--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The Providence of God is like Hebrew…" description: "\"The Providence of God is like Hebrew words-it can be read only backwards.\" — John Flavel" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ce/john-flavel-4295_backwards_the-providence-of-god-is-like-hebrew-wor_2413334.jpg" --- # The Providence of God is like Hebrew words-it can be read… ![“The Providence of God is like Hebrew words-it can be read only backwards.” quote by John Flavel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ce/john-flavel-4295_backwards_the-providence-of-god-is-like-hebrew-wor_2413334.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ce/john-flavel-4295_backwards_the-providence-of-god-is-like-hebrew-wor_2413334.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ce/john-flavel-4295_backwards_the-providence-of-god-is-like-hebrew-wor_2413334.jpg) > “The Providence of God is like Hebrew words-it can be read only backwards.” [John Flavel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flavel/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Divine guidance is often hidden, requiring careful, sometimes reverse, interpretation. **In simple terms:** God’s plan can be understood backwards. Key Takeaway Seek deeper meaning in setbacks. Themes faith divine providence interpretation spirituality scripture Mood reflective hopeful Type spiritual philosophical When to use this quote - personal crisis - scripture study - prayer - decision making Key Concepts theology mysticism reverse reading Questions to Reflect On - How can you reinterpret a setback positively? - What does “reading backwards” mean to you? A Different Perspective Not all events have clear forward meaning; context matters. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Hebrew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hebrew/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Judaism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judaism/) [Providence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/providence/) ## Related quotes > [Some providences, like Hebrew letters, must be read backwards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flavel/some-providences-like-hebrew-letters-must-be-read-backwards/) [John Flavel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flavel/) > [I write in words. And my words are Hebrew words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amos-oz/i-write-in-words-and-my-words-are-hebrew-words/) [Amos Oz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amos-oz/) > [The world is a funny paper read backwards. And that way it isn't so funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tennessee-williams/the-world-is-a-funny-paper-read-backwards-and-that-way-it-isn-t-so/) [Tennessee Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tennessee-williams/) > ['Are you as bored as I am?' Makes sense even when you read it backwards...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/are-you-as-bored-as-i-am-makes-sense-even-when-you-read-it-backwards/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The word devil is very beautiful, if you read it backwards it becomes lived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/the-word-devil-is-very-beautiful-if-you-read-it-backwards-it-becomes/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [“We read off the ancient Hebrew words, with no idea of what they might mean, and the congregation responds with more words that they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-tropper/we-read-off-the-ancient-hebrew-words-with-no-idea-of-what-they-might/) [Jonathan Tropper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-tropper/) > [“This specification should be read like all other specifications. First, it should be read cover-to-cover, multiple times. Then, it should be read backwards at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/this-specification-should-be-read-like-all-other-specifications-first/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I love the way a story's ending can force you to read backwards. It's as if you are slowly adjusting a kaleidoscope until a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-brady/i-love-the-way-a-story-s-ending-can-force-you-to-read-backwards-it-s/) [Catherine Brady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-brady/) > [Karma your bitch now read it backwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-majewsi/karma-your-bitch-now-read-it-backwards/) Sam Majewsi > [“Child, unless you are opening a dictionary, you start at the book's opening page and you read the story through. If it's terribly dreadful,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camron-wright/child-unless-you-are-opening-a-dictionary-you-start-at-the-book-s/) [Camron Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camron-wright/) > [ “The book \[Joyce's "Ulysses"\] can just as well be read backwards, for it has no back and no front, no top and no bottom.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-g-jung/the-book-joyce-s-ulysses-can-just-as-well-be-read-backwards-for-it/) [C.G. Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-g-jung/) > [“Every providence is God’s will; whatever happens, meet God in it in humble worship. Every precept is God’s will; meet God in it with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-murray/every-providence-is-god-s-will-whatever-happens-meet-god-in-it-in/) [Andrew Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-murray/) > [“Time is an opportunity with every providence of God to reveal His Will.