God, Exalted Above All

We will begin our study today by looking at Psalm 2:1-6 (New King James Version),      "Why do the nations rage, and the people plot a vain thing? 2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying, 3 "Let us break Their bonds in pieces and cast away Their cords from us." 4 He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; The Lord shall hold them in derision. 5 Then He shall speak to them in His wrath, and distress them in His deep displeasure: 6 "Yet I have set My King On My holy hill of Zion."  In this Messianic Psalm, the wicked leaders of the earth are rebellious toward God.  They are basically shaking their fists at God and refusing to be ruled by Him.  God's reaction is to laugh at their foolishness.  God and God alone sits on the throne with ultimate authority and power. 

Psalm 62:11 (NKJV), "God has spoken once, twice I have heard this: That power belongs to God."

The defiant and rebellious way of thinking in man, came from Lucifer, who first defied the authority of God, the Creator of the world.  Isaiah 14:12-14 (NKJV), "How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations! 13 For you have said in your heart: 'I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north; 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.'" 

God simply cast him from his place of honor, as is recorded in Ezekiel 28:16b (New American Standard Bible 2020), "You were internally filled with violence, and you sinned; Therefore I have cast you as profane from the mountain of God. And I have destroyed you, you covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire." 

After the flood, Noah's descendants quickly reverted back to rebellious, prideful, and pagan ways.  They decided to build a tower to heaven to "make a name for ourselves."  According to the new Spirit Filled Life Bible Commentary, "What they intended as a monument to human effort became a symbol of divine judgment on human pride and self rule."  In Genesis 11 verse 7 (NKJV) we read, "Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another's speech." 

Throughout history, we have seen nation after nation being led by men who chose their own way, who worshiped idols and defied God.  Among those were the Babylonians, Assyrians, Greeks, and Romans.  Often times, their Kings were also worshiped as an idol.

In the book of Daniel, we read about Nebuchadnezzar, the King of Babylon.  Initially, the Lord gave him "a kingdom, power, strength, and glory."  (Daniel 2:37).  Even though the Lord had established him as King, Nebuchadnezzar never turned away from worshiping the gods of Babylon.  We see at the beginning of Daniel 3 that he made an image of gold and commanded everyone to bow and worship before that image.  Three Hebrews refused to bow and were thrown into a fiery furnace.  Even after Nebuchadnezzar witnessed one "like the Son of God" in the furnace, when God spared the Hebrews, and was in awe of what God had done, he was still full of pride and had not submitted his prideful control  over his kingdom to the Kingdom of God.  When his pride rose up and he spoke (in verse 30), "Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for a royal dwelling by my mighty power and for the honor of my majesty?"  The judgment of God came upon him.  He ended up living with the beasts of the field eating grass like oxen.  Daniel 4:34-37 (New International Version) tells us the rest of the story.  It reads, "At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High; I honored and glorified him who lives forever. His dominion is an eternal dominion; his kingdom endures from generation to generation. 35 All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him: "What have you done?" 36 At the same time that my sanity was restored, my honor and splendor were returned to me for the glory of my kingdom. My advisers and nobles sought me out, and I was restored to my throne and became even greater than before. 37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble."  God is well able to reveal that He rules, to the leaders of the nations.

Psalm 75:7 (New Living Translation), "It is God alone who judges; he decides who will rise and who will fall."

Daniel 2:21 (NLT) shows us God rules over all of His creation, "He controls the course of world events; he removes kings and sets up other kings."

1 Chronicles 29:11and12 (NIV), "Yours, LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, LORD, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all. 12 Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all."  God is the Creator.  He is the sovereign Lord and it is His will that determines who receives riches, honor, power, might, and strength.  The Kingdom is the Lord's and He rules over the nations.

We also read in the Word of God that there are times when God raises up ungodly men to accomplish His purposes.

Romans 9:17 (NLT), "For the Scriptures say that God told Pharaoh, "I have appointed you for the very purpose of displaying my power in you and to spread my fame throughout the earth."

Consider also, Cyrus, King of Persia in Isaiah 44:28 (NLT), "When I say of Cyrus, 'He is my shepherd,' he will certainly do as I say. He will command, 'Rebuild Jerusalem'; he will say, 'Restore the Temple.'"  When the Israelites were taken into captivity in Babylon, King Cyrus allowed over 49,897 Israelites, slaves and singers to return to Jerusalem to rebuild Jerusalem and the destroyed Temple.  Cyrus also allowed the Israelites to take the articles of the house of the Lord, a total of 5,400 articles of gold and silver, back to Jerusalem!  Amazing!

Nations (those who shake their fists at Him), let alone their leaders are as nothing compared to the sovereignty of God.  Isaiah 40:15 and 17 (NLT), "No, for all the nations of the world are but a drop in the bucket. They are nothing more than dust on the scales. He picks up the whole earth as though it were a grain of sand. ... 17 The nations of the world are worth nothing to him. In his eyes they count for less than nothing--mere emptiness and froth."  [Please note though that verse 11 informs us of His care for His people!  Isaiah 40:11 (NLT), "He will feed his flock like a shepherd. He will carry the lambs in his arms, holding them close to his heart. He will gently lead the mother sheep with their young."]

Jeremiah 10:10 (NLT), "But the LORD is the only true God. He is the living God and the everlasting King! The whole earth trembles at his anger. The nations cannot stand up to his wrath."

Psalm 135:5 and 6 (NASB20), "For I know that the LORD is great and that our Lord is above all gods. 6 Whatever the LORD pleases, He does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and in all the ocean depths."

Hebrews 13:8 (NKJV), "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever."

Psalm 33:11 (NASB20), "The plan of the LORD stands forever, the plans of His heart from generation to generation." 

Psalm 33:10 (NASB20), "The LORD nullifies the plan of nations; He frustrates the plans of peoples."

Daniel 2:21b (NKJV), "He removes kings and raises up kings,"

God never changes.  He fulfills His plans and purposes in very age.  Nations and their leaders will rise and fall at His discretion.  Even today!  The hand of the Lord has been involved in all of the events that have taken place in the world,  in all nations, during all wars, and in all people.

Our current world leaders have taken the same stance against God and His plans, as those of the past.  Just as in Psalm 2, at the beginning of this blog, many nations today have risen up, banned together, and are saying," Let us break God's bonds and throw away His restraints from us."

When the laws being made, or arbitrarily ordered that are in direct opposition to the Word of God, those leaders think of themselves as being their own gods.  They also think that everyone must agree with what they believe is right, whether their beliefs are perverse or make sense or not.  The Scripture speaks very clearly on issues of gender, marriage, homosexuality, the sanctity of life, and murder.  Yes, they are shaking  their fists at God and are so deceived, they have no idea that a day of reckoning is coming.

I believe we are entering the final days before the return of Christ, and in that day, everyone will face Him to be judged. 

God's plans will prevail!

Stand strong in your faith!

Do not turn to the right or left!

Keep your eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of your faith!

 Acknowledge Him as the Creator and the Supreme Ruler of all that exists!

 He is on His throne! 

 You can trust Him!

He will always have ultimate authority and power!