Context No. 4015 of 4322 · Sirach

Sirach 39:17-35: in context

17No one can say, “What is this?” “Why is that?” for at the proper time they will all be sought out. At his word, the waters stood as a heap, as did the reservoirs of water at the word of his mouth. 18At his command all his good pleasure is fulfilled. There is no one who can hinder his salvation. 19The works of all flesh are before him. It’s impossible to be hidden from his eyes. 20He sees from everlasting to everlasting. There is nothing too wonderful for him. 21No one can say, “What is this?” “Why is that?” for all things are created for their own uses. 22His blessing covered the dry land as a river and saturated it as a flood. 23As he has made the waters salty, so the heathen will inherit his wrath. 24His ways are plain to the holy. They are stumbling blocks to the wicked. 25Good things are created from the beginning for the good. So are evil things for sinners. 26The main things necessary for the life of man are water, fire, iron, salt, wheat flour, and honey, milk, the blood of the grape, oil, and clothing. 27All these things are for good to the godly, but for sinners, they will be turned into evils. 28There are winds that are created for vengeance, and in their fury they lay on their scourges heavily. In the time of reckoning, they pour out their strength, and will appease the wrath of him who made them. 29Fire, hail, famine, and death— all these are created for vengeance— 30wild beasts’ teeth, scorpions, adders, and a sword punishing the ungodly to destruction. 31They will rejoice in his commandment, and will be made ready upon earth when needed. In their seasons, they won’t disobey his command. 32Therefore from the beginning I was convinced, and I thought it through and left it in writing: 33All the works of the Lord are good. He will supply every need in its time. 34No one can say, “This is worse than that,” for they will all be well approved in their time. 35Now with all your hearts and voices, sing praises and bless the Lord’s name!

Sirach reflects on the works of God and reaches a settled conviction: all the works of the Lord are good, and he will supply every need in its time. Nothing God does is without purpose, and everything has its proper season. No one can rightly say to God, what is this? or why is that? for at the proper time all things will be shown to serve their purpose.

This is a confession of deep trust in God's good providence. Sirach does not claim to understand everything; he acknowledges that things which seem hard or even harmful have their place in God's ordering of the world. But he refuses to second-guess God, or to say of any of God's works, this is worse than that, for in their time they will all prove good. There is rest here for an anxious, questioning heart. We are tempted to demand explanations, to judge God's works as good or bad by how they appear to us in the moment. Sirach counsels a humbler and more restful trust: that all God's works are good, that he supplies every need in its time, and that what we cannot understand now will, in his time, be shown to have its purpose.

Can I trust, with Sirach, that all God's works are good and that he supplies every need in its time, resting in his providence rather than demanding explanations or judging his works by how they appear to me now?

Sources

Sirach 39:33: "All the works of the Lord are good. He will supply every need in its time."
Sirach 39:34: "No one can say, This is worse than that, for they will all be well approved in their time."
Sirach 39:35: "Now with all your hearts and voices, sing praises and bless the Lord's name!"