In the divine governance of humanity, contingencies refer to the conditional aspects of God's interaction with mankind, where human free will and divine sovereignty intersect. The Bible presents numerous instances where God's plans and purposes are contingent upon human response, obedience, and repentance. This dynamic relationship underscores the complexity and depth of God's governance, highlighting His omniscience, justice, and mercy.

Divine Sovereignty and Human Responsibility

The Bible affirms God's sovereign rule over creation, yet it also emphasizes human responsibility. In Deuteronomy 30:19, God sets before Israel "life and death, blessings and curses," urging them to "choose life." This passage illustrates the contingent nature of God's blessings, dependent on human choice and obedience. Similarly, in Jeremiah 18:7-10, God declares that if a nation repents of its evil, He will relent of the disaster He intended to bring upon it, demonstrating His responsiveness to human actions.

Conditional Promises and Warnings

Scripture is replete with conditional promises and warnings. In 2 Chronicles 7:14, God promises healing for the land if His people "humble themselves, pray, seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways." This promise is contingent upon the people's repentance and return to God. Conversely, in Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28, blessings and curses are outlined based on Israel's adherence to God's commandments, illustrating the conditional nature of divine favor and judgment.

Prophetic Contingencies

Prophecy in the Bible often contains elements of contingency. The account of Jonah and Nineveh is a prime example. Jonah 3:4 records Jonah's proclamation of impending judgment, yet Nineveh's repentance leads God to relent from the disaster He had threatened (Jonah 3:10). This demonstrates that prophetic declarations can be contingent upon human response, aligning with God's desire for repentance and restoration.

Intercessory Prayer and Divine Response

Intercessory prayer is another area where contingencies in divine governance are evident. In Genesis 18:22-33, Abraham intercedes for Sodom, and God agrees to spare the city if ten righteous people are found. This dialogue highlights the potential for human intercession to influence divine action. Similarly, in Exodus 32:11-14, Moses' intercession leads God to relent from destroying Israel after the golden calf incident, showcasing the impact of prayer on divine decisions.

The Role of Repentance

Repentance is a critical factor in the contingencies of divine governance. In Ezekiel 18:21-23, God declares that if a wicked person turns from their sins and keeps His statutes, they will live. This passage emphasizes God's willingness to forgive and restore those who repent, underscoring the conditional nature of His judgment and mercy.

The New Covenant and Contingencies

Under the New Covenant, the principle of contingency continues. In John 3:16, eternal life is promised to "whoever believes" in Jesus Christ, indicating that salvation is contingent upon faith. The parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32) further illustrates God's readiness to forgive and restore those who return to Him, highlighting the ongoing relevance of human response in the divine-human relationship.

