PROVIDENCE

literally means foresight, but is generally used to denote God's preserving and governing all things by means of second causes (Psa 18:35;63:8; Acts 17:28; Col. 1:17; Heb. 1:3). God's providence extends to the natural world (Psa 104:14;135:5; Acts 14:17), the brute creation (Psa 104:21; Matt. 6:26;10:29), and the affairs of men (1-Chr 16:31; Psa 47:7; Prov. 21:1; Job 12:23; Dan. 2:21;4:25), and of individuals (1-Sam 2:6; Psa 18:30; Luke 1:53; James 4:13). It extends also to the free actions of men (Exo 12:36; 1-Sam 24:9; Psa 33:14, Psa 33: 15; Prov. 16:1;19:21;20:24;21:1), and things sinful (2-Sam 16:10;24:1; Rom. 11:32; Acts 4:27, Acts 4: 28), as well as to their good actions (Phil. 2:13;4:13; 2-Cor 12:9, 2-Cor 12: 10; Eph. 2:10; Gal. 5:22).

As regards sinful actions of men, they are represented as occurring by God's permission (Gen. 45:5;50:20. Comp. 1-Sam 6:6; Exo 7:13;14:17; Acts 2:3;3:18;4:27, 4: 28), and as controlled (Psa 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 (Psa 103:17), particular (Matt. 10:29), efficacious (Psa 33:11; Job 23:13), embraces events apparently contingent (Prov. 16:9, Prov. 16: 33;19:21;21:1), is consistent with his own perfection (2-Tim 2:13), and to his own glory (Rom. 9:17;11:36).