Providence | Written by John Piper (Crossway, 2020, 751 Pages).
We are coming out of a year where we have juggled a pandemic, the loss of life and livelihood, damaged economies, ruined holidays, destroyed businesses, disrupted education, and declining mental health. And then there have been racial tensions, international tensions, devastating storms and floods, just to name a few. A lot has happened in the last year and one might be tempted to ask, “Where is God in all of this?” Such a question raises the issue of God’s providence. In what is perhaps his most important work so far, John Piper has written a masterful study on the providence of God. Piper defines “the providence of God” as his “purposeful sovereignty” (13) and “purposeful action” (29). From the smallest atom to the largest galaxy God’s providence “is all-embracing, all-pervasive, and invincible” (692). Moreover, “[God’s] providence is the purposeful sovereignty that carries those plans into action, guides all things towards God’s ultimate goal, and leads to the final consummation. … Therefore, the extent of his providence is total. Nothing is independent of it. Nothing happens but by “the counsel of his will’—the infinite wisdom of his plan” (692-93).
The breadth of God’s providence as Piper unfolds it in this magisterial study is breathtaking in both its scope and depth. After defining divine providence in Part 1, in Part 2 Piper leads us through the unfolding drama of Scripture as he traces the theme of God’s providence from the time before creation to the second coming of Christ, all of which has as its “ultimate goal … the perfected and irrepressible joy of God’s people in the glory of God’s grace, supremely radiant in the triumph of the suffering Son of God” (207). In Part 3 Piper explores the nature and extent of God’s all-pervasive providence over nature, Satan and demons, kings and nations, life and death, sin and conversion, Christian living, and the final consummation of all things. This section, like the previous, is characterised by careful biblical exposition, insightful theological reflection, warm pastoral application, and joyful exaltation. “Running through this book like a golden thread is the truth that God designed the world and performs his providence so that his glory in saving us and our joy in seeing him would be forever united” (711).
Some of the more practical features of the book that I appreciated include: A General and Scripture Index (the Scripture Index alone contains more than 3,000 references!) making this book a treasure trove to draw from for personal study or sermon preparation; 45 short chapters with frequent topic breaks and subheadings on almost every page providing the reader with manageable bite-sized sections that can be easily digested alongside of one’s daily Bible reading (while this is a large book at 751 pages, if you just read a chapter a week you will have it done in only 9 months, and oh, you will be all the better for it!); there is plenty of space in the margins to write notes; and finally, while Piper deals with some of the most difficult and perplexing topics in Christian theology, its content is easy to grasp as it is written with such clarity and warmth of expression. This book will stretch your mind, warm your affections, strengthen your soul, deepen your faith, enlarge your vision, and fuel your worship. This is a real treasure and a needy tonic for the church.
