Genesis #34 - Unlikely Grace #6 - “A Crash Course in the Mystery of Providence” (Genesis 29:1-30)

Genesis 29 and the Mystery of Providence

Let's come to the ministry of God's Word. We are returning finally after a bit of a sort of unplanned break from the book of Genesis, back to our regular sermon series working through the book of Genesis.

We've been in the life of Isaac and Jacob in this series that we've called Unlikely Grace, God's Grace in the Lives of Imperfect People. If you have a copy of God's Word and I hope you do take it and turn with me to Genesis chapter 29.

Genesis chapter 29. Genesis chapter 29 and verses 1 through to 12. Genesis chapter 29 verses 1 to 12. We're actually going to study all the way to verse 30, but that's kind of a longer reading, so we'll just read the first half.

So Genesis chapter 29 verses 1 to 12. If you got your hands on one of the red Bibles we give away, and by the way if you need one just let us know we'll get one to you. The Bibles that we give away, that's on page 24.

Genesis chapter 29 from verse 1 to 12, page 24 in the red hardback Bibles that we give away. If you're able to do so, can I invite you to stand with me out of reverence for God's Word as we come to this portion of scripture.

We like to do this at Redeemer every time we read our sermon text because we want to show, even with our bodies, that we are honoring the Word of God as we come to it. I warn you in advance that might happen a lot today, but I'll do my best to not cough in the microphone like I just did.

Genesis chapter 29 beginning in verse 1. Brothers and sisters, these are God's words. Jacob resumed his journey and went to the eastern country. He looked and saw a well in a field. Three flocks of sheep were lying there beside it because the sheep were watered from this well, but a large stone covered the opening of the well.

The shepherds would roll the stone from the opening of the well and water the sheep when the flocks were gathered there. Then they would return the stone to its place over the opening. Jacob asked the men at the well, my brothers, where are you from?

We're from Haram, they answered. Do you know Laban, Nahor's grandson? Jacob asked them. They answered, we know him. Is he well, Jacob asked. Yes, they said. And here is his daughter Rachel coming with his sheep.

And Jacob said, look, it is still broad daylight. It is not the time for the animals to be gathered. Water the flock, then go out and let them graze. But they replied, we can't until all the flocks have been gathered and the stone is rolled from the well's opening.

Then we will water the sheep. While he was still speaking with them, Rachel came with her father's sheep before she was a shepherdess. As soon as Jacob saw his uncle Laban's daughter Rachel with his sheep, he went up and rolled the stone from the opening and watered his uncle Laban's sheep.

Then Jacob kissed Rachel and wept loudly. He told Rachel that he was her father's relative, Rebecca's son. She ran and told her father. Pray that God will bless that reading of his word and give us understanding of it.

Allow me to pray, ask for God's help, and we will launch ourselves into this text this morning. Let's pray together. My Heavenly Father, I ask especially today for your help in seeking to communicate your word accurately and rightly.

I pray that as we walk our way through this text that has much to teach us about our walk with you, we pray that you would open our eyes, that we'd see wonderful things out of your word. Lord, we pray that every week because unless you do that, it will not happen.

So Father, we pray that that would even take place now. Father, it's our habit to pray for other local churches during this time. Let's take a moment to pray for the brothers and sisters at Salem Reformed Baptist Church.

Thank you for Pastor Gustavo Barres, who serves there, and new elder Joseph Whip, who they have called to serve alongside him. Thank you for the body there. Thank you for, despite many challenges that they've had, that you are raising up a people there in Salem to serve and honor you.

Pray for Pastor Gustavo as he currently enjoys some family vacation, much needed with his wife and kids. Pray for the church who are unfortunately unable to meet this morning because of the bad weather up north.

Pray that you would still minister to your people, even if they're not able to gather and enjoy the means of grace together. May the private use of those means, the word of God and prayer and fellowship as families, may your spirit be pleased to use that to build up their faith.

Pray for Pastor Gustavo's preaching through the book of Titus as they think about matters of the church and leadership. Your spirit would use that to build that body up. Father, we pray that you would continue to bless them and pray that you would bless us now as we come to your word.

We ask you in Jesus' name and for his sake. Amen. If you would give me just a moment, I'm going to grab my tea because my throat is probably going to need that later. Probably. Yes, please. Thank you.

I've tagged our message this morning, a crash course in the mystery of providence. A crash course in the mystery of providence. So our church, Redeemed Bible Fellowship, would be in the tradition of what is typically known as Reformed Theology.

