Thursday, September 8: Isaiah 13- Absolute Sovereignty

The more I read the Bible, the more I observe God’s absolute sovereignty. Ancient Greek gods battled among themselves… who was supreme. It was up for ‘debate.’ Romans had a pantheon of gods; one controlled this and another that. Was there one supreme god who had absolute control over everything?  No, not really. The Egyptians, too, had a plethora of gods.

The ancient cultures around Israel each had their own god, the god who protected them but not others. And so you have the god of the Assyrians and the god of the Babylonians and the god of Damascus, etc.

To the best of my knowledge, only the God of the Bible claims absolute sovereignty. Reading chapter 13, I observed God’s absolute power and control. In this chapter God declares that Babylon –the superpower of the day- will be judged, defeated and destroyed. Period, the end of the matter. Why? Because God decreed it. In this chapter God does not feel the need even to give His reasons. He simply declares, “this is what will be…”  Babylon, the jewel of kingdoms, the glory of the Babylonians' pride, will be overthrown by God like Sodom and Gomorrah (19).

Reading this led me to meditate on God’s absolute sovereignty. What the God of the Bible says goes. What the God of the Holy Scriptures decrees happens.

I serve THE mighty all-powerful God. I am loved by THE Creator and all-knowing God. Wow, this thought simply staggers me.  I am in awe of God and God’s grace to reveal Himself to me, to us, to the world in the Holy Bible…

O, God, I feel embarrassed that I regularly choose to live my way rather than Your way, to think that I am right and You are wrong about some things. Forgive me for puffing myself up and reducing You. O, God, sin has such a hold on me.  Forgive me. Lord, that is all I can pray right now.  Please forgive me for my foolishness and my sin-filled-ness. I Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.