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-nyarangi-akoya/time-is-an-opportunity-with-every-providence-of-god-to-reveal-his-will/) [JOEL NYARANGI AKOYA](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-nyarangi-akoya/) > [Let us be convinced that nothing can happen to us apart from the providence of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorotheus-of-gaza/let-us-be-convinced-that-nothing-can-happen-to-us-apart-from-the/) [Dorotheus of Gaza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorotheus-of-gaza/) > [The whole concept of providence is that God knows everything about what we do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-c-sproul/the-whole-concept-of-providence-is-that-god-knows-everything-about/) [R. C. Sproul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-c-sproul/) ## More by John Flavel > [No doctrine is more excellent, or necessary to be preached and studied, than Jesus Christ, and him crucified.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flavel/no-doctrine-is-more-excellent-or-necessary-to-be-preached-and-studied/) [John Flavel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flavel/) > [One word of God can do more than ten thousand words of men to relieve a distressed soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flavel/one-word-of-god-can-do-more-than-ten-thousand-words-of-men-to-relieve/) [John Flavel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flavel/) > [It is better to be as low as hell with a promise, than in Paradise without one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flavel/it-is-better-to-be-as-low-as-hell-with-a-promise-than-in-paradise/) [John Flavel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flavel/) > [Christ comes with kingly power, to rescue sinners, as a prey from the mouth of the terrible one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flavel/christ-comes-with-kingly-power-to-rescue-sinners-as-a-prey-from-the/) [John Flavel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flavel/) > [Regeneration expresses those supernatural, divine, new qualities imparted by the Spirit to the soul, which are the principle of all holy action.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flavel/regeneration-expresses-those-supernatural-divine-new-qualities/) [John Flavel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flavel/) > [All the tears of a penitent sinner, should he shed as many as there have been fallen drops of rain since the creation, cannot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flavel/all-the-tears-of-a-penitent-sinner-should-he-shed-as-many-as-there/) [John Flavel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flavel/) > [The Lord's supper is memorative, and so it has the nature and use of a pledge or token of love, left by a dying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flavel/the-lord-s-supper-is-memorative-and-so-it-has-the-nature-and-use-of-a/) [John Flavel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flavel/) > [You may look upon some providences once and again, and see little or nothing in them, but look "seven times," that is, meditate often…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flavel/you-may-look-upon-some-providences-once-and-again-and-see-little-or/) [John Flavel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flavel/) > [There is no grace more excellent than faith; no sin more execrable and abominable then unbelief. Faith is the saving grace and unbelief the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flavel/there-is-no-grace-more-excellent-than-faith-no-sin-more-execrable-and/) [John Flavel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flavel/) > [ All the dark, intricate, puzzling providences at which we were sometimes so offended...we shall \[one day\] see to be to us, as the difficult… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flavel/all-the-dark-intricate-puzzling-providences-at-which-we-were/) [John Flavel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flavel/) > [To keep the heart then, is carefully to preserve it from sin which disorders it; and maintain that spiritual and gracious frame, which fits…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flavel/to-keep-the-heart-then-is-carefully-to-preserve-it-from-sin-which/) [John Flavel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flavel/) > [Lord, here is my body; I am very grateful for it; I neglected nothing that belonged to its contents and welfare; but as for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flavel/lord-here-is-my-body-i-am-very-grateful-for-it-i-neglected-nothing/) [John Flavel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flavel/) > [Some providences, like Hebrew letters, must be read backwards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flavel/some-providences-like-hebrew-letters-must-be-read-backwards/) [John Flavel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flavel/) > [Whatever be the ground of one's distress, it should drive him to, not from God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flavel/whatever-be-the-ground-of-one-s-distress-it-should-drive-him-to-not/) [John Flavel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flavel/) > [Brethren, it is easier to declaim against a thousand sins of others, than to mortify one sin in ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flavel/brethren-it-is-easier-to-declaim-against-a-thousand-sins-of-others/) [John Flavel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flavel/) [Explore all 113 John Flavel quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flavel/) ## More Backwards quotes > [I'm just always looking forwards. I spend very little time, looking backwards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-vaynerchuk/i-m-just-always-looking-forwards-i-spend-very-little-time-looking/) [Gary Vaynerchuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-vaynerchuk/) > [I wear T-shirts and backwards hats and buy my shoes at Payless!