Providence and Miracles
Providence
The Bible presents God as the One who cares, controls, and exercises close attention to His creation. He lovingly provides for and governs the universe and world directly, and not simply through pre-established laws He set in motion, only to casually observe from time to time. Were He to withdraw His presence and governing hand for just a moment, life would simply cease to exist.
Nothing created is self-sustaining. "Simple cessation to uphold would result in annihilation" (Shedd, Dogmatic Theology).
Definition
Louis Berkhof defines providence as:
". . .that continued exercise of divine energy whereby the creator preserves all his creatures, is operative in all that comes to pass in the world, and directs all things to their appointed end" (Systematic Theology).
John Frame observes, "I think there is also scriptural ground for seeing providence, overall, as a demonstration of God's lordship throughout the course of nature and history" (Doctrine of God, 276n.).
Major Divisions of Providence
1. Preservation
God preserves creation so it can obtain the ultimate goal of God's will. Col. 1:17: "And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together." One reason God preserves things is so people can turn to Him in repentance and faith (2 Pet. 3:9). So ultimately God preserves His people for eternal blessing in everlasting salvation.
2. Government
God rules the universe, but does so with purpose: Psalm 103:19:" The LORD has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all."
Note also the following verses:
Eph. 1:11: "In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will."
Acts 17:28: "In him we live and move and have our being; as even some of your own poets have said,'For we are indeed his offspring.'"
Psalm 104:14: "You cause the grass to grow for the livestock and plants for man to cultivate, that he may bring forth food from the earth."
Job 9:5-9: "he who removes mountains, and they know it not, when he overturns them in his anger, who shakes the earth out of its place, and its pillars tremble; who commands the sun, and it does not rise; who seals up the stars; who alone stretched out the heavens and trampled the waves of the sea; who made the Bear and Orion, the Pleiades and the chambers of the south."
Matt. 6:26: "Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?"
Matt. 10:29: "Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father."
Psalm 103:19: "We should not limit God to simply governing the so called "major events," but as many of these verses demonstrate, God governs particulars as well.
3. Concurrence
We may define concurrence as:
". . .the cooperation of the divine power with all subordinate powers, according to the pre-established laws of their cooperation, causing them to act and to act precisely as they do" (Berkhof, 171).
John Frame observes that "concurrence teaches that God causes events on the micro level as well as on the macro level. . ." "He uses second causes, but none of the second causes are without Him."
Miracles
In his Doctrine of God, John Frame assigns a preliminary definition of miracles, and also provides other helpful information:
We have seen that miracles are unusual events, brought about by God. That is our preliminary definition. . .Miracles are extraordinary manifestations of God's covenant lordship. . .As mighty acts, miracles display the power of the Lord to control His creation. As signs, they authoritatively reveal Him. As wonders, they create in the hearts of people a religious awe, as they bring people into the presence of the living God" (see p. 258).
Miracles assist the process of God revealing His will and words to mankind by authenticating the credentials of those called to speak on His behalf. Miracles, we note, usually relate to the message:
John 10:38: "But if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father."
"Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know."
Acts 14:3: "So they remained for a long time, speaking boldly for the Lord, who bore witness to the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands."
Heb. 2:3-4: "How shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard, while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will."
Scripture uses several terms to describe such works of God, such as "miracle," "signs," "wonders," and "work." Warfield notes that miracles are not against nature, but "extra-natural," or "supernatural." They are products of a force outside of nature. The effects they produce "could not be produced by the natural forces themselves" (Shorter Writings, "The Question of Miracles," 168).
Quite clearly, sometimes God uses natural forces to bring about a great work. In Exodus 14:21, God dried up a portion of the Red Sea by "a strong wind." So God can employ natural forces to create a miracles, or He need not use any at all, but bring it about directly.