He Rules Over All

Q: What does the Bible say about God's sovereignty?

The Bible affirms that God is sovereign over all creation, orchestrating events according to His will. Scripture consistently portrays God as the sovereign ruler over all aspects of life. In 1 Samuel 6, we see God directing the circumstances involving the Ark of the Covenant, even in the hands of the Philistines. He works through their actions to teach them about His holiness and the consequences of offending Him. Psalm 62:11 states, 'God has spoken once, twice have I heard this; that power belongeth unto God.' This underscores the belief that God's governance is absolute and unopposed, reinforcing the historic Reformed view of His divine sovereignty.

Q: How do we know that God is in control?

The Bible reveals God's control through His actions and promises, showing that He governs all creation. Throughout Scripture, God's sovereignty is demonstrated in His ability to control both nature and the affairs of mankind. As seen in 1 Samuel 6, He directs the Philistine priests to return the Ark of the Covenant in a manner that demonstrates His authority over the situation. Revelation 19:6 declares that 'the Lord God omnipotent reigneth,' affirming His ultimate power and control. The Reformed perspective emphasizes that God is actively involved in every detail of creation, ensuring that nothing occurs outside of His divine plan.

Q: Why is understanding God's sovereignty important for Christians?

Understanding God's sovereignty reassures Christians of His control over all aspects of life, enhancing faith and trust. The doctrine of God's sovereignty is crucial for Christians as it provides comfort and security amid trials. Recognizing that God is in control helps believers trust in His plan, knowing that He works all things for good to those who love Him (Romans 8:28). In 1 Samuel 6, despite Israel's failures, God's sovereign hand orchestrates the return of the Ark, demonstrating His faithfulness to His people. This reinforces the Reformed understanding that in every situation, including suffering or hardship, God's sovereign purpose is at work for His glory and our spiritual benefit.

Q: What role does God play in our salvation?

God plays an active role in salvation, initiating and completing the work in the hearts of believers. According to the historic Reformed view, salvation is entirely the work of God. Ephesians 2:8-9 emphasizes that grace is a gift from God, not a result of human effort. In the sermon, it is pointed out that just as God controlled the events concerning the Ark, He also sovereignly intervenes in the hearts of sinners, bringing them to faith. This aligns with the doctrine of irresistible grace, where God overcomes resistance and draws His chosen people to Himself in salvation, ensuring no one is lost who should be saved.

Join me in the book of 1st Samuel chapter 6 and we're going to read a portion of the scripture and I want to stop in time that we can have prayer requests because we have a number of them But I want to get into this section of scripture Remember that the children of Israel had taken that box It was nothing but a box to them it was that Ark of the Covenant.

It was the Ark out of the Tabernacle with the idea that this thing would secure victory in a battle with the Philistines. And they could never have been more wrong. the only secure victory that we could ever have is in Christ Jesus the Lord. And it just shares with us that there is nothing that we can give that will secure victory because it's not us doing it. The victory is the Lord's. Well, the children of Israel lost that ark to the Philistines, and not by mistake, This is not a mistake in the sense that they lost it. We're gonna find out that God is working behind the lattice when that ark is over there among the Philistines. He is right in the middle of it directing the orchestra just like he would from any position that he has ever had in this world. I don't often listen to the news. I don't need it for my sustenance. But I did listen to just a little bit today, and then I smiled and said, God's working it out just perfectly. And I settled back down. What a thing.

As we visit the ark in the hands of the Philistines, 1 Samuel 6, Verse 1, we read this, And the ark of the LORD was in the country of the Philistines seven months, a very distinct period of time, and God worked everything out for His glory during that seven-month period. He taught the Philistines that this is not the place for the ark. And he taught them in a very, very personal way. He was so close to them in his dealing with them that they couldn't forget that they were being dealt with.

It was very personal. It was very private. And we find out that that's exactly what happened in the fall. It is very personal and it is very private. It is not just simply saying, my sister made me do it. It is a fall that we fell in, and it is personal and private, and we cannot get away from the effects of it. We can't gender it out. We can't move it out. We can't pray it out. We can't work it out. It is something that God must deal with. Well, even as this story unfolds here, the truth of the story unfolds, we find out that the hand of the Lord was on them.

