Key Text: "When they went, they went upon their four sides: and they turned not when they went." Ezekiel 1:17
"God is the great Master Worker, and by His providence He prepares the way for His work to be accomplished. He provides opportunities and opens up lines of influence and channels of working. If His people are watching the indications of His providence, and stand ready to cooperate with Him, they will see a great work accomplished." Testimonies, Vol. 6, p. 24 (1900)
God, our Heavenly Father, is constantly working out His will, and it is amazing to the people of God as they witness the evidence and see the providence of all His workings. I see the providence of God in my Bible study and stand amazed as I find myself preaching with Him in full control.
In the lives of God’s servants, both in the Old and New Testaments, we see the hand of God working in and through the prophets and apostles as His will is performed.
This is Part I in a series of two messages on the providence of God, and it is my sincere prayer that those reading these two sermons will gain a greater depth of God’s love and a deeper understanding of His providence. The bottom line in these two messages, friend, is you can trust God. He is totally in charge of the affairs of this universe.
It is my prayer and intent that as I write these two sermons the Holy Spirit will lead me in such a way that you may rejoice at the truth of God’s providence and that you may be lifted up, drawn closer to God, and stand firm on this subject of His providence. Remember that He knows the beginning and the end, and we need to see the whole picture of His Way and His will. Let us watch for the providence. "...he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth." Revelation 3:7. "I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it:..." Revelation 3:8
Now, friend, there is much good Bible teaching in this first sermon, but we will consider four points that call for our time and attention: Providence Compared to a Wheel, Providence in Company/Connected with Angels, Providence in the Common Place in the Universe, and Providence is Never Changing.
I. Providence Compared to a Wheel
The expression, "a wheel in the middle of a wheel" is a great parable setting forth the tremendous teaching of God’s providence. "The appearance of the wheels and their work was like unto the colour of a beryl: and they four had one likeness: and their appearance and their work was as it were a wheel in the middle of a wheel." Ezekiel 1:16
When Ezekiel saw the creatures, which I believe were God’s angels, he immediately saw the wheels and the angels as meaning a working out of the will and providence of God. The Romans and the Greeks were accustomed to compare the wondrous works of God in providence to a wheel. Perhaps they picked this up from Ezekiel.
"The story goes, that a certain king being taken prisoner, was bound in chains, and dragged along with the chariot wheels of his conqueror. As he went along, he kept looking at the wheel, and shedding tears - looking at the wheel again, and lifting up his eyes and smiling. The conqueror turned and said, ‘Wherefore are thou looking at that wheel?’
"He said, ‘I was thinking, such is the lot of man; just now I was here; now I am there; but soon I may be here again at the top of the wheel, and thou mayest be grinding the dust.’ This was well for a heathen. The prophet had the very same idea. He was permitted by God to see that the wheel is a very beautiful figure of divine providence. Let us show you that it is. I have just hinted at the reason why providence is like a wheel; because sometimes one part of the wheel is at the top, and once again at the bottom. Sometimes this part is exalted, and anon it sinks down to the dust. Then it is lifted into the air, and then again by a single revolution it is brought down again to the earth." Spurgeon’s Sermon.
The rock of our faith is the Lord Jesus Christ, and as we stand on the rock, we can see and understand the providence of God. Guided by faith, God will open our understanding and help us to see how and why certain things go the way they do.
1. Things change just like the wheel turning. - Sometimes we are in humble poverty and hardly know what we shall do for food, then the wheel begins to turn, and we are brought into plenty. We may have a basket running over when the wheel turns and good providence comes our way.
2. Experience is never stable. - Our way is never the same. We are always changing. We change jobs, move away, buy another house, children and grandchildren come along. Providence continues to come our way and our understanding follows. We see clearly that God is leading, and as we do so our faith is strengthened. Friends, thank God for His providence. Doors that are shut and doors that are open are all for our good for either type of door can be used by God’s providence.
The world may cry "Hosannah" to its minister today, and the next day may say, "Crucify him, crucify him." Such is the state of man. Providence is like a wheel. The wheel turns and so does providence.
3. The axle never turns. What is the meaning of the axle never turning? What does it mean to the Christian? The axle represents the never changing, never turning love of God. The outer rim of the wheel changes as it turns, but not the axle. The center stands forever fixed. What a wonderful God we have! He is the center, and His love never turns, never moves out of place. God never changes; therefore His love never changes. This is another reason that providence can be compared to a wheel.
