The Beauty of Jehovah’s Sovereignty
“One thing I have asked from Jehovah—it is what I shall look for, that I may dwell in the house of Jehovah all the days of my life, to behold the pleasantness of Jehovah and to look with appreciation upon his temple.”—Ps. 27:4.
1. What comes to mind when the word “sovereignty” is mentioned?
WHAT does the term “sovereignty” mean to you? You doubtless think of supremacy, particularly the supremacy of a ruler—the power of government. Rulership or domination can be a harsh or a rigid one, strictly meting out full justice according to the law without mercy; or it can be one that deals with partiality toward some and that oppresses others. Few man-made rulerships act out of real love for their subjects.
2. By what right does Jehovah exercise sovereignty?
2 The Bible speaks of God as “Sovereign” and “Sovereign Lord.” (Acts 4:24, Rotherham; Revised Standard Version; The New English Bible,; New World Translation) By what right does he have sovereignty? Revelation 4:11 answers: “You are worthy, Jehovah, even our God, to receive the glory and the honor and the power, because you created all things, and because of your will they existed and were created.”
3. How did King David describe Jehovah’s sovereignty?
3 What kind of sovereignty does Jehovah exercise? Is it different from other forms of rule? King David, who exercised rulership over the kingdom of ancient Israel under Jehovah’s sovereignty, said: “Yours, O Jehovah, are the greatness and the mightiness and the beauty and the excellency and the dignity; for everything in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Jehovah, the One also lifting yourself up as head over all.”—1 Chron. 29:11.
DOMINANT QUALITIES OF JEHOVAH’S SOVEREIGNTY
4 Accordingly, Jehovah’s sovereignty has beauty, excellence and dignity. The psalmist writes: “Righteousness and judgment [or, “justice”] are the established place of your throne; loving-kindness and trueness themselves come in before your face.” (Ps. 89:14) When Moses asked to see God’s glory, he was told that he would not be able to see God’s face, because no man can look on God and live. (Ex. 33:18, 20) Nevertheless, God did come down in a cloud on Mount Sinai and declare to Moses: “Jehovah, Jehovah, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abundant in loving-kindness and truth, preserving loving-kindness for thousands, pardoning error and transgression and sin, but by no means will he give exemption from punishment, bringing punishment for the error of fathers upon sons and upon grandsons, upon the third generation and upon the fourth generation.”—Ex. 34:6, 7.
5. (a) What qualities about himself did Jehovah bring first to Moses’ attention, at Mount Sinai? (b) Even though Jehovah is merciful, why does one doing wrong suffer punishment, and how does Jehovah feel about administering punishment?
5 Note that the first things Jehovah brought to Moses’ attention were mercy, graciousness, slowness to anger, loving-kindness, truth and forgiveness. He says in another place: “I am Jehovah, the One exercising loving-kindness, justice and righteousness in the earth; for in these things I do take delight.” (Jer. 9:24) However, when anyone sins against God, even though forgiven for his sin, he cannot escape the consequences of the chain of events that he has set in motion. For example, one committing adultery affects others close to him. His whole family is bound to feel the effects. And those who turn away from God or who reject his sovereignty will suffer punishment. When rebellious men began to build the tower of Babel, God thwarted their scheme by confusing their language. They then scattered over the earth and influenced their offspring, who became worshipers of idols and practicers of very bad things. (Gen. 11:1-9) But God does not take delight in the punishment or suffering of those who do wrong. He says: “I do not take any delight in the death of someone dying, . . . So cause a turning back and keep living, O you people.”—Ezek. 18:32.
6. What, then, are some dominant features of Jehovah’s sovereignty, and how does it compare with human rulerships?
6 It is evident from the foregoing Scripture passages that among the dominant features of God’s sovereignty are loving-kindness, mercy, righteousness and impartiality in administering justice. Therefore, when we view Jehovah’s sovereignty, we are compelled to look at it differently from that of human rulerships. Would it not be fine if you could also view the government that you live under as radiating from its capital pure love and mercy toward all?
THE “GOOD NEWS” RELATED TO GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY
7. How is the “good news” directly connected with God’s sovereignty, and what, therefore, does the proclaiming of the “good news” promote?
