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Doctrine of God 0004 - Lesson 4
Attached Audio:
- THE WORKS OF GOD (Continued)
- Preservation (Continued)
- Preservation of the word of God
- Doctrinal definition
- The act of God by which He keeps and protects the Word of God so that every word is exactly of His choosing and completely without error.
- More simply, the act of keeping scripture inspired (see 2 Timothy 3:14-16 [14] But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;
[15] And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
[16] All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
See All...) - Scriptural support for preservation
- Psalm 12:6-7 [6] The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.
[7] Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.
See All... - The purity of God’s words (verse 6)
- As silver tried
- Purified seven times
- The preservation of God’s words (verse 7)
- Psalm 100:5For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.
See All... – to all generations - Psalm 111:7-8 [7] The works of his hands are verity and judgment; all his commandments are sure.
[8] They stand fast for ever and ever, and are done in truth and uprightness.
See All... – stand fast forever - Psalm 119:89For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.
See All... - settled in heaven - Psalm 119:152Concerning thy testimonies, I have known of old that thou hast founded them for ever.
See All... – founded forever - Psalm 119:160Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever.
See All... – His judgments endure for ever - Ecclesiastes 3:14I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.
See All... – shall be forever - Isaiah 40:8The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.
See All...; 1 Peter 1:25But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.
See All... - The word of the Lord stands
- It stands for ever
- Matthew 5:18For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
See All...; Luke 16:17And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail.
See All... - God’s law will out-survive heaven and earth
- This preservation and fulfillment apply even to the jot and tittle
- Matthew 24:35Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
See All...; Luke 21:33Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.
See All... - Three sentinels of God’s word
- Deuteronomy 4:2Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.
See All... - Proverbs 30:5-6 [5] Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.
[6] Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.
See All... - Revelation 22:18-19 [18] For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
[19] And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
See All... - Preservation of the nation of Israel
- The four major biblical covenants with Israel
- The Abrahamic Covenant (Genesis 12:1-3 [1] Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:
[2] And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
[3] And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
See All...; Genesis 13:14-17 [14] And the LORD said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward: [15] For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever. [16] And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered. [17] Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee.
See All...; Genesis 15:4-21 [4] And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir. [5] And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. [6] And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness. [7] And he said unto him, I am the LORD that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it. [8] And he said, LORD God, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it? [9] And he said unto him, Take me an heifer of three years old, and a she goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon. [10] And he took unto him all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each piece one against another: but the birds divided he not. [11] And when the fowls came down upon the carcases, Abram drove them away. [12] And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him. [13] And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not their's, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; [14] And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance. [15] And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age. [16] But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full. [17] And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces. [18] In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates: [19] The Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites, [20] And the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaims, [21] And the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.
See All...; Genesis 17:1-8 [1] And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. [2] And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly. [3] And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying, [4] As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations. [5] Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee. [6] And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee. [7] And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. [8] And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.
See All...) – an unconditional covenant - A nation
- A land
- A blessing
- The Mosaic Covenant (Exodus 19:5-6 [5] Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:
[6] And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.
See All...) - A conditional covenant that Israel broke
- To be replaced by the New Covenant
- The Davidic Covenant (1 Samuel 7:11-16 [11] And the men of Israel went out of Mizpeh, and pursued the Philistines, and smote them, until they came under Bethcar.
[12] Then Samuel took a stone, and set it between Mizpeh and Shen, and called the name of it Ebenezer, saying, Hitherto hath the LORD helped us.
[13] So the Philistines were subdued, and they came no more into the coast of Israel: and the hand of the LORD was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.
[14] And the cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron even unto Gath; and the coasts thereof did Israel deliver out of the hands of the Philistines. And there was peace between Israel and the Amorites.
[15] And Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life.
[16] And he went from year to year in circuit to Bethel, and Gilgal, and Mizpeh, and judged Israel in all those places.
See All...) – an unconditional covenant - A house (dynastic line of David)
- A throne
- A kingdom
- The new Covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-34 [31] Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:
[32] Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD:
[33] But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.
[34] And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.