If you've been here a while, you probably know we don't throw that term around a lot. Not because we are ashamed of what we believe theologically, but because, honestly, sometimes using labels can be a distraction and we want to focus on the thing we all should agree on, which is the word of God.

But theologically speaking, we would say we're a church that believes in Reformed Theology. You may think, I've never heard that phrase before. Well, let me give you a 90-second version. Reformed Theology simply means we believe in a high view of God, a high view of what God does as Father, Son, and Spirit, and a high view of Scripture because that's how we come to know God.

That would be my really short version of what being Reformed means. But there are lots of more intricate details to that, of course, and I think one of the unique hallmarks of the sort of theological tradition, this big fancy way of saying what we believe and what churches like us believe, one of the unique hallmarks of that is what Reformed Theology has to teach us about providence.

Not the place in Rhode Island, but the work of God that he does in his providence. As one of the doctrinal statements that came out of the Reformation stream puts it, and I've put it in the study guide but will be on screen as well, in answering the question what are God's works of providence, they said that God's works of providence are his most holy, wise, and powerful preserving and governing of all his creatures and their actions.

Read that again, that God's work of providence are his most holy, wise, and powerful preserving and governing all his creatures and all their actions. Explaining this, J .I. Packer put it like this, he said if creation was a unique exercise of divine energy causing the world to be, providence is a continued exercise of that same energy whereby the creator, according to his own will, a. keeps all things in being, b. involves himself in all things, and c. directs all things to their appointed end.

That's what we mean when we talk about God's providence, that God not only preserves his creation, but he governs, he rules over his creation and the actions of that creation. As one of my favorite verses in the Bible puts it, Ephesians 1 .11, everything is working out according to the plan of the one who works out everything in agreement with the purpose of his will.

Brief theology lesson over, we'll have another theology lesson in a moment, but I start there this morning because what we're going to study in the life of Jacob is really going to be a crash course in what happens when providence is worked out in real life.

If I can use the illustration, think of this like a movie that comes from a book. Now, I'll be honest, I don't read a lot of fiction, I'd rather watch fiction. That's just me, don't throw stones at me, I'm sick.

But when movies come from books, you have the book, which then gets turned into a screenplay, which then turns into the movie, right? The screenplay contains all of the details. When the writer and the director and the producers and all the people come together and make the movie, they know what's going to happen.

They know all the details, right down to what the person's going to wear in the next scene, right down to what moves the camera will make. Everything is laid out cleanly. But when you go to a movie, I think I'm on safe ground in saying that most of us who've ever seen a movie, we've never gone into a movie with the screenplay in our hands, reading it page by page.

No, what ends up happening is we see the finished product. And what we're going to see in this passage is how the finished product plays itself out in the life of Jacob. Like I said, we are returning to a study in the book of Genesis.

If you've not been with us, let me bring you up to speed real quick. Genesis is the beginning of God's covenant story. It begins with the creation of the world, and then it moves into the creation of the people of Israel through whom God is going to work out his covenant purpose.

And we've been studying the life of the fathers of Israel for quite some time. We studied the life of Abraham about a year ago. And since, I want to say, was it mid-November? Since about mid-November, we've been studying the lives of Isaac and now Jacob.

Our last study ended us at the end of chapter 28. And at the end of chapter 28, Jacob's deception of his father, which happened very early on in the story, and the fallout of that, in a sense, came home to roost.

He was forced to flee for his life, but yes, he's forced to flee from his life from the rage of his brother, who he defrauded. But though he's fleeing for his life, he's not fleeing without the promises and the presence of God.

Yes, it's a tragic episode in quite a few ways, but it's not an episode that's without some hope. Well, Jacob's journey is about to come to an end, at least this part of his journey. And actually, by the time that we're done with the message today, we would have covered close to about 15 years worth of his life.

So, we're going to cover quite a big stretch of his life here. And as I said, this episode in the life of Jacob hopefully will teach us a thing or two about how God's providence works in the life of a believer.

So, what exactly does this passage have to teach us about providence? Well, if I can put it in one short sentence, providence is designed by God to show us our utter dependence on Him. Providence is designed by God to show us our utter dependence on Him.

If you don't remember anything else about the doctrine of God's providence and how it plays itself out, remember this. We are told the providence of God in the Bible. We are shown God's providential working in the Bible exactly so that we would be utterly dependent on Him.

