The provided text employs the parent-child analogy to explain God’s sovereignty in relation to human free will, depicting God as a compassionate Father who creates humans in His image with the capacity for choice while exercising ultimate authority to fulfill His purposes through discipline, guidance, and predetermined outcomes, as supported by scriptures such as Isaiah 55:8-9, Genesis 1:26-27, and Ephesians 1:11. It highlights that humans may freely accept or reject God. However, He determines the consequences, inviting fellowship and demonstrating patience for repentance, as in Deuteronomy 30:19 and 2 Peter 3:9.
Comprehending
the mind of God resembles a child inquiring why specific actions are
prohibited, only to receive the parental response, “Because I said so.” From
the parents’ perspective, the rationale holds profound significance, rooted in
experiences unknown to the child. Explaining such matters entirely is
unnecessary, as the parent requires only obedience and trust that they
prioritize the child’s well-being. This trust is evidenced through the parents’
provision, protection, and demonstrated love. Yet, the child, lacking a
complete understanding of this depth, persists in questioning. Thus, the
parent-child relationship offers the most apt framework for elucidating the
interplay between God’s sovereignty and human free will, as illustrated in Isaiah
55:8-9, where the Lord declares, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways My ways... For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.”
God is defined
foremost as a Father, having created humanity as His children. As affirmed in Psalm
103:13, “As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows
compassion to those who fear Him.” As our sovereign Father, He oversees our
lives with loving care until we attain maturity, remaining available for
guidance thereafter. Just as earthly parents provide counsel amid life’s
choices, God invites us to seek Him for insight and direction, for as Proverbs
2:6 states, “The Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and
understanding,” and as Proverbs 3:5-6 urges, “Trust in the Lord
with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your
ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths.” Another
pertinent illustration is the child welfare system, wherein the State assumes
responsibility for orphans until they reach adulthood, typically at age 18.
Scripture underscores this duty, commanding in James 1:27 that “religion
that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and
widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.”
Consequently, the parent-child analogy remains optimal for illustrating divine
sovereignty alongside human autonomy.
God created
the world and all within it, declaring in Genesis 1:1, “In the
beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” He fashioned
humanity—His children—to exercise dominion freely over this creation, blessing
them in Genesis 1:28 to “be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth
and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of
the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” As the
omnipotent One, He intervenes in the world at will, revealing Himself as He
deems appropriate. Having formed Adam and Eve, the first humans, God elects to
engage relationally with His creation. As the Creator of all seen and unseen,
He endows humanity with attributes of His choosing, for as Colossians 1:16
affirms, “by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible
and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things
were created through Him and for Him.”
In crafting
humans in His image, God bestowed the capacity for free choice, mirroring His
own volition. As stated in Genesis 1:26-27, “Then God said, ‘Let Us
make man in Our image, after Our likeness... So God created man in His Own
image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.’”
This likeness enables love, obedience, creativity, and thought. God revealed
sufficient aspects of Himself to humanity, allowing them to make informed
decisions to reciprocate His love, of their own free will. However, when
humanity opted for self-determination, God responded accordingly, imposing
consequences as outlined in Genesis 3:17-19 following the fall. The crux
lies in accepting God’s prerogative to act as He wills, irrespective of human
comprehension.
We are the
clay, and God is the potter; He shapes us as vessels for honor or dishonor. As Romans
9:20-21 questions, “But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will
what is molded say to its molder, ‘Why have you made me like this?’ Has the
potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for
honorable use and another for dishonorable use?” This echoes Isaiah 64:8:
“But now, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our
potter; we are all the work of your hand.” The issue resides not in God’s
freedom but in humanity’s propensity to defy the Creator’s directives for our
good. Consider a child darting into the street without caution: a parent’s duty
demands discipline to avert tragedy. Neglecting this, as in failing to correct
perilous behavior, constitutes negligence under the law. Most would concur that
such irresponsibility disqualifies one from parenthood. Thus, corrective
measures, like discipline, safeguard the child from greater harm, for as Proverbs
13:24 warns, “Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him
is diligent to discipline him,” and as Hebrews 12:6 explains, “For
the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and chastises every son whom He receives.”
