?
Oh, the mysteries of divine providence! Of course, some think they’ve got an escape, a way out of the mystery. They simply deny that God either knows what is going to happen before it happens, or somehow he knows but he is powerless to do anything about it. I can only speak for myself but I find no comfort whatsoever in the idea that God is ignorant and impotent. That doesn’t help me in the least.
If there is one thing we learn from the book of Revelation, it is that our God is absolutely sovereign over the affairs of all mankind. He rules the forces of nature. The wind blows at his command. Angels do his bidding. Satan is held on a long leash. The wicked will be judged and the people of God will be vindicated. He governs both life and death. He places kings in power and brings them down. For some of you, that is unsettling. I understand why. But have you paused to consider the alternative? I have, and it is not in the least comforting to the human heart.
As I said, we all by nature want to read and interpret providence. We want to be able to look at the events in history and in our present day and make sense of it all. But we can’t, and shouldn’t, unless Scripture does it for us. That is what Revelation is all about. It is God’s urgent message to a suffering church not to despair or live in fear that everything is out of control. It is God’s urgent message telling us that injustice and idolatry abuse and corruption and theft and immorality will be judged. It is God’s message telling us to trust him when answers don’t come. It is God’s message reminding us that as wildly chaotic as life on earth may appear, he is in control.
So, in the final analysis, I would simply say to resist the temptation to read and interpret divine providence and instead read and interpret divine Scripture. The latter may not always provide us with extensive answers or explanations about God’s unfathomable judgments and inscrutable ways, but when it speaks it does so infallibly.
3 Comments
Nathalie W Apr 23, 2018 @ 8:42 pm
Dr Storms,
I wish there was a way to contact you directly. I heard you briefly on 23 April 2018 on a question & answer session on the Janet Parshall show. But I digress. As far as this blog goes about providence, which one definition is the protective care of God, another timely preparation for future eventualities.
The Gospels as written in the 4 books of the New Testament tells us exactly how God has prepared for us. He sent His one and only begotten Son Jesus to die not in the place of us sinners, but to die as a sacrificial lamb on the cross for us sinners to atone for our sins. At the last supper, Jesus had with His disciples, He told them to do this in remembrance of Him. Just as the Israelites were ordered to do a year after they were rescued by God through Moses from the Egyptians. The "last supper" is a part of this 7 day celebration which begins Nissan 14 and ends Nissan 21. The Lamb is sacrificed on Nissan 15, which is when Jesus was crucified. The true significance of this dinner was not completely revealed to the Apostles until Jesus have ascended into heaven and the Holy Spirit(Spirit of Truth) was sent by God as requested by Jesus on our behalf. No one truly knows who Jesus is without the Spirit of Truth, not even His Apostles whilst Jesus was with them for over 3 years living and doing everything with them intimately. Even shortly before Jesus was arrested to be crucified, Phillip asked in John 14:8-21 for Jesus to show them the Father.
True providence is within Jesus words and exactly why He came, here is a copy from John 14:15-21 (NIV)
15 “If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be[a] in you. 18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. 21 Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”
So whomever can read and truly understand the above passage will realize that Jesus spent over 3 years teaching His 12 Apostles (in Matthew 19:28 you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel and Revelations 21:14 The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.), yet they did not truly know Him fully until the Spirit of Truth. Jesus would not spend over 3 years teaching and showing us how to love perfectly to replace the second commandment of "love your neighbor as you love yourself" with the new one of "love your neighbors as I [Jesus] loves you." Before Jesus, the best idea of loving our neighbors that we have is how we would love ourselves. Hence in Matthew 5:17-18 17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.
And we see precisely when [after the devil is judged and cast in hell with the beast, and all the false prophets] heaven and earth passes away in Revelations 20:11 11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. So if Jesus spent over 3 years teaching His 12 Apostles (Judas Iscariot replacement, Matthias, was chosen in Acts 1 by the 11 Apostles of Jesus and God) how to teach the rest of the world How to love God, you love Jesus you love God and how to love our neighbors as Jesus loves us, hence His Father's theirby Jesus commands.....by golly any man out there preaching Loving God and Loving men as Jesus loves us is dead will be one of the false prophets that will be cast in the lake of fire with the devil. Jesus blood being shed to cleanse us from our sins are not what will bring us to heaven only. We repent of our sins, accept Jesus life cleansing blood whenever we sin (because we will continue to sin, but the more the Spirit of Truth guides us, the less we will sin- hence doing what Jesus told that women that had many husbands, "now go and sin no more"). Jesus hung on the cross for about 3 hours before He died, and He rose from the dead on the third day. So spending 3 days dying and rising from the dead, versus spending 3+ years teaching us how to love. Hmmm.... which is more important? I am very thankful Jesus was the final sacrificial lamb needed. I am also thankful Jesus showed me how to love perfectly. But most of all, I am thankful that He sent the Spirit of Truth which is not only my Advocate but also my Comforter. I hope this message in its entirety will be posted. I also hope that at least one person will see the truth and will be a light to others.
I also sincerely hope that one day soon I will reach someone that has mass effect to others so I can share Jesus truth with them, because I can assure you that any man that says anything contrary to what Jesus taught us, such as the "law died on the cross when Jesus was crucified," is not coming from Jesus but the prince of this earth (Lucifer/Satan/the devil). And anyone that turn Jesus sheep away from Jesus and His truth of Love God and Love your neighbors as I love you, their actions (not their faith nor belief) and their lack of bearing good fruit will be what they are judged by as is shown in Revelations and also said by Jesus while He walked the earth in human form.
Jeff Apr 23, 2018 @ 12:57 pm
Completely agree with Devan. We shouldn't be asking "Why is this happening?" So much as "Who is going to carry me through this and how can I find and know him in this?" Philippians 4:13,
I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
Psalm 50:14-15 “Sacrifice thank offerings to God,
fulfill your vows to the Most High,and call on me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me.”
Devan Apr 18, 2018 @ 8:27 pm
This was great and wise counsel, often I’ve heard Christians say well Jesus is teaching me this or that, when in fact we can’t say that because His ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts (Isaiah 55:9) and it says in Romans 11:34 “who has known the mind of YAHWEH“
Write a Comment
Comments for this post have been disabled.