The Sovereignty of God

INTRODUCTION

a. Ps. 2:2-3 -

b. Yet, the Bible reveals that our God is SOVEREIGN - the rule of all the universe and consequently of all men.

THE ESSENCE OF SOVEREIGNTY

1. Sovereignty is lordship, Lordship is ownership, and ownership is CONTROL.

2. It is seen in our term 'Landlord' - the owner, and hence the controlling owner

Genesis 14:19
19 And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth:
Genesis 14:22
22 And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lift up mine hand unto the LORD, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth,
Psalm 24:1
1 A Psalm of David. The earth is the LORD'S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.
Deuteronomy 10:14
14 Behold, the heaven and the heaven of heavens is the LORD'S thy God, the earth also, with all that therein is.
Exodus 19:5
5 Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:
Job 41:11
11 Who hath prevented me, that I should repay him? whatsoever is under the whole heaven is mine.

Such means "rule, royal power, dominion, kingship, Lordship"

1. The Lord reigns = 1 Chron. 16:31; Ps 93:1-2; 96:10; 97:1; 99:1; Isa. 52:7

2. Psalm 22:28

28 For the kingdom is the LORD'S: and he is the governor among the nations.

3. Psalm 103:19

19 The LORD hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all.

4. He is the King = Isa. 6:5; 33:17, 22; 43:15; 1 Tim. 1:17

5. He is the Great King, Ps. 47:2; Malachi 1:14; Matt. 5:35;

6. He is the King of Glory, Ps. 24:7-10

7. He is the King of the nations, Jer. 10:7; Rev. 15:3

8. He is MY KING - Ps. 5:2; 44:4; 84:3;

1. Earthly kings have 'sovereignty' - but it is limited by many things!

2. God is Lord over all, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, God of gods.

Deuteronomy 10:17
17 For the LORD your God is God of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty, and a terrible, which regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward:
Daniel 2:47
47 The king answered unto Daniel, and said, Of a truth it is, that your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou couldest reveal this secret.
1 Timothy 6:15-16
15 Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; 16 Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.
Revelation 19:16
16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.

Jeremiah 10:10
10 But the LORD is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation.
1 Timothy 1:17
17 Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Psalm 10:16
16 The LORD is King for ever and ever: the heathen are perished out of his land.
Psalm 146:10
10 The LORD shall reign for ever, even thy God, O Zion, unto all generations. Praise ye the LORD.
Psalm 145:13
13 Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations.

Isaiah 54:5
5 For thy Maker is thine husband; the LORD of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called.
Joshua 3:11
11 Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth passeth over before you into Jordan.
Micah 4:13
13 Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion: for I will make thine horn iron, and I will make thy hoofs brass: and thou shalt beat in pieces many people: and I will consecrate their gain unto the LORD, and their substance unto the Lord of the whole earth.
Psalm 97:9
9 For thou, LORD, art high above all the earth: thou art exalted far above all gods.
Psalm 47:2
2 For the LORD most high is terrible; he is a great King over all the earth.
Matthew 11:25
25 At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.
Acts 17:24
24 God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;

Jeremiah 32:27
27 Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?
Daniel 4:25
25 That they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and they shall wet thee with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over thee, till thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.
Daniel 4:32
32 And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field: they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.
Psalm 22:28
28 For the kingdom is the LORD'S: and he is the governor among the nations.
Psalm 47:8-9
8 God reigneth over the heathen: God sitteth upon the throne of his holiness. 9 The princes of the people are gathered together, even the people of the God of Abraham: for the shields of the earth belong unto God: he is greatly exalted.
2 Chronicles 20:6
6 And said, O LORD God of our fathers, art not thou God in heaven? and rulest not thou over all the kingdoms of the heathen? and in thine hand is there not power and might, so that none is able to withstand thee?
Isaiah 37:16
16 O LORD of hosts, God of Israel, that dwellest between the cherubims, thou art the God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth: thou hast made heaven and earth.

1 Chronicles 29:11-13
11 Thine, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all. 12 Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all. 13 Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name.