Providence is designed by God to show us as creatures our utter dependence on Him. Well, how are we going to see this work itself out in this text? Well, like I said, this text is going to give us a crash course in the mystery of providence and it's going to do so in two vital lessons.

So, this morning we're all going back to school and there's only two lessons on the schedule for today. Crash course in the mystery of providence in two vital lessons. How does providence show us our dependence on God?

Well, first of all, it shows us because God's providence can look like provision. God's providence can look like provision, verses 1 through 12. So, without much further ado, let's jump into our text.

Verse one, Jacob resumed his journey and went to the eastern country. Now, the CSB, which is a good translation of where I preach from it, it translates that phrase there, the eastern country, just says it's the country that's out east.

But literally, and some translations do this, it literally reads the land of the people of the east. And now, the temptation might be to just kind of read that and gloss over it, oh, that's the direction he's going in.

But actually, if you've been paying attention in Genesis, which I hope you have, the east, ever since the fall took place, the direction of the east has a less than warm reputation. Let me see if I can paint the picture here.

So, Adam and Eve are expelled from the garden, Genesis chapter three, that's after the fall. They're asked to leave this garden temple, this place that God's presence is supposed to be seen and experienced and known.

They are asked to leave this place. As they leave this place, the Bible says that God posts an angel to guard the entrance to this place. Where's the angel positioned, if you know the story? If you don't, Genesis 3 .24, the east.

It's interesting, Eden itself is said to be out east. But now, the entrance to this place is blocked off from the east. Fast forward to Genesis chapter 11. So, there's no doubt if you've read the Bible, or even if you haven't read the Bible, you've probably heard the story of the Tower of Babel.

Colds are terrible. So, you have the Tower of Babel incident where all the languages are separated out. Genesis 11, if you remember that passage, it tells us that they build this thing out towards the east as they're migrating east.

Probably remember this when we looked at the life of Abraham, but chapter 25, when he sends Keturah's children away, text says that he sends them to the land of the east. I put it to you that when you read the book of Genesis, the east is where those outside of God's covenant promises are.

The east is not just a location. I hesitate to use this word, but I can't think of another one. It's almost symbolic of where those outside of the promises of God are. Which, to an extent, that's where Jacob finds himself.

He's away from his family, and he's away from the covenant community. Yes, the presence and the promises of God are indeed with Jacob, but they aren't with the folks that he's about to go make his home with.

But apparently, he journeys for quite some time as we come to verse two. So, look at verse two with me. Text says, he looked and saw a well in a field. Three flocks of sheep were lying there beside it because the sheep were watered from this well, but a large stone covered the opening of the well.

The shepherds would roll the stone from the opening of the well and water the sheep when all the flocks were gathered there. Then they would return the stone to its place over the well's opening. A well, sheep, and obviously shepherds to look over those sheep, all imply that there's some kind of community nearby.

Now, the fact that this well has a stone covering it, no big deal. This is more than likely a private well, and remember, this is in the middle of the desert. Water is more precious than gold in some respects.

You do not want someone having a five-finger discount with your water supply. But the way that this is put together seems to suggest that this stone, which is meant to be there for protection, is large enough that it seems, and please pay attention to me using that word seems here, it seems as though you need multiple people to move it.

So the local shepherds are like, look, nobody wants to keep moving this thing. Let's just all get together one time and move it when we need to do this. It sounds like this is a really large stone that you need multiple people to move.

I'm going to question that later on, but for now it's not really important, so we'll keep moving. But for the most part, this is pretty ordinary. A man on the journey finds a well and he finds some of the locals.

But this is where we start to see, when we talked about this word providence, this is where we start to see providence in action. Because look at verse four, I think Jacob gets some sense of where he is geographically.

Because verse four, Jacob asked the men at the well, my brothers, where are you from? We're from Haran, they answered. He said, do you know Laban, Nahor's grandson? Jacob asked them. They answered, we know him.

Is he well, Jacob asked. Yes, they said. And here is his daughter, Rachel, coming with his sheep. Here he is. He's made it back to the land of his mother. His uncle is still alive and apparently he's a man of means.

How do we know this? He just has to invoke his name and people know who he is. That wasn't the case for everybody, even in small communities in the ancient world. People know him and he has sheep, which tells you he's a man of means.

