foreordain

Although this verb, and the noun ‘determination’, are fairly rare in the Bible, the idea they stand for dominates both testaments. In a fairly extreme form it is asserted by Deutero-Isaiah: ‘I make well-being, and I create disaster’ (NJB, Isa. 45:7). Everything is in the hand of a sovereign creator, without, however, depriving human beings of their own independence of action (Deut. 30:15–16). What God ordains is, primarily, the salvation of humanity, and to that end he chooses a particular people (Gen. 18:18) though not for any merit discernible in that people (Deut. 7:7). In the NT God's determination is focused on Jesus, who fulfils OT expectations (Matt. 11:3) and ‘is going as it has been determined’ (Luke 22:22, NRSV). In the early Church the items in the apostles' preaching were said to have been ordained by God in his eternal providence (1 Pet. 1:20).