My Christian friend, that is a sweet thought for you and me. You have seen machinery turning, but did you ever stop to think upon what all machinery turns? It is the axle. So, God’s work turns on the axle of His love. "...live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you." II Corinthians 13:11. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son , that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16
Let us say then that everything in the providence of God turns on the axle of His love. Other things may move and may change, but the love of God never changes nor moves out of place. Wheels do turn, but not the axle.
Look back on your life, say over the last 25, 30, 40 years or more and see how the wheel has turned and changed things. But His axle of love has not changed. Friend, as we look back we can now see nothing but a ring of everlasting wisdom revolving.
II. Providence in Context is Connected with Angels
"Now as I beheld the living creatures, behold one wheel upon the earth by the living creatures, with his four faces." Ezekiel 1:15. And then in verse 19, "And when the living creatures went, the wheels went by them: and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up." Angels do the work of God and the work of God has to do with worldwide providence. So, my belief is that these creatures are holy angels standing ready to do the will and work of God. It is not possible for us at this time to see how far angels go to turn the wheels of providence. The kingdom of glory will reveal the part these creatures (angels) played in our lives.
Angels did mighty things in the Old Testament as well as the New Testament as we see in the examples given below:
1. Egypt: There was an angel that came down and slew the first born of Egypt.
2. Sennacherib: An angel cut off the army of Sennacherib.
3. Paul in Acts 27:22-24: Paul tells us of an angel that came and comforted him in the time of a shipwreck. "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;..." You remember the story of how Paul had been given the mission that he was to go before Caesar and share the gospel. In the shipwreck that mission would be hindered; it was in trouble and God sent an angel to turn the wheel again. That angel put his mighty strength to the job at hand and stopped the loss of life to make the chariot of God’s will and providence go on their way.
4. Christ: In the garden an angel was sent to encourage and strengthen the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, how do you think an angel strengthened our Savior? I think the angel strengthened our Lord by planting good things in His mind. When temptation comes, the
wheel is turning. With a sincere prayer of hope, we can pray and call upon the name of our Lord. In a flash God can send an angel. When danger is present, God sends an angel to make the wheel stop. Let us thank Him and bless His Holy Name for making angels as ministering spirits to the lost to bring them to Christ. He turns the wheel as He comforts, answers our prayers and gives us assurance and peace. He permits us to visualize a worldwide picture of the wheels turning creating the providence of God. Through the Holy Scriptures and providence we can see the whole picture.
III. Providence is Commonplace in the Universe
"...behold one wheel upon the earth by the living creatures, with his four faces." Ezekiel 1:15. The wheel had four faces. Since angels do the work of God in helping His people, I think this means there is one face in the four different directions. In other words, there is one face to the north, another to the south, another to the east, and another to the west. There are faces turned toward all directions to care for all the providence of the universe. In every part of the globe there is providence and a face of an angel.
In most homes there are pictures of men and women hanging on walls, and when we walk in the room, they are looking directly at us. We move from one part of the room to another, and they still look at us. We move again and continue to see the person in the picture steadily looking at us. Now, that is the way it is with these creatures in Ezekiel. They are constantly looking at the wheel as it turns. Such is the providence of God; wherever you are, God’s eye is on you. His eye is upon us just as if we were the only persons in the world. God’s eye is upon us and everyone else every hour of the day, even every moment of the day all the time, 365 days in the year.
David wrote: Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into the heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, (grave) behold, thou art there. If I take wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me." Psalm 139:7-10.
Neither a Christian nor a nonChristian can hide from God. We cannot banish a person from the presence of the Lord. We may send him to the ice and snow of Siberia or Lapland, but the eyes of the Lord will be there. If we sent a person to Australia, and let him work away at gold digging, God will visit him. If we send him to the uttermost part of the globe, the eyes of the Lord will be upon him. There is no event having to do with any occasion that can be hidden from the eyes of our God. The wheel is turning all over the earth, and angels are working and watching.
