God's sovereignty

God is in control of kings and nations

“Yea, before the day was I am he (自從有日子以來,我就是神); and there is none that can deliver out of my hand: I will work, and who shall let it (我要行事,誰能阻止呢)?” (Isa 43:13)

(kings)

The Lord put hook on Assyrian king to lead him back. “I know thy abode (你坐下), and thy going out, and thy coming in, and thy rage against me. Because thy rage against me, and thy tumult, is come up into mine ears, therefore will I put my hook in thy nose, and my bridle in thy lips, and I will turn thee back by the way by which thou camest.” (Isa 37:28-29)

Cyrus (the Persian king) is the Lord’s instrument to free the Jewish captives back to Jerusalem. “That saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure, even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid.” (Isa 44:28) “Thus saith the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him…I have raised him up in righteousness, and I will direct all his ways: he shall build my city, and he shall let go my captives, not for price nor reward, saith the Lord of hosts.” (Isa 45:1,13)

(nations)

God will raise strong army to invade Assyria. “Behold, I am against thee, saith the Lord of hosts; and I will discover thy skirts upon thy face, and I will shew the nations thy nakedness, and the kingdoms thy shame…And it shall come to pass, that all they that look upon thee shall flee from thee, and say, Nineveh is laid waste.” (Nahum 3:5,7)

The Lord will stir up Medes against Babylon. “Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them .” (Isa 13:17)

God will also raise strong army to destroy Babylon. “Woe to him that increaseth that which is not his! how long? and to him that ladeth himself with thick clay! (迦勒底人,你增添不屬自己的財物,多多取人的當頭,要到幾時為止呢?) Shall they not rise up suddenly that shall bite thee, and awake that shall vex (擾害) thee, and thou shalt be for booties (擄物) unto them?” (Hab 2:6-7)

God’s sovereignty over mankind

“Before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.” (Isa 43:10)

He proved to the aliens that he is the God of heaven and creator of the nature. He has the sovereignty over his creation. Jonah said to the mariners, “I am an Hebrew; and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, which hath made the sea and the dry land.” (Jonah 1:9)

“The Lord will be terrible unto them, for he will famish (使瘦弱) all the gods of the earth, and men shall worship Him, every one from his place, even all the isles of the heathen (列國海島的居民).” (Zeph 2:11)

In the Book of Ezekiel, there are 23 times that the Lord ends His message with “And ye shall know that I am the Lord”.

“And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the Lord…they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The Lord is my God.” (Zech 13:8-9)

“I will give them an heart to know me, that I am the Lord; and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart.” (Jer 24:7)

“I have sworn by myself…that unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.” (Isa 45:23)

In the eyes of the Lord, Israel is like the clay in the potter’s hand. “O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the Lord. Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel.” (Jer 18:6)