7 The good news of the Kingdom is directly connected with God’s sovereignty. The apostle Paul wrote to Christians in Rome: “Thanks to God that you were the slaves of sin but you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were handed over.” Those who hear with a good heart and obey are not here told that the “good news” was handed over to them, but that they were ‘handed over to that form of teaching,’ the gospel or good news of the Kingdom. They are now willing subjects and supporters of God’s sovereignty. When they, in turn, proclaim the “good news,” the receivers are handed over to such teaching. What does this promote in the earth? Righteousness, loving-kindness and mercy. For, instead of their former uncleanness and lawlessness, these ‘now present their body members as slaves to righteousness.’—Rom. 6:17-19.
WHY SUBMIT TO JEHOVAH’S SOVEREIGNTY
8. What is the motivation for submission to God’s sovereignty?
8 What is the motivation for submission to God’s sovereignty? It is love for God because of his divine qualities, and also love for what is right and good for all creation. The one who understands what Jehovah’s sovereignty means prefers it above all other sovereignties. In fact, those supporting God’s rulership prefer it to having absolute independence, if that were possible. Why? Because they know that they will be much happier under God’s sovereignty than they would be if they could do altogether as they pleased. They realize that the wisdom, love, knowledge and power of God are so far superior to theirs that there is no comparison. Humans cannot keep themselves living everlastingly, neither can they bring about peace, righteousness and justice throughout the earth. “It does not belong to man who is walking even to direct his step,” said Jeremiah, a faithful supporter of Jehovah’s sovereignty.—Jer. 10:23.
9. How does God appeal to those who do not acknowledge his sovereignty?
9 Jehovah’s attitude toward those not acknowledging his sovereignty is one of great kindness. His prophet said: “Let the wicked man leave his way, and the harmful man his thoughts; and let him return to Jehovah, who will have mercy upon him, and to our God, for he will forgive in a large way. ‘For the thoughts of you people are not my thoughts, nor are my ways your ways,’ is the utterance of Jehovah. ‘For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.’”—Isa. 55:7-9.
SERVING PROPERLY UNDER GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY
10. What is an essential requirement for serving properly under God’s sovereignty?
10 In order to serve properly in behalf of God’s sovereignty, or under it, a person must come to know Jehovah God and his Son Jesus, the King of the kingdom of God. “This means everlasting life, their taking in knowledge of you, the only true God, and of the one whom you sent forth, Jesus Christ.” (John 17:3) To know God is to establish a close relationship with him, to become an intimate of him and his Son, who said: “No one fully knows the Son but the Father, neither does anyone fully know the Father but the Son and anyone to whom the Son is willing to reveal him.” (Matt. 11:27) One who knows God knows his wonderful qualities, and by the help of God’s spirit develops these qualities, so that he comes to be more and more a true reflector of the image of God. (2 Cor. 3:18) If an individual does not develop the fruits of the spirit, he has not come to know God. For example, the apostle John says: “He that does not love has not come to know God, because God is love.”—1 John 4:8.
11. How does a person act who recognizes God’s sovereignty? Give examples.
11 How does the person act who recognizes God’s sovereignty? His dominant qualities will be love, mercy, sympathy, kindness and the doing of good to his fellowman. If he is an elder in a congregation or is supervising any activity of his Christian brothers, or of others, he will not be commanding or demanding. The apostle Paul, who had more authority from God than any man on earth today, said to the congregation in Rome: “I entreat you by the compassions of God, brothers.” (Rom. 12:1) When he was in Rome, Paul found a man named Onesimus, who believed the “good news.” Discovering that Onesimus was a slave who had run away from his master Philemon, a Christian in the city of Colossae in Asia Minor, Paul counseled Onesimus to return to his master. Then he wrote to Philemon, urging him to forgive Onesimus, accepting him now as a brother. Note Paul’s kind appeal: “Though I have great freeness of speech in connection with Christ to order you to do what is proper, I am exhorting you rather on the basis of love.” “Trusting in your compliance, I am writing you, knowing you will even do more than the things I say.”—Philemon 8, 9, 21.
12. (a) Why was Paul’s trustful expression to Philemon a proper attitude for overseers to have? (b) How did Christ manifest his trust in Paul and Timothy?
