Psalm 139: 1-18
Last time we had a look at the idea that many have, in which the universe is run according to a mechanistic system, and that God is not in control over the things that happen in the world.
There are many who believe that any ‘intrusion’ from outside, including that of God, is simply not possible, and that is why they say that certain things happen even though those things are not the will of God.
I can understand why people say this, because you simply need to look at the world we are living in to see that it is absolute chaos. Murder, rape, wars, abortion, natural disasters, and the list goes on and on.
Now when we think about these things, and try to get answers to these things, many people have come to the conclusion that because these things are happening, it must mean, or imply that these things are against the will of God. He is not in control over what someone is doing; He is not in control of the murderer, the rapist, and also of the natural disasters ravaging our planet. Easy to see and to a degree almost understand why people have a desire to ‘protect’ God from being responsible for these things.
Now we’ll come back to that in a moment, but just to get us back on track with regards to where we are and what we have said, we need to go back to the first question our mountain climber asked, and we need to just understand one simple truth regarding the question of ‘is there anyone up there?’
Now I’m not going to get into that discussion again, except for one point that I purposefully left out last week which is vital for our continued and future understanding of God’s providence. We saw that there was/ is someone up there who is able, and willing to help us; we also saw that He is not some impersonal being, but rather that He is a personal, involved, and loving God. Now, what we didn’t mention about God was the fact that He is also the creator of Heaven and earth, and with that I mean that everything that is, had its origin in God’s spoken word as we hear of it in Genesis. “And God said...let there be...”
So, the point I want to make now is the fact that God is the only and complete creator of everything! (John 1:3) Why this is important is for the simple yet vital fact that there is a Creator over and above and beyond the creature or the created order. Let me make this clear –the Christian understanding of Gods’ providence is very closely bound up with the fact that God is the Creator and as such He is the ruler, or the governor of His creation.
You see, it’s not that God created the universe and now kind of sits back and watches it operate according to its own internal mechanism, or that He is now uninvolved, or that He is no longer in control of His creation. God has never turned His back on His creation, and He most certainly has not lost touch with it.
Last time we had a look at the fact that God is not merely a spectator watching everything that is happening on earth. He is not powerless, unable or unwilling to interact with His creation or to force certain things to happen, or not to happen.
Ok, now you need to pay close attention. This is why I brought up the whole vital fact that God created the universe. God is not only the primary cause for the existence of the universe, He is also the primary cause for everything that takes place in the universe!
Those of you who were here last week will remember that I spoke about earthquakes, and I said that moving platonic plates were the cause of earthquakes, and that God allowed those plates to move, but today we need to take this a step further, and we need to ask another question, namely: what, or rather who was the primary cause of those platonic plates that are moving that are causing earthquakes?
And of course the answer very simply, and yet not quite so simple, is the fact that God is the primary cause of those platonic plates! Remember, everything that is, was created by and through the creating word of God! So, once again: God is not only the primary cause for the existence of the universe, He is also the primary cause for everything that takes place in the universe!
Let me add something here to enhance your understanding: nothing in this universe has any causing power whatsoever! (more on this next week) The only power anything in this creation has is the power that God has given it!
Ok, so what now? Does that mean that because God is the primary cause of everything, that we have no power whatsoever? Not at all, because now we need to distinguish between what we know is the primary cause, and between what is the secondary cause. I’m just mentioning that now, and we’ll come back to that a little bit later, but for now you need to understand that God is the primary cause for everything that is, and for everything that happens. He is the author of everything that is, but not only in relation to creation, because this fact goes even further, and like I said, God didn’t create and then step back, He is still the primary cause of everything that happens, including human events and natural occurrences.
What we need to do now is look at what this means, and how this all happens, and now we need to refer again to secondary causes. If we look at earthquakes again – earthquakes don’t happen because God says let there be an earthquake in Japan this year – earthquakes happen because platonic plates move, and therefore platonic plates that move become the secondary cause for earthquakes, bearing still in mind the fact that it was God who created those plates, and therefore He is the primary cause of earthquakes.
I know you may feel a bit confused, but bear with me, it will all become clear as day as we continue through the rest of today’s message and the rest of this series. I need to try and make this easier to understand, so let me put it this way – what God has created, He also sustains. In other words, if God created the universe and then stepped back and ‘lost’ control like many are saying, then it would be inevitable that creation would cease to operate! Creation has no power of being outside of the sustaining power of God! The very fact that there can be an earthquake means that God is still sustaining His creation. (Heb 1:3; Col 1:17)
While many people are against this fact, I must be honest with you today and tell you that I find great comfort in the fact that God is the primary cause of everything that happens in my life, and as we also saw last week, to know that through all the things that happen in my life God is working towards the good of those that love Him. Of course this stretches not only in the events of my life, but also to my very salvation!
I know that God is the primary cause of my salvation! It was God who sent Jesus to this earth, it was God who gave Pontius Pilot power over the physical life of Jesus, ( John 19:10-11) “So Pilate said to him, ‘You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?’ Jesus answered him, ‘You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above.” So it was God who sent Jesus, it was God who gave Pilot authority over the physical life of Jesus, and it was God who called me, who ordained me, who elected me to ne His child.
