The LORD of Heavens Armies
Scripture teaches that YHWH the Creator and King of the Universe is Sovereign over all. The word sovereign is used in reference to leaders, usually monarchs. It speaks of a person who has ultimate and supreme power. All other powers must bow to the higher power. This may seem to be a very human way of describing power and hieirachic authority. However scripture does tell us that Christ is supreme over all authorities, thrones and dominions;visible and invisible.
Colossians 1:16
For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities-all things were created through Him and for Him.
Scripture teaches that through Him all these things were made. He is called the King of the rulers of the earth. As such they must ultimately answer to Him. So whether a nation is a monarchy or democracy its leaders and even its populace will have to answer to the King as will the angelic authorities and rulers of this present evil age. The King will judge all. The Sovereignty of God is not merely political in nature. Indeed the universe is his creation and he rules over it, as such it is a theocracy as God is king over it. God’s sovereignty also speaks of the reality of His Omniscience, Omnipresence and Almighty power. He owns every piece of the universe and is in control of it and always aware of all that is happening in his universe. Amazingly God sees all actions that take place in the universe currently and in the future all at once. That means as the wind blows in India and a comet speeds through space and electrons flow through an electric wire and a man drinks his morning tea and an angel dutifully does His duties and a baby is born, God is aware of all their actions in one instance seeing it all happen. The fact that God is the ultimate ruler of all and King of the nations does not in any way contradict the fact that the nations are in rebellion against Him. But despite this God in his mercy has in abundant love purchased a people for himself from out of all the rebellious nations of the world. This Grace to us was given freely through Christ’ sacrifice, our redemption at the cost of his blood. The Holy and pure for the unholy.
God shows grace to whom He shows grace. The choice is his, no one is deserving of His Grace as all sin. He gives it to whom it pleases Him to give it to. Humanity’s ignorance of the ways of God is ultimately its own fault and as such God could justly have punished us for our sins. But in his mercy according to his own pleasure He chose to save those whom he foreknew before hand, having elected them before they existed. Not because they were deserving but simply to demonstrate His Love as well as His Holiness and hatred of man’s sins. He saved us through Christ. Through Christ’s death on the cross, God demonstrated His Holiness, Justice, Wrath, Love, Mercy, Grace and wisdom and power. Wisdom because salvation through one man’s death on the cross is foolishness to the world and its wisdom. Wisdom also because God hid his plan for ages and through Christ executed it though the world did not understand it though the Law, Prophets and Writings all pointed towards this mystery now revealed.
Romans 16:25-27
Now to Him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ , according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about obedience of faith-to the only wise God be glory forever more through Jesus Christ! Amen.
Power because through the blood of Christ, God has reconciled us and all things unto Himself. Justice in that we deserve death and yet Christ took upon Himself our guilt and suffered death on our behalf, showing the severity of our sins against God (and He is God the Son so we sinned against Him also). Wrath in that Jesus absorbed the full cup of God’s wrath on our behalf that we may be justified which also shows God’s justice. Wrath also because the Son will return and in his wrath shall overturn this world order and its rulers and wickedness. Mercy, Love and Grace because Christ gave himself for us though we do not deserve Him, grace for he tasted death on our behalf and has given us life having been raised from the dead. Mercy in that God provided Himself a sacrifice for our sins, Love in that God has shown us that he cares for us deeply through the Son. Holiness in that sin has been condemned on the cross.