12 Certainly Philemon would not feel that he was acting under compulsion, and so he would be happy to comply. He would feel genuinely ready to respond to Paul’s appeal and also would be more obligated to do so, because Paul put such trust in him. Likewise, the elder or overseer who encourages others and trusts brothers when they are given a job will get much more accomplished than the overseer who dictates, or who feels that no one can do a job as well as he does. Trusting in a brother and showing confidence in him contribute to greater exercise of initiative as well as effort on the part of the brother. Such an overseer is properly representing God’s sovereignty and is following Christ’s pattern. Christ treated Paul in this way. Paul appreciatively said: “I am grateful to Christ Jesus our Lord, who imparted power to me, because he considered me faithful by assigning me to a ministry.” (1 Tim. 1:12) Paul, in turn, showed that God, Christ and he himself had confidence in Timothy’s faithfulness and ability in carrying out his service assignment when he wrote: “O Timothy, guard what is laid up in trust with you.”—1 Tim. 6:20.
13, 14. (a) How will a Christian properly represent God’s sovereignty in studying with interested ones? (b) What important duty of overseers is shown by the apostle Paul’s words to Timothy and to the elders of the city of Ephesus?
13 A good Christian will represent God’s sovereignty properly when he studies with others, by making effort to teach these people all that he can, as Jesus directed: “Make disciples . . . teaching them to observe all the things I have commanded you.” (Matt. 28:19, 20) If he is an overseer, he will not be jealous about his knowledge or be afraid that someone else might eclipse him by knowing more or by developing greater ability. The apostle charged Timothy: “The things you heard from me with the support of many witnesses, these things commit to faithful men, who, in turn, will be adequately qualified to teach others.”—2 Tim. 2:2.
14 The overseer should teach all he knows to others around him so that they will be able to do the job. Not only does he help them thereby, but also they become capable of handling matters if he is absent. In this way the overseer shows himself to be really concerned about the welfare and progress of the congregation, not thinking just of himself. For what if he should be sick, or die, or should move away? Paul said to the overseers in Ephesus: “I did not hold back from telling you any of the things that were profitable nor from teaching you publicly and from house to house.” He met these men while doing public witnessing. He did not teach them merely to the point of baptism. Rather, he “thoroughly bore witness” to them until they had a real understanding of God’s purpose, his sovereignty exercised through Christ and their relationship to it. He also said to them: “I have not held back from telling you all the counsel of God.”—Acts 20:20, 21, 27.
JEHOVAH’S SOVEREIGNTY PROMOTES JOY AND PRAISE
15. What atmosphere must exist where God’s sovereignty is properly recognized?
15 If each Christian keeps in mind the fine qualities of God’s sovereignty, he will promote joy. Of Jehovah, it is said: “Dignity and splendor are before him, strength and joy are at his place.” (1 Chron. 16:27) Without joy, which is a fruit of God’s spirit, there is discouragement, apathy, even disorder. The apostle asked the Christians in Galatia who had become spiritually weak, “Where, then, is that happiness you had [when first you believed the good news]?” (Gal. 4:15) An atmosphere of joy is the atmosphere that God’s sovereignty prompts among all those who love God and who serve him wholeheartedly. The psalmist sang: “Happy are the people knowing the joyful shouting. O Jehovah, in the light of your face they keep walking. In your name they are joyful all day long and in your righteousness they are exalted. For you are the beauty of their strength.”—Ps. 89:15-17.
16. What will Jehovah’s sovereignty bring to the earth?
16 From the starry heavens, which “are declaring the glory of God,” to the earth itself, it is evident that God’s creatorship is grand and beautiful. (Ps. 19:1) There is peace, order and loveliness in the splendor of the heavenly bodies, and the earth, with life upon it, is matchless in beauty, except where man has done damage. Imagine what a fine place the earth will be when mankind is brought again into harmony with God’s sovereignty! Not just the material beauties of the heavens and the earth, but particularly the more essential and more wonderful qualities of the Most High, when ‘the knowledge of Jehovah fills the earth as the waters cover the sea,’ will certainly cause all then living to sing of the beauty of God’s sovereignty.—Isa. 11:9; Ps. 150.
17. How should the “good news” motivate us today?
17 Also, in anticipation of that most joyful time, let us joyfully expend ourselves now, during the dying days of this “wicked system of things,” in making known to all who will hear the “glorious good news of the happy God.” For Jehovah alone is to be praised as “Sovereign Lord, . . . the One who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all the things in them.”—Acts 4:24; Gal. 1:4; 1 Tim. 1:11.