And in verse, let's travel down here. The Philistines called the priests and diviners saying, what shall we do to the ark of the Lord? Shall tell us wherewith we shall send it to his place. And they said, if you send away the ark of the God of Israel, send it not empty, but in any wise return him a trespass offering. Now, To me, that little verse of scripture shared with me that these people knew that God was offended, and we better make a payment to God, the God of Israel. And so they're going to send some gifts with this Ark of the Covenant. And it says there, Then you shall be healed, and it shall be known to you why his hand was not removed from you. Then said they, What shall be the trespass offering, that we shall return to him?

And they answered, Five golden emeralds and five golden mice, according to the number of the lords of the Philistines, 1 For one plague was on you all, and on your lords. 2 Wherefore ye shall make images of your emeroids, and images of your mice, that mar the land. 3 And ye shall give glory unto the God of Israel. 4 Peradventure he will lighten his hand from off you, and from off your gods, and from off your land.

So they're quite concerned as we read there. And then in verse six, wherefore then do you harden your hearts as the Egyptians and the Pharaohs harden their hearts? When he had wrought wonderfully among them, did he not let the people go and they departed? They recognized that the God of Israel had put his hand heavy on them.

Now it's interesting that these priests and diviners that were called together to find out what to do never assumed any of the responsibility for what was going on. And it's so easy for people to say, it's not my problem. And that's essentially what they said, it's not our problem. We're not in this sin with the rest of you. And yet we find a wonderful statement is made by Daniel over, turn with me to the book of Daniel. And Daniel shares with us who is the real issue in this matter.

In the book of Daniel chapter 9, Daniel 9, we read these words that Daniel was caused to write and speak many, many, many years after the Philistines returned the Ark of the Covenant. And now Israel is back into captivity with the Babylonians. Daniel 9, verse 4, Daniel chapter 9 verse 4. Now this is a true believer dealing with the problem that we find over there in the book of 1 Samuel. A true believer will always put himself in the same position as everybody else when it comes to sin.

I am the problem. And here in Daniel chapter 9 verse 4, we read these words. Daniel chapter 9 verse 4, And I prayed unto the Lord my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments, we have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and thy judgments." We have done that.

Now, Daniel is a faithful minister of the gospel, and he's a faithful worker among the Babylonians. It is because of him, and at least him and the three Hebrew children, that the Magi had the gospel. And many, many years later, and came to see where the Christ child was. This, it came out of somebody knowing something. Well, in that same chapter in verse 20, it says, and whilst I was speaking and praying and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel.

So he is in the mix. And you know, that's where we are. We're all the same in the mix, all sinners. We can't blame it on anybody else. It's not their problem. It's my problem. And when we start blaming other people for it or stepping aside from it, we have a problem. So those diviners and those priests, they didn't want to get involved in that. Well, give good advice or they thought it was good advice. They'll give the advice, but it's your problem.

And I just love reading about Peter saying, woe is me, depart from me. I'm a sinful man. Isaiah, I'm a sinful man. Job, I'm a sinful man. And on and on, every believer that is recorded in the scripture along with in this matter, they all confessed that they were sinners. Paul, oh, wretched man that I am. Peter in the New Testament. Oh, it just goes down.

And that's how we measure success. That's how we measure our walk. Where do we have God and where do we have ourself? If we have God down low and us up high, we have it wrong. And that's exactly what those priests and diviners had. They had it wrong.

Well, as we go back over there, we find out that they gave the instructions. Now, in verse 6 of 1 Samuel chapter 6, it says, they brought up the Egyptians and Pharaoh. Now, that reminded me of Rahab the harlot. And that's a lot of years prior to this time. But she said, you know, we heard of you when you crossed the Red Sea. And here it is 400, approximately 450 years from the time that Israel left Egypt. And this verse of scripture in 1 Samuel chapter six and verse six, 450 years.

