The only wise God from Whom wisdom descends knows that “gathering and losing do not make for wealth”, as the adage goes. So in His covenant packages with mortals in a wicked world, there is always a provision for the preservation of the covenant partners.
Therefore, the Lord Who is seeking more volunteers to be recruited into the vineyard cannot be comfortable partially or wholly losing His partners in the project. (Lk.10:2; Matt.28:19,20; Jn.9:4).
It should be understood that the Lord is a Master-Planner Who has detailed programmes for the called-out ones (both individually and corporately) and has the wherewithal to use all emerging developments to accomplish His purpose (Rom.11:33).
He created man as a free moral agent having the power to make a choice (good or bad), and whatever choice a man makes, the Lord has the wisdom to convert it to an agent of His ultimate purpose. (Rom.8:26; Jer.32:27).
For an ultimate purpose and in man’s own interest, the Lord prepares a package in form of a covenant stating His requirements from the man and the “returns” that will follow obedience (Gen.12:1-3; Exo.19:5-9; 20:1-17). Amongst the returns is protection/preservation in the midst of perils so that the ultimate purpose is realized (Gen.12:3; Deut. 28:7; Ps.91:1-7; 10-13,16).
Joseph told his brethren that all that transpired were the ‘divine mechanism’ to preserve their family (Gen.45:7,8; 50:19-20), Abraham and his children could not be overrun by the more numerous people of the land where they roamed because of the divine law in operation (Ps.105:15; cp. Gen.34:26-31).
The Lord Jesus could not be killed before His time (Lk.13:31-33; Jn.7:30,44; 8:20,59; 10:31,39) and so also could not premature death overcome the apostle Paul (2Cor.11:24-26).
It should also be appreciated that the Lord has the habit of saving people with their families as implied/adduced from (i) Noah’s experience (Gen.7:1; 8:15-16), (ii) Abram and offspring (Ps.105:15), (iii) Rahab the harlot (Jos.6:23,25), (iv) The Apostles of Christ (Jn.1:40-42; Mk.3:17), (v) The Philippian Jailor (Acts 16:30-31), (vi) Cornelius (Acts 10:1-2,44).
While the Lord promises preservation, He expects His covenant partners to be:
- Sensitive to His Spirit so that they can be guided (Ps. 32:8; Jn.16:13; Rom.8:14).
- Wise and observant to make a reasonable judgment (Matt.10:16; Jn.7:1-10; 11:53).
- Confident, trusting God in prayer and regularly making confessions: quoting the promises (Ps.23:1-6; 91:1-3; Rom.10:10).
With these characteristics required of God’s covenant partners, preservation is guaranteed regardless of the magnitude of the peril, because none is comparable with the Father (Jn.10:29; Rom.8:29).