Coincidence?

God/Jesus Christ

3So she left and went and gleaned in the field after the reapers; and she happened to come to the portion of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech.

– Ruth 2:3

6

1During that night the king could not sleep, so he gave an order to bring the book of records, the chronicles, and they were read before the king. 2And it was found written what Mordecai had reported about Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs who were doorkeepers, that they had sought to attack King Ahasuerus. 3Then 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.” 4So the king said, “Who is in the courtyard?” Now Haman had just entered the outer courtyard of the king’s palace in order to speak to the king about hanging Mordecai on the wooden gallows which he had prepared for him.

– Esther 6:1-4

7The One forming light and creating darkness,

Causing well-being and creating disaster;

I am the Lord who does all these things.

8¶“Drip down, heavens, from above,

And let the clouds pour down righteousness;

Let the earth open up and salvation bear fruit,

And righteousness sprout with it.

I, the Lord, have created it.

– Isaiah 45:7-8
(NASB® © 2020)

“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 …
  1. that Mordecai hears of the conspiracy against King Ahasuerus and uncovers it (Est. 2:21, 22);
  2. that the king cannot sleep on the very night before Mordecai is to be killed (Est. 5:14; 6:1);
  3. 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);
  4. 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:
  1. 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).
  2. 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 world 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 counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure’” (Isa. 46:10).

 

Comments (0)

No comments yet.

Share this article:

You want to contact us? Ask a question or let us know what you think! 

Write a message here!

Leave a Comment

Abiding in Christ

This article is about abiding in Christ as both privilege and responsibility: only by living in dependence on His presence can believers bear “fruit” that reflects His character. It stresses that fruit isn’t produced by striving for it, but by focusing on Christ—“without Me you can do nothing.”
John 15:4–5

The Favor of the World

This article is about how the world’s praise can be shallow and fleeting. Using Nebuchadnezzar’s reaction to Daniel and the crowd’s reversal toward Paul, it warns that exaggerated favor can quickly turn into hostility without true inner change.
 Daniel 2,46

Which Believers Go Through the Great Tribulation?

This article is about whether today’s Christians will face the Great Tribulation. It argues the church will be raptured before end-time wrath, explains the rapture vs. Christ’s public appearing, and identifies the believers in Revelation’s tribulation as those who come to faith after the rapture.
Marriage & Family

Situationship

This article is about “situationships”: undefined, commitment-free relationships that blur friendship and romance. Using Leon and Emma as an example, it warns they create imbalance and hurt, and argues from a biblical view for clarity, responsibility, protection, purity, and commitment toward marriage.
Amos 3:3

The Hummingbird – a Masterpiece of God’s Creation

This article is about the hummingbird as a marvel of nature—exploring its unique hovering flight, specialized wing and muscle structure, extreme metabolism, nectar-feeding tongue design, and cooling methods, framed as evidence of divine creative power.
Romans 1:20

Scripture Alone?!

This article is about whether 2 Timothy 3:16–17 undermines “Scripture alone.” It argues the passage supports Scripture’s sufficiency, distinguishes apostolic teaching from later tradition, affirms NT authority, and says the church recognized—not created—the canon.
2 Timothy 3:16.17

Revelation—Not a Book with Seven Seals!

This article is about why the Bible’s book of Revelation isn’t a sealed mystery but an “unveiling” of future events centered on Jesus Christ. It explains key opening verses, symbolic language, the chain of revelation, and the blessing for reading, hearing, and keeping its message.
Revelation 1:1-3
Gospel

My Sin is Great

This article is about sincere confession: admitting our sin is great and seeking forgiveness for God’s name’s sake. It explains that faith trusts God’s mercy shown in Christ’s cross, producing honesty that doesn’t downplay guilt, and notes the Psalms’ purposeful order.
Psalm 25:11
Church/Assembly

All Present Before God

This article is about Acts 10:33 and Cornelius’s gathering as a model for Christian meetings: obedience to God’s leading, awareness of God’s presence, listening to the whole message without picking parts, and speaking only what God commands—nothing added or omitted.
Acts 10:33

Q&A What does it mean, that God has given us “of His Spirit”

This article is about the meaning of “from His Spirit” in 1 John 4:13, explaining it doesn’t mean believers receive only part of the Spirit. Instead, it highlights what proceeds from God’s Spirit—love, truth, holiness—becoming visible evidence that God abides in us.
1 John 3:24; 4:13

Our Great High Priest

This article is about Jesus as the superior High Priest in Hebrews: His once-for-all sacrifice for sin, His ongoing heavenly service with compassion and help for believers, and His continual intercession before God that brings grace, mercy, and confidence to draw near.
Hebrews 2:17–18; Hebrews 7:25; Hebrews 9:24
Bible Study

The Old Man and The New Man

This article is about the New Testament concepts of the “old self” and “new self”: the old self judged and crucified with Christ, the new self created in His resurrection, and how believers should live out their new identity by putting off old traits and displaying Christlike ones.
Romans 6:6; Ephesians 2:15; 4:22.24; Colossians 3:9.10