What other scriptures emphasize God's sovereignty in granting blessings, like Deuteronomy 9:4? Setting the Stage: Deuteronomy 9:4 “When the LORD your God drives them out before you, do not say in your heart, ‘The LORD has brought me in to possess this land because of my righteousness.’ Rather, the LORD is driving out these nations before you because of their wickedness.” Old Testament Echoes of Sovereign Blessing • Deuteronomy 8:17-18 – “You may say in your heart, ‘The power and strength of my hands have made this wealth for me.’ But remember that it is the LORD your God who gives you the power to gain wealth, in order to confirm His covenant that He swore to your fathers, as it is today.” • Deuteronomy 7:7-8 – God chose Israel “not…because you were more numerous…for you were the fewest,” but “because the LORD loved you and kept the oath He swore to your fathers.” • 1 Samuel 2:7 – “The LORD sends poverty and wealth; He humbles and He exalts.” • Psalm 75:6-7 – “For exaltation comes neither from the east nor from the west nor out of the desert, but it is God who judges; He brings down one and exalts another.” • Psalm 115:3 – “Our God is in heaven; He does as He pleases!” • Proverbs 10:22 – “The blessing of the LORD enriches, and He adds no sorrow to it.” • Jeremiah 9:23-24 – No boasting in wisdom, strength, or riches; rather, boast “that he understands and knows Me.” • Daniel 4:17 – “The Most High rules over the kingdom of men and gives it to whom He wishes.” New Testament Reinforcement • John 3:27 – “A man can receive only what is given him from heaven.” • Acts 17:26 – God “determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their lands.” • Romans 9:16 – “So then, it does not depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.” • James 1:17 – “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, with whom there is no change or shifting shadow.” • Ephesians 1:3-5 – He “has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing… He chose us… He predestined us… according to the good pleasure of His will.” Threading the Truth Together – From Canaan’s conquest to the smallest daily provision, Scripture consistently locates every blessing in God’s purposeful hand—not in human merit. – He alone decides whom to raise up, when to prosper, and how to distribute gifts, whether material or spiritual. – Our response is humble gratitude, confident trust, and wholehearted worship, acknowledging that “the earth is the LORD’s, and the fullness thereof” (Psalm 24:1). |
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