God: Providence of, Overruling Interpositions of The

And now, do not be distressed or angry with yourselves that you sold me into this place, because it was to save lives that God sent me before you. …

As for you, what you intended against me for evil, God intended for good, in order to accomplish a day like this—to preserve the lives of many people.

And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart so that he will pursue them. But I will gain honor by means of Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD.” So this is what the Israelites did.

But God said to Balaam, “Do not go with them. You are not to curse this people, for they are blessed.” …

Then Balaam said to Balak, “Build for me seven altars here, and prepare for me seven bulls and seven rams.” …

Then Balak’s anger burned against Balaam, and he struck his hands together and said to Balaam, “I summoned you to curse my enemies, but behold, you have persisted in blessing them these three times. …

But Sihon king of Heshbon would not let us pass through, for the LORD your God had made his spirit stubborn and his heart obstinate, that He might deliver him into your hand, as is the case this day.

For they did not meet you with food and water on your way out of Egypt, and they hired Balaam son of Beor from Pethor in Aram-naharaim to curse you.

Yet the LORD your God would not listen to Balaam, and the LORD your God turned the curse into a blessing for you, because the LORD your God loves you.

For it was of the LORD to harden their hearts to engage Israel in battle, so that they would be set apart for destruction and would receive no mercy, being annihilated as the LORD had commanded Moses.

God sent a spirit of animosity between Abimelech and the leaders of Shechem and caused them to treat Abimelech deceitfully,

…in order that the crime against the seventy sons of Jerubbaal might come to justice and their blood be avenged on their brother Abimelech and on the leaders of Shechem, who had helped him murder his brothers.

The LORD brings death and gives life; He brings down to Sheol and raises up. …

Then Absalom and all the men of Israel said, “The advice of Hushai the Archite is better than that of Ahithophel.” For the LORD had purposed to thwart the good counsel of Ahithophel in order to bring disaster on Absalom.

Then the LORD raised up against Solomon an adversary, Hadad the Edomite, from the royal line of Edom. …

So the king did not listen to the people, and indeed this turn of events was from the LORD, to fulfill the word He had spoken to Jeroboam son of Nebat through Ahijah the Shilonite.

So the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria (that is, Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria) to take the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh into exile. And he brought them to Halah, Habor, Hara, and the river of Gozan, where they remain to this day.

So the king did not listen to the people, and indeed this turn of events was from God, in order that the LORD might fulfill the word that He had spoken through Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam son of Nebat.

In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken through Jeremiah, the LORD stirred the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia to send a proclamation throughout his kingdom and to put it in writing as follows:

“This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: ‘The LORD, the God of heaven, who has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, has appointed me to build a house for Him at Jerusalem in Judah. Whoever among you belongs to His people, may the LORD his God be with him, and may he go up.’”

In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken through Jeremiah, the LORD stirred the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia to send a proclamation throughout his kingdom and to put it in writing as follows:

But the eye of their God was on the elders of the Jews, so that they were not stopped until a report was sent to Darius and written instructions about this matter were returned.

For seven days they kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread with joy, because the LORD had made them joyful and turned the heart of the king of Assyria toward them to strengthen their hands in the work on the house of the God of Israel.

When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and disheartened, for they realized that this task had been accomplished by our God.

That night sleep escaped the king; so he ordered the Book of Records, the Chronicles, to be brought in and read to him. …

So they hanged Haman on the gallows he had prepared for Mordecai. Then the fury of the king subsided.

On the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar, the king’s command and edict were to be executed. On this day the enemies of the Jews had hoped to overpower them, but their plan was overturned and the Jews overpowered those who hated them.

But when it came before the king, he commanded by letter that the wicked scheme which Haman had devised against the Jews should come back upon his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows.

He thwarts the schemes of the crafty, so that their hands find no success.

Arise, O LORD, confront them! Bring them to their knees; deliver me from the wicked by Your sword,

…from such men, O LORD, by Your hand—from men of the world whose portion is in this life. May You fill the bellies of Your treasured ones and satisfy their sons, so they leave their abundance to their children.

The LORD frustrates the plans of the nations; He thwarts the devices of the peoples.

…but it is God who judges; He brings down one and exalts another.

Even the wrath of man shall praise You; with the survivors of wrath You will clothe Yourself.

He sent a man before them—Joseph, sold as a slave.

A song of ascents. Of Solomon. Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain; unless the LORD protects the city, its watchmen stand guard in vain.

In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for bread to eat—for He gives sleep to His beloved.

