HISTORY IS THE RECORD OF THE UNFOLDING OF GOD'S SOVEREIGN PLAN FOR THE AGES.
The LORD has established His throne in the heavens; and His sovereignty rules over all. Psalm 103: 19
But our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases. Psalm 115:3
For I know that the LORD is great, And that our Lord is above all gods. Whatever the LORD pleases, He does, in heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps. Psalm 135: 5-6
To be sovereign is to possess supreme power and authority so that one is in complete control and can accomplish whatever he pleases. The dictionaries tell us that sovereign means chief or highest, supreme in power, superior in position, independent of and unlimited by anyone else.
Christians are to view all things from God's perspective. A Christian view of history applies the truth of the Bible to the record of the past. History is not governed by evil men or the devil, it is ruled by God Almighty. The Bible teaches us that all things have been predestined by the all-wise God who works all things together according to His purpose.
God is sovereign and active in history, working out His eternal plan; raising up some men and nations and casting down others. God rules according to His Word. He has promised to honor those who honor Him and to curse those who rebel against Him (I Samuel 2:30). No kingdom or nation can prosper which despises God. Proverbs 14:34 reminds us that this is true for every nation in every age, "Righteousness exalts a nation but sin is a reproach to any people". God is sovereign over secular governments. Throughout the history of Israel, God used the pagan nations to accomplish His purposes. God used Egypt to preserve and proliferate the nation Israel for 400 years before they were to possess the Promised Land. God used the hard-hearted Pharaoh to display His greatness and power. He used the surrounding nations to chasten Israel when the nation fell into sin and disobedience. He used the nations of Assyria and Babylon to lead the Jews into captivity. Nebuchadnezzar was even called God’s “servant”. The sacking of Judah and Jerusalem was no fluke of history; it was no mere fate. It was the outworking of the plan and purpose of the sovereign God of Israel to achieve His purposes, to fulfill His promises and prophecies.
* Excerpts from an article by Steve Wilkins which originally appeared in the publication Counsel of Chalcedon .
