started here in just a minute. All right. Brother Jeff, would you mind opening us in a word of prayer? So today we're starting chapter 5 in the 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith and it's concerning the doctrine of divine providence. When we think of providence, often it's when we become aware that God is working through a confluence of events to bring about something good or something unlikely. It's when we notice God's hand working. We say things like, that was providential. and we are right to say this. We tend to think of providence as pertaining to good things or events, such as God's particular care in supplying our needs, or God bringing about an unlikely meeting between two people who end up getting married or working together or something. And we're right to think this. As a matter of fact, God's providence extends to all things, good and bad. The Baptist catechism answers the question, What are God's works of providence thus? It says God's works of providence are his most holy, wise and powerful, preserving and governing all his creatures and all their actions. In chapter three of our confession, if you'll remember, we were looking at God's decree and we talked about the concept of concurrence. That is that there are at least two working and willing intentions in all human activity. There is God working out his divine plan, being involved in every event, and there is human will and intention in all of our works. From our perspective, we often don't see the hand of God in the things that occur. They seem too ordinary. They often seem to happen randomly or according to our design and plans. But divine providence is at the intersection between God's decrees and the willing and doing of his creatures. God's decree is his plan that must necessarily come to pass. God's providence is him preserving and governing all things in time and history to bring about all that he has decreed. God's activity is not limited to creation, but it's ongoing in providence. He's simply working in a different way. We're not deists where God created the world to operate on natural laws like a clock being wound up and left to its own devices without interference. God is involved in everything, and this is his providence. So God's providence is the hand of God acting concurrently over all the events of our lives, working in, through, with, without, under, and around all of our lives, all of our willing, and all of our doing, bringing about his sovereign will in everything. So let's read paragraph one. of chapter 5 of our confession. It says, God, the good creator of all things, in his infinite power and wisdom doth uphold, direct, dispose, and govern all creatures and things from the greatest even to the least by his most wise and holy providence to the end for the which they were created according unto his infallible foreknowledge and the free and immutable counsel of his own will. to the praise of the glory of his wisdom, power, justice, infinite goodness, and mercy. This first paragraph of chapter five is a summary statement dealing with the elements of divine providence. Sam Waldron has a helpful outline that I'll be utilizing in today's lesson. In fact, he has a book that's kind of a commentary on the 1689 Confession. I find his outlines very helpful, and that book would be a good book to get. So let's briefly look at the eight points in this first paragraph of our confession in chapter five. It starts out, God, the good creator of all things. Now, this is the necessary starting point. There would be nothing for God to preserve and govern if nothing other than God existed. This is why the confession deals with creation before providence. Providence is God acting upon and in his creation to bring about his plan. So this first phrase speaks about who is the author of providence, which in the words of our confession is God, the good creator. The second point in this paragraph describes the foundation of providence as being God's infinite power and wisdom. What would be the point of decreeing what will be if God doesn't have the power or the wisdom to carry out his plan? Notice the adjective that describes God's power and wisdom. It's his infinite power and wisdom that undergirds divine providence. We know what infinite means, right? It's the endless, inexhaustible, limitless, unbounded power and wisdom of God. That's the foundation of divine providence. It should give us hope in the midst of our trials of faith. The people of God can rest assured that even in the most acute and painful circumstances that God in his infinite wisdom has designed our circumstances to bring about our ultimate good and his ultimate glory. His infinite power assures us that not one secondary cause can overthrow his good purpose. It should remind us who it is that's in control of the world. Now this next phrase describes the essence of providence, which is that God in his infinite power and wisdom upholds, directs, disposes, and governs. We could say this in the manner of the song that maybe you learned as a child, he's got the whole world in his hands. He's got the little bitty baby in His hands. He's got you and me, brother, in His hands. He's got you and me, sister, in His hands. He's got everybody in His hands. He's got the whole