Journal: Detroit Baptist Seminary Journal
Volume: DBSJ 15:1 (NA 2010)
Article: An Old Testament Sanctifying Influence: The Sovereignty Of God
Author: Robert V. McCabe

DBSJ 15 (2010) p. 3

An Old Testament Sanctifying Influence:
The Sovereignty Of God

Robert V. McCabe1

The secular as well as the “Christian” world often reflects a pervasive commitment to an anthropocentric view of life. Even from the standpoint of the “Christian” world, many embrace a worldview that does not have God as sovereign in every detail of life, as illustrated by traditional Arminianism2 and open theism.3 Based upon these pervasive human-centered approaches to life, we might expect at first blush to find passages in the Bible that read: “Our god is in the heavens; he works so that Man can be supreme” (cf. Ps 115:3). Or, “Whatever Man pleases, god guarantees that Man’s desires will be fully satisfied in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps” (cf. Ps 135:6). Though neither secular nor “Christian” sources usually treat either passage in such a cavalier manner, these types of passages are often either glossed over or ignored in treatments of God’s absolute sovereignty. In actuality, Psalm 115:3 reads, “Our God is in the heavens; He does all that He pleases.”4 And, Psalm 135:6 says, “Whatever the LORD pleases, He does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps.” Rather than allowing for any anthropocentric view of life, these texts have a strong theocentric perspective that expresses each psalmist’s response of praise to their sovereign Lord.

Moreover, the God-focused substance of both verses is consistent with the rest of Old Testament theology. The whole tenor of this revelation affirms time and again God’s absolute sovereignty. Further, this high view of God not only brought a worshipful confession but had a profound impact on other areas of life for God’s people. The purpose of this essay is to explicate what the Old Testament teaches about divine sovereignty and the influence that this doctrine had on two

DBSJ 15 (2010) p. 4

particular prophets.

God’s Sovereignty In The Old Testament

The Old Testament portrays God as absolutely sovereign. To be sure, this is a contested claim, especially when discussing God’s relationship with sin and other evils. Therefore, after a brief definition of what is meant by sovereign, three proofs for the initial assertion will be given in some detail.5

God’s Sovereignty Defined

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