Providence
Literally means foresight, but is generally used to denote God’s preserving and governing all things by means of second causes (Ps 18:35; Ps 63:8; Acts 17:28; Col 1:17; Heb 1:3). God’s providence extends to the natural world (Ps 104:14; Ps 135:5–7; Acts 14:17), the brute creation (Ps 104:21–29; Matt 6:26; Matt 10:29), and the affairs of men (1 Chr 16:31; Ps 47:7; Prov 21:1; Job 12:23; Dan 2:21; Dan 4:25), and of individuals (1 Sam 2:6; Ps 18:30; Luke 1:53; Jas 4:13–15). It extends also to the free actions of men (Ex 12:36; 1 Sam 24:9–15; Ps 33:14, Ps 33:15; Prov 16:1; Prov 19:21; Prov 20:24; Prov 21:1), and things sinful (2 Sam 16:10; 2 Sam 24:1; Rom 11:32; Acts 4:27, Acts 4:28), as well as to their good actions (Phil 2:13; Phil 4:13; 2 Cor 12:9, 2 Cor 12:10; Eph 2:10; Gal 5:22–25).
As regards sinful actions of men, they are represented as occurring by God’s permission (Gen 45:5; Gen 50:20. Comp. 1 Sam 6:6; Ex 7:13; Ex 14:17; Acts 2:3; Acts 3:18; Acts 4:27, Acts 4:28), and as controlled (Ps 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 (Ps 103:17–19), particular (Matt 10:29–31), efficacious (Ps 33:11; Job 23:13), embraces events apparently contingent (Prov 16:9, Prov 16:33; Prov 19:21; Prov 21:1), is consistent with his own perfection (2 Tim 2:13), and to his own glory (Rom 9:17; Rom 11:36).
From Easton’s Bible Dictionary (1897), by Matthew George Easton.