See All...); an unconditional covenant - Internalized law of God
- Renewed relationship with God
- Knowledge of God
- Forgiveness of sins
- Lewis Sperry Chafer, in his Systematic Theology (Volume 4; page 315), summarizes the promises to Israel as established in the covenants under seven headings:
- A nation forever
- A land forever
- A King forever
- A throne forever
- A kingdom forever
- A new covenant
- Abiding blessings
- Proofs that God will preserve the nation of Israel forever
- The unconditional covenants could not be fulfilled except the nation of Israel is preserved.
- God’s promise to preserve Israel is connected to the ordinances of the earth and heavens (Jeremiah 31:35-37 [35] Thus saith the LORD, which giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar; The LORD of hosts is his name:
[36] If those ordinances depart from before me, saith the LORD, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me for ever.
[37] Thus saith the LORD; If heaven above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, I will also cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done, saith the LORD.
See All...). - Israel will dwell in the new earth that God will create (Isaiah 66:20-22 [20] And they shall bring all your brethren for an offering unto the LORD out of all nations upon horses, and in chariots, and in litters, and upon mules, and upon swift beasts, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, saith the LORD, as the children of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel into the house of the LORD.
[21] And I will also take of them for priests and for Levites, saith the LORD.
[22] For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain.
See All...). Therefore, the nation must be preserved. - Paul declared emphatically that God had not cast away His people Israel (Romans 11:1I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.
See All...). Though they have been cut out of the olive tree because of their unbelief, they will be grafted in again (Romans 11:23-24 [23] And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again. [24] For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert graffed contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be graffed into their own olive tree?
See All...). This will happen when the fullness of the Gentiles is come in (Romans 11:25For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
See All...) and all Israel shall be saved (Romans 11:26-27 [26] And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: [27] For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.
See All...), for they are still beloved for the father’s sake (Romans 11:28As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the father's sakes.
See All...) and the gifts and calling of God are without repentance (Romans 11:29For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.
See All...). - The history of the Jewish people is a history of providential preservation.
- They were preserved in Egypt and then delivered out of Egypt.
- They were delivered from numerous conquests during the time of the Judges.
- They were preserved in Babylonian captivity and then allowed to return to the land and rebuild (Ezra 9:7-9 [7] Since the days of our fathers have we been in a great trespass unto this day; and for our iniquities have we, our kings, and our priests, been delivered into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, and to a spoil, and to confusion of face, as it is this day.
[8] And now for a little space grace hath been shewed from the LORD our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a nail in his holy place, that our God may lighten our eyes, and give us a little reviving in our bondage.
[9] For we were bondmen; yet our God hath not forsaken us in our bondage, but hath extended mercy unto us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to give us a reviving, to set up the house of our God, and to repair the desolations thereof, and to give us a wall in Judah and in Jerusalem.
See All...). - Their homeland and center in Jerusalem were destroyed by the Romans as a result of their rebellions against Rome in two wars during the century after the coming of Jesus Christ. They were scattered throughout the world and were often persecuted during the centuries. Yet, they maintained their identity as Jews.
- The final solution of Adolf Hitler was to destroy the Jewish people. He succeeded in killing about six million Jews during World War II. However, shortly after that war, in 1948, the Jews reestablished the nation of Israel almost 1900 years after its destruction. This is a great miracle in itself.
- Since the founding of Israel, the Arab nations that surround it have tried on several occasions to destroy it. Yet, in each case, Israel has been delivered.
- No other nation on earth has a similar history of preservation. The preservation of Israel is a miracle of God.
- Preservation of the souls of the saints
- Just as creation requires the ever-abiding hand of the Lord upholding it in order to continue, so a redeemed soul needs the ever-abiding hand of God keeping it in order to remain a child of God (John 10:27-29 [27] My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
[28] And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
[29] My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.
See All...). - God will preserve us blameless to the coming of the Lord Jesus (1 Thessalonians 5:23And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
See All...). - God will preserve us unto His heavenly kingdom (2 Timothy 4:18And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
See All...). - We are preserved in Christ Jesus (Jude 1:1Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called:
See All...). That is, our preservation is based on our position in Jesus Christ. We will stand before God in His righteousness (Philippians 3:9Thy bow was made quite naked, according to the oaths of the tribes, even thy word. Selah. Thou didst cleave the earth with rivers.
