God is SOVEREIGN
GOD is sovereign, or the preeminent ruler. Because God is ultimately in charge above all of the plans and rule of man, He can make sure that His plans are executed without fail. "Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:" - (Isaiah 46:10) "Whatsoever the Lord pleased, that did he in heaven, and in earth, in the seas, and all deep places." - (Psalm 135:6)
The Jews saw God as an absolute ruler, who made man in the same way a potter crafts pottery out of a lump of clay. The Divine potter has a right to do with the clay what He will. "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? Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?" - (Romans 9:20-21)
God’s Sovereignty Over Rulers
The Bible teaches that God has the power to control heads of nations. "The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will." - (Proverbs 21:1)
Example 1: David
Scripture seems to teach that God moved King David to number the armies of Israel. "And again the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah." - (2 Samuel 24:1) David sinned when he did this by becoming prideful. Did God cause David to sin? In the book of 1 Chronicles, we discover something interesting. It was, in fact, the Devil who provoked David to number Israel. God, apparently, permitted him to do this. "And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel." - (1 Chronicles 21:1) Once David had sinned, God used his sin as an opportunity for judgement.
Even though God is sovereign, Scripture teaches that He does not tempt men to sin. "Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:" - (James 1:13) Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown, commenting on this verse wrote, “God, though He cannot tempt any man (Jas 1:13), is frequently described in Scripture as doing what He merely permits to be done; and so, in this case, He permitted Satan to tempt David. Satan was the active mover, while God only withdrew His supporting grace, and the great tempter prevailed against the king. (See Ex 7:13; 1Sa 26:19; 2Sa 16:10; Ps 105:25; Isa 7:17, etc.)."
Notice that God’s permitting of Satan to provoke David to sin was tied to the fact that God controls the heart of the king. (Cf. Proverbs 21:1). It is important to realize that the Bible does not teach that God controls every man’s heart. Nor does it teach that God necessarily controls the ruler’s heart at all times. For instance, was God controlling David when he sinned with Bathsheba and ordered the murder of her husband? It is also important to realize that while David’s action in numbering the people was sinful, God used it to accomplish His righteous purpose. We do not know why God wanted to judge Israel in the first place, but the Bible says He was angry with them. (Cf. 2 Samuel 24:1a) If God was angry, it stands to reason that He had a right to be. When David sinned by numbering the people, it was obvious that God had to judge. God used David’s sin, which David freely chose to commit, as the vehicle to accomplish His righteousness in judgment. This is, as Calvin wrote, “...overruling Providence from which nothing flows that is not right, though the reasons thereof may be concealed.” The reason for God’s judgment was concealed until David sinned, but God’s desire to judge Israel was completely just.
Example 2: Pharaoh
When the Jews were held captive in Egypt, the Bible tells us that Pharaoh, the ruler of Egypt, hardened his own heart against the command of God to let the people go free. "And Pharaoh hardened his heart at this time also, neither would he let the people go." - (Exodus 8:32) The Bible also tells us that God hardened Pharaoh’s heart so that he would not let the people go. "And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had spoken unto Moses." - (Exodus 9:12)
Pharaoh was made ruler of Egypt for a special purpose in God’s divine plan. "For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth." - (Romans 9:17) God allowed Pharaoh to harden his own heart against the message of freedom that Moses preached. When Pharaoh hardened his own heart repeatedly, God turned Pharaoh’s heart so hard that he followed the children of Israel, and his army drowned in the Red Sea.
Example 3: Caesar
God must sovereignly control the direction of nations through their rulers in order to accomplish His plans on earth. For instance, in order for the birth of Jesus Christ to fulfill prophecy, it required Israel to be under the control of Rome. Because of Roman rule, a decree for a taxation census from Caesar Augustus was obeyed by Joseph and Mary, causing them to go to Bethlehem. (Luke 2:1-5). In Bethlehem, Jesus was born in fulfillment of prophecy. "But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting." - (Micah 5:2)
God’s Sovereignty Over All People
God also generally works in sovereign ways in the lives of all people. The Bible says, "The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the LORD." (Proverbs 16:1) The great Puritan commentator, Matthew Henry, explained this verse in this way.
“As we read this, it teaches us a great truth, that we are not sufficient of ourselves to think or speak any thing of ourselves that is wise and good, but that all our sufficiency is of God, who is with the heart and with the mouth, and works in us both to will and to do, Phil. 2:13; Ps. 10:17. But most read it otherwise: The preparation of the heart is in man (he may contrive and design this and the other) but the answer of the tongue, not only the delivering of what he designed to speak, but the issue and success of what he designed to do, is of the Lord. That is, in short, 1. Man purposes. He has a freedom of thought and a freedom of will permitted him; let him form his projects, and lay his schemes, as he thinks best: but, after all, 1. God disposes. Man cannot go on with his business without the assistance and blessing of God, who made man’s mouth and teaches us what we shall say. Nay, God easily can, and often does, cross men’s purposes, and break their measures. It was a curse that was prepared in Balaam’s heart, but the answer of the tongue was a blessing.”
God Does Not Choose to Control Every Aspect Of Everyone’s Lives At All Times.
The Bible also says, "A man's heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps." (Proverbs 16:9) This is the same idea as verse 1 of Proverbs 16. Man makes his plans, but God directs what actually happens with those plans. Again, the Bible says, "The lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of the LORD." (Proverbs 16:33) All of these verses from Proverbs 16 teach that God is sovereignly in control. These are general principles. They do not mean that God executes absolute control over every area of everyone’s lives at all times. If so, God would be the cause of men’s sins and all of the misery that they bring into the world! The Bible says, "...The fathers shall not die for the children, neither shall the children die for the fathers, but every man shall die for his own sin." - (2 Chronicles 25:4b) Under the laws of the Jewish nation, God mandated that the death penalty only be carried out on those responsible for the crime, not for those not responsible. A father was not to die for his son’s sin, and a child was not to die for his parent’s sin. Everyone faced responsibility for themselves. Why, then, would God force men and women to sin, then punish them for their sins? It would go against the very principles of justice that are explained in Scripture.
Furthermore, James writes, "Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death." - (James 1:13-15) Sin does not come from God. Sin comes from our own lusts. Lust brings sin, and sin brings death. In 1938, a chemist named Albert Hofmann discovered LSD. It eventually became a powerful, recreational drug. While LSD is addictive, the worst form of addiction is the LSD of James 1:13-15. Lust brings Sin which brings Death. This pattern of Lust, Sin and Death comes from man. It is, absolutely, not of God! God, in fact, gave His own Son to destroy this powerful “drug of choice” of all mankind.
God Does Not Make People Choose Him.
In Luke 13, Jesus lamented over the fact that the people of Jerusalem would not turn to Him. "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not!" - (Luke 13:34) If God controls every aspect of everyone’s lives as some Calvinists claim, then how could Jesus have made this statement? It was obviously God’s desire to receive and forgive the Jews. They would not come. God’s will was one thing. Their will was another. But God would not force them to come. God does not want robots forced to say, “I love you God.” Jesus wants us to choose to love Him. While God could sovereignly cause men and women to receive Him, He lets them choose. When we choose a spouse, we could sneak up behind them, club them in the head, throw them in a sack, and drag them away to slavery. We do not do that. We woo them. We win their love. We want them to choose us because we have chosen them. God seems to do the same. God does not always choose to exercise His sovereignty over mankind, but He is always sovereign. In a similar way, a police officer does not always give you a ticket when you speed, but he always has the power to do so.