The Invisible Hand

by R.C. Sproul Jr. and R.C. Sproul

Book Overview

Covers all aspects of divine providence. Written for all who face the hard questions of providence in the concrete arena of faith, this book is an effort to face those issues and questions that arise... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0849912075
• ISBN13: 9780849912078
• Release Date: January 1996
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson
• Length: 224 Pages
• Weight: 0.93 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.4" x 9.5"

Customer Reviews

Comforting

All in all this book is very comforting, and reassuring. It was over 10 years ago when I first read this book. Why do I say that ? Well this book causes me to look back at my Christian walk. This book gave me an understanding of the doctrine of providence. What is that ? I would of never had the question myself. If my father did not purchase this book and give it to me, I would have never read it. This book was the first book that helped me engage the bible as a whole. For me it introduced certain aspects of God's handiwork througout scripture. I was then able to approach the Old Testament and see a God Who was not detached from the New Testament. It helped me see God's care for my life, and involvement in my life. I started to realize God had been providing for me before I ever knew Him. The pace of this book is great. You slowly climb into understanding, get taken for an a few emotional rollercoasters, and appropriately ends in a comfortable spot. It is a good read from cover to cover.

Beautiful Picture of God's Providence

Dr. Sproul has written a wonderful book about the absoult sovereignty of God. Like a breath of fresh air, Sproul shows us from Scripture the awesome power of God to accomplish His purposes in the earth. Sproul uses various texts from both the Old and New Testament to reveal the biblical picture of a God who is in control of all things even when it doesn't seem that He is. I greatly enjoyed how Sproul stayed true to the Bible as his authority. While he does quote from other authors and from the Westminister Confession of Faith, Sproul does not get bogged down in the heated debate between the Calvinist and Arminian over God's sovereignty. He simply shows from Scripture that God is in control. No-one can argue with that. In the end, I greatly enjoyed this book. While it read like a devotional, the book lifted my faith in the absolute power of God. Romans 8:28 hasn't been more precious since I finished this book. You too will enjoy this book as you study the Scriptures concerning the hand of God's providence in all things. You will pray to your Father knowing that He is sovereign (Matthew 6:8).

Providence Explained

This is one of the best books I have read on God's providence. With rich Scriptural references and stories, the author shows the extent of God's involvement with His creation.

The fingerprints of God

I've been wanting to review this book for some time now, but my review won't do it justice. Not since I read one of Sproul's earlier books, The Holiness of God, has a book simultaneously shaken my soul and comforted it with the presence of God in this way. This one follows the tradition. Renown for his thought-provoking teachings, Sproul takes the doctrines of God's immanence and providence down from the ivory tower and underscores them in the lives of the biblical characters as well as his own. This is theology at it's finest...truth for living.Sproul's purpose in writing this book is "to look at the question of providence, not only from a doctrinal viewpoint, but chiefly from an examination of concrete experiences of the flesh-and-blood people whose lives and struggles are recorded for us in sacred Scripture" (2). And this he does par excellence. You can almost feel Abraham's stomach churn as he ponders the immanent sacrifice of his beloved son Isaac, while splitting firewood for the altar early in the morning. You can almost hear the waves of the Nile lapping against the basket of bulrushes which contained the future leader of God's chosen people from slavery to the promised land. You can almost see Joseph's bloodied, mangled, technicolor coat as he wept in the presence of his brothers, compassionately telling them, "you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive" (Gen. 50:20). Our God is not "out there". . . He is right here.Some of the areas of God's providence that this book touches on deal with God's involvement with His creation through miracles, the display of His glory, evil in the world, prayer, the flow of history and the history of redemption. At least one chapter is devoted to each of these topics which are very broad topics in and of themselves, but Sproul briefly touches on the involvement of God in each one of them displaying His love and purpose for His creation.Sproul says that providence "is not merely that God looks at human affairs. The point is that He looks after human affairs. He not only watches us, He watches over us" (17). As far as the biblical teaching that all things that work together for good to those who love God is concerned, Sproul makes a clear distinction between the proximate, or soon occurring, and the ultimate. For example, we may experience things in our lives that are supremely good. These things are proximately and ultimately good. But we may also experience things that aren't good at all, but are for our good. Just like veggies to a kid, these things are proximately bad yet ultimately good. Sproul says that when Paul tells us that all things work together for good to those who love God, that he does not say that all things that happen are good things. What Paul is saying is that all things that happen to us, good and bad, are working together for our good. Ultimately it is good that these things happen t

America....Read this!

It has been said that America has lost her soul. Well this book will help her get it back. RC Sproul does it again as he knows how to take the "cookies" and put them down on the lower shelf within easy grasp. Taking on a difficult, yet vitally important doctrine, the author weaves a tapestry concerning divine providence which is woven together by sound biblical teaching and tender personal insight.The reader will come to understand that nothing happens by chance or coincidence since God is in control of every person and particle in the universe. When questions arise concerning events such as the chaos in Kosovo or the crisis in Columbine, this book which addresses a basic principle concerning the nature of God and His goveranace over humanity will be tremendously helpful. God does indeed control the universe and promises that all things will work together for the good of His people.The basic theistic belief that God foreordains and foreknows whatsoever comes to pass will prove to be challenging, while at the same time, extremely comforting.This tome will prove to be intense enough for the most profound philosopher while simple enough for the average lay person. Whoever chooses to read this book will find that their time has been well spent.