And yet the memory of God's work in Egypt Egypt with his people is still in the minds and memory of these folks. These folks remembered it better than Israel remembered it. They didn't remember it at all. They'd gone after all kinds of gods and they, well, that's one reason that we read that many Israelites died in the wilderness in unbelief. And they're going to be over here on the left-hand side, and many of them are going to say, we're related to Abraham, and God's going to say, depart from me, ye worker of iniquity, I never knew you.

And that's Israel. In 1 Samuel 6-7, this is their solution. Now, it is wonderful to actually see, know who is manipulating this scene. Almighty God. He's never relinquished His position, even among the Philistines. He has His position among Israel, and that is Almighty God. We read about His name in the book of Revelation, the Lord God Almighty. I liked what I heard one time, he's not the Lord God almost, he's the Lord God Almighty, and he is behind the scenes.

Now these folks may not have realized what was going on, but as we look at it from a spiritual standpoint, we find out that God was moving here just like he did in creation. And the resistance that he had here is the same that he had in creation. None. There was no resistance whatsoever to the will of God.

The Philistines were going to do what God impressed them to do. I was visiting with Brother Gary Shepherd, and I said, one of my favorite verses, and by now you probably know it, is Ezra chapter 1, verse 1. God stirred Cyrus to fulfill the prophecy of Jeremiah. God stirred him.

Now he was a pagan king just like Nebuchadnezzar. He was a pagan king just like 90% or 100% of Israel's kings and almost all of Judah's kings. They were, and yet behind the scenes, God is moving in His will in their hearts and minds without resistance. He is absolute sovereign over all of this.

And so He moves on these priests and these seekers, seers, to say, this is what you have to do. I suggest this, but it is what you have to do. It says there in 1 Samuel 6 and verse 7, now therefore, make a new cart. how wise we may say they were, but in essence, this is a requirement by God. This is not an ark just for the old common cart. You must make a new cart.

And then it goes on to say there, and you're going to put two milk cows, which there has come no yoke. They've never been trained to do this. And they have calves. And if you've ever been around cows with calves, it's not the easiest thing to separate them. And yet here God moved in his great display of his power and sovereignty over all things and caused those milk cows to go. And it says they were lowing, which means they were completely satisfied with food and they were doing what they wanted to do.

Well, Tie the kind to the cart, and bring their calves home from them. Specific instructions. And take the ark of the Lord, and lay it upon the cart, and put the jewels of gold, which he returned him for a trespass offering, in a coffer by the side thereof, and send it away, that it may go. Here's the instructions.

Now, we know who is actually in charge and we know who is actually manipulating this whole scene just like he does with the whole world. We have often mentioned that God is the director. The world are the, what is the word? The world is the props. and the church are the actors. The world is the cures of wood and drawers of water for the church. Always has been, always will be. They're the ones that take care of the church by God's direction.

All right, so they go off. God has spoken. It just brings up this subject. What about this God that is doing this with the Philistines, two milk cows who have calves, a new cart and the gift that the the Philistines have put in there to make everybody happy we recognize the fact that God has been offended let's pay it back and they make they make gold forgive me hemorrhoids and mice that were depredating the entire realm of the Philistines. And they make them out of gold and send them back. Well, I don't know. It doesn't tell us that I know of, but probably the best thing to do with all of that was to melt it down. Use it in a better fashion. Anyway, turn with me, if you would, to the Psalms. Psalm 62. Psalm 62. In Psalm 62, we read this about God.

It just, it's so good to read about our God as he's given it to us in the Bible. Now, the only place that God ever talks to his people from today, the only place he ever speaks to us from is out of his word. Now, if you were in the days of the prophets of Old Testament, you may have had him come to you directly and visit with you. more likely he would come to a prophet and then come to you. But today, since we have the complete Bible, he doesn't take any of his time and visit with us in that manner.

He speaks to us through his word. End of statement. All right, Psalm 62, verse 11, it says, God has spoken once, twice have I heard this, that power belongeth unto God. What a statement. And we find these statements throughout the entire Bible that there should never be a time when we are reading that we find out that God is not in control. Every page has that. Every chapter has something about that.