The notion of
parental neglect in equipping children for life’s challenges exemplifies
irresponsibility. Parents, drawing from experience, act in what they perceive
as the child’s best interest, though imperfections—mistakes, failures, and
triumphs—are inherent to the process. Judging a parent solely on isolated
incidents overlooks their holistic life, akin to the adage against judging a
book by its cover, and reflective of Matthew 7:1-2: “Judge not, that
you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and
with the measure you use it will be measured to you.”
In the
parent-child dynamic, parents typically conceive children with intentions for
their upbringing, aspiring for them to become well-adjusted societal
contributors—perhaps leaders, entrepreneurs, or influencers fostering positive
change. However, the child’s free will may diverge from these plans. Parents
guide and provide, but outcomes remain uncertain. In contrast, God’s
sovereignty ensures fulfillment of His purposes, for as Ephesians 1:11
describes, “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,” and as Proverbs 19:21 confirms, “Many are the plans
in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.”
Unlike human
parents, constrained by unforeseen events, God orchestrates from the end
backward, envisioning ultimate goals and interweaving elements to realize them.
While parents might plan financially for education or retirement, God aligns
intricate details across generations—such as marital unions benefiting
descendants and myriad others—demonstrating sovereignty over time and eternity,
declaring in Isaiah 46:10, “the end from the beginning and from
ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will
accomplish all My purpose.’”
Accepting this
overarching divine control poses significant challenges. Nevertheless, if one
affirms Genesis 1:1’s creation ex nihilo and the ensuing divine plan,
the redemption narrative follows logically. The obstacle stems from humanity’s
illusion of ultimate control over destiny. We may choose to accept or reject
God, but consequences are His domain, for as Deuteronomy 30:19
proclaims, “I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I
have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life,
that you and your offspring may live,” and as Joshua 24:15
challenges, “And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this
day whom you will serve... But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
Similarly, children select obedience or defiance, but parents determine
repercussions, exercising this wisely to preserve the child’s spirit, as Ephesians
6:4 instructs: “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but
bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.”
These
analogies underscore the parent-child paradigm, revealing God’s involvement in
all aspects of existence—from seeds germinating through apparent death, to
waves sculpting shores, to the miracle of human development and relational
cycles. As Psalm 139:13-14 celebrates, “For You formed my inward
parts; You knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am
fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are Your works; my soul knows it very
well.” Such joys originate in God, our Father, who delights in our free
choice of fellowship with Him, inviting in Revelation 3:20: “Behold, I
stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I
will come in to him and eat with him, and he with Me.” Tragically, free will
can lead to relational estrangement, driven by immature notions of superiority,
yet underscoring the patience in 2 Peter 3:9: “The Lord is not slow
to fulfill His promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not
wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”
While this
brief look at the Sovereignty of God and the Free will of man produced a
parochial view at best, it is wise to remember that the underlying foundation
of the dual topic at its heart is the Providence of God controlling all that we
see and do not. Thus, the subject would be remiss not to mention the Patriarch
of the Old Testament, Joseph.
Stephen Charnock, in his work on the subject of the Divine Providence of God, spoke of Joseph and ‘God Accomplishing His Righteous Ends’ in the following manner.
“God has His
hand in all sinful actions to accomplish His righteous ends. When Joseph was
sold to the Ishmaelites, it was an act of his brothers, but sending him into
Egypt was an act of God:
[Joseph said
to his brothers,] “It was not you who sent me here, but God.” (Gen. 45:8)
He had sent a
man ahead of them,
Joseph, who
was sold as a slave. (Ps. 105:17)
Joseph
ascribes his situation to God rather than his brothers. Their wicked intention
was to be rid of him and to keep him from tattling on them to their father.
God’s gracious intention was to send Joseph to Egypt for the Lord’s honor and the family’s good. To achieve this, He used the brothers’ sinfulness to bring about His gracious purpose. The brothers’ intentions were wicked, but God’s end was righteous.”1
Charnock drives home the two seemingly opposing points of view through God’s Divine Providence, using man’s sinful actions to bring about Glory and Honor for Himself. While we mere particles of dust in the corridors of time may not comprehend the mind of God in matters of these, it is best to accept that we have God working on our behalf who foreordained and planned for our stubborn, stiff-necked, uncircumcised philistine characteristics, making a way for us to receive forgiveness and the hope of everlasting life. We may not know what our future holds, but we can know who holds our future; do you?
1Charnock, Stephen. 2022. p 54 Divine Providence: A Classic Work for
Modern Readers. Edited by Carolyn B. Whiting. Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R
Publishing.
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