The sovereignty of God
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Sovereignty: means supreme power or authority.
The soverignty of God:- the Supreme power and authority of all things.
God is Sovereing: God has the supreme power or authority.
Isaiah 45:1–7 (NKJV)
1 “Thus says the Lord to His anointed, To Cyrus, whose right hand I have held— To subdue nations before him And loose the armor of kings, To open before him the double doors, So that the gates will not be shut:
2 ‘I will go before you And make the crooked places straight; I will break in pieces the gates of bronze And cut the bars of iron.
3 I will give you the treasures of darkness And hidden riches of secret places, That you may know that I, the Lord, Who call you by your name, Am the God of Israel.
4 For Jacob My servant’s sake, And Israel My elect, I have even called you by your name; I have named you, though you have not known Me.
5 I am the Lord, and there is no other; There is no God besides Me. I will gird you, though you have not known Me,
6 That they may know from the rising of the sun to its setting That there is none besides Me. I am the Lord, and there is no other;
7 I form the light and create darkness, I make peace and create calamity; I, the Lord, do all these things.’
Cyrus was the king of Persia and Medes,
He was a Gentile, he did not know nor acknoweldge the one true God.
He had come to great power, and had completely brought down to its knees the powerful Babylonian empire.
He had not known that it was the one True God who had raised him up and given dominion and the treasures of babylon into his hand.
He grew up in the religion of the persia and medes. In their religion they believed that there were two polar opposite powers. Light and darkness.
They believed that there was a god who had dominion over the Light and a god who had dominion over the darkness.
Under zoroastrian religion, Ormuzd created "light" and "peace," Ahriman "darkness" and "evil." The two were eternal adversaries, engaged in an inter-ruinable contest.
IT was believed that human beings are caught up between these two forces.
Sometimes, though we may beleive in one God, we may have these type of view when it come to the question of who has dominion and authority/ control over darkness and over the light.
Some may vie that though God is one, he has dominion over the light but it is the devil who has authority and dominion over the darkness.
God wanted to set the record straight not only to Cyrus but also to those of us who may have such a concept of dominion.
God has dominion over both the light and the darkness. In fact God is the one that has created both the Light and the darkness.
19 He appointed the moon for seasons; The sun knows its going down.
20 You make darkness, and it is night, In which all the beasts of the forest creep about.
IN bible study we looked at Genesis 1:3-5 “3 Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. 4 And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day.”
The same God who created the day has created the Night. The same God who created the Light has created the darkness.
I am here to tell you that God has dominion over the darkness, it is under his crontrol.
God creates peace and creates calamity (EVIL)
The hebrew word for calamity is “rah”. Which literary means Evil. Translated evil 442 times in KJV BIble.
This does not mean that God is darkness or is evil.
5 This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.
But rather he is in control of what darkness can do and cannot do in our lives.
God creates evil, does not mean that God is Evil, It means that he has the ulmate say of what Evil can do and cannot do in our life.
The implication of this understanding, That God is Sovereing over both light and darkness.
The implication of this understanding, That God is Sovereing over both light and darkness.
Implication number 1
4 The Lord has made all for Himself, Yes, even the wicked for the day of doom.
God use the evil to Judge those that are evil.
King Ahab and the false prophets.
Ahab was the most wicked king in Israel,
He invited King Jehosophat to go to him to war with the syrians in Ramoth Gilead. He accepted but insisted in inquiring the prophet of the lord.
Ahab brought 400 men and they all prophesied that they should go and they will prosper.
Then Ahab called for Micaiah the Son of imlah, an actual true prophet of the Lord.
1 Kings 22:12–23 (NKJV)
12 And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, “Go up to Ramoth Gilead and prosper, for the Lord will deliver it into the king’s hand.”
13 Then the messenger who had gone to call Micaiah spoke to him, saying, “Now listen, the words of the prophets with one accord encourage the king. Please, let your word be like the word of one of them, and speak encouragement.”
14 And Micaiah said, “As the Lord lives, whatever the Lord says to me, that I will speak.”
15 Then he came to the king; and the king said to him, “Micaiah, shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall we refrain?” And he answered him, “Go and prosper, for the Lord will deliver it into the hand of the king!”
16 So the king said to him, “How many times shall I make you swear that you tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord?”
17 Then he said, “I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd. And the Lord said, ‘These have no master. Let each return to his house in peace.’ ”
18 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Did I not tell you he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?”
19 Then Micaiah said, “Therefore hear the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing by, on His right hand and on His left.