We may think of scripture as being ancient writings speaking of distant things. That view is incorrect. Though parts of scripture did address the past specifically, like Nathan’s address to David regarding his adultery. Scripture did address the distant future as well. Much of the Bible is prophetic in nature after all; dealing with issues such as the end of days. And even those parts of scripture that deal with the past are just as relevant today. The word of God is living and active. God’s word is truth. And as such we know that as things stand, the world is currently in an evil age that The Messiah will bring to an end with the establishment of His Divine Rule on Earth so that God’s Kingdom comes on Earth. In Heaven God is the sole Monarch and Ruler of Rulers, so to will it be on earth when Messiah rules. God will be acknowledged as the True Power and Ruler of all, He shall rule from Jerusalem over the nations and they shall pay tribute to Him. Currently the nations do as they please and do not honor God with the worship He deserves. Human’s give themselves rights to freedom of religion and even sexuality and many other things which to God are to God blatant rebellion against His Divine absolute rulership. The King is not treated as a literal King to whom homage must be paid, but simply as a religious side interest for many. Political leaders do not take to heart the examples of Sodom and Gomorra other nations that God destroyed because of their wickedness. That said as christians we are not to coerce any one into believing in Christ, each individual will however be held accountable for his or her actions.
The Most High is completely in control of his universe, we may look at natural disasters and think that it is nature gone wild. That however is not true, nothing happens without God allowing it to happen. Yes even the most gruesome and evil of deeds happen under his watch. Humanity can not however point the finger to God and attempt to find fault in the Holy One. Human acts of wickedness do not just happen, human beings choose to act in certain ways. This means human beings bear responsibility for their actions. And this means sometimes terrible things will happen to people because wicked people exist. If the terrible thing happens, how the victim chooses to handle it can be good or bad also. In the end God will either reward or punish us for our individual deeds. However in the end without the blood of Christ covering a person, eternal punishment is inescapable as all have sinned against the Holy God. That said God is the ultimate authority over all.
The Son is called the firstborn of all creation, this term had for a long time mystified me. The epistle to the Colossians 1:15-17 put it like this.
“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities -all things were created through hum and for Him, and he is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.”
It starts by saying He is the image of the invisible God. I take this to speak of The Son’s humanity which makes Him like us as well as visible to us. We must remember that it various theophanies The Son would make himself visible by temporarily taking the human form. Before the incarnation the Christ was still the image of God, by becoming human he became the visible image of the invisible God. As Christ would say “If you have seen me you have seen the Father.” As the Messenger of the Presence of the LORD he is fully deity and is the exact imprint of God the Father. In his humanity he physically made God known to us and taught us. This brings us to the rest of the passage. “The firstborn of all creation.” There are various ways of understanding this, first we could see this as referring to Christ as being before all things in relation to being creator and yet having come forth from the Father though having eternally co-existed with the Father. The other way of understanding this is that the passage could be referring to the humanity of Christ and his position as the “Heir of all things” as the Son of God. God the Son is co-creator and has always been and so He can not be called a creature in His Deity as he has always existed. In his humanity he ca however be called a creature as His human body was conceived through the power of the Spirit of Holiness in the womb of Mary. It is in that instance that the human person who would be named Jesus/ Yeshua as per the command of God passed to Mary and Joseph through the Heavenly messenger Gabriel. As the Son of Man he is the first born of creation and as the Son of Man all things have been put under his feet and He sits in heavenly places. He was able to accomplish redemption and Salvation as well as the reconciliation of all things in himself through His Divine power and also through His humanity. This uniqueness allowed him to do what no being can not, that is to Save humanity showing that He is God and was sent by God and also is man as the Son of David. This could mean that “firstborn” is more about title and status earned through His work which resulted in Him receiving a name above all names. This understanding seems consistent with the first part of the sentence which calls Him the image of the invisible God.
You may ask yourself “what does this have to do with the Sovereignty of God?” It however has a lot to do with the Sovereignty of God.
Philippians 2:9-11
“Therefore God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Now what Jesus did in his ministry all the way up to his work on the cross as well as taking his life back and rising from the dead is something that only God could do. No other being can do what Christ did; he was able to rise from the dead because He is the source of eternal life. He was able to redeem men by his blood because it was blemish-less, his body having been conceived by the Spirit of Holiness. He was able to heal and raise men up from death because He is God and was full without measure of the Spirit of God. All that he did he was able to do because of his power as God and his Holiness in his humanity. As such he earned by His work as the God-man a name above all names. He is shown to be Lord and to be Sovereign over death and sin. He is shown to be above the angels having shown Himself to be more powerful and glorious. He is shown to be Lord over creation in his ministry and ascension to the Highest Heaven and His rulership over all things that have been reconciled in Him. He walks on water, He ascends into the Heavens, He turns water into wine, He is creator with God and One with the Father and the Spirit. He is shown to be Sovereign over all in His power.