And we really find it here in the book of 1 Samuel, as those cows are turned loose with that cart and headed away, God is displaying to them that I have control over the calves, I have control over the people, I have control over the cows, and guess what? He's going to take them in the right direction. They will not have to get to a point, oh, we're going to have to turn them around and go the other direction. He's taking them in the right direction. God has spoken once, twice have I heard this.

And in the book of Revelation, turn with me over there to the book of Revelation chapter 19 and we again find out who's directing this whole scene here in the book of 1 Samuel chapter 6. In the book of Revelation chapter 19, we read this about this God, from beginning to end, Genesis to Revelation, we have this account shared with us with regard to God, that He is God, He is in charge, He is sovereign, He does rule, He is not influenced by anything, and we have, as it says here, Psalm, or excuse me, Revelation chapter 19, verse 6, it says, And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, and it's the voice of many waters. Now, it's a voice that is so grand that it can't be misunderstood. That's the voice of many waters. It is so clear, so pronounced, so overwhelming, He goes on to say there, and as the voice of many thundering, saying, hallelujah, for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. And we know what that word omnipotent means. has absolutely all power.

And for people to tell me, I've heard this recently, you've heard it recently, God does not have the power to overwhelm somebody to save them. Well, he does. And if he doesn't do it, nobody's going to get saved. That's all there is to it. He must do that. He arrested Saul of Tarsus. He arrested Peter, James, and John. He arrested them and caused them to bow. All right.

When we go over to the book of Genesis, we find out just how great He is. I was just thinking about the creation of the heavens and the earth without anything, and there's absolutely no resistance. And whatever He creates, there is no resistance. Nobody is bulking against the creation that Almighty God has. He is absolute control of it. Can you just imagine the resistance that God did not have with the universe, the planets, and the stars, when he created them?

There was none. And he created all that great, and I was thinking about, I was down at my brother Howard's one time, and we were laying out there on a hammock, after dark, looking at the stars. And there was billions of them. Billions and zillions and billions and billions of them. And they were all great and grand and we just would admire them. But you know what?

When the sun came up, there's only one. There's only one. When the sun shines on us, there is only one. We will never attribute any glory of our salvation to anything but the one. He takes all the sight of everything else that we ever thought was important away when he casts himself into our presence in our salvation. There's nothing else.

He is it. So there as we follow that, and you know, a lot of people, I've heard them say, what a genius that Adam was. He named all the critters. What a smart guy. Well, compare the smart guy with the Creator. And who brought those animals to Adam to be named? God did. God?

He moved in them. He moved in an animal to go by Adam and be named. He took his in the right direction at the right time at the right interval and had him walk by Adam and Adam named him. How long that took, I don't know, and it doesn't matter. But God moved that animal.

And you know the same thing is true when Noah was ready to go into that ark? There was no buckarooing. Nate and I have been watching one of those shows down there in Nevada on that ranch that go out and rope those wild cows. Brand them or bring them in. Man, alive. I like it on TV, but I wouldn't want to be involved in it. And yet God called every one of those critters two by two. There was some over here that never heard the call. Some lions didn't hear the call. Giraffes didn't hear the call. Hippopotamuses didn't hear the call.

They just continued to eat. What are those guys doing? Where are they going? didn't even enter into their mind, and God called this one and this one and went that way, and this one and this one and went that way, and they ended up, however the size of the earth was at that time, or the form of the earth was at that time, it doesn't matter, he went out and fetched them all that he wanted in that ark, and every other one was destroyed. What percentage went into the ark and what percentage was left out of the ark? Well, a much greater percentage was left out than went in.

And God was in charge of it. He is so faithful to his prophets that he would even cause them, one of them, to be fed by ravens. And it doesn't take very long around here with the ravens or the crows that we have to find out that that's not the best deliverer of my food. because I've seen them along the road cleaning up roadkill. So thank you, Lord, for letting me have it on my plate. And, but there was a prophet that was taken care of by those ravens.