20 And the Lord said, ‘Who will persuade Ahab to go up, that he may fall at Ramoth Gilead? (the Judgement)’ So one spoke in this manner, and another spoke in that manner.
21 Then a spirit came forward and stood before the Lord, and said, ‘I will persuade him.’
22 The Lord said to him, ‘In what way?’ So he said, ‘I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. (the insrument of the judgement)’ And the Lord said, ‘You shall persuade him, and also prevail. Go out and do so (commision by God).’
23 Therefore look! The Lord has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these prophets of yours, and the Lord has declared disaster against you.”
God wanted Judge Ahab, the Judgement was for him to perish in battle for his sins.
The instrument was a lying Spirit.
God is the one that commanded the lying spirit to go and lie to Ahab so he could fall in battle and die.
The modern day equivalent Judgement of God.
2 Thessalonians 2:9–12 (NKJV)
9 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders,
10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie,
12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
Delusion is basically, beleiving something to be true when it is a lie. Delusion is deception.
The deception that is in the World is sent by God to be a judgement against told who refuse the love of the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
Don’t be like Jehosophat, giving heed to this false prophets so that you may perish in the Judgement of the wicked.
God sending a Evil spirit of Conflict.
God sending a Evil spirit of Conflict.
Judges 9
Gedion died.
He had 70 sons and 1 son called Abimelech through his concubine who was from the people of shechem.
He devised a plan to make himslef a ruler over all schechem by killing his brothers. So he illisted the help of his family on his mother’s side to convince the people of shechem to help him get rid of his brothers so that only one Son of Gedion who is their flesh and blood relatives to rule over them.
They agreed and gave him money to higher some mercenaries and kill Gedion’s son.
He kills his Father’s sons but the youngest named Jotham manages to escape.
Once they made abimelech King, and rejoiced.
Jotham comes up to on hill and pronounce a curse upon them
19 if then you have acted in truth and sincerity with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, then rejoice in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you.
20 But if not, let fire come from Abimelech and devour the men of Shechem and Beth Millo; and let fire come from the men of Shechem and from Beth Millo and devour Abimelech!”
He fled to Beer and dwelt there.
After three years God sents a spirit of ill will
Judges 9:22–24 (NKJV)
22 After Abimelech had reigned over Israel three years,
23 God sent a spirit of ill will between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech,
24 that the crime done to the seventy sons of Jerubbaal might be settled and their blood be laid on Abimelech their brother, who killed them, and on the men of Shechem, who aided him in the killing of his brothers.
God sent an evil spirit of Conflict.
The people of Shechem began to rebell against abimelech and cause trouble.
Eventually a Man of shechem who is called Gaal notifies abimelech of the rebellion.
Abimelech comes with his troops to suppress the rebellion
Judges 9:44–56 (NKJV)
44 Then Abimelech and the company that was with him rushed forward and stood at the entrance of the gate of the city; and the other two companies rushed upon all who were in the fields and killed them.
45 So Abimelech fought against the city all that day; he took the city and killed the people who were in it; and he demolished the city and sowed it with salt.
46 Now when all the men of the tower of Shechem had heard that, they entered the stronghold of the temple of the god Berith.
47 And it was told Abimelech that all the men of the tower of Shechem were gathered together.
48 Then Abimelech went up to Mount Zalmon, he and all the people who were with him. And Abimelech took an ax in his hand and cut down a bough from the trees, and took it and laid it on his shoulder; then he said to the people who were with him, “What you have seen me do, make haste and do as I have done.”
49 So each of the people likewise cut down his own bough and followed Abimelech, put them against the stronghold, and set the stronghold on fire above them, so that all the people of the tower of Shechem died, about a thousand men and women.
50 Then Abimelech went to Thebez, and he encamped against Thebez and took it.
51 But there was a strong tower in the city, and all the men and women—all the people of the city—fled there and shut themselves in; then they went up to the top of the tower.
52 So Abimelech came as far as the tower and fought against it; and he drew near the door of the tower to burn it with fire.
53 But a certain woman dropped an upper millstone on Abimelech’s head and crushed his skull.
54 Then he called quickly to the young man, his armorbearer, and said to him, “Draw your sword and kill me, lest men say of me, ‘A woman killed him.’ ” So his young man thrust him through, and he died.
55 And when the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, they departed, every man to his place.
56 Thus God repaid the wickedness of Abimelech, which he had done to his father by killing his seventy brothers.
Sometimes God sends a spirit of conflict in the world, to judge wicked people and wicked rulers.
