The sufficiency of God's sovereignty

Man is futile in his attempts to defy God and his purposes. Although God is merciful, gracious and compassionate, he is also just and will by no means leave the wicked unpunished.

Using examples from Scripture I shall demonstrate how he uses individuals, leaders and nations as instruments of his judgment, thus proving his sovereignty over human events.

Joseph’s brothers: Shall you indeed reign over us?

Like many of us, Joseph’s life commenced with regular sibling rivalry. The extent of his brothers’ jealousy was particularly severe concerning Joseph’s dreams. His brothers spared his life only when Judah persuaded them to sell Joseph to the Ishmaelites.

Ironically, the jealousy of Joseph’s brothers was the instrument that caused them to drive Joseph away, but it also kick-started a chain of events that would ultimately save not only their family, but also Israel and the surrounding nations.

Humanly speaking, Joseph’s betrayal by his brothers and the false allegations of rape from the wife of Potiphar, his master, which led to his imprisonment, appear disastrous. We might well question where God is in all this. Remember, though, that Joseph’s God-given ability to interpret dreams, which had driven him away from his brothers, also impressed Pharaoh sufficiently to appoint him as his right hand man in governing Egypt.

The family issues were only truly resolved after the death of Jacob. His brothers had been humbled by Joseph’s provision and mercy, yet were fearful that he would repay them for the evil they had committed towards him. Joseph consoled them: ‘You meant evil against me; but God meant it for good’ (Genesis 50.20).

Evidently an apparent disaster was the necessary though sobering ingredient required to restore Jacob’s family, solve the Egyptian famine crisis and provide vital sustenance for the surrounding nations also.

Pharaoh: Who is the LORD that I should obey his voice to let Israel go?

Let us now remain in Egypt for a while and ponder why God deliberately hardened Pharaoh’s heart against the Israelites. Pharaoh was the grand ruler, answerable to no one, yet he was an instrument used by God. God utilised Pharaoh in the outworking of his purposes, so that his name would be glorified in Egypt and Israel.

This was achieved by a series of ingenious and spectacular demonstrations — the ten plagues of Egypt. Noticeably the plagues mimicked the forms of the deities the Egyptians worshipped. To name but a few, Ptha was the frog god. The seventh plague, hail, was directed against Isis and Osrisis who were supposed to be able to control the weather! Moreover, Serapis was supposed to protect them from locusts, but was incapable of halting their destructive onslaught!

Before the plagues began, God had promised to harden Pharaoh’s heart (Exodus 4.21, 7.3). In Exodus 5.2, Pharaoh told Moses that he didn’t know the LORD, so God was making Pharaoh aware that when he stretched his hand out against Egypt, the Egyptians would know that he was the LORD!

The seventh plague, hail, was critical as Pharaoh was forced to change his actions, but clearly not his heart. It is at this stage that God revealed his purpose in his dealings with Pharaoh. ‘Now if I had stretched my hand and struck you and your people with pestilence, then you would have been cut off from the earth. But indeed for this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may show my power in you, and that my name may be declared in all the earth’ (Exodus 9.15).

Balak & Balaam: Therefore please come at once, curse this people for me

In Numbers 22, Balak, the king of the Moabites, offered Balaam great financial reward if he could effectively curse the children of Israel, as they had recently increased in number and were therefore perceived as a military threat.

Balaam appeared to have divinatory powers that he utilised for profit, rather like Simon the Sorcerer in the Acts of the Apostles. Balak sought to take advantage of Balaam’s skills and created numerous scenarios for Balak to harm the children of Israel.

As the story unfolds the reverse happens. The stakes are gradually raised and Balaam sets out on his donkey to curse Israel from a high place of Baal, even though God clearly warned him not to go with them. Even on the way Balaam’s donkey miraculously speaks and Balaam’s eyes are opened and the angel of the LORD instructs Balaam to speak only the words which he tells him.

Four incredible prophecies follow and instead of cursing Israel, Balaam is only able to bless them and prophesy of the coming Messiah. The number of Israelites will not be reduced but will be innumerable. Sorcery and divination will not prosper against the children of Israel. In fact, whoever blesses them will be blessed and whoever curses them will be cursed. The fourth prophecy culminates in pointing to the awaited Messiah. ‘I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near; a Star shall rise out of Jacob; a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and batter the brow of Moab, and destroy all the sons of tumult’ (Numbers 24.17).

Sennacherib: Have the gods of the nations delivered those whom my fathers have destroyed?

The Assyrian king Sennacherib went one further than his predecessors, openly pouring scorn on the Hebrew God and his people, and he questioned the credibility of their trust in him. ‘Has any of the gods of the nations at all delivered its land from the hand of the king of Assyria?’ (2 Kings 18.33).

Hezekiah tore his clothes, covered himself in sackcloth and went into the house of the LORD. He commissioned his servants to summon Isaiah, who confirmed the words of the LORD. ‘Surely I will send a spirit upon him, and he shall hear a rumour and return to his own land; and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land’ (2 Kings 19.7).

Like so many other victories, the battle was the Lord’s and the angel of the LORD killed 185,000 Assyrians. Assyria had been an instrument of God’s wrath, the rod of God’s anger and the staff of his indignation (Isaiah 10.5). In their self-exalted pride the Assyrians had tried to lift themselves up, defying God, and God used their arrogance to display his justice in punishing wayward nations, displaying his sovereignty and confirming the words of the prophets.

