Chapter 10
OUR ATTITUDE
TOWARD GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY
"Even so, Father: for so it
seemed good in Thy sight"
(Matthew 11:26
In the present chapter we
shall consider, somewhat briefly, the practical application to
ourselves of the great truth which we have pondered in its various
ramifications in earlier pages. In chapter twelve we shall deal more in detail
with the value of this doctrine, but here we would confine ourselves to a
definition of what ought to be our attitude toward the sovereignty of God.
Every truth
that is revealed to us in God’s Word is there not only for our information but
also for our inspiration. The Bible has been given to us not to gratify an idle
curiosity but to edify the souls of its readers. The sovereignty of God is
something more than an abstract principle which explains the rationale of the
Divine government: it is designed as a motive for godly fear, it is made known
to us for the promotion of righteous living, it is revealed
in order to bring into subjection our rebellious hearts. A true recognition of
God’s sovereignty humbles as nothing else does or can humble, and brings the
heart into lowly submission before God, causing us to relinquish our own
self-will and making us delight in the perception and performance of the Divine
will.
When we speak of the
sovereignty of God we mean very much more than the exercise of God’s
governmental power, though, of course, that is included in the expression. As
we have remarked in an earlier chapter, the sovereignty of God means the
Godhood of God. In its fullest and deepest meaning the title of this book signifies the Character and Being of the One whose pleasure is
performed and whose will is executed. To truly recognize the sovereignty of God
is, therefore, to gaze upon the Sovereign Himself. It is to come into the
presence of the august "Majesty on High." it is to have a sight of
the thrice holy God in His excellent glory. The effects of such a sight may be
learned from those scriptures which describe the experience
of different ones who obtained a view of the Lord God.
Mark the experience of Job—the
one of whom the Lord Himself said, "There is none like him in the earth, a
perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil" (Job
1:8). At the close of the book which bears his name we are shown
Job in the Divine presence, and how does he carry himself when brought face to
face with Jehovah? Hear what he says: "I have heard of Thee by the hearing
of the ear; but now mine eye seeth Thee: Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent
in dust and ashes" (Job 42:5, 6). Thus, a sight of God, God revealed in
awesome majesty, caused Job to abhor himself, and not only so, but to abase
himself before the Almighty.
Take note of Isaiah. In the
sixth chapter of his prophecy a scene is brought before us which has few equals
even in Scripture. The prophet beholds the Lord upon the Throne, a Throne,
"high and lifted up." Above this Throne stood the seraphim with veiled faces, crying, "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of
hosts." What is the effect of this sight upon the prophet? We read,
"Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean
lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have
seen the King, the Lord of hosts" (Isa. 6:5). A sight of the Divine King
humbled Isaiah into the dust, bringing him, as it did, to a realization of his own nothingness.
Once more. Look at the prophet
Daniel. Toward the close of his life this man of God beheld the Lord in
theophanic manifestation. He appeared to His servant in human form
"clothed in linen" and with loins "girded with fine
gold"—symbolic of holiness and Divine glory. We read
that, "His body also was like the beryl, and His face as the appearance of
lightning, and His eyes as lamps of fire, and His arms and His feet like in
color to polished brass, and the voice of His words like the voice of a
multitude." Daniel then tells the effect this vision had upon him and
those who were with him—"And I Daniel alone saw the vision: for the men
that were with me saw not the vision; but a great quaking
fell upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves. Therefore I was left
alone, and saw this great vision, and there remained no strength in me: for my
comeliness was turned in me into corruption, and I retained no strength. Yet
heard I the voice of His words: and when I heard the voice of His words, then
was I in a deep sleep on my face, and my face toward the ground"
(Dan. 10:6-9). Once more, then, we are shown that to obtain a sight of the
Sovereign God is for creature strength to wither up, and results in man being
humbled into the dust before his Maker. What then ought to be our attitude
toward the Supreme Sovereign? We reply,
Why is it that, today, the
masses are so utterly unconcerned about spiritual and eternal things, and that they
are lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God? Why is it that even on the
battlefields multitudes were so indifferent to their soul’s welfare? Why is it that defiance of heaven is becoming more open, more
blatant, more daring? The answer is, Because "There is no fear of God
before their eyes" (Rom. 3:18). Again; why is it that the authority of the
Scriptures has been lowered so sadly of late? Why is it that even among those
who profess to be the Lord’s people there is so little real subjection to His Word,
and that its precepts are so lightly esteemed and so readily
set aside? Ah! what needs to be stressed to-day is that God is a God to be
feared.
