Proverbs 16:4 Commentary and Bible Study

Future events are not randomly arranged but are the unfolding of the all-encompassing plan of God. As believers face the future and as they seek the Lord’s guidance for the future, they must remember that they live within the plan of God. His will is mysterious to us and it is largely unknown, but he is perfect in wisdom and our great goal must be to remain in his will, realising that he has a specific will for each one of us. No event is outside of his purposes, even those that seem to us the most perplexing and troublesome. That the plan of God should involve the existence of evil is particularly mysterious to us. We always need to fix in our minds that God cannot do evil, that he is good and unmixed in his goodness. He cannot be tempted by evil, neither does he tempt any man. Yet although God cannot be the source of evil, he has permitted evil to exist for his own purposes. He does not encourage it; he does not approve of it; in fact all that he says is against it, and he will judge it with an eternal judgment. He has made all things for himself, to reveal his wisdom and glory, to show his skill and immensity of mind, to communicate to the angels who can understand what he is doing, and especially to man who takes central stage in the drama of redemption. All the attributes of God are on display in his plan for he interacts with his creatures in order to make them known. He has allowed different elements of creation to come into existence with the intent that he can show his character in relating to each one. The wicked exist in order that the severity of God towards the objects of his wrath should be on display in the Day of Judgment, so that all fear the Lord when they see his uncompromising holiness. The righteous who are justified by faith are a demonstration of God’s infinite mercy and grace in Christ and of his everlasting love towards them.