By Ivor Jefferies
1. What do you understand by the word providence?1
Read Isa. 46:10, 14:24, 27, Ps. 33:11, Prov. 19:21, Eph. 1:11.
2. Does God’s providence over all things include moral evil like sin, Satan, and demons?
Read Gen. 20:6, 45:5, 8, 50:20, Ps. 105:17, 1 Sam. 16:14, 18:10, 2 Sam. 16:5-14, 1 Kings 22:19-23, Acts 4:27-28, Isa. 10:5-7, Job 1-2.
3. Does this make God the author of evil?
Read Hab. 1:13, James 1:13, 1 John 1:5.
4. Where does evil come from?
Read Isa. 14:12-15, Ezek. 28:12-17, 1 Tim. 3:6, Gen. 3:1-7, Rom. 5:12, 18-19, 3:23.
5. How would you answer those who say that the aforementioned passages in Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28 refer to the fall of earthly kings rather than to the fall of Satan?
Read Dan. 10:13, 20-21.
6. If God is all-powerful, all-knowing, and good, why did He create Satan in the first place—why did He not prevent Satan and Adam from falling into sin?
Read Deut. 29:29, Job 38:1-3, 40:1-2, Rom. 11:33-34.
7. How do the following examples show that God’s providence overrules evil for our good?
Read Gen. 50:20, Acts 2:23, 2 Samuel 11-12, Genesis 38, Matt. 1:3, 5-6, 16.
8. How should you respond to God’s providence over the evil that happens in your life?
Read Job 41:1-5, Rom. 12:19-21, 2:1-16, Gen. 50:15-21, Heb. 4:15-16, Col. 2:14-15, 1 John 5:18.
1 The word providence comes from the Latin providere (pro means before, and videre means see): www.etymonline.com defines the word as “look ahead, prepare, supply, act with foresight”.