Providence

Definitions:

Dr. Archer, “Providence is God’s involvement in His creation to accomplish His will without violating the natural laws He created. It is a flip-side of a miracle.”

Dictionary.com: noun, (1) The foreseeing care and guidance of God or nature over the creatures of the earth.

(2) God, especially when conceived as omnisciently directing the universe and the affairs of humankind with wise benevolence. (3) A manifestation of divine care or direction. (4) Provident or prudent management of resources; prudence. (5) Foresight; provident care.

The world explains providence as chance or luck.Believers informed by Scripture understand this as providence.

Examples of God’s providence:

Ex 2.1-10 Baby Moses in his basket at precisely the right place and time that Pharaoh’s daughter bathed in the Nile; Pharaoh’s daughter seeing the basket, the baby, and taking pity on him; Moses’ sister Miriam being allowed to speak to Pharaoh’s daughter and her being willing to listen to the Hebrew girl and agree with her proposal to find a nursemaid for the baby; Pharaoh’s daughter being interested in caring for the baby’s sustainance and upbringing, in contravention of her father’s edict to kill all Hebrew baby boys.

Numbers 10.29-32 God providentially provided the Midianite Hobab as a guide; apparently augmenting the guidance for the entire Israelite encampment God provided miraculously through the pillar of cloud and fire. “Numbers 10:29–32 (ESV) 29And Moses said to Hobab the son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses’ father-in-law, “We are setting out for the place of which the LORD said, ‘I will give it to you.’ Come with us, and we will do good to you, for the LORD has promised good to Israel.” 30But he said to him, “I will not go. I will depart to my own land and to my kindred.” 31And he said, “Please do not leave us, for you know where we should camp in the wilderness, and you will serve as eyes for us. 32And if you do go with us, whatever good the LORD will do to us, the same will we do to you.”

Judges chapter 4: God’s providential fulfillment of Deborah’s prophesy that a female would be credited with Israel’s victory over Canaanite King Jabin: Israelite Heber defected to Jabin’s kingdom carrying his Israelite wife Jael with him; after the battle the Canaanite commanding general Sisera fled to hide in Heber’s tent; as he slept Jael killed him with a tent peg through the temple.

1 Ki 13.5 Jeroboam’s altar at Bethel split apart immediately after God’s emissary announced that that would be God’s judgment against it.