See All...) and we will be accepted in Him who is the beloved (Ephesians 1:6To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
See All...). - Note: Many other evidences could be given as concerning the preservation of the soul. However, in these notes it is only important to establish it as one of the doctrines of preservation.
- Providence
- The doctrine of God’s providence
- The meaning of providence
- The word is not used in the Bible in reference to God but it gives a name to a concept that runs throughout the entire word of God. It is used one time in reference to man (Acts 24:2And when he was called forth, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying, Seeing that by thee we enjoy great quietness, and that very worthy deeds are done unto this nation by thy providence,
See All...). - The word providence is taken from the verb provide (as is the word prudence).
- Therefore, the basic meaning of providence is to look ahead and make provision for the future.
- The word prudence refers to the character of one who makes it a habit to be prepared for future needs (2 Chronicles 2:12Huram said moreover, Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, that made heaven and earth, who hath given to David the king a wise son, endued with prudence and understanding, that might build an house for the LORD, and an house for his kingdom.
See All...). - Scriptures that refer to the provision of God are certainly teaching the idea of providence (Genesis 22:8And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.
See All...; 1 Samuel 16:1And the LORD said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons.
See All...; Job 38:41Who provideth for the raven his food? when his young ones cry unto God, they wander for lack of meat.
See All...; Psalm 65:9Thou visitest the earth, and waterest it: thou greatly enrichest it with the river of God, which is full of water: thou preparest them corn, when thou hast so provided for it.
See All...; Hebrews 11:40God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.
See All...). - Doctrinally, providence can be defined as God’s supervision over all things in order to guide them so that they fully accomplish His perfect will.
- Practically, providence is God’s continual guidance and care over all that He has created.
- The aspects of providence
- Care – This refers to the sustaining care God gives to His creation by watching over them and providing for their needs.
- Control – This is often called government. It refers to God’s control of events so that all things in the end accomplish that which is pleasing to Him and which glorifies Him.
- Cooperation – This aspect is not considered a separate aspect by most Bible teachers. It refers to the complex inner-working of the control of God with the free actions of men in order to bring about God’s will. For instance, God sometimes accomplishes His will by simply allowing men to do what they want because that is what will eventually lead to the will of God.
- A key verse on providence: Romans 8:28And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
See All... - Romans 8:28And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
See All... deals with God’s providence and how that providence works with God’s people. - Romans 8:28And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
See All... teaches four main precepts concerning providence: - Our confidence in God’s providence – The “we know” shows us that our knowledge of God’s providence is meant to give great comfort and confidence to the believer as he negotiates a wicked world with events that often seem to contradict God’s holy purpose.
- The completeness of God’s providence – It affects “all things.”
- Large and small (Zechariah 4:10For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the LORD, which run to and fro through the whole earth.
See All...) - Good and evil (James 1:2-4 [2] My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
[3] Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
[4] But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
See All...) - The complexity of God’s providence – All things must “work together.”
- In God’s great wisdom, He works it out so that both those things that are clearly moving toward His will and those things that seem to be against His will are all moving toward the perfect will of God (Psalm 76:10Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee: the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain.
See All...). - Like the gears of an old watch: all of the gears are not moving in the same direction, but all of the gears are pushing the hands of the watch in the same forward motion.
- Illustrated by the concept of synergy: the word synergy was first used in pharmacology when it was noticed that certain combinations of medicines had a greater effect than the sum total of all the medicines individually. Now it refers to any condition where the dynamics of things working together causes the total effect to be greater than the sum of the parts. God works all things together with a powerful synergy.
- The example of Joseph (Genesis 50:20But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.
See All...; Psalm 105:17-19 [17] He sent a man before them, even Joseph, who was sold for a servant: [18] Whose feet they hurt with fetters: he was laid in iron: [19] Until the time that his word came: the word of the LORD tried him.
See All...) - The condition of God’s beneficial providence – Although God’s providence governs over the actions of all, the beneficial effects of His providence is only realized by His saints.
- Those who love God
- Those who are the called
Proverbs 28:5
Evil men understand not judgment: but they that seek the LORD understand all things.