Daniel 4:35, “And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?”
God is sovereign. In our study verse we read the words that are spoken by Nebuchadnezzar when he learned, by experience, that God is sovereign and not he himself. Someone may ask, ‘What does it mean when you say God is sovereign?’ It means:
(1) God does what He pleases. He doesn’t have to ask. He doesn’t have to tell anyone why. When God made the world, He didn’t ask if it was ok that He made it round. He just made it round. When God made the sun, He didn’t ask if it was ok with you if He made it to shine. He just made it that way. In Psalms 115:3 we read, “But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased.”
(2) God does what He pleases when He pleases. God doesn’t work on any man’s time schedule. When He pleases to do, He does. In Genesis 21:2 we learn that when Isaac was born it was not at Abraham’s appointed time, Sarah’s appointed time, nor Isaac’s appointed time, but God’s “set” time. If Abraham or Sarah would have had their way, Isaac would have been born sooner, but neither of them could overrule God’s sovereignty concerning Isaac’s time of birth. In Exodus chapter 15 we read of the singing of the children of Israel after God delivered them from Egyptian bondage. I’m sure there were many times, if it would have been their decision, they would have been delivered sooner, but this happened when God so pleased.
(3) God does what He pleases, how He pleases. If it so pleases God to feed His servant by a brook with ravens, He does (1 Kings 17:4). If it so pleases God to sustain His servant by a widow woman, He does (1 Kings 17:9). If it so pleases God to heal a blind man by spitting in his eyes, He does (Mark 8:23). If it so pleases God to use a young shepherd to deliver the armies of Israel in battle, He does (1 Samuel 17:50-51).
(4) God does what He pleases for whom He pleases. In Romans 9:13 we read, “Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.” Someone may ask, ‘Why did God just love one of the two brothers?’ The answer is simple. It pleased Him to do so. In John 5:1-16 we read of the time when “a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered…” waited by a pool of water called Bethesda. In this account Jesus only dealt with one man who had his infirmity 38 years. Jesus never apologized to the others, nor did He explain why He healed only one at that place.
In Luke 4:25-28, Jesus told His hearers of a time when there were “many widows” in Israel. “But unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow.” Jesus told them of a time when there were “many lepers” in Israel in the days of Elisha the prophet. And “none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian.”
In closing I would like to add that it is a comforting blessing to know that God is sovereign. What a blessing it is to believe that He who does what He pleases, when He pleases, how He pleases, for whom He pleases, chose to give a sinner like me hope in Him. This very truth causes me to want to serve Him every day of my life. He is my God and my salvation. He is the sovereign ruler of heaven and earth. He is The Lord Jesus Christ. Amen!