"The fear of the Lord is
the beginning of wisdom" (Pro. 1:7). Happy the soul that has
been awed by a view of God’s majesty, that has had a vision of God’s awful
greatness, His ineffable holiness, His perfect righteousness, His irresistible
power, His sovereign grace. Does someone say, "But it is only the unsaved,
those outside of Christ, who need to fear God"? Then the sufficient answer
is that the saved, those who are in Christ, are admonished to work out their
own salvation with "fear and trembling." Time
was, when it was the general custom to speak of a believer as a
"God-fearing man"—that such an appellation has become nearly extinct
only serves to show whither we have drifted. Nevertheless, it still stands
written, "Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them
that fear Him" (Ps. 103:13)!
When we
speak of godly fear, of course, we do not mean a servile fear, such as prevails
among the heathen in connection with their gods. No; we mean that spirit which
Jehovah is pledged to bless, that spirit to which the prophet referred when he
said, "To this man will I (the Lord) look, even to him that is poor and of
a contrite spirit, and trembleth at My Word" (Isa. 66:2). It was this the
apostle had in view when he wrote, "Honor all men.
Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king" (1 Pet. 2:17). And nothing
will foster this godly fear like a recognition of the sovereign Majesty of God.
What ought to be our attitude
toward the Sovereignty of God? We answer again,
2. One of Implicit Obedience.
A sight of God leads to a
realization of our littleness and nothingness, and issues in a sense of dependency
and of casting ourselves upon God. Or, again; a view of the Divine
Majesty promotes the spirit of godly fear and this, in turn, begets an obedient
walk. Here then is the Divine antidote for the native evil of our hearts.
Naturally, man is filled with a sense of his own importance, with his greatness
and self-sufficiency; in a word, with pride and rebellion. But, as we remarked,
the great corrective is to behold the Mighty God, for this alone will really
humble him. Man will glory either in himself or in God. Man
will live either to serve and please himself, or he will seek to serve and
please the Lord. None can serve two masters.
Irreverence begets
disobedience. Said the haughty monarch of Egypt, "Who is the Lord that I
should obey His voice to let Israel go? I know not the Lord; neither will I let Israel go" (Ex. 5:2). To Pharaoh, the God of the
Hebrews was merely a god, one among many, a powerless entity who needed not to
be feared or served. How sadly mistaken he was, and how bitterly he had to pay for
his mistake, he soon discovered; but what we are here seeking to emphasize is
that, Pharaoh’s defiant spirit was the fruit of irreverence, and this
irreverence was the consequence of his ignorance of the majesty
and authority of the Divine Being.
Now if irreverence begets
disobedience, true reverence will produce and promote obedience. To realize
that the Holy Scriptures are a revelation from the Most High, communicating to
us His mind and defining for us His will, is the first step toward practical godliness. To recognize that the Bible is God’s
Word, and that its precepts are the precepts of the Almighty, will lead us to
see what an awful thing it is to despise and ignore them. To receive the Bible
as addressed to our own souls, given to us by the Creator Himself, will cause
us to cry with the Psalmist, "Incline my heart unto Thy testimonies. . .
.Order my steps in Thy Word" (Ps. 119:36, 133). Once
the sovereignty of the Author of the Word is apprehended, it will no longer be
a matter of picking and choosing from the precepts and statutes of that Word,
selecting those which meet with our approval; but it will be seen that nothing
less than an unqualified and whole-hearted submission becomes the creature.