Conclusion

The concept of contingencies in divine governance reveals the dynamic interplay between God's sovereignty and human agency. Through conditional promises, warnings, and the potential for repentance and intercession, the Bible portrays a God who is both just and merciful, responsive to the actions and choices of His creation.Genesis 2:16,17
And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat:
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Genesis 3:3
But of the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, You shall not eat of it, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.
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Genesis 4:7
If you do well, shall you not be accepted? and if you do not well, sin lies at the door. And to you shall be his desire, and you shall rule over him.
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Genesis 18:19
For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring on Abraham that which he has spoken of him.
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Exodus 19:5
Now therefore, if you will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then you shall be a peculiar treasure to me above all people: for all the earth is mine:
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Leviticus 26:3-28
If you walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments, and do them;
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Deuteronomy 7:12-26
Why it shall come to pass, if you listen to these judgments, and keep, and do them, that the LORD your God shall keep to you the covenant and the mercy which he swore to your fathers:
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Deuteronomy 11:26-28
Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse;
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Deuteronomy 30:15,16,19
See, I have set before you this day life and good, and death and evil;
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Joshua 24:15
And if it seem evil to you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom you will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.
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2 Samuel 24:12-14
Go and say to David, Thus said the LORD, I offer you three things; choose you one of them, that I may do it to you.
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1 Kings 3:14
And if you will walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as your father David did walk, then I will lengthen your days.
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1 Kings 20:42
And he said to him, Thus said the LORD, Because you have let go out of your hand a man whom I appointed to utter destruction, therefore your life shall go for his life, and your people for his people.
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1 Chronicles 28:7
Moreover I will establish his kingdom for ever, if he be constant to do my commandments and my judgments, as at this day.
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2 Chronicles 26:5
And he sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God: and as long as he sought the LORD, God made him to prosper.
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Job 36:11,12
If they obey and serve him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures.
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Jeremiah 11:4
Which I commanded your fathers in the day that I brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, from the iron furnace, saying, Obey my voice, and do them, according to all which I command you: so shall you be my people, and I will be your God:
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Jeremiah 12:17
But if they will not obey, I will utterly pluck up and destroy that nation, said the LORD.
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Jeremiah 18:8-10
If that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do to them.
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Jeremiah 22:4,5
For if you do this thing indeed, then shall there enter in by the gates of this house kings sitting on the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, he, and his servants, and his people.
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Ezekiel 33:14-16
Again, when I say to the wicked, You shall surely die; if he turn from his sin, and do that which is lawful and right;
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Jonah 3:10
And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do to them; and he did it not.
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Matthew 19:17
And he said to him, Why call you me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if you will enter into life, keep the commandments.
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Matthew 23:37
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you that kill the prophets, and stone them which are sent to you, how often would I have gathered your children together, even as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings, and you would not!
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Matthew 26:39,42
And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as you will.
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Mark 11:26
But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.
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John 9:41
Jesus said to them, If you were blind, you should have no sin: but now you say, We see; therefore your sin remains.
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John 14:23
Jesus answered and said to him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come to him, and make our stayed with him.
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John 15:6,7
If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
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Colossians 1:22,23
In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and blameless and unreproveable in his sight:
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2 Thessalonians 2:8-10
And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
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Hebrews 3:14
For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end;
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Revelation 2:22
Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.
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Revelation 3:3
Remember therefore how you have received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore you shall not watch, I will come on you as a thief, and you shall not know what hour I will come on you.
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Revelation 22:17
And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that hears say, Come. And let him that is thirsty come. And whoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
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The Providence of God.
... of the divine wisdom in the government of the ... under the care of one who directs
contingencies, and has ... with the contemplation of these divine attributes, which ...
/.../sect iii the providence of.htm

Christian Devotedness, Etc.
... of the nature of the divine government are very ... to live by faith on the divine promises
day by ... of making provision against future contingencies for themselves ...
/.../groves/christian devotedness/christian devotedness etc.htm

The World, Created by God, Still Cherished and Protected by Him. ...
... deny that God holds the reins of government will say ... rest far beneath the height
of Divine Providence, we ... same thing holds in the case of future contingencies. ...
/.../the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 16 the world created.htm

Use to be Made of the Doctrine of Providence.
... the secret counsel of God in the government of the ... As all contingencies whatsoever
depend on it, therefore, neither ... without an interposition of the divine will ...
/.../calvin/the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 17 use to be.htm

Summa Theologica
... Whether man was created in paradise? ... Whether the effect of government is one or
many? Whether all things are subject to the Divine government? ...
//christianbookshelf.org/aquinas/summa theologica/

Sixth Proposition of Arminius
... For contingencies are not opposed to certainty of knowledge, except ... have equally
and in common from their divine creation, sustainment, and government. ...
/.../arminius/the works of james arminius vol 3/sixth proposition of arminius.htm

part ii.
... and therefore is not essential to a moral government. ... of gain will assume the tyrant,
and the Divine curse, threatened ... a fund to meet the contingencies of life ...
//christianbookshelf.org/clark/the faithful steward/part ii.htm

Centenary Commemoration
... history displaced the remembrance of its divine constitution, and ... not the episcopal
powers of government, he is ... wise to provide for all contingencies; but it ...
/.../centenary commemoration 2.htm

From 1787 to 1791 Inclusive
... expressions of devotedness to the government and its ... the veracity of the divine promises,
and ... any unavoidable circumstance, or any contingencies, reduce the ...
/.../a history of the methodist episcopal church volume i/chapter 2 from 1787 to.htm

From the Close of the General Conference of 1812 to the Death of ...
... of the ministry was evidently of a divine character. ... in the pulpit, and strong in
the government which he ... He had deeply studied the character of man, and well ...
/.../chapter 2 from the close.htm

What is the dispensation of Human Government? | GotQuestions.org

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If getting married would cause financial issues due to government regulations, is it acceptable for a couple to have a spiritual marriage, but not a legal marriage? | GotQuestions.org

Government: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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