Which other scriptures highlight God's sovereignty over earthly rulers? Setting the Stage: Isaiah 37:29 “Because you rage against Me and your complacency has reached My ears, I will put My hook in your nose and My bit in your mouth, and I will make you return by the way you came.” Assyria’s proud king imagined he ruled by his own strength; the Lord pictures him as a bridled animal. The imagery is blunt, vivid, and literal: God directs even the most intimidating rulers exactly where He chooses. Old Testament Echoes of the Same Theme • Proverbs 21:1 – “The king’s heart is a watercourse in the hand of the LORD; He directs it where He pleases.” • Daniel 2:20-21 – “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, for wisdom and power belong to Him. He changes the times and seasons; He removes kings and establishes them.” • Daniel 4:17 – “The Most High rules over the kingdom of men and gives it to whom He wishes, setting over it the lowliest of men.” • 2 Chronicles 20:6 – “You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in Your hand, and no one can stand against You.” • Psalm 2:1-4 – “Why do the nations rage… The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord taunts them.” • Psalm 33:10-11 – “The LORD frustrates the plans of the nations… the purposes of His heart [stand] to all generations.” • Psalm 47:8 – “God reigns over the nations; God is seated on His holy throne.” • Isaiah 40:23 – “He brings the princes to nothing and makes the rulers of the earth meaningless.” • Jeremiah 27:5 – “By My great strength and outstretched arm, I made the earth… and I give it to whom I see fit.” New Testament Confirmation • Matthew 28:18 – “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.” • John 19:10-11 – Jesus to Pilate: “You would have no authority over Me if it were not given to you from above.” • Acts 4:27-28 – Earthly conspirators “carried out what Your hand and will had decided beforehand would happen.” • Romans 13:1-2 – “There is no authority except that which is from God. The authorities that exist have been appointed by God.” • 1 Timothy 6:15 – Christ is “the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords.” • Revelation 19:16 – His robe bears the name “King of kings and Lord of lords.” Thought Threads That Tie It All Together • Every throne sits below God’s throne. • He installs and removes leaders on His timetable, for His purposes. • From Assyria’s king to Pilate in Judea, God turns human power into tools for His redemptive plan. • Confidence flows from knowing the same Lord who guided Isaiah’s generation still directs today’s nations. |
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