Speaking of not being able to hide from God, that thought comforted the great traveler, Mungo Park, when he was in the desert of Sahara. He had been robbed and stripped of everything, and left naked. He suddenly saw a little piece of moss, and taking it up he saw how beautiful it was. He said: "Then the hand of God is here. Here is one of His works; though I call loudly none can hear me, for there is nothing but the prowling lions and the howling jackal. Yet God is here. God’s eye is on the baby at birth, on the same young person at the marriage altar and the same person at the grave. The eyes of the Lord are everywhere."
In the earthquake, there is our God manifested; in the tempest, there is God’s hand to control. In all seasons, the Lord is there; in all dangers and in all climates God is there. Please allow me to say again, that we may not have the understanding and insight to know the why of things at this present time, but in the kingdom, the curtain will be pulled back. When the scales fall from our eyes, all our whys will be answered. Friend, you and I can trust God.
IV. Providence Never Changes
"For I am the Lord, I change not;..." Malachi 3:6. Providence works everywhere in the things we see in this town, this community, this state, this country and all over the world. There may be different cultures or languages, but it is the same providence.
"Now, as I beheld the living creatures, behold one wheel upon the earth by the living creatures, with his four faces." Ezekiel 1:15.
1. The appearance of the wheels. - "The appearance of the wheels and their work was like unto the color of a beryl: and they four had one likeness..." (Verse 16) There was but one piece of machinery; and that teaches us that the providence of God is uniform and all one. One thing the Lord does might seem to contradict another, but it really does not. It is a great and tremendous truth for us to learn that providence is uniform.
2. The appearance of providence can be deceiving. - "...and they four had one likeness: and their appearance and their work was as it were a wheel in the middle of a wheel." (Verse 16) The four faces had one likeness, and we would think for certain the definition of Providence is one thing. The story of Joseph is a perfect Biblical example.
3. God had in His mind and will that Joseph would be governor over all the land of Egypt. Now, as we read the Scriptures, a number of bad things happened to Joseph before he is put in the governor’s chair. The first thing that happens is the fact that Joseph is hated by his brothers. Then, Joseph’s brothers throw him into a pit. That is two steps backward, but that is not all. Joseph’s brothers sell him--another step backward, but remember providence is one. We must take all the separate parts to make the one. Joseph is put into a dungeon. Just watch and see the end. All the parts of the machinery make one. They may appear to hinder or to cause failure and a clash. Put them all together and there is one.
Now, if Joseph had not been put in the pit, he never would have been the servant of Potiphar. If he never had been put in the roundhouse, he never would have interpreted the jailer’s dream; and if the king had never dreamed, he never would have sent for Joseph. There were many things working together to make Joseph governor. Many things working together, but all are one. Providence is one.
A lady in London, Mrs. Hannah More, went into a place where they were manufacturing a certain carpet. She said, "There is no beauty there."
The man said: "It is one of the most beautiful carpets you ever saw."
"Why," replied Mrs. More, "there is a piece hanging out, and it is all in disorder." "Do you know why, ma’am? You’re looking at the wrong side." So it is with us.
Some often think providence is bad because of not seeing the other picture, the other side. We see the wrong side here, but when we get in the Kingdom, we will see the right side of God’s dealings; and when we do we shall say: "Lord, how wonderful are thy works: in wisdom thou hast made them all: glorious are thy works, and that my soul knoweth right well."
Let us suppose we go into a place where some great artist is manufacturing a machine. We say, "Do you mean to tell us that this is a machine? It does not look like a machine."
The artist replied, "Oh, no sir, you can’t see the finished product, but I can."
Let us not find fault because we see only a small part because in the end it will be a completed product. In this life, we only see here a little and there a little. In the heavenly kingdom, we shall see the right side of the carpet and the completed machine product. The artist had one piece of machinery, one end, one aim, one objective, and all was one.
Let us close our sermon with "Lead On, O King Eternal." We have sung the song many times, but have we really considered how our King leads us day by day? Let us gratefully trust God, and when we go home with Him, we can look back and say, "If we had known the end from the beginning, we would not have wanted to be led any other way."
"Lead on, O King Eternal,
The day of march has come:
Hence-forth in fields of conquest
Thy tents shall be our home;
Through days of preparation
Thy grace has made us strong,
And now, O King Eternal,
We lift our battle song."
-Ernest W. Shrtleff, 1888
Coming Next Month: In April, we will continue the message on God’s providence with five more important points.