God is shown to be Supremely Glorious also in the greatness of his wisdom as has been mentioned already.
Romans 11:33-36
“Oh, the depths of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgements and how inscrutable his ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor? Or who has given a gift to Him that hr might be repaid? For from him and through Him and to HIm are all things. To Him be glory forever. Amen.
In the above passage Paul gives praise to God, praising His wisdom. Isaiah in Isaiah 40:12-18 likewise praises the greatness of God. God speaks saying
“Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand and marked off the heavens with a span, enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure and weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance? Who has measured the Spirit of the LORD, or what man shows hum his counsel? Whom did he consult and who made him understand? Who taught hum the path of justice and taught him knowledge, and showed hum the way of understanding? Behold, the nations are like a drop in the bucket, and are accounted as the dust on the scales; Lebanon would not suffice for fuel, nor are its beasts enough for a burnt offering. All the nations are as nothing before him, they are accounted by him as less than nothing and emptiness.”
Clearly God is seen as the source of knowledge, justice and wisdom. The King who is above all nations and all creation. Passages of scripture speak of Him sitting above the circle of the earth. That is that the whole world is as his footstool and the heavens his throne. He is above all and Lord of all. This is seen in various ways, first in God’s majestic power as seen throughout creation. It is also seen in God’s prophetic word. Where before any thing happen God knows it and chooses to reveals certain things to his people, even thousands of years before they take place; and in the fulness of time they are fulfilled according to his word and will. This is seen especially in they mystery of God and Christ now revealed unto us through the coming of Christ and his work on the cross and his resurrection and ascension as well as the spread of the good news. Before it happened the Lord declared it and his word was fulfilled. This shows utter sovereignty over time, over the affairs of humans and even angels. Joshua prayed that God would stop the sun for a day, and the Lord answered Joshua’s prayer and suspended the usual cycle of the sun’s path across the sky. Hezekiah asked for a sign and God had the sun go east wards a few degrees to show the faithfulness of His word. He parted seas, ordered fish to pick up prophets. He caused storms and ordered storms to calm. He used nations to discipline Israel, predicting the rise of various nations hundreds of years before they even became great. Clearly God is supreme over all. He has no equal and can not be compared to any one. As high as the heavens are from the earth so to are his ways above ours.
God says He will be gracious to whom he will be gracious to and will show mercy to whom he will show mercy to. Humanity was initially created upright and holy. But by Adam’s own choice, he sinned against God. And through sin came death, and so death came to all men through sin. And all sin. As the psalmist says “all mankind are liars” and again it is written in scripture “No one does good, not even one” (Psalm 53:3). Now because all sin, no one is worthy of the goodness of God. The best of men have rag’s for righteousness. Deuteronomy states that if one kept the commandments of God, it would be counted as righteousness unto that person. Deuteronomy 6:25 “ And it will be righteousness for us, if we are careful to do all this commandment before the LORD our God, as he has commanded us” [The emphasis on “all” is mine]. Now because no one does good, and all sin. All break the Law of God and do not keep it whole, keeping all the commandments. Our forefathers rebelled against God at babel and committed apostasy against God by making for themselves other gods. The effects of which have been ignorance of truth. As Romans 1:21-23 says
“ For although they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks to Him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.”
