“Keep silence all created things, And wait your Maker’s nod;
My soul stands trembling while she sings, The glories of her God….
“His providence unfolds the book, And makes His counsels shine;
Each opening leaf, and every stroke, Fulfills some deep design.
“Here He exalts neglected worms, To kingship and a crown;
And then the following page He turns, And treads the monarch down.
“My God, I would not long to see, My fate with curious eyes;
What gloomy lines are writ for me, Or what bright scenes may rise.”[1]
What Does It Mean That God Is Sovereign?
A.W. Tozer asks, “Can we imagine the Lord God of Hosts having to request permission of anyone or to apply for anything to a higher body? To whom would God go for permission? Who is higher than the Highest? Who is mightier than the Almighty?”[2]
And therein lies the essence of sovereignty which, as the website Biblehub explains, “is a foundational doctrine in Christian theology, affirming that God is the supreme authority and all things are under His control.”[3]
Tozer says, “To say that God is sovereign is to say that He is supreme over all things, that there is no one above Him, that He is absolute Lord over creation. It is to say that His Lordship over creation means that there is nothing out of His control, nothing that God hasn’t foreseen and planned.”[4]
An Attribute, or a Prerogative?
And yet, although we most often think of and refer to sovereignty as one of God’s attributes, it is more than that. E. McChesney says:
“[Sovereignty is] a term by which is expressed the supreme rulership of God. This is rightly held to be not an attribute of God but a prerogative based upon the perfections of the divine Being.
“The possession of the most complete sovereignty is a necessary part of the proper conception of God and is abundantly declared in the Scriptures.”[5]
The verses McChesney uses to prove his point include:
- Psalm 50:1 – The Mighty One, God, the Lord, speaks and summons the earth from the rising of the sun to where it sets.
- Psalm 66:7 – He rules forever by his power, his eyes watch the nations—let not the rebellious rise up against him.
- Psalm 93:1 – The Lord reigns, he is robed in majesty; the Lord is robed in majesty and armed with strength; indeed, the world is established, firm and secure.
- Isaiah 40:15, 17 – Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket; they are regarded as dust on the scales; he weighs the islands as though they were fine dust…. Before him all the nations are as nothing; they are regarded by him as worthless and less than nothing.
- 1 Timothy 6:15 – God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords,…
- Revelation 11:17 – We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was, because you have taken your great power and have begun to reign.
Three Areas of God’s Sovereignty
The Bible speaks frequently about God’s sovereignty as it relates to three areas, creation, human history, and redemption. We will offer just a few verses to illustrate each point:
Creation
- Genesis 1:1 – In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. (cf. vv. 2-31)
- Mark 4:37-41 – A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”
- Romans 8:20-21 – For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.
Human History
- Judges 14:1-4 – [The context: Samson is insisting his parents secure a Philistine woman to be his wife.] His father and mother replied, “Isn’t there an acceptable woman among your relatives or among all our people? Must you go to the uncircumcised Philistines to get a wife?” But Samson said to his father, “Get her for me. She’s the right one for me.” (His parents did not know that this was from the Lord, who was seeking an occasion to confront the Philistines; for at that time they were ruling over Israel.)
- Proverbs 16:9, 33 – In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps…. The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord.
- Psalm 22:28 – dominion belongs to the Lord and he rules over the nations.
- Habakkuk 1:6 – I am raising up the Babylonians, that ruthless and impetuous people, who sweep across the whole earth to seize dwellings not their own.
- Acts 17:26 – From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands.
Redemption
- John 17:2 – For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him.
- Romans 8:29-30 – For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
- Ephesians 1:3-8 – For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us. (cf. see the context in vv. 3-14
- 2 Timothy 1:9-10 – He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.
Why God’s Sovereignty Is Good News
Most of us are probably a bit intimidated by the idea of God’s sovereignty and what it means for us. We will end this article and this series by letting John Frame explain to us why God’s sovereignty is such good news for us. God is not up in heaven just randomly waving a magic wand for His own amusement. No, although the ultimate result of His sovereignty is the preservation and promotion of His own glory [cf. 1 Chronicles 29:11-12; Romans 11:36; Ephesians 1:11-12; Revelation 4:11], we who are His chosen, adopted children can rest easy knowing that:
“First, the sovereignty of God is governed by his wisdom. “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!” (Romans 11:33). Everything that is unsearchable and inscrutable to us is governed by the deepest divine wisdom. God never does anything or allows anything whimsically—that is, in a meaningless way or randomly or without an infinitely wise purpose. That’s huge. That is a big thing that we must come to terms with when we think about God’s sovereignty.
“Second, his sovereignty is governed by his justice and his mercy. “For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him” (Isaiah 30:18). Or, “Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means!” (Romans 9:14). God never, never wrongs anyone. All that he does is righteous and just, but even justice is not the final and highest aim of God’s wisdom. The ultimate aim is that he be glorified for his mercy and his grace toward undeserving rebels. He sovereignly planned and accomplished salvation for sinners by the death of his Son. Because of that, we get a quote like this, from Romans 15:9: “And in order that the Gentiles [the nations] might glorify God for his mercy.”[6]
“Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all. Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all.”
1 Chronicles 29:11-12
Endnotes