Institutes: Providence
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Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them.
And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand.” So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.
Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them to present himself before the Lord.
And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your hand; only spare his life.”
and the Lord said, ‘Who will entice Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?’ And one said one thing, and another said another. Then a spirit came forward and stood before the Lord, saying, ‘I will entice him.’ And the Lord said to him, ‘By what means?’ And he said, ‘I will go out, and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ And he said, ‘You are to entice him, and you shall succeed; go out and do so.’
Now the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and a harmful spirit from the Lord tormented him.
The next day a harmful spirit from God rushed upon Saul, and he raved within his house while David was playing the lyre, as he did day by day. Saul had his spear in his hand.
He let loose on them his burning anger, wrath, indignation, and distress, a company of destroying angels.
The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders,
Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false,
How do these verses defend Calvin’s remark that God wills and assents to Satan’s work? How does a knowledge of this give believers the assurance of victory?
2. The story of Joseph is a powerful testimony of God’s providence (see ). What is predicted in the story? How is this fulfilled? What bearing does this doctrine have on so-called games of chance, e.g., the lottery?
3. How would you respond to someone who tells you, “I don’t buckle my seatbelts—if God wants me to die, then I will die; it is all according to His providence”?
4. Many people dislike the idea of all things being governed and controlled by God, since it seems to undermine human freedom. How do you respond to this worry? What does it mean that God works through secondary causes?
5. Why is God’s providence a blessed doctrine to contemplate in connection with prayer?
6. Reflect on your own life, with its ups and downs, joys and heartbreaks: How does a knowledge of God’s sovereign control comfort you in the face of adversity or tragedy? What if God was not in control?
7. Farmers in particular are affected by the weather; how does a knowledge of God’s providence lend comfort in a year of flooding or drought?
8. Why are we so prone to arrogance when things go our way—good health, good looks, good children, financial success, talents, gifts, etc.? Even if we acknowledge God as the source of blessing and that we are under His providence, we can harbor pride in our hearts. How do we combat this? How might God wean us from such arrogance?
9. Open Theism, a modern view of God, argues that the future is open and uncertain because it has yet to take place. Not even God knows the future in its details (though He can bring the future to the outcome He wants because of His wisdom). Nonetheless, God is neither omniscient nor omnipotent—all-knowing and all-powerful—and so the future is not yet planned. How would Calvin respond to this view and why would he insist it is unbiblical and absurd?
Beach, J. Mark. Piety's Wisdom: A Summary of Calvin's Institutes with Study Questions . Reformation Heritage Books. Kindle Edition.
Beach, J. Mark. Piety's Wisdom: A Summary of Calvin's Institutes with Study Questions . Reformation Heritage Books. Kindle Edition.
Beach, J. Mark. Piety's Wisdom: A Summary of Calvin's Institutes with Study Questions . Reformation Heritage Books. Kindle Edition.