|
|||||
prov'-i-dens:—Easton's Illustrated Dictionary
Literally means foresight, but is generally used to denote God's preserving and governing all things by means of second causes (Ps 18:35; Ps 63:8; Acts 17:28; Col 1:17; Heb 1:3). God's providence extends to the natural world (Ps 104:14; Ps 135:5-7; Acts 14:17), the brute creation (Ps 104:21-29; Mat 6:26; Mat 10:29), and the affairs of men (1Ch 16:31; Ps 47:7; Prov 21:1; Job 12:23; Dan 2:21; Dan 4:25), and of individuals (1Sa 2:6; Ps 18:30; Luke 1:53; Jas 4:13-15). It extends also to the free actions of men (Ex 12:36; 1Sa 24:9-15; Ps 33:14, 15; Prov 16:1; Prov 19:21; Prov 20:24; Prov 21:1), and things sinful (2Sa 16:10; 2Sa 24:1; Rom 11:32; Acts 4:27, 28), as well as to their good actions (Php 2:13; Php 4:13; 2Co 12:9, 10; Eph 2:10; Gal 5:22-25). As regards sinful actions of men, they are represented as occurring by God's permission (Gen 45:5; Gen 50:20; Compare 1Sa 6:6; Ex 7:13; Ex 14:17; Acts 2:3; Acts 3:18; Acts 4:27, 28), and as controlled (Ps 76:10) and overruled for good (Gen 50:20; Acts 3:13). God does not cause or approve of sin, but only limits, restrains, overrules it for good. The mode of God's providential government is altogether unexplained. We only know that it is a fact that God does govern all his creatures and all their actions; that this government is universal (Ps 103:17-19), particular (Mat 10:29-31), efficacious (Ps 33:11; Job 23:13), embraces events apparently contingent (Prov 16:9, 33; Prov 19:21; Prov 21:1), is consistent with his own perfection (2Ti 2:13), and to his own glory (Rom 9:17; Rom 11:36).
—Easton's Illustrated Dictionary |
|
||||