Living By Faith In God's Promises

HOW involved is God in earth's affairs? Opinions vary. One view is that he is not involved at all. Having set things in motion through creation, he is either unwilling or unable to act in our behalf. In this view, God is like a father who puts his son on a new bicycle, steadies it, and gives it a push to start his son down the road. After that, the father walks away. The boy is on his own; he may fall, or he may not. Either way, the matter is out of the father's hands.

Another view is that God is actively directing every aspect of our lives and that he is directly involved with ever occurrence throughout his creation. If this is so, however, some would conclude that God causes not only the good things that happen but also the crime and tragedy that afflict humankind. Knowing the truth about God's dealings will help us know what to expect of him. It will also fortify our faith in the certain fulfillment of his promises. - Hebrews 11:1.

Central to the question of God's involvement in human affairs is the fact that Jehovah is a God of purpose. This is implicit in his very name. "Jehovah" means "He Causes to Become." With progressive action, Jehovah causes himself to be the Fulfiller of all his promises. Consequently, Jehovah is spoken of as 'forming,' or fashioning, his purpose concerning future events or actions. (2Kings 19:25; Isaiah 46:11) These terms are from the Hebrew word ya-tsar', related to the word meaning "potter." (Jeremiah 18:4) Just as a skillful potter can shape a lump of clay into a beautiful vase, Jehovah can shape, or maneuver, things to accomplish his will. -Ephesians 1:11.

For example, God purposed that the earth would be a place of exquisite beauty to be inhabited by perfect, obedient humans. (Isaiah 45:18) Long before he created the first man and woman, Jehovah made loving preparation for them. The opening chapters of the book of Genesis describe how Jehovah established day and night, land and sea. Next he created vegetation and animal life. This habitation involved many thousands of years. The project was successfully completed. The first man and woman began their lives in Eden, a delightful paradise that was fully provisioned so that they could enjoy life. (Genesis 1:31) Thus Jehovah was directly involved in earth's affairs, progressively fashioning his works to his lofty purpose. Did the expansion of the human family change his involvement?

Next time: Jehovah Limits His Dealings With Humans

Watchtower,1999