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaitlyn-bristowe/i-wear-t-shirts-and-backwards-hats-and-buy-my-shoes-at-payless/) [Kaitlyn Bristowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaitlyn-bristowe/) > [A historian is not always a prophet facing backwards, but a journalist is always someone who afterwards knew everything beforehand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-kraus/a-historian-is-not-always-a-prophet-facing-backwards-but-a-journalist/) [Karl Kraus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-kraus/) > [Why don't you just imagine it never happened..??](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/effy-stonem/why-don-t-you-just-imagine-it-never-happened/) [Effy Stonem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/effy-stonem/) > [“It would seem no matter how progressive we get there are always those few who are backwards in their ways.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/solange-nicole/it-would-seem-no-matter-how-progressive-we-get-there-are-always-those/) [Solange nicole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/solange-nicole/) > [In the spiritual life, he who does not advance goes backwards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pio-of-pietrelcina/in-the-spiritual-life-he-who-does-not-advance-goes-backwards/) [Pio of Pietrelcina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pio-of-pietrelcina/) > [Now, success is not the result of making money; making money is the result of success - and success is in direct proportion to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/earl-nightingale/now-success-is-not-the-result-of-making-money-making-money-is-the/) [Earl Nightingale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/earl-nightingale/) > [Can anyone be so foolish as to believe that there are men whose feet are higher than their heads, or places where things may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lactantius/can-anyone-be-so-foolish-as-to-believe-that-there-are-men-whose-feet/) [Lactantius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lactantius/) > [I took a little break - I was coming back to work and the last thing I was going to do was take a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nia-long/i-took-a-little-break-i-was-coming-back-to-work-and-the-last-thing-i/) [Nia Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nia-long/) > [Only a fool walks into the future backwards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-goodkind/only-a-fool-walks-into-the-future-backwards/) [Terry Goodkind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-goodkind/) > [We have different expectations for different groups of people. We tend to modulate the degree with which we're forgiving or punitive depending on how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hayes/we-have-different-expectations-for-different-groups-of-people-we-tend/) [Chris Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hayes/) > [You know what, if you play 'She Looks So Perfect' backwards... you just listen to it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-hemmings/you-know-what-if-you-play-she-looks-so-perfect-backwards-you-just/) [Luke Hemmings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-hemmings/) > [Nursing is a progressive art such that to stand still is to go backwards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/florence-nightingale/nursing-is-a-progressive-art-such-that-to-stand-still-is-to-go/) [Florence Nightingale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/florence-nightingale/) > [“Just like backing out of the driveway… If the driveway was ten miles long, full of rocks and pits, with lethal radiation hovering above,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-thorman/just-like-backing-out-of-the-driveway-if-the-driveway-was-ten-miles/) [Daniel Thorman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-thorman/) > [We're not competitor obsessed, we're customer obsessed. We start with the customer and we work backwards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bezos/we-re-not-competitor-obsessed-we-re-customer-obsessed-we-start-with/) [Jeff Bezos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bezos/) Browse all 837 Backwards quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The Providence of God is like Hebrew words-it can be read only backwards.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Flavel" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flavel/the-providence-of-god-is-like-hebrew-words-it-can-be-read-only/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Backwards" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flavel/the-providence-of-god-is-like-hebrew-words-it-can-be-read-only/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ce/john-flavel-4295_backwards_the-providence-of-god-is-like-hebrew-wor_2413334.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ce/john-flavel-4295_backwards_the-providence-of-god-is-like-hebrew-wor_2413334.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ce/john-flavel-4295_backwards_the-providence-of-god-is-like-hebrew-wor_2413334.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The Providence of God is like Hebrew words-it can be read only backwards.” — John Flavel", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "John Flavel", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flavel/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The Providence of God is like...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flavel/the-providence-of-god-is-like-hebrew-words-it-can-be-read-only/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flavel/the-providence-of-god-is-like-hebrew-words-it-can-be-read-only/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```