THE GROUND OF SOVEREIGNTY

BASED ON AUTHORITY

Creation - having created everything out of nothing, He has the right to rule over, control such. (let alone His POWER)
1 Corinthians 11:12
12 For as the woman is of the man, even so is the man also by the woman; but all things of God.
Psalm 24:1-2
1 A Psalm of David. The earth is the LORD'S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. 2 For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods.
Psalm 89:11
11 The heavens are thine, the earth also is thine: as for the world and the fulness thereof, thou hast founded them.
Psalm 95:5
5 The sea is his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land.
Hence, ultimately, He is the ONLY authority,
Romans 13:1
1 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.
Only other choice - might makes right. Without God, there is no 'right' and 'wrong' - there only 'is'.

BASED UPON FREEDOM

God, being eternal and uncreated, is dependent upon NOTHING outside himself, He is totally unconditioned in his being.

Earthly sovereigns are not free to rule in this way - none of God's creation in fact has such freedom of rule.

Job 41:11
11 Who hath prevented me, that I should repay him? whatsoever is under the whole heaven is mine.
Job 34:13
13 Who hath given him a charge over the earth? or who hath disposed the whole world?
Job 36:23
23 Who hath enjoined him his way? or who can say, Thou hast wrought iniquity?
Job 42:2
2 I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee.
Daniel 4:35
35 And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?
Psalm 115:3
3 But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased.
Psalm 135:6
6 Whatsoever the LORD pleased, that did he in heaven, and in earth, in the seas, and all deep places.
Isaiah 55:10-11
10 For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: 11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

THE EXPRESSION OF SOVEREIGNTY

1. God over all is said to control - to have control, to be in control - over all things.

2. God controls the universe in its physical

3. However, such sovereignty is also shown in specific ways -

1. Decision -
He makes decisions that establish the purpose and direction and goal of creation.

He decided to create.

He decided to provide redemption for the fallen creation.

He decided to use Israel as the nation thru which he would bring the Messiah.

He decided to choose the various individuals to serve his purposes:

Abraham, Moses, Pharaoh, David, Paul, the 12, etc.

He decides the ends he want to pursue through his creature -

He decides the means by which he will accomplish those ends -

2. Causation
This is the direct or indirect application of His power in order to bring about a specific result. Isaiah 45:7
7 I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.

3. Command

The right to issue commandments which others have the duty to obey is a function of sovereignty!

It is in fact the 'first act of sovereignty' -.

Isaiah 33:22

22 For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; he will save us.
James 4:12
12 There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?
Acts 5:29
29 Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.

4. Permission

God allows / permitts things to happen in accordance with their created abilities - that is His right, that is an expression of His sovereignty!

Acts 14:16

16 Who in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own ways.
Concerning the 'pagans' that rejected his general revelation - he Gave them over to follow the evil desires of their hearts - i.e., he 'permitted them' to go their own way - Rom. 1:24, 26, 28

5. Prevention
This is the correlative of permission - sometimes God does NOT permit his 'free creatures' to go their intended direction!
He hardened Pharoah heart -

He prevented Jonah from escaping to Spain

He prevented Balaam from cursing Israel --

He prevented the Assyrians from attacking Jerusalem by slaying 185,000

Death is the ultimate control - and God applies it at He will - i.e., Nadab and Abihu, the Genesis flood, Kora and Dathan, Ananias and Saphira, Herod, etc., etc.

6. Judgment

Genesis 18:25
25 That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?
Psalm 96:10
10 Say among the heathen that the LORD reigneth: the world also shall be established that it shall not be moved: he shall judge the people righteously.
Hebrews 12:23
23 To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,
1 Peter 4:5
5 Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead
.

Job 33:13
13 Why dost thou strive against him? for he giveth not account of any of his matters.
Job 36:22-23
22 Behold, God exalteth by his power: who teacheth like him? 23 Who hath enjoined him his way? or who can say, Thou hast wrought iniquity?
Job 41:10
10 None is so fierce that dare stir him up: who then is able to stand before me?
Jeremiah 50:44
44 Behold, he shall come up like a lion from the swelling of Jordan unto the habitation of the strong: but I will make them suddenly run away from her: and who is a chosen man, that I may appoint over her? for who is like me? and who will appoint me the time? and who is that shepherd that will stand before me?
Romans 9:20
20 Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?
Note, it is this exercise of JUDGMENT that makes command and permission to be viable expressions of His sovereignty.

Without such, God's law would be 'whispered suggestions' -.

Conclusion:

Its ground is the fact of creation - which guarantees God's authority and freedom

It main mode of expression is Control -

Such Control is maintained through:

decision,

causation,

command,

permission,

prevention,

judgment

let us reverence and worship our Sovereign,
Let us praise his Name -