What ought
to be our attitude toward the Sovereignty of God? We answer, once more,
3. One of entire resignation.
A true
recognition of God’s Sovereignty will exclude all murmuring. This is
self-evident, yet the thought deserves to be dwelt upon. It is natural to
murmur against afflictions and losses. It is natural to complain when we are
deprived of those things upon which we had set our hearts. We are apt to regard
our possessions as ours unconditionally. We feel that when we have prosecuted
our plans with prudence and diligence that we are entitled
to success; that when by dint of hard work we have accumulated a ‘competence,’
we deserve to keep and enjoy it; that when we are surrounded by a happy family,
no power may lawfully enter the charmed circle and strike down a loved one; and
if in any of these cases disappointment, bankruptcy, death, actually comes, the
perverted instinct of the human heart is to cry out against God.
But in the one who, by grace, has recognized God’s sovereignty, such murmuring
is silenced, and instead, there is a bowing to the Divine will, and an
acknowledgment that He has not afflicted us as sorely as we deserve.
A true recognition of God’s
sovereignty will avow God’s perfect right to do with us as
He wills. The one who bows to the pleasure of the Almighty will acknowledge His
absolute right to do with us as seemeth Him good. If He chooses to send
poverty, sickness, domestic bereavements, even while the heart is bleeding at
every pore, it will say, Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right! Often
there will be a struggle, for the carnal mind remains in the believer to the
end of his earthly pilgrimage. But though there may be a
conflict within his breast, nevertheless, to the one who has really yielded
himself to this blessed truth, there will presently be heard that Voice saying,
as of old it said to the turbulent Gennesareth, "Peace be still"; and
the tempestuous flood within will be quieted and the subdued soul will lift a
tearful but confident eye to heaven and say, "Thy will be done."
A striking illustration of a
soul bowing to the sovereign will of God is furnished by the history of Eli the
high priest of Israel. In 1 Samuel 3 we learn how God revealed to the young
child Samuel that He was about to slay Eli’s two sons for their wickedness, and
on the morrow Samuel communicates this message to the aged priest.
It is difficult to conceive of more appalling intelligence for the heart of a
pious parent. The announcement that his child is going to be stricken down by
sudden death is, under any circumstances, a great trial to any father, but to
learn that his two sons—in the prime of their manhood, and utterly unprepared
to die—were to be cut off by a Divine judgment, must have been overwhelming.
Yet, what was the effect upon Eli when he learned from
Samuel the tragic tidings? What reply did he make when he heard the awful news?
"And he said, It is the Lord: let Him do what seemeth Him good" (1
Sam. 3:18). And not another word escaped him. Wonderful submission! Sublime
resignation! Lovely exemplification of the power of Divine grace to control the
strongest affections of the human heart and subdue the rebellious
will, bringing it into unrepining acquiescence to the sovereign pleasure of
Jehovah.
Another example, equally
striking, is seen in the life of Job. As is well known, Job was one that feared
God and eschewed evil. If ever there was one who might reasonably
expect Divine providence to smile upon him—we speak as a man—it was Job. Yet,
how fared it with him? For a time, the lines fell unto him in pleasant places.
The Lord filled his quiver by giving him seven sons and three daughters. He
prospered him in his temporal affairs until he owned great possessions. But of
a sudden, the sun of life was hidden behind dark clouds. In a single day Job
lost not only his flocks and herds, but his sons and
daughters as well. News arrived that his cattle had been carried off by
robbers, and his children slain by a cyclone. And how did he receive this
intelligence? Hearken to his sublime words: "The Lord gave, and the Lord
hath taken away." He bowed to the sovereign will of Jehovah. He traced his
afflictions back to their First Cause. He looked behind the Sabeans who had stolen his cattle, and beyond the winds that had destroyed his
children, and saw the hand of God. But not only did Job recognize God’s
sovereignty, he rejoiced in it, too. To the words, "The Lord gave, and the
Lord bath taken away," he added, "Blessed be the name of the
Lord" (Job 1:21). Again we say, Sweet submission! Sublime resignation!