And his uncle, who's apparently still alive, has at least one daughter. So Jacob's learning some things here. Jacob might not have immediately known it, but this is God's quiet providential provision at work.

Now, before we dig into that a little more, remember how I said I had some questions about this whole stone over the well thing and how it seems like you need multiple people to move this. But look at verses seven to nine, because Jacob's a homebody.

We know this from how he's described at the beginning, but apparently he knew a thing or two about being a shepherd. Because look at verse seven. Then Jacob said, it is still broad daylight. It is not time for the animals to be gathered.

Water the flock and then go out and let them graze. He seems to know that, yeah, there's a time when the animals need to come together. There's a time where they need to go roam and graze like animals do.

Jacob is not an ignorant person when it comes to farming, unlike me. But verse eight, it says they replied, we can't until all the flocks have been gathered and the stone is rolled away from the well's opening.

Then we will water the sheep. So again, here they come with this story of, well, we would, but, you know, we aren't all here and we all need to be here to move this thing. Okay. Cause why are you forcing this point?

Well, look at verse 10. As soon as Jacob saw his uncle Laban's daughter, Rachel with his sheep, he went up and rolled the stone from the opening and watered his uncle Laban's sheep. Now either Jacob has superhuman strength, which by the way, some commentators actually say this.

I've read multiple commentators. We say, well, this is a feat of superhuman strength. My general rule of Bible interpretation is this. The simplest answer is the one you probably should go for unless a text tells you otherwise.

So if one man who, by the way, Jacob is about his forties at this point, he's not young, young, but if one man can move this thing by himself, either his name that we don't know about is Clark Kent, but that's way too early.

Either he has superhuman strength or hear me out. These guys are just lazy. I happen to lean toward these guys are just lazy because when Jacob asked what's their first thing to do, give excuses. Here's my take.

Jacob is being presented by the writer of Genesis is hardworking and fruitful, which by the way, was one of the blessings of the covenant. He's been presented as hardworking and fruitful as opposed to the people of the land of the East, who are kind of not.

See, God is paving ways for his covenant child, even in a very unlikely environment. Let me think about this with me for a moment. What are the odds that Jacob would happen to be there at the right time, meet the right people, do the exact thing they needed.

Oh, and by the way, let's not skip over the meeting his second cousin part. Humanly speaking, not that I encourage betting. You should not bet. That's a bad use of your money, but humanly speaking, these are not betting odds, but all of this to happen at one time, I'm not putting money behind that.

These are not magnificent odds, but can I put it to you? When has God been in the business of abiding by the odds, especially where his children are concerned? The Bible makes it clear to us time and time again, that for the sake of his children, God will move heaven and earth to provide for them.

After all, this is the God of the Psalmist, the one the Psalmist spoke of when he said Psalm 57, one and two, be gracious to me, God, be gracious to me for I take refuge in you. I will seek refuge in the shadow of your wings until danger passes.

I call out to God most high, to God who fulfills his purpose for me. This is the God of the Psalmist in Psalm 138 when he says, Yahweh will fulfill his purpose for me. Yahweh, your faithful love endures forever.

And so he can say, do not abandon the work of your hands. Part of how God's providence works itself out is that it looks like provision. And so I have to ask, how quick are you to observe God's providence in the form of provision and to thank him for it?

When we're tempted to think about what we don't have, how quick are you to turn that around and thank God for the things he has graciously provided? Our culture was over time for us to be constantly disgruntled and dissatisfied and desiring more.

But can I encourage you that one of the most helpful things you can do as a Christian is to meditate on God's providence towards you. I quoted Psalm 57 verse two. That was the verse that became the foundation of a really classic book.

It's where I got both the sermon, part of the sermon title today, and I've recommended it in our study guide. It's called The Mystery of Providence by John Flavel. And his argument in that book is the believer is most helped in their walk with Jesus when they are regularly reflecting on and thinking about God's provision of providence.

So can I encourage you, meditate on that. Take some time to consider how good God has been to you. It's still early enough in the year, I think, that we can take some time and look back on 2023 and say, how was God gracious in this year?

I don't know. I don't feel like God was all that gracious this year. Well, not to make light of the difficulties of the year, 2023 had some difficult moments for me too, so I won't tell you that there are no difficult moments in life.

But not to be flippant about it, but you're here, aren't you? You're alive. As you know, I'm Ghanaian by birth, I suppose. My culture, we say, you're still standing on your two feet. God has been good.

Yes, life is hard. I agree with what Job said. One of the verses that I've always found funny in the Bible, Job 5, 7, I believe it's Job who says this, that man is born to trouble like sparks fly upward.

That's true. Life is hard. We should not deny that. But we can all agree, it's not all doom and gloom though, because God is good and He is gracious and He provides for us, that as His word says, that we know all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to His purpose.

Most of this sermon this week was prepped in bed because that was the only place I felt comfortable to work in. And as I sat in bed preparing this sermon, and at one point feeling very sorry for myself, I think it was like Friday, didn't feel 100 at all.

I remember the song from not long after I became a Christian in 2005. Maybe not one I'd use in worship, but it's a good song nonetheless. And the chorus ends with this line, which I think is a great way to think about God's provision.

The chorus ends with this line, life is hard, but God is good. That even in the difficulties of life, we still have so much to praise God for. Jacob experienced the reality that God's providence can look like God providing for His people.

That's what some Puritans used to call the sunny side of providence. The side where God makes His face to shine upon us, the number six passage, He makes His face shine on us and blesses us. That's the sunny side of providence.

We should thank God for that and embrace that. But can I put it to you that not all providence is indeed that pleasant? Because sometimes, point number two, providence can look like discipline. God's providence can look like discipline.

Verses 13 to 30 of our text. Now I'm just going to warn you in advance, this half of the sermon is going to feel way longer than the first part, because there's a lot more work we need to do. The first half of this episode of the life and times of Jacob starts off promising.

He's found his family. In fact, he's made the local men not look all that great. This is all looking good, but pick it up in verse 13. When Laban heard the news about his sister's son Jacob, he ran to meet him, hugged him and kissed him.

Then he took him to his house and Jacob told him all that had happened. Laban said to him, yes, you are my own flesh and blood. After Jacob had stayed with him a month, Laban said to him, just because you're my relative, should you work for me for nothing?

Tell me what your wages should be. Now, this might sound nice on, you know, on the surface. Uncle's like, hey, I'm going to hook you up. I'm going to hook you up though. What do you need? But before you go, there's a couple of details.

First of all, this wasn't the custom in the person offered to pay you or they didn't. This is also a small issue that you typically didn't pay family. Family just worked for you because they were family.

But I think Laban's being extra sneaky here because this is an honor and shame culture. Jacob can't dishonor his clan by asking for too much and Laban knows it. Essentially, he's telling, but not telling Jacob, you got to offer me a family discount.

Whether he would like to or not, he's going to take a family discount. Now, Laban is presented to us as a very shrewd and slick character, and that's going to come back to actually haunt him in the future.

But remember who we're dealing with here. This is Jacob. Laban might be slick, but so is Jacob. I think he realized he can't make any real money, but he can get something, or should I say someone else?

Because look at verse 16. Now, Laban had two daughters. The older was named Leah and the younger was named Rachel. Leah had tender eyes, but Rachel was shapely and beautiful. Jacob loved Rachel, and so he answered Laban, I'll work for you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel.

Now, we get a foreshadowing of what's about to happen with the description of these two sisters. Leah is older and Rachel is younger. Leah is described as having tender eyes. Some of your Bibles might say weak eyes.

Yes, you can translate the word weak, tender is weak there. Small problem, weak eyes. And the idea is that, well, it's pointing out Leah is, and I want to be careful because I'm a guy and I have to watch my words when I say this, not as pretty as Rachel, shall we say.

And so this is the author's kind way of saying, Leah ain't much to look at, Rachel is. Actually, that doesn't work because again, in the ancient Near East, a woman's eyes were part of her charm. And this word can be translated as tender.

Having tender eyes would have been seen as a good thing, which is why the CSB rightly translates it as having tender eyes. But whereas Leah has tender eyes, Rachel is described as being shapely and beautiful.

So the author is kind of saying, Leah is pretty, but she's not Rachel pretty. Jacob can apparently see that because the passage says that he loved Rachel. Now, he's only been here a month, but hey, you know, it's been a month.

It's plenty of time. Um, you know, it's love at first sight. You know, this should, you know, we should make this a period piece, you know, middle of the desert style. Well, Jane Austen's dead, but maybe she could write something like that.

I don't know. But sorry, you probably knew it was coming. This is no Jane Austen novel. I mean, this is not Jane, it's Genesis. That word for loved, it can, it can mean romance in the sense we think of it as, but it can range from genuine romance to infatuation.

