In his sermon, Eric Bechler explores the concept of divine providence as defined by Noah Webster, emphasizing God's care and control over creation. The sermon delves into how God employs both ordinary and supernatural means to fulfill His purposes. Ordinary means are illustrated through the story of Paul in Acts 27, where natural events like storms are used. God's ability to work without, above, and against ordinary means is exemplified by biblical accounts such as the miraculous birth of Jesus, Abraham and Sarah's late-in-life conception, and the burning bush. These examples highlight God's sovereign power to intervene supernaturally. Bechler underscores the comfort believers can find in God's sovereignty, reassuring them of His faithfulness and emphasizing the importance of trusting in God's will.

After break last week, we continue our discussion on divine providence. And as a reminder, Noah Webster defines providence as the care and superintendence which God exercises over his creatures. This week we focus on the means used by God, whether ordinary or otherwise. Of course, as we read in Psalms 115, verse 3, but our God is in the heavens. He hath done whatsoever he hath pleased.

No matter which means God uses, they are used at his pleasure. Let's take a look at some examples of the different means used, starting with God's providence using ordinary means. This would include, as we touched on before, works according to the nature of second causes. This is according to the nature of man and his abilities and the laws of nature. Our first example comes from the book of Acts, the Acts of the Apostles, the story of Paul sailing to Rome, and a great storm threatened the safety of the boat and all in it.

But God's will was for Paul to appear before Caesar in Rome. Next 27, verse 21 through 25. But after long abstinence, Paul stood forth in the midst of them and said, Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed from Crete, and have gained this harm and loss. And now I exhort you to be of good cheer, for there shall be no loss of any man's life among you, but of the ship. For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am and whom I serve, saying, Fear not, Paul, thou must be brought before Caesar, and lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee.

Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer, for I believe God that it shall be even as it was told me. So does it matter what we do? Yes, it does. Paul makes it clear their choices and their consequences. First, the sailors, they didn't listen to Paul's advice about staying in Crete.

And for this, it will cost them their ship. Second, he tells them to stay in the ship. Only those in the ship will survive. And they have a choice. They can trust God or they can trust in themselves.

We continue on in Acts 27, 31. Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, except these abide in the ship, you cannot be saved. And what was our result here? They trusted in Paul's word this time that God would save them. And we conclude in Acts 27, 44, and the rest, some on boards and some on broken pieces of the ship.

And so it came to pass that they escaped all safe to land. In this instance, God used storms for this crisis, for this event. Storms are normal, ordinary events, especially on the seas. The wood from the ship would float. And this is normal.

These are ordinary laws of nature here. God used ordinary means in this situation for his purposes. For the second part of this paragraph, where God is yet free to work without, above, and against them at his pleasure, A God yet is free to work without ordinary means. From the book of Hosea we read in Hosea 1-7 But I will have mercy upon the house of Judah and will save them by the Lord their God and will not save them by bow Nor by sword nor by battle by horses nor by horsemen God speaks to Hosea and tells him that it's not by the skills of the warriors or with the help of animals that the house of Judah will be saved, but by the intervention of the Lord, their God, directly. He will work outside or without the ordinary means, outside the secondary causes.

And from the Gospel of Luke it is written in 1.34 through 35, then said Mary unto the angel, how shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and said unto her, the Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the highest shall overshadow thee. Therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God." Here's another example of God working outside the ordinary means, outside the laws of nature. Mary becomes pregnant not from a man but from the Holy spirit. She shall give birth to the Son of God.

This is an exceptional, very singular event. This is not, again, from ordinary or second causes. An example for God, yet is free to work above ordinary means, from Romans 4, 19 through 21. In being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead. When he was about 100 years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb, he staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith, giving glory to God and being fully persuaded that what he had promised he was able to perform.

This was about Abraham being very old and Sarah being very old. We see them, Sarah becoming pregnant again outside the normal, ordinary causes that take effect. As we get older, you stop having children, especially at 90 to 100 years old. It's not normal to have children. So once again, God intervened here directly to cause this to happen.

God yet is free to work against them, against ordinary means. Here are a couple of examples of God working in ways that are contradictory to our understanding of how nature works. First fire, not burning up a bush, in Exodus 3.23. And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. And he looked and behold the bush burned with fire and the bush was not consumed.

And Moses said, I will now turn aside and see this great sight Why the bush is not burnt? Second we have an example of an axe floating up in the water so that it could be retrieved Second King 6 6 and the man of God said where fell it and he showed him the place and he cut down a stick and cast it thither. And the iron did swim. Again, axe heads don't normally float up from a stock tank or a pond, they sink. And finally, the example of Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego walking through the fire with the Lord not burning up or even smelling like smoke from Daniel 3.27.

And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king's counselors being gathered together saw these men upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was a hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them. These are all examples of gods using means that are out of the ordinary. They are supernatural. In our passage, I'm not so clear on the distinctions between without, above, or against. However, it is without any confusion that what occurs is not normal and not ordinary.

It is supernatural. As our paragraph stated, and I mentioned before, God can use ordinary means or supernatural means. Either way, it is at his pleasure. We read from Paul's letter to the Philippians 2 verses 12 through 13, wherefore my beloved as ye have always obeyed not as in my presence only but now much more in my absence Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling for it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. So what does this mean for us?

It means God is sovereign. He is sovereign to do as he wills. His decrees will happen even if God must supernaturally involve himself. As believers, this should bring us great comfort. As believers, we can trust God.

He is always faithful. Amen.