A true recognition of God’s sovereignty
causes us to hold our every plan in abeyance to God’s will. The writer well
recalls an incident which occurred in England over twenty years ago. Queen
Victoria was dead, and the date for the coronation of her eldest son, Edward,
had been set for April 1902. In all the announcements which were
sent out, two little letters were omitted—D. V.—Deo Volente: God willing. Plans
were made and all arrangements completed for the most imposing celebrations
that England had ever witnessed. Kings and emperors from all parts of the earth
had received invitations to attend the royal ceremony. The Prince’s
proclamations were printed and displayed, but, so far as the writer is aware,
the letters D. V. were not found on a single one of them. A
most imposing program had been arranged, and the late Queen’s eldest son was to
be crowned Edward the Seventh at Westminster Abbey at a certain hour on a fixed
day. And then God intervened, and all man’s plans were frustrated. A still
small voice was heard to say, "You have reckoned without Me," and
Prince Edward was stricken down with appendicitis, and his
coronation postponed for months!
As remarked, a true
recognition of God’s sovereignty causes us to hold our plans in abeyance to
God’s will. It makes us recognize that the Divine Potter has absolute power
over the clay and moulds it according to his own imperial pleasure. It causes us to heed that admonition—now, alas! so generally
disregarded—"Go to now, ye that say, Today or tomorrow we will go into
such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas
ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a
vapor, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye
ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or
that" (James 4:13-15). Yes, it is to the Lord’s will we must bow. It is
for Him to say where I shall live—whether in America or Africa. It is for Him
to determine under what circumstances I shall live—whether amid wealth or
poverty, whether in health or sickness. It is for Him to say how long I shall
live—whether I shall be cut down in youth like the flower of the field, or
whether I shall continue for three score and ten years. To
really learn this lesson is, by grace, to attain unto a high form in the school
of God, and even when we think we have learnt it, we discover, again and again,
that we have to relearn it.
4. One if deep thankfulness
and joy.
The heart’s apprehension of
this most blessed truth of the sovereignty of God, produces something far
different than a sullen bowing to the inevitable. The philosophy of this
perishing world knows nothing better than to "make the best of a bad
job". But with the Christian it should be far other wise. Not only should
the recognition of God’s supremacy beget within us godly
fear, implicit obedience, and entire resignation, but it should cause us to say
with the Psalmist, "Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me,
bless His holy name". Does not the apostle say, "Giving thanks always
for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus
Christ" (Eph. 5:20)? Ah, it is at this point the state of our souls is so often put to the test. Alas, there is so much self-will in
each of us. When things go as we wish them, we appear to be very grateful to
God; but what of those occasions when things go contrary to our plans and
desires?
We take it for granted when
the real Christian takes a train-journey that, upon reaching
his destination, he devoutly returns thanks unto God—which, of course, argues
that He controls everything; otherwise, we ought to thank the engine-driver,
the stoker, the signalmen etc. Or, if in business, at the close of a good week,
gratitude is expressed unto the Giver of every good (temporal) and of every perfect
(spiritual) gift—which again, argues that He directs all customers to your
shop. So far, so good. Such examples occasion no
difficulty. But imagine the opposites. Suppose my train was delayed for hours,
did I fret and fume; suppose another train ran into it, and I am injured! Or,
suppose I have had a poor week in business, or that lightning struck my shop
and set it on fire, or that burglars broke in and rifled it—then what: do I see
the hand of God in these things?
Take the case of Job once
more. When loss after loss came his way, what did he do? Bemoan his "bad
luck"? Curse the robbers? Murmur against God? No; he bowed before Him in
worship. Ah, dear reader, there is no real rest for your poor heart until you
learn to see the hand of God in everything. But for that, faith must be in constant exercise. And what is faith? A blind credulity? A
fatalistic acquiescence? No, far from it. Faith is a resting on the sure Word
of the living God, and therefore says, "We know that all things work
together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according
to His purpose" (Rom. 8:28); and therefore faith will give thanks
"always for all things". Operative faith will "Rejoice in the
Lord alway" (Phil. 4:4).