world in His hands. We are in His hands. Everything else is in God's hands. Hebrews 1.3 says that the Son of God upholds all things by the word of His power. In Job 38.11, God says of the ways of the sea, hitherto shalt thou come, but no further. God controls even nature. Proverbs 21 one says the heart, the king's heart is in the hand of the Lord as the rivers of water. He turneth it wither so ever he will. We could add a verse to the song I just referenced. He's got the king's heart in his hands, does he not? Let's think about the essence of providence as it relates to the death of Christ. If there's any doubt in anyone's mind about the extent of God's governance in the world, this occurrence, the crucifixion of Christ, should put this thought to rest. The prophets foretold the events surrounding Christ's death, and all these things came to pass meticulously, exactly as they were foretold. We see several times in the Gospels that this or that happening came about so that the scriptures might be fulfilled. Mark 15, 28, and the scripture was fulfilled, which sayeth, and he was numbered with the transgressors, referencing him being crucified with two thieves. John 13, 18. I speak not of you all. I know whom I have chosen, but that the scripture may be fulfilled. He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me. Talking about Judas Iscariot. Matthew 26, 24. The son of man goeth as it is written of him, but woe unto that man by whom the son of man is betrayed. It had been good for that man if he had not been born. So, the son of man goeth, it says, as it was written of him. These things were planned beforehand. John 19.24. They said, therefore, among themselves, let us not rend it, talking about his cloak, but cast lots for it. Whose it shall be that the scripture might be fulfilled which saith they parted my raiment among them and for my vesture they did cast lots. These things therefore the soldiers did. They did them to fulfill the scriptures. They didn't know that. But that was the case nonetheless. John 1928 after this Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished that the scripture might be fulfilled saith I thirst. and John 1936, for these things were done that the scripture should be fulfilled, a bone of him shall not be broken. And there's many more prophecies concerning the crucifixion of Christ that we could reference that show that God planned all of the events surrounding the death of his son. So this event of the crucifixion is a window into God's providence, if you will. These things were done so that the scriptures might be fulfilled which scriptures detailed but a very small sample of what God decreed from before the beginning of the world. Providence is God working out his plan. And we have in the prophetic scriptures God detailing some of what that plan is. God was upholding, directing, disposing and governing all the things and people surrounding his death on the cross and he was doing the same in all of history prior to that event and subsequent to it down to our very day, which is the fourth point in this first paragraph of chapter five as it describes the objects of providence. These are said to be all creatures and things from the greatest even to the least. We already read in scripture that the waves of the sea obey his command and the king's heart is in his hand. But his providence even extends down to the smallest things. As it says in Matthew chapter 10 verses 29 and 30. It says, Jesus said, are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? And one of them shall not fall on the ground without your father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. How many sparrows are in the world? We don't know, there's probably millions. Millions and millions of sparrows. How many hairs are on the head of all of the people on all of the heads of all the people in the world? Does Christ mean that God controls the life and death of sparrows? Did he mean to say that God knows the number of the hairs, all of the hairs on our heads? Yes. That's what he meant. In fact, he knows how many molecules and atoms make up those hairs, and he upholds it all by his great power. This kind of knowledge is of This kind of knowledge of insignificant things and his governance over even the most minor things should comfort us, knowing that if he cares about how many hairs are on our heads or directs when a sparrow in some remote part of the world dies, then he certainly cares about his own people for whom he died. And that was, in fact, the point of what Jesus was telling his disciples, that if he cares about these little things, he cares about you. This brings us to the fifth point in this summary statement concerning God's providence, and that is the nature of providence. God upholds, directs, disposes, and governs all creatures and all things from the greatest even to the least by his most wise and holy providence. We already talked about God's infinite wisdom as it relates to his governance of the world, but we also need to know that God's providence is most holy. Are we sometimes tempted? To attribute evil or even carelessness. To God, when we see terrible things happening in the world or when we see terrible things that happen to those that we love or terrible things that happen to