God is sovereign over all things that happens in the earth.
God is control, dominion authority both of what is good and evil, both of the light and darkness.
Example of Saul
14 But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord troubled him.
Psalm 18:9 (NKJV)
9 He bowed the heavens also, and came down With darkness under His feet.
Implication 2
Implication 2
God uses the evil to bring about good for the righteous.
28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Why does all things work together for good to thowse who love God. ?
One is that we know all things are under the control of God. Both ligh and darkeness and both Good and evil.
We Know that God plan and intention in all that he does in the lives of the rigtheous, of those who are called according to his pupose is good.
NOte: the intation of those who are instrument of darknessdoes not matter but the intention of the one who has ultimate control of what darkness can do and cannot do is what matters.
Job 1:6–22 (NKJV)
6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them.
7 And the Lord said to Satan, “From where do you come?” So Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.”
8 Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?”
9 So Satan answered the Lord and said, “Does Job fear God for nothing?
10 Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land.
11 But now, stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face!”
12 And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his person.” So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.
13 Now there was a day when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house;
14 and a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them,
15 when the Sabeans raided them and took them away—indeed they have killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you!”
16 While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants, and consumed them; and I alone have escaped to tell you!”
17 While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “The Chaldeans formed three bands, raided the camels and took them away, yes, and killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you!”
18 While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house,
19 and suddenly a great wind came from across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people, and they are dead; and I alone have escaped to tell you!”
20 Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped.
21 And he said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, And naked shall I return there. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord.”
22 In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong.
The intrument of the evil that befell Job was the devil.
The one that commision the devil is God.
The devil’s intention was evil, it was to get Job to curse God by inflicting pain through the disaster that befell him.
God’s intention, however was differnt it was not only to prove the devil wrong and Job rigtheous but also to bring about a double blessing up Job and bring Job walk with God to higher dimension of knowedgel, understanding and intimacy.
Key Point. The intention of the evil instrument is not what matters but the intention of the one who weilds that instrument in his hands.
Ultimately the intension of the devil for Job did not matter but what mattered was the intension of God had for Job by bringing this evil upon him.
Whenever evil befalls you, don’t worry about the intention of the Devil, only God’s intention is what matters.
Trust and God and you will see that at the end of it all God was using the evil to bring about the Good.
Joseph as an example
Genesis 50:18–20 (NKJV)
18 Then his brothers also went and fell down before his face, and they said, “Behold, we are your servants.”
19 Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God?
20 But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.”
When his brothers brough evil upon Joseph by selling him to slavery, they did it with evil intention.
However, God was the one who commisisoned their action, and his intention was good.
So God can use evil workers for his own good intentions.
God is sovereign over all things
Because we are on his side, he will use even the evil to bring about good in our life.
The people of Israel
8 Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph.
9 And he said to his people, “Look, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we;
10 come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and it happen, in the event of war, that they also join our enemies and fight against us, and so go up out of the land.”
11 Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh supply cities, Pithom and Raamses.
12 But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were in dread of the children of Israel.
The affliction was intended for evil by those who were instruments of evil. But God brought about good from it, becuase his intention for his people was good.
Matthew 5:39 (KJV 1900)
39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
Evil or Eil persion (the instrument of Evil). Literal translation is Evil.
47 And while He was still speaking, behold, a multitude; and he who was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them and drew near to Jesus to kiss Him.
48 But Jesus said to him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?”
49 When those around Him saw what was going to happen, they said to Him, “Lord, shall we strike with the sword?”
50 And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear.
51 But Jesus answered and said, “Permit even this.” And He touched his ear and healed him.
52 Then Jesus said to the chief priests, captains of the temple, and the elders who had come to Him, “Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs?
10 Then Pilate said to Him, “Are You not speaking to me? Do You not know that I have power to crucify You, and power to release You?”
11 Jesus answered, “You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above. Therefore the one who delivered Me to you has the greater sin.”
The intention of those who are of the darkness was evil, but they had no clue that they were fullfilling the plan of God.
8 which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
Conclusion
In awe of God’s sovereignty over all things. Let us yeild ourselves to the will of the Lord, both for that which may seem for the moment good or evil.
1 Peter 4:19 (NKJV)
19 Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator.
What is the lord Telling you right know,
Have you been resisting something that God wan’t you to yeild too. Let God speak to you. He knows your circumstance and submit and yeild yourselve to the will of God.
Has he sent an instrument of darkness in your life to which he wishes you to submit.
Everything is under his will.