Nebuchadnezzar my servant: Is not this great Babylon, that I have built by my power and for the honour of my majesty?

Nebuchadnezzar was king over the Babylonian empire which captured Jerusalem and Judah in 586 BC. The extent of authority that Nebuchadnezzar was able to exercise far exceeds leaders of contemporary superpowers.

Interestingly, God refers to Nebuchadnezzar as his servant on three occasions (Jeremiah 25.9, 27.6, 43.10) and also said of him, ‘I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon and put my sword in his hand’. Around the same time Habakkuk was extremely puzzled that God would use a bitter and hasty nation, the Babylonians, to judge Judah, God’s people.

Like Joseph, Daniel was residing in a foreign land (Babylon) and able to interpret the meaning of the king’s dreams. After explaining how the metallic statue of gold, silver, bronze, iron and clay would relate to the Babylonian, Medo-Persian, Greek and Roman empires, he was also promoted with his friends into high office.

Following the preservation of Daniel’s friends in the fiery furnace, Nebuchadnezzar declared: ‘Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who sent his angel and delivered his servants who trusted in him, and they have trusted the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they should not serve nor worship any god except their own God!’ (Daniel 3.28).

Nebuchadnezzar still had another lesson to learn though. Daniel interprets Nebuchadnezzar’s second dream concerning a great tree that had grown strong, reaching to the heavens and provided food for all. The tree was then stripped of its branches and cut down with only its root remaining. This signified Nebuchadnezzar’s greatness which would be removed from him for seven years, during which he would eat grass like an ox and lose his sanity.

The seven years started immediately Nebuchadnezzar boastfully uttered: ‘Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for a royal dwelling by my mighty power and for the honour of my majesty?’ (Daniel 4.30). At the end of the seven years, Nebuchadnezzar’s understanding returned to him, causing him to praise God, declaring that his dominion is everlasting, all his works are truth and those who walk in pride he is able to put down!

Cyrus: All the kingdoms of the earth the LORD God of heaven has given me

Assyria was the rod of God’s anger, Nebuchadnezzar his servant and Cyrus his shepherd (Isaiah 10.5, Jeremiah 25.9, Isaiah 44.28). Amazingly Cyrus was one of eight people in the Bible specifically named and mentioned before their birth. In addition, Cyrus’s role was prophesied almost 200 years before the events took place.

Isaiah prophesied that Cyrus would be his shepherd and announce the rebuilding of the temple and Jerusalem. He would hold his right hand and enable Cyrus to subdue nations. In addition, Isaiah mentioned Cyrus by name, even though Cyrus didn’t know him. God’s purpose was that they would know that ‘I am the LORD’ (Isaiah 44.28-45.7).

Cyrus’s attitude was the antithesis of Nebuchadnezzar’s, who thought Babylon’s grandeur had been attained by his own efforts. Josephus was convinced that Cyrus was familiar with Isaiah’s prophecy and thus recognised that the kingdoms of the earth were given to him and proclaimed the decree commanding a temple and released the captives to build it!

The Cyrus Cylinder was an important discovery in biblical archaeology and is currently kept at the British Museum. It speaks of Cyrus as a generous ruler permitting various captives to return to their homelands.

Herod: When you have found the child, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship him also

In the New Testament, Herod tried to convince the Magi that he greatly desired to worship the Messiah, though his real intentions were nothing of the sort. (They were akin to those of Pharaoh who, many centuries earlier, ordered the Hebrew baby boys to be killed.) Herod was an Edomite, a descendant of Esau at bitter enmity with Israel, and thought he had the opportunity to either annul or delay prophecy by destroying the awaited Messiah. In his wretched ignorance, though, Herod was not successful and inadvertently played his part in fulfilling another three prophecies.

Firstly, Joseph was warned in a dream not to return to Herod, so Joseph, Mary and Jesus fled to Egypt until the death of Herod, fulfilling the prophecy, ‘Out of Egypt I have called my Son’ (Numbers 24.8, Hosea 11.1).

Secondly, when Herod butchered the young innocents, Matthew recalled, ‘Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet saying: A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, refusing to be comforted, because they are no more’ (Matthew 24.17-18, cf Jeremiah 31.15).

Thirdly, ‘He came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, “He shall be called a Nazarene”’ (Matthew 2.23).

Summary: playing chess against God?

The way in which God has used leaders and nations for his purposes could be likened to a gigantic on-going game of chess. Although God’s opponents try to execute their strategies against him, God is omniscient and aware of their next move, indeed all their moves. When a leader makes an evil move, God turns it around for his pleasure and purpose. Hypothetically, even if an opponent were able to put God in check, he could place them in checkmate with his next move, if he so willed.

Take comfort today as, amidst the chaos and turmoil of world events, there is every reason to believe that God is using individuals, leaders and nations for his purposes. He is achieving his sovereign will in a manner that may appear confusing, even contradictory to us at times, simply because he is not restricted by the dimensions of time and space, as we are, and his thoughts and ways are higher than ours. We therefore await his glorious return and remain faithful to him in the meantime, knowing that his timing is perfect and the astonishing outworking of his purposes is too.

The author, Jon Taylor, is currently training to become an evangelical pastor with FIEC and also writes apologetics articles for the Reachout Trust. This piece is a condensed version of a thesis on God’s sovereignty.

© Evangelicals Now - April 2009
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