And instead of eating the food, God moved on them to deliver that food. And we can just go through and through and through the scriptures and read about the power of this God. And then when it comes to the salvation of people, people can have the audacity to say, He can't save me without my permission.

You know, I was listening to a sermon just, well, I was off in La La Land when Virginia and Don came in, listening to the sermon, and this man mentioned about the stone in front of Lazarus' tomb. He says, it really didn't have to be there. He was dead. You know what it was there for? Keep the smell in. That's the only reason it was there, to keep the smell in. So he's dead, and he elaborated quite vividly about what was going on in that Lazarus's body, but he came out a living human being, ravaged by death.

This is the God that the people of God worship as God, not some figment of the imagination. God purposed the deliverance of every living thing in that arc, two by two. Well, he didn't get the great big dinosaurs. Oh, he got the Komodo dragons. They represent the family quite well. He didn't bring in boxer dogs. He brought in a dog, a pair of dogs, He didn't have Guernsey and Jersey cows, he had a pair of cows. This God wound him up, put him in there, and then two by two.

The plagues of Egypt, I just thought, I've been around where there's lots of frogs, but nothing like that. Down along the Goose Lake, when the frogs were hatching, you could pick up tadpoles just like that out of those pools. Hundreds and hundreds of tadpoles. but nothing like what God brought on Egypt. Frogs in the dough bins, frogs in the houses, frogs in the beds, frogs everywhere, flies.

He is powerful to create the fly that he brought there, the gnats, the lice, the locusts, and the hail. He ruled in heaven. I was with my sister-in-law today and we were in one of the junk stores, and I saw a book. It said, Nature Gone Wild. And I opened it up, and all of the great hurricanes and earthquakes and fires—that's not nature. That's God.

He has that in His control. It's not by mistake. It's his earthquakes. It's his hail. The other night, the wind came through, I understand, blew a bunch of trees over. That's God's wind. And you know when we get to thinking about it, the diseases that we get in our life, the diseases that people get in their life, that's not just some figment of brought in here. It's God's diseases.

He has done that. And he has, it's part of the curse. You will die. And some of this is just the means and how he is going to have that happen. So he's in charge of the whole thing. Turn with me, if you would, to the book of Daniel. One more time to the book of Daniel. In Daniel chapter six, verse 22. The opening statement of this verse, the opening words are the Bible in compact. It says there in Daniel chapter six and verse 22.

Now I'm not going around advertising, I'd like to be thrown into a lion's den. That's just not my goal. I'm not going to go down to Las Vegas and be there when they have some guys training a lion. I want him in a cage. I'm not going to go on to some farm and go out and pet the lions. I'm not going to do that. It's just not my...

But Daniel was thrown into, and this was a form of punishment for criminals, thrown into a den of lions. This was not created for Daniel. This was a normal This was a normal. This is what they did in that country. And He is cast into that den of lions, and yet we read here in Daniel chapter 6 and verse 22, it says, My God has sent His angel, His messenger. Now that's not Gabriel. Who is this?

This is the Lord God Almighty. Same one that was the fourth one in the burning fiery furnace. He sent his angel and hath shut the lion's mouths that they have not hurt me. He has shut, it wasn't that their jaws were stuck and they still wanted to growl at him. He took the zip out of them. This is God. And this is the same thing He does with complaining people that He's going to save. He shuts their mouth. And in the end, they are thankful because they're just going to make a foolish statement that they don't want to have after they're saved. All right.

It goes on to tell us here in Daniel chapter 6, verse 22, I shut the lion's mouth and they have not hurt me for as much as before him innocence he was found in me and also before the old king have I done no hurt. So Daniel recognized the fact where this great power was from. It was from God. Well, let's go back to the book of 1 Samuel for here for just a little bit. 1 Samuel and let's finish this account. 1 Samuel chapter 6. We have those that are to the covenant and those gifts on a new cart headed out. Let's follow what happens.

And verse 11, well, verse 10, and the men did so and took the milk cows and tied them to the cart and shut up their calves at home. And they laid the ark of the Lord upon the cart. Now in that particular word, that's Jehovah. They laid the ark of Jehovah upon the cart in the coffer with the mice of gold and the images of the emeralds.

