God's Word
PROVIDENCE
God's Word
PROVIDENCE
The English noun “providence” comes from the Latin verb ‘providere’, meaning “to foresee, provide, provide for.” With God it becomes divine guidance or care coupled with His foreknowledge. The Bible was originally written in Hebrew, some Aramaic, and Greek. Therefore, we must look beyond Latin for the biblical connotations of “providence.”
It may seem surprising that the KJV of the Bible, along with the ASV and NASB, contains only one passage where the word “providence” is used. This verse speaks of “providence” with reference to worthy deeds done for the people by the Roman governor, Felix (Acts 24:2). The NRSV and NIV read “foresight” (the Greek noun is ‘pronoia’ = “forethought, provident care,” from the verb ‘pronoeo’ meaning “to foresee, provide for”). The NIV New Testament does not contain the word “providence.” The NIV Old Testament has the word in only one place. Job said concerning God, “You gave me life and showed me kindness, and in Your providence watched over my spirit” The Hebrew is ‘pequddah’ meaning “to attend, to visit” (Job 10:1).
Could one correctly conclude that “providence” is “almost absent” from the Bible because the word itself appears so rarely? No, indeed! In fact, the presence of God’s providence is a major theme of the Bible. It is pervasive. In the Bible it is shown to function across the entire spectrum of reality. God’s providence for humanity is seen in creation (Genesis 1; Job 38), history (Ruth 1-4; Esther 1-7), redemption (Galatians 4:4-5; Acts 2:22-24), and in eternal bliss for the redeemed (1 Peter 1:17-21; Revelation 22:1-5).
Our conviction that the Bible as we have it today is the result of God’s providence is a matter of faith. Our faith that says the Bible was produced by God’s revelation and inspiration is bolstered by historical evidence. Our faith that the Scriptures, by God’s providence, were accurately assembled and preserved to this day is also bolstered by historical evidence.
This is an extremely significant point. It is one thing to be assured that the Bible is God’s Word because it was produced by His revelation and inspiration. It is quite another thing to believe that the Bible was brought together and preserved by God’s providence. The difference is worthy of note.
God revealed His message to men (Galatians 1:12; 1 Peter 1:10-12). “All Scripture is inspired by God” (2 Timothy 3:16a). Men were “moved by the Holy Spirit” to speak and write God’s Word (2 Peter 1:20-21). God’s Word, written, is the result of His revelation to men and His inspiration of men.
The writing of Scripture continued over hundreds and hundreds of years. It started with Moses, God’s great prophet and “law-giver,” and ended with John, God’s great apostle and servant of Christ. Thus, from beginning to end, the Scriptures were the direct result of God’s revelation to, and inspiration of, men. All of this is affirmed by Scripture that has been historically validated to an amazing degree.
The providence of God is one of the obvious themes in His written Word. Therefore, it is easy to see that God’s providence also applies to the written Word itself. We have already seen that the written Word of God came into being by way of His revelation to men and His inspiration of men. However, this stupendous work of God would have gone for naught, so far as subsequent history is concerned, if that revealed, inspired, written Word had not been preserved through the ages. Obviously, any benefit we may derive from a book that contains some portions which are over 3,000 years old will be because that book has been kept intact.
It is also worth noting that the Bible was written during the passing of some 1,500 years. This means it was composed by a multiplicity of authors with dissimilarity of education, from various geographical places, different walks of life, contrasting social cultures, and under diverse types of governmental rule. The difficulties of producing and bringing these numerous scrolls together into a coherent, comprehensive whole would not have been finalized apart from the over-arching providence of God. In the Scriptures we have an historical “wide-screen” picture of the Bible in process. We see it becoming what has been preserved through the ages. Furthermore, in the Bible itself we find an ongoing sensitivity to its origin, preservation, and accuracy.
God was repeatedly stated to be the origin of the very words that became Scripture for us. Examples are numerous. We find Moses was commanded to write down God’s words on many occasions. “Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Write this in a book’ …” (Exodus 17:14a). “Moses wrote down all the words of the Lord …” (Exodus 24:4a). “Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Write down these words’…” (Exodus 34:27a).
We find that Joshua not only wrote “a copy of the Law of Moses” (Joshua 8:32a); he also made a covenant, statute and an ordinance with the people and “wrote these words in the book of the law of God …” (Joshua 24:25-26).
In the prophetic writings of the Old Testament we find that the Lord commanded the prophet Jeremiah, saying, “Write all the words which I have spoken to you in a book” (Jeremiah 30:2). Earlier, Jeremiah spoke of some prophecies God had made against the nations, Babylon in particular, which he had written down (Jeremiah 25:12-13). Later Jeremiah was ordered by the Lord, “Take a scroll and write on it all the words which I have spoken to you concerning Israel, and concerning Judah, and concerning all the nations, from the day I first spoke to you, from the days of Josiah, even to this day” (Jeremiah 36:2).
In the Psalms one finds a remarkable confirmation of the written Word as God’s product. For example: While the psalmist was contemplating the goodness and benevolence of his gracious God, he considered the Scriptures and expressed his delight in doing the will of God that he found there. “Then I said, ‘Behold I come; in the scroll of the book it is written of me; I delight to do Thy will, O my God; Thy Law is within my heart!’” (Psalm 40:7-8). The “scroll of the book” referred to the Torah (Law) to which the writer delightfully inclined his ear, and heart, in doing the revealed will of God.
The Hebrew Bible arrangement of the Scriptures (Old Testament) falls into three categories as Law, Prophets, and Writings. The above examples from these three groups show that God’s people were aware that the Word of God, as Scripture, originated with God and was given by God. The last example may also serve as a bridge to carry us into the New Testament. The writer of the New Testament letter to the Hebrews used Psalm 40:6-8 as a central corner stone in his presentation of Jesus Christ as a once-and-for-all sacrifice for the sins of the world (Hebrews 10:4-10).
This type of “Messianic” use of Old Testament Scripture is quite frequent in the New Testament (Gospels: Matthew 1:23 [Isaiah 7:14]; Mark 11:9 [Psalm 118:26]; Luke 4:17-21 [Isaiah 61:1, 2]; John 7:42 [Micah5:2]; History: Acts 3:22 [Deuteronomy 18:15]; Epistles: Romans 11:26 [Isaiah 59:20]; Prophecy: Revelation 11:15 [Daniel 2:44]). To be sure, the New Testament writers often quoted from and referred to the Old Testament Scriptures as the bona fide Word of God. In fact, one can hardly turn a page in the New Testament without finding some quotation or paraphrase from the Old Testament or an allusion or reference to the Old Testament.
There is a close literary relationship between the two Testaments of the Bible. The “Messianic” passages mentioned are only a few of many examples that could be paralleled using other major themes. However, those mentioned are enough to demonstrate the projection of many passages from the Old Testament into the New Testament and the trust in and reliance upon God’s Word of the Old Testament by the writers of the New Testament. This characteristic of the Bible arises because the Bible is a product of God’s revelation, inspiration, and providence. God’s revelation and inspiration established its accuracy. His providence guaranteed its preservation and transmission through the ages. “For, All flesh is like grass, / And all its glory like the flower of grass. / The grass withers, / And the flower falls off, / But the Word of the Lord endures forever” (1 Peter 1:24-25a; See also Isaiah 40:6-8).
(Unless noted, Bible translation used is the New American Standard Bible)