A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, but the sinner’s wealth is passed to the righteous.

The evil bow before the good, and the wicked at the gates of the righteous.

When a man’s ways please the LORD, He makes even the man’s enemies live at peace with him.

The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD.

Many plans are in a man’s heart, but the purpose of the LORD will prevail.

The king’s heart is a waterway in the hand of the LORD; He directs it where He pleases.

The wicked become a ransom for the righteous, and the faithless for the upright.

He who increases his wealth by interest and usury lays it up for one who is kind to the poor.

To the man who is pleasing in His sight, He gives wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner He assigns the task of gathering and accumulating that which he will hand over to one who pleases God. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.

To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven:

I have seen the burden that God has laid upon the sons of men to occupy them.

Huddle together, O peoples, and be shattered; pay attention, all you distant lands; prepare for battle, and be shattered; prepare for battle, and be shattered!

Devise a plan, but it will be thwarted; state a proposal, but it will not happen. For God is with us.”

Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger; the staff in their hands is My wrath. …

I have commanded My sanctified ones; I have even summoned My warriors to execute My wrath and exult in My triumph. …

Who has aroused one from the east and called him to his feet in righteousness? He hands nations over to him and subdues kings before him. He turns them to dust with his sword, to windblown chaff with his bow.

Who has performed this and carried it out, calling forth the generations from the beginning? I, the LORD—the first and the last—I am He.”

Thus says the LORD your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “For your sake, I will send to Babylon and bring them all as fugitives, even the Chaldeans, in the ships in which they rejoice.

…who says of Cyrus, ‘My shepherd will fulfill all that I desire,’ who says of Jerusalem, ‘She will be rebuilt,’ and of the temple, ‘Let its foundation be laid.’”

This is what the LORD says to Cyrus His anointed, whose right hand I have grasped to subdue nations before him, to disarm kings, to open the doors before him, so that the gates will not be shut: …

I will raise up Cyrus in righteousness, and I will make all his ways straight. He will rebuild My city and set My exiles free, but not for payment or reward, says the LORD of Hosts.”

Come together, all of you, and listen: Which of the idols has foretold these things? The LORD’s chosen ally will carry out His desire against Babylon, and His arm will be against the Chaldeans.

I, even I, have spoken; yes, I have called him. I have brought him, and he will succeed in his mission.

Behold, I have created the craftsman who fans the coals into flame and forges a weapon fit for its task; and I have created the destroyer to wreak havoc.

No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their vindication is from Me,” declares the LORD.

“You are My war club, My weapon for battle. With you I shatter nations; with you I bring kingdoms to ruin.

With you I shatter the horse and rider; with you I shatter the chariot and driver.

For because of the anger of the LORD, all this happened in Jerusalem and Judah, until He finally banished them from His presence. And Zedekiah also rebelled against the king of Babylon.

This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Remove the turban, and take off the crown. Things will not remain as they are: Exalt the lowly and bring low the exalted.

A ruin, a ruin, I will make it a ruin! And it will not be restored until the arrival of Him to whom it belongs, to whom I have assigned the right of judgment.’

Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: I will give the land of Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, who will carry off its wealth, seize its spoil, and remove its plunder. This will be the wages for his army.

I have given him the land of Egypt as the reward for his labor, because it was done for Me, declares the Lord GOD.

And the two kings, with their hearts bent on evil, will speak lies at the same table, but to no avail, for still the end will come at the appointed time.

And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders.

But in this way God has fulfilled what He foretold through all the prophets, saying that His Christ would suffer.

So in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone. Let them go! For if their purpose or endeavor is of human origin, it will fail.

But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop them. You may even find yourselves fighting against God.”

Because the patriarchs were jealous of Joseph, they sold him as a slave into Egypt. But God was with him

…and rescued him from all his troubles. He granted Joseph favor and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt, who appointed him ruler over Egypt and all his household.

…in my prayers at all times, asking that now at last by God’s will I may succeed in coming to you.

And we know that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose.

But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord is willing, and then I will find out not only what these arrogant people are saying, but what power they have.

For I do not want to see you now only in passing; I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord permits.

Now I want you to know, brothers, that my circumstances have actually served to advance the gospel.

…because I know that through your prayers and the provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, my distress will turn out for my deliverance.

For perhaps this is why he was separated from you for a while, so that you might have him back for good—

Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord is willing, we will live and do this or that.”

For God has put it into their hearts to carry out His purpose by uniting to give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled.