by John Brown of Haddington
The wisdom of God is shown in various ways. Firstly, in proposing the most appropriate ends for his conduct, as stated in Rom 11:36, Prov 16:4, and Isa 43:21. Secondly, in choosing suitable means, as seen in 2 Sam 14:14. Thirdly, in leading him to act by those means in proper circumstances of time and place, as described in Gal 4:4, Eph 1:10, Ezek 16:8, Ezek 28:25-26, and Ezek 29:21. Fourthly, in leading to act by a right rule or plan, as in Eph 1:11, Isa 46:10, and Jer 29:11, is called his wisdom.
It is evident that God is wise. The Scriptures plainly declare that he is wise, as in Job 12:13,16, Job 36:4-5, Job 38-39, Job 28:12,22-28, Prov 8, Rom 11:33-34, Isa 40:13-14, Dan 2:20, 1 Cor 1:21-25, 1 Cor 3:18, Eph 3:10, 1 Tim 1:17, Jude 25, and Rom 16:27. He gives much wisdom to his creatures, as shown in 1 Kings 3:12, 1 Kings 4:29, Ezra 7:25, Job 35:10-11, Job 36:22, Job 38:16, Prov 2:6-7, Prov 8:12, Eccles 2:26, Eph 3:10, James 1:5, Isa 28:26, Job 32:8, Matt 16:17, Isa 48:17, Isa 29:24, and Jer 31:34. His wisdom is extensively and clearly manifested:
In his purposes - in forming a perfectly exact plan of all that comes to pass in time and eternity, and of everything in such perfect correspondence with his principal and subordinate ends, as stated in Isa 40:13-14, Isa 46:10, Isa 14:26-27, and Eph 1:8-11.
In his creation of all things - in the amazing variety of creatures, seeds, instincts, members, endowments, vegetative, sensible, or rational - and of dispositions, quantities, forms, voices, etc. as in Ps 104:24 and Gen 1. Also, in their beauty, and in their order, with respect to themselves, and in their situations and motions, as in Eccles 3:11, and in their fitness to answer their respective ends - and in so connecting things one with another, in an almost infinite number of forms, as in Hos 2:21-22.
In his providence - in his upholding and governing every creature and all its actions and motions in exact correspondence to the ends appointed in every particular moment of time, as in Heb 1:3 and Eph 1:11. Also, in making awful and threatening providences an introduction to the most glorious and delightful events, as in the cases of Sarah, Jacob, and Joseph, and in the experiences of the Israelites, as in Gen 21, Gen 28, Gen 32, Exod 1, Josh 24, 1 Sam 4-31, 2 Sam 1-10, 1 Chron 11-29, 1 Kings 1-10, Rom 1-3, and Titus 3:3-5.
In promoting his holy and glorious ends amidst all the different, contrary, or wicked ends of his instruments (Isaiah 10:5-12; Isaiah 44:28; Isaiah 45:1-5), God accomplishes many remarkable things. For example, when the Egyptians urged the Israelites to leave their country to escape the plagues, God sped up the Israelites' exodus so that he could fulfill his promise to Abraham down to the day, if not the minute (Exodus 12:41-42 with Genesis 15:13-16). Despite Augustus's intentions, war and other accidents delayed the enrollment of his subjects in Canaan until it brought the virgin Mary from Nazareth to Bethlehem to give birth to her divine child. This enrollment ensured that he, his mother, and her husband were all listed in the public imperial registers of the world as descendants of David and citizens of Bethlehem, where they lived for only a brief time (Luke 2; Matthew 2; Micah 5:2; Isaiah 11:1).
God also accomplishes many things by promoting multiple ends in a single act. For example, when Joseph was sold as a slave, it saved the Egyptians and their neighbors from perishing due to famine, corrected Jacob's indulgence of his children, promoted Joseph's honor, and brought his father's family into Egypt (Genesis 37-47; Psalm 105).
Furthermore, God promotes ends that are exceedingly remote. When Balak hired Balaam to curse the Israelites, and Balaam made his predictions, the report of the future incarnation of Christ spread among the eastern nations. About 1500 years later, this led the wise men to observe his star and follow it to worship him at his birth. Their gifts supported him, his mother, and supposed father while they were exiles in Egypt (Numbers 22-24 with Matthew 2).
God also counterplots his most crafty enemies with ease, making their most violent opposition to his will the very means of promoting it (Proverbs 21:30; Psalm 33:10; Job 5:12-13; Job 12:16-20; Isaiah 29:14; 1 Corinthians 1:20,25,27). For example, the hardness of Pharaoh's heart made the deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt more honourable and godlike. The alarming invasions of Judea in the days of Jehoshaphat and Hezekiah resulted in the glory and enrichment of the Jews (2 Chronicles 20; Isaiah 33:3,7; Isaiah 36; Isaiah 37).
Finally, God precisely times events. For instance, the Israelites were restrained from entering Canaan until the rebellious despisers of it were all dead, the iniquity of the Canaanites was full, and they had weakened themselves with their internal wars (Numbers 14:26; Genesis 15:16; Judges 1). Similarly, the incarnation of Christ was delayed until the need for his salvation of humankind was fully manifest, sufficient expectation of him had arisen from widespread warnings, the Jews had become wicked enough to persecute and murder him, and they had fallen under the power of the Romans who crucified their slaves (Galatians 4:4; Matthew 2-27; John 5-19). The church, or her true members, seldom meet with remarkable deliverances until their troubles have reached an extremity (Micah 4:10; Psalm 12:5; Deuteronomy 32:36; Isaiah 33:10; Isaiah 41:17-18; Daniel 12:1; Psalm 142:4-5; Psalm 124; Acts 12:6-14; Revelation 11:7-15.
God's wisdom is evident in his providential care of all creatures, even those without reason. Firstly, He guides them all to promote ends that benefit the world and bring glory to Him. Secondly, He guides them without their own understanding, yet in harmony with their instincts. Thirdly, He uses means and instruments that seem to take the honour for the work, but reserves it all for Himself.
Furthermore, God's wisdom is seen in His governance of mankind. Firstly, He provides them with laws that suit their nature, condition, conscience, and comfort. Secondly, He gives them sufficient ability, inclinations, and assistance to obey those laws, unless their disobedience procures a curse. Thirdly, He provides them with proper motives and encouragements to obedience according to their condition. Fourthly, He provides them with suitable intimations of His will.
Fifthly, He limits their sinfulness and brings glory to Himself and good to them out of it. He makes the rage and power of sin contribute to its own destruction and the glory of His free grace. Sixthly, He orchestrates every change made upon their state, nature, or condition to mark His displeasure with sin and manifest the exceeding riches of His grace.
Examples of His wisdom in action include Christ being long promised and foreshadowed before His incarnation, and the doctrine of justification by free grace being delivered in an Epistle to the church at Rome where it would be corrupted and denied. God also limits and uses sin for good and orchestrates every change to mark His displeasure with sin and showcase the glory of His grace.
God's wisdom is evident in his providential management of irrational creatures. Firstly, he guides them all to promote ends that are beneficial to the world as well as his glory, without their own design but in accordance with their diverse instincts (Proverbs 16:4; Psalm 104; Psalm 148). Secondly, he promotes his government by using means and instruments that seem to take all the credit for the work but he reserves all the honour for himself (Romans 11:36; Revelation 4:11-13).
God's wisdom is more abundantly revealed in his government of mankind. He gives them laws that are suitable for their nature, condition, conscience, and comfort (Romans 7:12,14; 1 Timothy 1:8; Psalm 19:7-10; Psalm 119). He also gives them sufficient ability, inclinations, and assistance to obey these laws, unless a curse brought about by their disobedience prevents it (Philippians 2:12-13; Philippians 1:6; Isaiah 26:12; 2 Thessalonians 1:11). Moreover, he provides them with proper motives and encouragements to obedience that are suitable for their condition (Isaiah 55:1-7; Jeremiah 3; Hosea 14; 1 Corinthians 15:58; Hebrews 10-13).
God also reveals his will to them in amazing and suitable ways. Christ was long promised and foreshadowed before he appeared in the flesh. He also uttered several seemingly undervaluing-like words to his mother, whom he foresaw the Papists would idolize. He rebuked and recorded the faults of Peter, whom he foresaw they would blasphemously avow as the infallible head of their church. Additionally, the doctrine of justification by free grace through faith in Christ's imputed righteousness is mainly delivered in an epistle to the church at Rome, where he foresaw it would be particularly corrupted and denied (John 2:4; Luke 11:27-28; Matthew 12:48-49; Matthew 14:31; Matthew 16:22-23; Matthew 26:34-35,69-75; Luke 5:8; John 13:6-10; John 18:19; John 18:11; John 19:26; John 21:20-22; Galatians 2:11-14; Romans 1-10).
Furthermore, God limits mankind's sinfulness, and brings glory to himself and good to them out of it. He makes the rage and power of sin contribute to its own destruction and advance the glory of his free grace (Psalm 76:10; Romans 5:20-21). The means, tendency, and timing of every change made to their state, nature, or condition harmoniously concur to mark his displeasure with sin and to manifest the exceeding riches of his grace (Romans 5:12-21; 2 Thessalonians 1:6-11; Acts 22:6; 1 Timothy 1:11-17; 1 Corinthians 8-10; Galatians 1:15-16,22-23; Ephesians 1:3-10; Ephesians 2:1-10).
The wisdom of God is most evident in our redemption through Christ, seen in the person of the Redeemer. Firstly, in choosing Him, the Son of God and mediator between God and us, to make us the friends and children of God, and correspond with the divine nature (John 3:16, Romans 8:16-17, Isaiah 61:1, Isaiah 48:16). Secondly, in uniting His finite and infinite natures in one person without confusion or opposition (1 Timothy 3:16, Jeremiah 31:22, Isaiah 7:14, Isaiah 9:6, Zechariah 13:7, John 1:14, Philippians 2:6-7). Thirdly, in investing Him with mediatorial offices for His glory and our happiness (Isaiah 49:1-9, Isaiah 42:1,8, Isaiah 61, Isaiah 1:3, Philippians 2:6-13, Luke 2:10-14, Ephesians 3:21, 1 Peter 4:11). Fourthly, in the form and order of His states of abasement and exaltation, answering to our guilty, polluted, and wretched condition (Luke 2:10-14, Philippians 2:6-11, Luke 24:26, Hebrews 2:10, Hebrews 13:20).
It also appears in the purchase of our redemption, reconciling the discordant perfections of the Deity, manifesting God's love and hatred of sin, executing infinite wrath on Christ for infinite love, and making His perfections promote their own glory (Psalm 85:10, Matthew 3:15, Hebrews 2:10, Colossians 2:9, Romans 5:6-10, Romans 3:24-26, Romans 8:3, Matthew 3:17, Matthew 17:5, Isaiah 53:10, 1 John 4:9-10, Philippians 2:6-11, Hebrews 2:8-10, Isaiah 53:10-12, Romans 5:9-11,15-21, Daniel 9:24, 1 John 3:5-6,8, 1 Peter 2:24, 1 Peter 3:18, Revelation 5:9).
Finally, it appears in the publication of our redemption, where all reports correspond with our necessities and the intended ends, and God used strange means to make every perfection promote its own glory (1 Timothy 1:15). The wisdom of God is evident in the gradual publication of redemption, which was suited to the infant or more adult state of the church (Hebrews 1:1, Hebrews 10:1, John 1:17, Colossians 2:17), and in the application of our redemption to unexpected persons, situations, and means (1 Corinthians 1:25-31, 1 Timothy 1:13,16, Philemon 10-16, Romans 5:20-21, Romans 7:8-13, Isaiah 33:12-24, 2 Chronicles 33:11-12, Hosea 2:7,14, Hosea 5:15, Job 33:14-30). All things, especially those disliked, work together for the good of the elect and believers (Romans 8:28, 2 Corinthians 4:17, 1 Corinthians 3:22).
The publication of redemption was gradual, as people could handle it, Hebrews 1:1. The format was tailored to the infant or adult state of the church, and thus more or less spiritual, Hebrews 1:1; Hebrews 10:1; John 1:17; Colossians 2:17. Incomplete hints about the incarnation of the Son of God and his atonement for sin were retained or disseminated among the heathen to facilitate the spread and acceptance of the gospel, Acts 17:23. God took special care to have all the main revelations of divine truth adequately confirmed. The more prominent declarations of divine truth were well-timed. The reports of Christ's resurrection were released fifty days after it, when the murderous Jews had time to collect themselves, when the facts were accurately remembered, and when some of the fourteen nations attending the Feast of Pentecost were present to hear and disseminate them, Acts 2. In choosing such instruments and opportunities for publication, God made His power and goodness more evident in the success of it, 2 Corinthians 4:7.
It also appears in the application of our redemption. The individuals to whom it is usually applied are those who we would least anticipate having His exceptional favour, but that is what shows His glory, 1 Corinthians 1:25-31; 1 Timothy 1:13,16. Their own or their neighbour's sinful behaviour or suffering often leads to the application. For instance, Onesimus' theft and desertion of his service resulted in his conversion to Christ, Philemon 10-16. Even the fury of lust and overwhelming trouble are employed to make the application, Romans 5:20-21; Romans 7:8-13; Isaiah 33:12-24; 2 Chronicles 33:11-12; Hosea 2:7,14; Hosea 5:15; Job 33:14-30. All things, particularly those they most dislike, work together for the good of the elect, particularly believers, Romans 8:28; 2 Corinthians 4:17; 1 Corinthians 3:22.
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