In fact, let me give you a preview of, I was going to say coming attractions, but there's nothing attractive about this. Genesis chapter 34. Um, we're going to witness an event involving Leah's daughter, Dinah, the only one of Jacob's daughters, where a local chieftain's son sees Dinah, forces himself upon her.

And then Genesis 34 .3, the text says he became infatuated with Jacob's daughter, Dinah. The word for infatuated, exactly the same word here. Kofi, why do you think this is negative? Is it because you generally don't like romance?

No, but think about it for a moment. Oh, Jake, does Jake really know this woman all that well? I think we can say it's been a month. I mean, you can get to know someone in a month pretty well, but enough to marry him.

I'm sorry. This is just my personal opinion. I'm a little skeptical. I'm also skeptical, not just because I'm personally skeptical, but the passage goes out of his way to only give us physical descriptions of both sisters, because it's trying to point out to us something that I think is critical.

It's not sensible thinking that's driving Jacob's decision here. I think it's just bad, old fashioned. I was going to say good old fashioned, but there's nothing good about it's bad, old fashioned lost.

Laban is more than happy to play on this. So verse 19 Laban replied, better that I give her to you than some other man say with me. So Jacob worked for seven years for Rachel and they seem like only a few days to him because of his love read infatuation for her.

Now, if you need any more proof that this is not love, but last, I think verse 21 clears up all the doubts. So verse 21, then Jacob said to Laban, since my time is complete. So first of all, can we credit the author of Genesis for how quickly we've just moved through seven years?

Then Jacob said to Laban, since my time is complete, give me my wife. Now, if he stopped there, I'd have no problem because that was, you said, let me set my wages. I asked for your daughter. You said no problem.

It's what he says afterwards. I'll be honest. I have a problem since my time is complete. Verse 21. Give me my wife so I can sleep with her. Now, let me pause for a moment. I'm about to be a father of a girl.

I'm a father of a son right now. I have sis. I have actually, I have sisters. I have two sisters, fathers in the room. If a man came to you and spoke about your daughter in this way, what would your response be?

I salute the honesty. The man just says, Hey, give me your daughter so I can sleep with her. Wait, what? Find your way up at my house. But first of all, it says a lot about Laban that Laban doesn't check this nearly disrespectful response from Jacob.

But more than that, I think it gives us an insight into who Jacob is. And it's not a good one. Yes, we have seen some growth in Jacob, but for all the growth that we've seen, this guy is still driven by his lust and by his scheming.

He is God's child, but let's be clear. Jacob is an unruly one. But here's the thing about God. One of the great goodnesses of God. There are many, of course, this is one of the great goodnesses of God.

As unruly as his children can be prone to be, God doesn't let his children run riot, not for long anyway. God is about to providentially deal with his son through some divine discipline. But before we get to how God disciplines Jacob, I want to take a moment and talk about this concept of divine discipline in general real quick.

So I think on the back of the third page, you see a little section titled Divine Discipline. Remember, I promised you that we'd have another theology lesson this morning. This is theology lesson number two real quick.

I usually don't have one on the sermon. Today you get two for one. Enjoy. The subject of divine discipline is not a popular one. I was listening to my brother Pastor John Benzinger preach last night on marriage.

And he made the point that if you want to empty your church, talk about marriage, talk about money, talk about prayer, and talk about evangelism. Those typically make people uncomfortable. And I was sitting there listening to this as I was prepping this message.

I was like, yeah, John, I'd add one more. Talk about divine discipline. I've been teaching the Bible long enough to know that when you start to talk about this, folks get very edgy very quickly. But I found this because as I was preparing this message and I was thinking through this, granted thinking through a fog, I struggled to find good material on this because people just don't like talking about this.

So I did what I always do. And honestly, I love doing it. I said, all right, let me go ask some Christians who came before me what they had to say about this. And this is what I found they had to say.

It should be in front of you in the study guide. Uh, this is what one of the confessions that came out of the reformation period. This is what it has to say. Well, the perfectly wise, righteous, and gracious God, excuse me, often allows his own children for a time to experience a variety of temptations and the sinfulness of their own hearts.

He does this to chastise them for their former sins or to make them aware of the hidden strength of the corruption and deceitfulness of their hearts so that they may be humbled. He also does this to lead them to a closer and more constant dependence on him to sustain them, to make them more cautious about all future circumstances that may lead to sin and for other just and holy purposes.