Coincidence?
Ruth 2:3: "Then she left, and went and gleaned in the field after the reapers. And she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech."
Esther 6:1-4: That night the king could not sleep; so one was commanded to bring the book of the records of the chronicles, and they were read before the king. And it was found written that Mordecai had told of Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs, the doorkeepers, who had sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus. Then the king said, "What honor or dignity has been bestowed on Mordecai for this?" And the king’s servants who attended him said, "Nothing has been done for him." So the king said, "Who is in the court?" Now Haman had just entered the outer court of the king’s palace to suggest that the king hang Mordecai on the gallows that he had prepared for him. The king’s servants said to him, "Haman is there, standing in the court." And the king said, "Let him come in."
Isaiah 45:7: "I form the light and create darkness, I make peace and create calamity; I, the Lord, do all these things."
Isaiah 45:8: "Rain down, you heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness; let the earth open, let them bring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring up together. I, the Lord, have created it."
Isaiah 46:10: "Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done, saying, 'My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure,'"
Proverbs 21:1: "The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes."
"Coincidence" – a term that you would not expect to find in the Bible. When reading this incident, one gets the impression that the Holy Spirit is practically writing "from a human perspective": it really does seem to be a coincidence that Ruth gleaned in Boaz's field out of all the fields of Bethlehem. Ruth had no concrete plan but simply went to Boaz's field ("Ruth happened to come to the part of the field of Boaz"; Ruth 2:3).
But in fact, this was divine providence, with the aim of fulfilling God's plan that we see in Matthew 1:5: "Boaz begat Obed of Ruth." So Ruth had no choice but to end up with Boaz. Not a blind coincidence, not a beautiful twist of fate, not a whim of Fortuna, but divine providence. Whatever happens is either caused or permitted by God.
We find this encouraging thought several times in Scripture:
- Even though on the surface his brothers sold Joseph into slavery in Egypt, years later he recognized God's hand behind it: "It was not you who sent me here, but God" (Gen. 45:8).
- It looks like a coincidence ...
- that Mordecai hears of the conspiracy against King Ahasuerus and uncovers it (Est. 2:21, 22);
- that the king cannot sleep on the very night before Mordecai is to be killed (Est. 5:14; 6:1);
- that the king had the very book that tells of Mordecai's heroic deed read to him; that his servants read this same passage (Est. 6:2);
- that Haman was down in the courtyard at the exact time the king asked about it (Est. 6:4).
The name "God" does not appear once in the entire book of Esther, but God himself is clearly visible as the one who is working in the background and guides everything so that His plan is fulfilled.
- Solomon says: "The heart of a king in the hand of the LORD is like streams of water; wherever he wills, he inclines it" (Prov 21:1). Examples of this:
- The arrogant, godless king Nebuchadnezzar (Dan. 4:27) is humiliated by God and turned into a beast. He later says: "There is no one who can resist his hand and say to him: 'What are you doing? What are you doing?" (Dan. 4:32).
- King Cyrus, who also did not believe in God, was persuaded by the Lord to send the Jews back to Israel (Ezra 1:1). This was no coincidence, no fateful turn of events, but God's plan for some of the people to return. (Jer 29:10)
Whatever happens in this worldThe word is used with different meanings. It can mean the whole of humanity (Gen 41:57) or the created world (Rom 1:20), but also a moral system that is opposed... More or our personal lives is either caused or permitted by God. Nothing escapes his control; we are not a plaything of any circumstances or people. God has everything under control and is directing events in the background. God, not coincidence or chance.
Think of Ruth, who did not really come across Boaz's field by chance but was led there by God.
"I form the light and create darkness, I make peace and create calamity; I, the Lord, do all these things" (Isa. 45:7).
"Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done, saying, ‘My counselThe counsel (purpose) of God is his plan. What God plans will happen. There is a counsel of God with his people Israel (Isa 46:10). This counsel has existed since... More shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure’" (Isa. 46:10).
