God's Sovereign Plan in Uncertain Times and Trials
God's sovereign plan encompasses all events, determining their future certainty through an eternal, unchangeable, holy, wise, and sovereign purpose [5]. This divine plan is often referred to as God's decrees, which are conceived by humans in partial aspects due to the limitations of human faculties [5]. The concept of predestination, for instance, is understood as God's plan for salvation, and the Greek word for "predestinate" appears in several New Testament passages, indicating that God's "determinate purpose" governs all events [1].
Even in times of uncertainty and trial, God's providence is at work. This includes His care over His works, preserving and providing for His creatures [6]. The Lord gives righteous decisions for those in trouble [2] and frustrates the plans of nations and the devices of peoples [3]. The repetitiveness of history is also part of God's sovereign plan [11].
Biblical texts illustrate that tumultuous times are part of God's sovereign plan as history progresses towards its culmination [8]. For example, the prophet Habakkuk was assured that God's divine plan would "surely take place" at a set future time, vindicating the righteous and judging the wicked, requiring patient waiting from God's people [9]. Similarly, Isaiah speaks of God's powerful arm and shrewd wisdom in planning the future and determining the rise and fall of nations [10]. Zechariah describes visions where God's providences concerning His church involve strange changes and mixtures, with God Himself gathering nations against Jerusalem before intervening to rescue His people and establish His rule over the earth [12, 14].
God's counsel is immutable, and He has shown this immutability to the "heirs of promise" concerning the decree of salvation for His people through Jesus Christ [7]. The great trials experienced by Israel, including signs, wonders, and a mighty hand, were all part of the Lord's actions to bring them out of bondage, and He promises to do the same for those they fear [4]. This demonstrates God's righteous government, which is a source of hope for the pious and terror for the wicked [13, 15].
Sources
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Predestination — This word is properly used only with reference to God's plan or purpose of salvation. The Greek word rendered "predestinate" is found only in these six passages, Acts 4:28; Rom. 8:29, 30; 1 Cor. 2:7; Eph. 1:5, 11; and in all of them it has the same meaning. They teach that the eternal, sovereign, immutable, and unconditional decree or "determinate purpose" of God governs all events. This doctrine of predestination or election is beset with many difficulties. It belongs to the "secret things" of God. But if we take the revealed word of God as our guid”
- Psalms “Psalms 103:6 (BBE) — The Lord gives decisions in righteousness for all who are in trouble.”
- Psalms “Psalms 33:10 (BSB) — The LORD frustrates the plans of the nations; He thwarts the devices of the peoples.”
- Deuteronomy “Deuteronomy 7:19 (BSB) — the great trials that you saw, the signs and wonders, and the mighty hand and outstretched arm by which the LORD your God brought you out. The LORD your God will do the same to all the peoples you now fear.”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Decrees of God — "The decrees of God are his eternal, unchangeable, holy, wise, and sovereign purpose, comprehending at once all things that ever were or will be in their causes, conditions, successions, and relations, and determining their certain futurition. The several contents of this one eternal purpose are, because of the limitation of our faculties, necessarily conceived of by us in partial aspects, and in logical relations, and are therefore styled Decrees." The decree being the act of an infinite, absolute, eternal, unchangeable, and sovereign Person, compre”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Providence of God, The — Is his care over his works -- Ps 145:9. Is exercised in Preserving his creatures. -- Ne 9:6; Ps 36:6; Mt 10:29. Providing for his creatures. -- Ps 104:27,28; 136:25; 147:9; Mt 6:26. The special preservation of saints. -- Ps 37:28; 91:11; Mt 10:30. Prospering saints. -- Ge 24:48,56. Protecting saints. -- Ps 91:4; 140:7. Delivering saints. -- Ps 91:3; Isa 31:5. Leading saints. -- De 8:2,15; Isa 31:5. Leading saints. -- De 8:2,15; Isa 63:12. Bringing His words to pass. -- Nu 26:65; Jos 21:45; Lu 21:32,33. Ordering the ways of men. -- Pr 16:9; 19”
- Hebrews (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Hebrews 6:16: Wherein God, willing,.... Or "wherefore", as the Syriac and Ethiopic versions render it; that is, whereas an oath is used among men to confirm anything that might be doubted; therefore God, in condescension to the weakness of men, made use of one; being very desirous and determined, more abundantly to show unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel; by which is meant, not the Gospel nor the ordinances of it, though these are sometimes called the counsel of God; but the decree of God, concerning the salvation of his people by Jesus Christ, which is im”
- Matthew (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Matthew 24:6: 24:6 these things must take place: Tumultuous times are part of God’s sovereign plan as he brings history to a close (see 24:7, 29-30; 2 Thes 2:8-12). • The end could refer to the close of an epoch (such as at AD 70) or the end of human history as we now know it (cp. Matt 24:13-14; see also 10:22; 13:39-40, 49).”
- Habakkuk (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Habakkuk 2:3: 2:3 will surely take place: In a set future time known only to the Lord, he will intervene in earth’s history and bring it to a proper culmination, vindicating the righteous and judging the wicked. God’s people must wait patiently, knowing that the divine plan is on schedule (see Heb 10:35-38).”
- Isaiah (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Isaiah 10:13: 10:13 my own powerful arm . . . my own shrewd wisdom (cp. 10:5): God alone is all-powerful and wise. He plans the future, and he determines which nations will rise to power and which will be defeated.”
- Ecclesiastes (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Ecclesiastes 3:15: 3:15 The same things happen over and over again: The repetitiveness of history (1:9-10) is part of God’s sovereign plan.”
- Zechariah (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Zechariah 14:1: 14:1-21 Zechariah closes with visions of judgment, salvation, and God’s universal kingdom. In the future, Israel would be besieged, teetering on the verge of total destruction, when the Lord himself would intervene and rescue his people (14:3-4) and punish their enemies with a terrible plague (14:12). Israel would be restored as God’s people, and Jerusalem would be exalted as the center of civilization (14:16-17). God’s rule would be established over all the earth (14:9), and the created order would be transformed (14:6-10). Fittingly, God’s holiness would be t”
- Psalms (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Psalms 22:27: His case illustrates God's righteous government. Beyond the existing time and people, others shall be brought to acknowledge and worship God; the fat ones, or the rich as well as the poor, the helpless who cannot keep themselves alive, shall together unite in celebrating God's delivering power, and transmit to unborn people the records of His grace.”
- Zechariah (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Zechariah 14:1: God's providences concerning his church are here represented as strangely changing and strangely mixed. I. As strangely changing. Sometimes the tide runs high and strong against them, but presently it turns, and comes to be in favour of them; and God has, for wise and holy ends, set the one over against the other. 1. God here appears against Jerusalem; judgment begins at the house of God. When the day of the Lord comes (Zac 14:1) Jerusalem must pass through the fire to be refined. God himself gathers all nations against Jerusalem to battle (Zac 14:2); he gives ”
- Psalms (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Psalms 35:23: (Compare Psa 7:6; Psa 26:1; Th2 1:6). God's righteous government is the hope of the pious and terror of the wicked.”