How does Psalm 60:2 connect to God's sovereignty in Isaiah 45:7? Living Words: Psalm 60:2 and Isaiah 45:7 Side-by-Side “‘You have shaken the land and torn it open. Heal its fractures, for it is quaking.’” (Psalm 60:2) “‘I form the light and create darkness; I bring prosperity and create calamity; I, the LORD, do all these things.’” (Isaiah 45:7) Psalm 60:2—God’s Direct Hand in National Upheaval • David speaks in the aftermath of military defeat (cf. superscription). • The verbs are active: “You have shaken… torn….” Nothing is left to chance; the earth quakes because the LORD shakes it. • Even in judgment, David appeals to God for healing, assuming the same sovereign hand that broke can mend (Psalm 60:1, 4-5). Isaiah 45:7—God Declares Absolute Sovereignty • Through Isaiah, God addresses Cyrus, but also all nations: “I… do all these things.” • Light/darkness, prosperity/calamity—opposites that bracket the entire range of human experience. • By naming both good and calamity, God rules out rival deities, blind fate, or mere natural forces. Connecting Threads—One Lord over Shaking and Stillness • Divine causation: The shaking of Psalm 60:2 and the calamity of Isaiah 45:7 flow from the same Source. • Purposeful sovereignty: – Discipline of His people (Deuteronomy 32:39; Hebrews 12:6). – Display of glory among nations (Exodus 9:14-16). • Hope within judgment: The plea for healing (Psalm 60:2) stands on the certainty that the Sovereign who wounds also restores (Hosea 6:1). Why This Matters for Us Today • Calamities—personal or national—are never random; they arrive under the authority of a wise, holy God (Amos 3:6; Lamentations 3:37-38). • Because He alone “does all these things,” we turn first to Him for both explanation and deliverance (Psalm 46:1-2). • The cross ultimately proves that God can ordain the darkest day for the greatest good (Acts 2:23-24; Romans 8:28-32). Takeaway Snapshot Psalm 60:2 shows God actively shaking His own covenant land; Isaiah 45:7 proclaims the theological foundation for that act—God forms both comfort and calamity. Together they testify that every tremor in creation is governed by the unwavering, righteous sovereignty of the LORD. |
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