We turn now to mark how this
recognition of God’s sovereignty which is expressed in godly fear, implicit
obedience, entire resignation, and deep thankfulness and joy was supremely and
perfectly exemplified by the Lord Jesus Christ.
In all things the Lord Jesus
has left us an example that we should follow His steps. But is this true in
connection with the first point made above? Are the words "godly
fear" ever linked with His peerless name? Remembering that ‘godly fear’
signifies not a servile terror, but rather a filial subjection and reverence,
and remembering too that "the fear of the Lord is the
beginning of wisdom," would it not rather be strange if no mention at all
were made of godly fear in connection with the One who was wisdom incarnate!
What a wonderful and precious word is that of Hebrews 5:7—"Who in the days
of His flesh, having offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying
and tears unto Him that was able to save Him from death, and having
been heard for His godly fear" (R. V.). What was it but ‘godly fear’ which
caused the Lord Jesus to be "subject" unto Mary and Joseph in the
days of His childhood? Was it not ‘godly fear’—a filial subjection to and
reverence for God—that we see displayed, when we read, "And He came to
Nazareth where He had been brought up: and, as His custom was, He went into the
synagogue on the Sabbath day" (Luke 4:16)? Was it not
‘godly fear’ which caused the incarnate Son to say, when tempted by Satan to
fall down and worship him, "It is written, thou shalt worship the Lord thy
God and Him only shalt thou serve"? Was it not ‘godly fear’ which moved
Him to say to the cleansed leper, "Go thy way, shew thyself to the priest,
and offer the gift that Moses commanded" (Matt. 8:4)? But why multiply illustrations? [1] How perfect was the obedience that the Lord
Jesus offered to God the Father! And in reflecting upon this let us not lose
sight of that wondrous grace which caused Him, who was in the very form of God,
to stoop so low as to take upon Him the form of a Servant, and thus be brought
into the place where obedience was becoming. As the perfect Servant He yielded
complete obedience to His Father. How absolute and entire
that obedience was we may learn from the words, He "became obedient unto
death, even the death of the Cross" (Phil. 2:8). That this was a conscious
and intelligent obedience is clear from His own language—"Therefore doth
My Father love Me, because I lay down My life, that I might take it again. No
man taketh it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it
down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment
have I received from My Father" (John 10:17, 18).
And what shall we say of the
absolute resignation of the Son to the Father’s will—what, but, between Them
there was entire oneness of accord. Said He, "For I came down
from heaven, not to do Mine own will, but the will of Him that sent Me"
(John 6:38), and how fully He substantiated that claim all know who have
attentively followed His path as marked out in the Scriptures. Behold Him in
Gethsemane! The bitter ‘cup,’ held in the Father’s hand, is presented to His
view. Mark well His attitude. Learn of Him who was meek and lowly in heart.
Remember that there in the Garden we see the Word become
flesh—a perfect Man. His body is quivering at every nerve, in contemplation of
the physical sufferings which await Him; His holy and sensitive nature is
shrinking from the horrible indignities which shall be heaped upon Him; His
heart is breaking at the awful "reproach" which is before Him; His
spirit is greatly troubled as He foresees the terrible conflict with the Power
of Darkness; and above all, and supremely, His soul is
filled with horror at the thought of being separated from God Himself—thus and
there He pours out His soul to the Father, and with strong crying and tears He
sheds, as it were, great drops of blood. And now observe and listen. Still the
beating of thy heart, and hearken to the words which fall from His blessed
lips—"Father, if Thou be willing, remove this cup from Me:
nevertheless, not My will, but Thine be done" (Luke 22:42). Here is
submission personified. Here is resignation to the pleasure of a sovereign God
superlatively exemplified. And He has left us an example that we should follow
His steps. He who was God became man, and was tempted in all points like as we
are—sin apart—to show us how to wear our creature nature!