us personally. Maybe sometimes we do. The Book of Job teaches us that in spite of how things appear to us. God has a holy and a good end for which he causes all things to occur. Let's peek in for a moment on Job's complaint against the Lord and God's response to Job. In Job 6 verses 1 through 4 it says this, But Job answered and said, Oh, that my grief were weighed and my calamity laid in the balances together. And he did have a lot to grieve over, didn't he? For now it would be heavier than the sand of the sea. Therefore, my words are swallowed up, for the arrows of the Almighty are within me. The poison whereof drinketh up my spirit. The terrors of God do set themselves in array against me. What vivid language. Job went on to say in chapter seven, verses 12 through 21, he said this. Am I a sea or a whale that thou settest a watch over me? When I say my bed shall comfort me, my couch shall ease my complaint. Then thou scarest me with dreams and terrifies me through visions so that my soul chooseth strangling and death rather than my life. I loathe it. I would not live always. Let me alone for my days are vanity. What is man that thou shouldest magnify him and that thou shouldest set thy heart upon him and that thou shouldest visit him every morning and try him every moment? How long wilt thou not depart from me, nor let me alone? means. What we saw in the first paragraph can be described as the first cause or the primary cause of all things. Of course, God is that first cause. He created all that exists and he has purposed its end and directs it infallibly to that end. Let's now read the second paragraph and understand how God uses second causes in his providence. It says this, although in relation to the foreknowledge and decree of God, the first cause, all things come to pass immutably and infallibly, so that there is not anything befalls any by chance or without his providence. Yet by the same providence, he ordereth them to fall out according to the nature of second causes, either necessarily, freely, or contingently. So secondary causes are the ordinary way that God's plan unfolds in the world. The confession lists three types of second causes. These are things that happen necessarily, freely, and contingently. So, necessary things. These things are the natural and physical laws that God has put into place. He ordinarily unfolds his plan through natural means, working under these natural laws. So he generally works through the laws of nature and not against them. And these laws work in the world necessarily. Unless God performs a miracle, gravity is always working the same way and the laws of physics are reliable and they don't change. These are things that happen necessarily. The next genre of secondary causes are things that happen freely. This is in reference to the volitional activity of men and angels, of rational creatures. God's providence works through the will and activity of his rational creatures. Though necessary because of the decree of God. So though these things happen necessarily because God has purposed and planned it from all eternity. The choices of men are in fact their choices. God does not choose for us. And this is clearly seen in Acts chapter 2 verse 23. And I've used this before, but it's a great place to look. It says, this is in Peter's sermon, he says, Him, being Christ, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken and by wicked hands have crucified and slain. God had determined that Christ would be crucified and all the persons involved and all the things that they did were part of his predetermined plan. Nevertheless, the choosing and doing of evil by the people involved was their own choice. This is why they bore moral responsibility for their actions. That's why they were called the murderers of Christ. They acted and chose freely. God is able to predetermine free choices. That seems like it's impossible, right? God can predetermine free choices? How? How does he do this? I've said before, I don't know, but it's true. It's a testament to God's infinite wisdom and power. We see an example of this in Isaiah, chapter 44, verses 24 through 28. It says this, thus saith the Lord, thy Redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I am the Lord that maketh all things, that stretches forth the heavens alone, that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself, that frustrateth the tokens of the light, of the liars, and maketh diviners mad, that turneth wise men backward, and maketh their knowledge foolish, that confirmeth the word of his servant, and performeth the counsel of his messengers, that saith to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be inhabited, and to the cities of Judah ye shall be built, and I will raise up the decayed places thereof, that saith to the deep, Be dry, and I will dry up thy rivers." These are his prophets that he's speaking through, that are predicting prophesying what God would do, that he would inhabit Jerusalem again and rebuild it. That saith of Cyrus, he is my shepherd and shall perform all my pleasure, even saying to Jerusalem, thou shalt be built and to the temple, thy foundation shall be laid. God predetermined what Cyrus was going to do, what he was going to decree, Cyrus didn't know that. God predetermined