And although the invisible attributes of God like his eternal power and divine nature are clearly seen since the creation of the world, still people chose to suppress the truth of God. Add this and the fact that by their own volition human beings choose to disregard God and even when the Gospel is preached to them chose many times not to believe, it is clear beyond doubt that humans are not worthy of the least of God’s mercies. We choose to live lives offensive to Him, we choose to rebel against Him. We create for ourself laws and cultural norms which many a time clash with His Holy ways. The Law reveals our wretched depravity. When compared to the utter Holiness of God it is seen that human beings are totally depraved! To break one commandment is to break the whole Law! To break the Law is to show sin which is rebellion which shows moral imperfection and depravity. For human beings choose to serve the creature rather than the creator. Whether they are religious or atheist, they all serve the creature. Whether their god is their own belly, ego, intelligence, idols, animals and various demonic spirits which truly are the powers behind all idol worship including the atheistic sort. And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. God is the source of all goodness and uprightness and those who reject Him are separated from the source of goodness and so they by this their own choice, God gives them up to their vile affections. All these things are worthy of death, the wages of sin is death. And because all men sin, we are all worthy of death. No human can by self righteousness point the finger as though he does not sin. God alone is the Righteous Judge. Now because no one is worthy of God’s goodness and blessings, God in His Sovereignty can freely choose whom to save according to his pleasure and will. He is glorified in this because he does not have to save any one or in fact bestow any blessings on any one.
The psalmists would beseech God to save them or lead them in his ways of righteousness for His (God’s) Name’s sake. For example the psalm 115 says:
“Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness!”
So we see that God is good to men not because men deserve it, or because we are so special that should be loved. But for His Glory, that is the goodness of His Name. For the sake of His goodness and steadfast love and faithfulness the psalmist asks God to lead him in his paths of righteousness (psalm 23). When Moses asked to see God’s Glory, God referred to His Glory as His goodness (Exodus 33). So God saves us to show the riches of his mercy, love and graciousness. In His Sovereignty He chooses whom he will save. As Jesus said, “no one can come to me unless the Father draws Him”(John 6:65). So God in his sovereignty chooses who will believe in Jesus Christ for their salvation. This faith is a gift from God as Paul says in Ephesians. So why does God save some people and not others? Well its God’s Divine choice. No one can say to God why did you save that man and not me if I could not believe in Christ unless you drew me near to Him? But Paul says in Romans 9:20-24
“But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder why have you made me like this? Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use? What if God, desiring to show his wrath and make known his power has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy which he has prepared before hand for glory-even us whom he has called, not only from the jews but also from the Gentiles.”
So God gives human beings a volition and choice and though human beings are naturally rebellious towards God and have a nature inclined to sin, they still have a volition. And by this volition they choose to rebel, they choose sin over righteousness. Yes humanity is enslaved to its sin nature but it chooses to follow that nature. Either way, humanity is shown to be in need of a savior. However we can not of our own volition choose to follow God. We fail to do so, we rebel against Him. So He himself draws those whom he wills to himself. To these He chooses to show the riches of his mercy. To the rest he does not draw them, he does seek for all to be saved. But he does also seek for Holiness to be vindicated. His Holiness. And so he gives all men choice and through Christ’s sacrifice His Holiness is vindicated and all those whom God predestined before the foundation of the world are saved in Christ. Those who are not saved are vessels of wrath, they reject Christ by their own volition and so are destined for destruction as we all would. But we who are saved are vessels of mercy. We are saved not because we are deserving but rather for the Glory of The Name of God. He shows Himself to be loving in sending His Son to die for sinners and then redeeming them and glorifying them and bestowing upon them every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies. So God displays His Grace and also keeps his word as he said “I will show mercy to whom I will show mercy.” In not saving some, he shows sin to be exceedingly sinful. He shows spiritual blindness to be exceedingly blind. He shows Himself to be just and Holy. He shows Himself to be Sovereign.
The whole process of salvation declares the power, the might, the wisdom the Glory and honor and sovereignty of God. His working in all history shows this, He is in control.
Ephesians 1:3-11
“Blessed be the God and the father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In Love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will.”