And the kind took the straight way to the way of Beth Shemesh. Now, it's the first time in the cow's life that he ever took the straight way. There's more in those words than we can capture. The cows took the straight way to the way of Beth Shemesh, and went along the highway, lowing as they went, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left.

And the lords of the Philistines went after them unto the border of Beth Shemesh." We got witnesses to it, and we have the word of it. And they of Bathshemish were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley. And they lifted up their eyes and saw the ark and rejoiced to see it. And the cart came into the field of Joshua, a Bathshemite, and stood there, where there was a great stone. And they clave the wood of the cart, or cut up the wood of the cart, and offered the cows a burnt offering unto the Lord."

And now we finally got somebody who knows a little bit about what to do with this ark. We got Levites. They are the only ones that were ever supposed to touch that ark. The Levites took down the ark of the Lord and the coffer that was with it, wherein the jewels of gold were, and put them on the great stone.

And the men of Bethshemesh offered burnt offerings and sacrifices the same day unto the Lord. And when the five lords of the Philistines had seen it, they returned to Ekron the same day. And these are the golden emeralds which the Philistines returned for a trespass offering unto the Lord, from Ashdod one, for Gaza one, for Ascalon one, and Gath one, and for Ekron one. And the golden mice, according to the number of the cities of the Philistines, belonging to the five lords, both the fifth cities of the country villages, even unto the great stone of Abel, whereupon They set down the Ark of the Lord, which stone remained unto this day in the field of Joshua, the son of the Benjamite. And he smote the men of Bethshemesh, because they had looked into the Ark of the Lord. Even he smote 50,000. three score and ten men. And the people lamented because the Lord had smitten many of the people with a great slaughter.

And the men of Bathshemesh, who is able to stand before this holy Lord God? And to whom shall he go up from us? Who is able to stand before this holy Lord God? Isn't that a question? only His people, who are holy as He is holy, can stand before the Lord God.

And they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kerr, Jash, and Jerom, saying, The Philistines have brought again the ark of the Lord, come ye down, and fetch it up to you." So 450 years after the children of Israel left Egypt, we have this scene take place here in the book of 1 Samuel 6. It is their solution, but God's behind the solution. Get that ark back to Israel, and yet we still have a bunch of people looking at it as it's just another box. Let's see what's really inside of that. And it's just so human. It is just so human.

The Lord did His duty. What could He do when Adam sinned? Fulfill His word. The day you eat, you shall surely die. And when Adam ate, he did that very thing. He died. There wasn't a spiritual quality left in him. He had nothing that he had once had. And that's the battle we fight when we try to get people to do something that they can't do. They're dead in trespasses and sin. Impossible, impossible, impossible.

And yet we have a God that has taken care of the issue. He raises us from the spiritual dead. Well, we'll stop there. We'll pick this seventh chapter up next time. I just want to leave you with this thought about God's power once again. It is after April 15th. But in the book of Matthew chapter 17, the disciples were told, one disciple, go down to the lake, catch a fish, pull the coin out of his mouth, go pay our taxes. What power God has to deal with that.

All right, before we close tonight, if you would remember Jamie and Jimmy in prayer. Also, if you'd remember Brother Gary Shepard in prayer with regard to the passing of his son. and his ministry there in North Carolina. Remember Mr. and Mrs. Enufawakan, Julia and Toby. Toby's dad, who had not planned on being at the wedding due to the passing of his wife, Toby's mom in Nigeria, was able to get away, he and his daughter. And so all of The children were at—Toby was there, his brother was there, and his sister was there. Toby's dad was there, an uncle was there, an aunt was there. Quite a group of people that represented the groom's side were there.

He Rules Over All

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about God's sovereignty?

How do we know that God is in control?

Why is understanding God's sovereignty important for Christians?

What role does God play in our salvation?

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He Rules Over All

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about God's sovereignty?

How do we know that God is in control?

Why is understanding God's sovereignty important for Christians?

What role does God play in our salvation?

Sermon Transcript

Comments

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