that Cyrus would cause the temple to rebuild. God governs things that happen freely, including the choices of men. If we don't understand that, it's beyond our ability to understand. I don't understand it. The third category of secondary causes are things that happen contingently. This means things that happen which are dependent upon other things. If we really understood the stack of contingencies that shape everything in our lives, our minds would literally be blown. This brings to mind a popular proverb that illustrates this truth, which I've used before. It says, for want of a nail, the shoe was lost. For want of a shoe, the horse was lost. For want of a horse, the rider was lost. For want of a rider, the message was lost. For want of a message, the battle was lost. For want of a battle, the kingdom was lost. And all for the want of a horseshoe nail. How many decisions are made influenced by what side of the bed a person got out of? Happiness, sadness, anger, indifference, peer pressure, greed, love, hate, dreams, hunger, and a million other things influence the will and decisions of men and the outcomes of circumstances. Horseshoe nails affect the outcome of battles. What impact on individuals is made by the decisions and actions of other people, or seeming random events, or even evil spirits? Remember, an evil spirit entered into Judas in the upper room. God is overseeing, governing, and directing, ordering everything in our lives, all the influences, all the necessities, all the random events, all things. Solomon said, the lot is cast into the lap, but the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. That means that all the things that influence the lot, or say in our context, the dice, the position of the numbers when you pick them up, the way they turn in your hand as you shake them, the angles that they strike the table, the amount of bounce that they experience, the grain of salt that one of them strikes, Every molecule that influences the outcome is in God's hands. The lot is cast into the lap, but the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. So God is in control of the whole chain of dependencies or things contingent. They are all governed by his power and wisdom. Yet to he himself. Nothing is contingent. His will and pleasure is the first cause and he is not subject to anything external to himself. God is free to work independently of second causes. So this brings us to the third paragraph quickly. It says this, God in his ordinary providence maketh use of means, yet is free to work without, above, and against them at his pleasure. This is pretty straightforward. God can do with or without means whatever he pleases. Now, this is what we know as miracles. God made an iron axe head to float for Elisha. This is working against nature, as was the parting of the Red Sea and the making of water into wine. God is not limited to the use of second causes, but it is the ordinary way that he works. Miracles are rare. and ordinarily we should expect God to work through means. Sometimes God miraculously heals a sick person, but typically he works through the means of caring for and treating the illness. This is why we go to doctors. It's because we don't presume upon God to work against means. We are directed in scripture to ask God for healing, and normally he provides it in rather ordinary ways. But we all know that at times, He will work without, above, and against ordinary means in miraculous ways. And it's not wrong to pray for that. And we often do. Quickly, an application. Before we close, I want to mention three applications for our edification that Dr. Waldron points out in his book on the confession. First, the doctrine of divine providence should cause us to be able to have peace in our hearts even when things don't go as we expected. It should help us to resist anxiety and fear. Remember, he's got the whole world in his hands. Second, the doctrine of divine providence should guard us from fatalism. Fatalism is the idea that whatever will be will be regardless of means. But nothing further could be from the truth. God has ordained second causes and the outcome he has predetermined will come to pass through these means. Which brings us to the third application, which is that we should not expect results without using the godly means at our disposal. Effort, work, prayer, planning, all of these things are used by God, that we use for God, and God accomplishes his will through them. Don't expect to see your loved ones saved without prayer. Don't expect your financial needs to be met without work. Don't expect your body to heal if you neglect to care for it. Don't expect the heathen to be converted without missions. Don't expect missions to operate without money. Don't expect to become sanctified without utilizing the means of grace. Don't expect to overcome sin without a war, without battle, without work, effort. In other words, the doctrine of providence should cause us to redouble our efforts, knowing that it is through these means that God accomplishes his holy will. So have peace in your heart. God is in control. Do not be fatalistic. Second causes matter. What we do really matters. And do work and pray. and plan. God will accomplish His will through us, through these means. Amen.