WSC 8

How Doth God Execute His Decrees?

God executeth His decrees, in the works of creation and providence.

Introduction

Distinct task of introducing next few weeks of theology in WSC

Cursory view, broad

Creation

Perkins, “God made all things very good of nothing”

a Brakel, “In traveling reversely through time, one will ultimately arrive at the beginning, beyond which one cannot proceed. Beyond this there is nothing but God only who inhabits eternity”

Theological categories

Anthropology (WSC 10)

Doctrine of God (WSC 9)

Competing views of creation

Bavinck, “The doctrine of creation is known only from revelation and is understood by faith.”

Hebrews 11:3 “By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.”

Every worldview has explanation of existence of universe

Cosmogony (Grk. kosmos gegonen, the world has come to be)

Polytheism

Two or more first causes of world

Competing gods, none sovereign over all things

Pantheism

All being is part of the One

Sect: Gnosticism

God produced world through series of emanations

Panentheism

God is soul of universe

Evolved from Neo-Platonists to Schleiermarcher

Theological liberalism

Process theologians

God consists of two poles

an eternal absolute

temporal world

God did not create the world and does not rule over it

He is one with it, suffers with it, develops with it, seeks to persuade it to develop toward good

Materialism

Physical matter/energy has always existed, or it is all that ever existed

Driving force is random physical interactions

Charles Darwin

Big bang

Biblical view

Six days

Patterned creation

Day one “heavens and earth”; day four “luminaries”

Day two, “waters above/below”; day five “fish/birds”

Day three, “land”; day six, “land dwelling animals/man”

Day 7 - Sabbath rest

Views of creation (more next week)

Instantaneous

Augustine

Gap View

Ages between Gen 1:1-2.

Day-age view

2 Peter 3:8 “But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.”

Framework/structured metaphor

Popularized by Ridderbos and Kline

Theological proclamation in form of literary framework

Calendar Day

Taught in Gen 1 sermons

Exodus 20:11 “For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.”

Exodus 31:17 “It is a sign forever between me and the people of Israel that in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed.’ ””

Questions on creation?

Providence

What are God’s works of providence?

Providence depends on how you answer this question: How holy is God?

Goes back to “what” is God

And, what are the decrees of God

Stephen Charnock, “Divine Providence” great book

“Because of our fallen nature, we are fearful and forget that the Lord’s eyes are on us. Fear drives us to ignore the Lord’s instructions and to follow our own ways, but we must remember that the Lord’s providence and grace are limitless and constant. He gives strong support to his people. He knows what we need, and he will never fail to provide it at exactly the right time and in exactly the right way. Rest in the strength of his divine providence.”

WCF 5

5.1 God upholds, directs, arranges and governs all creatures, actions and things, by his wisdom and holy providence, in accordance with infallible foreknowledge and immutable will, for his own glory.

5.2 In relation to God’s decree and foreknowledge, all things come to pass unchangeably and infallibly, but God orders them in his providence to occur according means (that is, second causes that can be necessary, voluntary or contingent).

Primary cause vs. secondary cause

God = primary cause of all things

Man = secondary cause

We exert real, authentic decisions/actions

Not puppets

Where is this seen in Scripture?

Story of Joseph

5.3 God ordinarily uses means to accomplish his ends in his providence, but sometimes works without, above or against them (as in miracles or extraordinary providences).

Red Sea

5.4 God is sovereign in his providence over even the worst of evil, but he is not responsible for sin and does not condone any wickedness.

Even the Fall

Permits and ordains sin

5.5 God exercises a pastoral providence over his people even in their sins and temptations for their good.

Heb 12, later in sermon

5.6 God exercises a justly judging providence in relation to the sins of the ungodly wherein they are self-condemned.

5.7 God’s special providence is over his church, protecting the church and assuring that all things work together for good for the church.

Questions on providence?