Now if that is not great and comforting, then I quite honestly don’t know what is. But someone might say what about all the bad things that happen, surely God is not the primary cause of those things that happen in our lives?
Maybe this is a good time to introduce you to someone called Joseph. I’m not going to spend too much time on Joseph, but we need to understand the fact that God is the primary cause, so let me just highlight some events of Josephs life to illustrate what I am saying this morning.
Joseph is born, becomes his father’s favourite. His brothers hate him and decide to kill him. Along come some slave traders, so his brothers sell him instead. Joseph then finds himself in Egypt, and he is sold to a man named Potiphar. Here he works hard, and is placed in control of Potiphars household, until Potiphars wife accuses Joseph of attempted rape. Then Joseph finds himself in prison where he meets the baker and the butler, and through a series of events, he eventually meets Pharaoh who places Joseph in control of the entire Egypt, second only to Pharaoh himself. Here Joseph works for seven years to ensure enough food is available for the famine which is coming, and through this he is ultimately able to save Israel. (Gen 45:8a)
Now, thinking about all those bad things that happened to Joseph, let me ask you a very simple question: who caused Joseph to end up in control of Egypt? It was God. It was God who worked all things according to His providential (seeing) knowledge so that He could save His people, Israel through Joseph. Think about it – take one of those terrible things that happened to Joseph away, and what is the result? Israel dying of starvation.
You see, this is all about the fact that God governs His creation, and everything that happens in it!
All right, in the time we have left, I want us to concentrate on a few of the characteristics of Gods government of the world.
1. Gods government is permanent.
A few years back in South Africa we saw the birth of a new government. People became disillusioned with the government that was in power, so they elected a new government. A few years after that we had a new president, or governor with the name of Thabo Mbeki, but it wasn’t long, and people became disillusioned with him as a person, so they kicked him out of office and replaced him with a new president, or governor.
One thing that we must know about the power of God, and His seat as supreme and sovereign governor, is the fact that He can never be overthrown. His government is not effected by our satisfaction or dissatisfaction. (Psalm 2:1-3) The image we have here is one of a group of unsatisfied people, people of this world, who are basically demanding a new governor.
So what the people on earth are doing for all practical purposes is that they are saying that they are unsatisfied with the Kingship of God, and His Anointed One! Now we need to go a little bit further in that wonderful Psalm, and notice Gods’ reaction to their conspiracy. (Verse 4) God sits in heaven and He.... He laughs at them, and He holds them in derision. (Derision means to hold in ridicule or to scorn, to mock, or to hold in contemp). God is not fazed, He is not trembling with fear that these earthly kings are going to usurp His power, He is not worried that He might be overthrown or ousted, instead He laughs at them with scorn and ridicule. (He can squish them like we squish an ant)
What this means for us today is tremendously important, because we often read and hear about God as a celestial Being who is up in heaven and is basically pleading with us to accept Him as our Ruler and our King. The idea many have is that God is in a way dependant on our acknowledgement of the fact that He is God. Not true. God does not plead for our submission to His will and authority, but rather He demands it! Psalm 2 says to us that God has given His Son all authority on heaven and earth, and He is not requesting us to submit to the authority of the Messiah, He demands it! He says: you will bow down to Him, I command it! Dear friends, God never invites people to come to Jesus, He commands it!
Now, in light of Psalm 2, and in light of the fact that God is the supreme governor of the universe, any denial, or refusal to submit to the authority of His Anointed One amounts to nothing short of treason, and the result of that denial of His authority will be an eternity in a place called hell where God will look on those who are there with contempt and scorn.
2. The governing providence of God is sovereign.
We live in what is called a democracy. In other words, the government can only govern with the consent of the people. That’s not the way it is with God. God doesn’t need our consent to govern us, He made us, and He has the divine right to rule over His people because He has divine right to rule everything He has made.
Once again, many people have the idea that God reigns over the universe, but that He doesn’t in fact rule over the universe. The biblical concept is of the sovereign God who reigns and rules, and He does not rule because He was elected to do so, He rules because He is in complete control of His entire universe, and that includes everything that ever happens!
3. The government of God is an absolute monarchy.
In other words, there are no external restraints upon His power, there is no majority clause, and there is no influence besides His own decision.
God is supreme, He is sovereign, and His power is beyond reproach, it is beyond human contempt, and it is certainly beyond human satisfaction or decisions.
Revelation says to us that Jesus is the King of kings and the Lord of lords. Paul also understands and confirms this in 1 Tim 6:15: “until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which he will display at the proper time--he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords” He is only sovereign, He is the divine and absolute ruler and governor of this world and this universe, and we have seen that He is the governor because He has the power to be the ruler within Himself because He is the creator.
Today I can stand here and say without cringing, and without any doubt that everything that happens in this world, has happened because God is the primary cause, and because He has allowed it to happen through various secondary causes.