Above we asked, What shall we
say of Christ’s absolute resignation to the Father’s will? We answer further,
This,—that here, as everywhere, He was unique, peerless. In all things He has
the pre-eminence. In the Lord Jesus there was no rebellious will to be broken.
In His heart there was nothing to be subdued. Was not this one reason why, in the language of prophecy, He said, "I am a worm,
and no man" (Ps. 22:6)—a worm has no power of resistance! It was because
in Him there was no resistance that He could say, "My meat is to do the
will of Him that sent Me" (John 4:34). Yea, it was because He was in
perfect accord with the Father in all things that He said, "I delight to
do Thy will, O God; yea, Thy law is within My heart" (Ps. 40:8). Note the last clause here and behold His matchless excellency. God has
to put His laws into our minds, and write them in our hearts (see Heb. 8:10),
but His law was already in Christ’s heart!
What a beautiful and striking
illustration of Christ’s thankfulness and joy is found in
Matthew 11. There we behold, first, the failure in the faith of His forerunner
(vv. 22, 23). Next, we learn of the discontent of the people: satisfied neither
with Christ’s joyous message, nor with John’s solemn one (vv. 16-20). Third, we
have the non-repentance of those favored cities in which our Lord’s mightiest
works were done (vv. 21-24). And then we read, "At that time Jesus
answered and said, I thank Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven
and earth, because Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and
hast revealed them unto babes" (v. 25)! Note the parallel passage in Luke
10:21 opens by saying, "In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I
thank Thee" etc. Ah, here was submission in its purest form. Here was One
by which the worlds were made, yet, in the days of His humiliation, and in the
face of His rejection, thankfully and joyously bowing to
the will of the "Lord of heaven and earth".
What ought to be our attitude
towards God’s sovereignty? Finally,
It has been well said that
"true worship is based upon recognized GREATNESS, and greatness is
superlatively seen in Sovereignty, and at no other footstool will men really
worship" (J. B. Moody). In the presence of the Divine King upon His throne
even the seraphim ‘veil their faces.’
Divine sovereignty is not the
sovereignty of a tyrannical Despot, but the exercised pleasure of One who is infinitely
wise and good! Because God is infinitely wise He cannot err, and because He is
infinitely righteous He will not do wrong. Here then is the
preciousness of this truth. The mere fact itself that God’s will is
irresistible and irreversible fills me with fear, but once I realize that God
wills only that which is good, my heart is made to rejoice.
Here then is the final answer
to the question of this chapter—What ought to be our attitude
toward the sovereignty of God? The becoming attitude for us to take is that of
godly fear, implicit obedience, and unreserved resignation and submission. But
not only so: the recognition of the sovereignty of God, and the realization
that the Sovereign Himself is my Father, ought to overwhelm the heart and cause
me to bow before Him in adoring worship. At all times I must say, "Even
so, Father, for so it seemeth good in Thy sight." We
conclude with an example which well illustrates our meaning.
Some two hundred years ago the
saintly Madam Guyon, after ten years spent in a dungeon lying far below the
surface of the ground, lit only by a candle at meal-times,
wrote these words,
"A little bird I am,
Shut from the fields of air;
Yet in my cage I sit and sing
Well pleased a prisoner to he,
Because, my God, it pleases
Thee.
Nought have I else to do
And He whom most I love to
please,
Doth listen to my song;
He caught and bound my
wandering wing
But still He bends to hear me
sing.
My cage confines me round;
Abroad I cannot fly;
But though my wing is closely
bound,
My heart’s at liberty.
My prison
walls cannot control
The flight, the freedom of the
soul.
Ah! it is good to soar
These bolts and bars above,
Whose Providence I love;
And in Thy mighty will to find
The joy, the freedom of the
mind."
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ENDNOTES:
[1] Note
how Old Testament prophecy also declared that “the Spirit of the Lord” should
“rest upon Him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel
and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord” (Isa.11:1,2).