Through Christ we have redemption, through His blood. Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins. Part of the purpose of the sacrificial system of Israel was to show this. God was teaching that the innocent’s blood would be used to atone the sins of the guilty. Sin demands death as punishment, here God is showing his grace in that he provides a substitutionary atonement. An innocent victim given for the sins of the guilty. What allowed for the sacrifice to cover the sins was the faith of the one offering the sacrifice. God forgave the person because the sacrifice God desired was a humble and contrite heart full of thankfulness as many psalms declared. The sacrifice was a means of fulfilling the requirement of death for sin. However many animals died and because the blood of animals could not truly cover sin. Christ blood provides is the ultimate substitutionary atonement because he was truly Holy and blemish-less and without sin. The body of Christ was broken for us, his blood poured for our sins as the prophets declared before hand. “He himself bore our sins” (Isaiah 53). God chose who would believe in Christ’s sacrifice before hand. And in due time every one whom he has chosen does put their faith in Christ and can not be plucked out of His hand as Christ said.
As Paul says again in Ephesians “for by grace you have been saved through faith. And this not of your own doing; it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8). So we see that in His grace God provides Himself a guilt offering for our sins in Christ, in his grace he gives us the faith to believe in Christ and in his grace he leads us and sanctifies us so that none of his sheep are stolen from Him. It is all the grace of God, his sovereign choice in working out his will. He will create a new heaven and a new earth and has a new redeemed people in Christ. He will restore the Glory of Zion at the return of Messiah. He will judge all unrighteousness and pour out his wrath on the ungodly. All he wills he fulfills. The will of God is unstoppable and unmovable. He works out all things according to the counsel of his will. Raising up nations and empires and bringing them to nothing, saving people. Ordering the motion of the stars, the wind and all the seasons and all things. Through Christ alone are we saved, Him who is Lord over all. To the Glory of God alone, we are saved by faith alone, predestined for good works in Christ, led by the Spirit who illuminates the scriptures which are good breathed and as such sufficient for teaching, reproof, correction and training in godliness. All this made possible by the Sovereign God.
In His body Christ reconciled us and all that was lost through death back unto God. Through Him the redeemed children of God are a first fruits of what is to come, and the creation awaits the manifestation of the sons of God. That is us at the coming of Messiah when we shall appear with Him. All things have been put under his feet, He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth. He is the Lord of all the earth before whom the mountains melt as wax and the hills skip as calves. He is Sovereign in executing salvation which is His. He is Sovereign in all he does, he needs no counselor. In his work on the cross he shamed principalities, he was victorious over death in his resurrection and yet still he shall defeat all his enemies that last being death.
In various times in the scriptures God is called the Lord of Hosts or Lord of Armies. And through out scripture God is seen as leader in military battle. Take for example the exploits of David, the Redemption of Israel from Egypt or the conquest of Canaan where God actively fought on behalf of Israel. At various times striking Israel’s enemies and other times sending legions of angels to do battle as he did in the case when Elisha was surrounded by the armies of Syria. The flood, the destruction of Sodom and Gomorra are all examples of The LORD of the Universe at war with his wicked enemies. And the work of Christ was a fundamental act of war on the part of God. For through Christ’s sacrifice and resurrection God defeated death and Christ now has the keys to death and hell, further more he has saved a people from his wrath. And the various acts of war on the part of God are executed in His Sovereignty. The return of Christ at the end of the age is a clear act of war itself where he shall fight on behalf of Israel once again. Destroying her enemies and restoring the Theocratic Rule in Israel and the world over.
Micah 4:1-4
It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and it shall be lifted up above the hills; and peoples shall flow to it, and many nations shall come, and say: “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths. For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He shall judge between many peoples, and shall decide for strong nations far away; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore; but they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree, and no one shall make them afraid
For more the Sovereignty of God feel free to use a concordance to do a more in depth study of the Sovereignty of God. Other readings may include Institutes of the Christian Religion by John Calvin.
