What other scriptures highlight God's authority over earthly powers like Jeremiah 51:22? Jeremiah 51:22 in Context “‘With you I smash man and woman; with you I smash the old man and the youth; with you I smash the young man and young woman.’” (Jeremiah 51:22) God is speaking to Babylon’s conqueror, making clear that He Himself wields nations like tools. Scripture consistently echoes this theme: every throne, army, or empire ultimately bends to the Lord’s command. Key Old Testament Passages • Psalm 33:10-11 – “The LORD frustrates the plans of the nations; He thwarts the devices of the peoples. The counsel of the LORD stands forever, the purposes of His heart to all generations.” • Proverbs 21:1 – “The king’s heart is a watercourse in the hand of the LORD; He directs it where He pleases.” • Isaiah 40:23-24 – “He brings the princes to nothing and makes the judges of the earth meaningless… He blows on them, and they wither, and a whirlwind sweeps them away like stubble.” • 2 Chronicles 20:6 – “You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in Your hand, and no one can withstand You.” • Amos 9:5-6 – “The Lord GOD of Hosts… touches the earth, and it melts… He calls for the waters of the sea and pours them over the face of the earth—the LORD is His name.” The Psalms: Worship That Proclaims Sovereignty • Psalm 2:1-4 – Nations rage, kings plot, yet “He who sits in the heavens laughs.” • Psalm 46:9-10 – “He makes wars to cease… ‘Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations.’” • Psalm 115:3 – “Our God is in heaven; He does as He pleases.” Prophetic Voices Keep the Theme Alive • Isaiah 45:7-13 – Cyrus is named long before birth as God’s chosen instrument to subdue kings and release Israel. • Jeremiah 27:5 – “I have made the earth… and I give it to whomever seems right to Me.” • Ezekiel 29-32 – Pharaoh is put in his place; God drags the “monster” out of the Nile to show who truly rules. Daniel: Narratives and Declarations • Daniel 2:21 – “He removes kings and establishes them.” • Daniel 4:17 – “…that the living may know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom He wishes.” • Daniel 4:34-35 – Nebuchadnezzar’s confession: “All the inhabitants of the earth are counted as nothing… no one can restrain His hand or say to Him, ‘What have You done?’” Historical Snapshots of God Overpowering Powers • Exodus 14 – Pharaoh’s chariots drown when God parts—and then closes—the sea. • 1 Samuel 17 – A shepherd boy fells a giant because “the battle belongs to the LORD.” • 2 Kings 19:35 – One angel of the Lord strikes down 185,000 Assyrian soldiers in a single night. New Testament Continuity • Matthew 28:18 – “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.” • Acts 4:27-28 – Evil rulers carry out exactly what God “had decided beforehand should happen.” • Romans 13:1 – “There is no authority except that which God has established.” • 1 Timothy 6:15 – Christ is “the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords.” • Revelation 11:15 – “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign forever and ever.” Living in Light of God’s Unrivaled Rule • Earthly governments may seem powerful, but their reach is temporary and limited. • God can raise up (or pull down) leaders overnight; therefore, trust Him above political systems. • Obedience and prayer for authorities (Romans 13; 1 Timothy 2) are acts of faith in God’s higher throne. • Because Christ holds “all authority,” believers can face cultural shifts, persecution, or global upheaval with steady confidence: the King’s plans cannot be thwarted. |
    |