The Majestic Beauty of our Sovereign Father’s infinite Holiness revealed – Psalm 33:12-17(all); Roms 9:22-24***:
Sovereignty – what does it mean Biblically?(All bold emphasis is mine)
Is 44:6: 6 “Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: ‘ I am the first and I am the last, and there is no God besides Me’.
42:5-8,9: 5 Thus says God the Lord, Who created the heavens and stretched them out, Who spread out the earth and its offspring, Who gives breath to the people on it and spirit to those who walk in it, 6 “I am the Lord, I have called You*** in righteousness, I will also hold You by the hand and watch over You***, and I will appoint You*** as a covenant to the people, as a light to the nations, 7 to open blind eyes, to bring out prisoners from the dungeon and those who dwell in darkness from the prison. 8 “I am the Lord, that is My name; I will not give My glory to another, nor My praise to graven images (Jer 10: 8-9,10: 8 But they are altogether stupid and foolish in their discipline of delusion (a willful, God hating idolatry)— their idol is wood! 9 Beaten silver is brought from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz, the work of a craftsman and of the hands of a goldsmith; violet and purple are their clothing; they are all the work of skilled men. 10 But (Pro 16:1,9; 21:1,30-31), the Lord is the true God; He is the living God and the everlasting King. At His wrath the earth quakes, and the nations cannot endure His indignation.). 9 “Behold, the former things have come to pass, now I declare new things; before they spring forth I proclaim them to you.”(In this one verse, Isaiah, inspired by the Holy Spirit, comprehensively reveals the infinite, immutable Sovereignty of our God).
***(From John MacArthur’s Study Bible notes: Is. 42:6 I am the Lord. Beginning with 41:13, the Lord’s self-identification is frequent (41:13; 42:6; 8; 43:3; 11; 15; 45:5–7; 18; 48:17; 49:23; 51:15). His personal name is the one he explained to Moses as specially symbolic of the unique relationship he bore to Israel (Ex 3:15; 6:3). Here that covenant name guarantees his ministry through the Messiah-Servant. covenant for the people. The Servant is a covenant in that he personifies and provides the blessings of salvation to God’s people Israel. He is the Mediator of a better covenant than the one with Moses, i.e., the New Covenant (Jer. 31:31–34; Heb. 8:6; 10–12). See note on Isa. 49:8. light for the nations. Simeon saw the beginning of this fulfillment at Christ’s first coming (Luke 2: 32). He came as the Messiah of Israel, yet the Savior of the world, who revealed himself to a non-Jewish immoral woman by the well in Samaria (cf. John 4:25–26) and commanded his followers to preach the gospel of salvation to everyone in the world (Matt. 28:19–20). Certainly the church, made up mostly of Gentiles grafted into the trunk of blessing (cf. Rom. 9:24–30; 11:11–24), fulfills this promise, as does the future kingdom on earth when the Servant will use Israel to shine and enlighten all the nations of the earth (Isa. 49:6; cf. 19:24). Isa. 42:7 open the eyes that are blind . . . bring out the prisoners. Jesus fulfilled these words (9:1–2; Matt. 4:13–16) when he applied them to miracles of physical healing and freedom from spiritual bondage during his incarnation (Matt. 11:5; Luke 4:18). Under the Servant’s millennial reign on earth, spiritual perception will replace Israel’s spiritual blindness and her captives will receive their freedom (Isa. 29:18; 32:3; 35:5; 61:1).)
6:1-6: 1 In the year of King Uzziah’s death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple (Isaiah saw, not God, lest he die, but he saw the pre-incarnate Christ – I Tim 6: 16: 16 who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen). Seraphim stood above Him, each having six wings: with two he covered his face (reverential fear of looking at the Holy face of God), and with two he covered his feet (reverential humility), and with two he flew. 3 And one called out to another and said, “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of His glory (Gen 1-2; Ps 19:1-6).” 4 And the foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of him who called out, while the temple was filling with smoke. 5 Then I said, “Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts (the pre-incarnate Christ).” 6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal in his hand, which he had taken from the altar with tongs. 7 He touched my mouth with it and said “Behold, this has touched your lips; and your iniquity is taken away and your sin is forgiven.”
46:8-10: 8 “Remember this, and be assured; recall it to mind, you transgressors. 9 “Remember the former things long past, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me, 10 declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things which have not been done, saying, ‘ My purpose will be established, and I will accomplish all My good pleasure’;
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Ps33:12-17: 12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people whom He has chosen for His own inheritance (Titus 1:1-2; Ephs 1:3-6). 13 The Lord looks from heaven (Is 6:1-6); He sees all the sons of men (Is 66:1-2); 14 From His dwelling place He looks out on all the inhabitants of the earth, 15 He who fashions the hearts of them all (Ps 139:16; Acts 17:26), He who understands all their works. 16 The king is not saved by a mighty army; a warrior is not delivered by great strength. 17 A horse is a false hope for victory; nor does it deliver anyone by its great strength (Pro 21:1, 30-31).
Consider specifically Ps 33:15 & the supporting passages included here: Ps 33: 15: 15 He who fashions the hearts of them all, He who understands all their works. (Gen 1:26+; Ps 139:16; Acts 17:26(24-28); Pro 16:1,9,4,33; 21:1,30-31; Jer 29:11-13,4-7,8-9; Roms 8:28, 37-39(all); I Cor 15:50-58; I Thess 4:13-18***; Ephs 1:3-6,7-14; Roms 9:22-24***)
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Ps 139:16: 16 Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; and in Your book were all written the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them.
(Ps 33:12-17(all); Deut 33:26-27, 28-29; 34:1- 6 (note in v5, “according to the word of the Lord/Ps 92:12-15); Acts 17:26; II Cor 4:16)***; Ps 30:5; Pro:20:24***; Is 44:1-2,6,24-26; Dan 20-21(19-23)***; Job 14:5***; Ps 110***; 30:5; 31:15; 50:10-15***; 116:15***; Micah 7:7-8; Nums 24:23; 33:1-2***; Gen 21:2***)
Notice the glorious, wonderful “past tense” reality of this blessed truth (Ps 139:16, “were”) of God’s infinite love lavished on us as His beloved, chosen children – Titus 1:1-2; Ephs 1:3-6,7-14; I Ptr 1:3- 6a,6b-9; Ps 116:15***(I Cor 15:50+); Ex 33:12- 23 (vv 18-23)***; Deut 32:8; Job 10:8+; Jer 1:5; Ex 4:11+; Js 3:9; I Cor 12:18; Ps 37:23; Pro 16:1,4,9; 20:24; 21:1-2,30- 31***; Acts 17:26; Ephs 1:3-14; II Cor 4:16***
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God’s Sovereignty in salvation:
Titus 1:1-3: 1 Paul, a bond-servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the faith (II Ptr 1:1-2) of those chosen of God and the knowledge of the truth (Gen 3:15) which is according to godliness, 2 in the hope (Col 2:9- 10; I Ptr 1:3) of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie (Nums 23:19), promised (II Cor 1:20-22) long ages ago (Ephs 1:4), 3 but at the proper time manifested, even His word, in the proclamation with which I was entrusted according to the commandment of God our Savior,
Roms 9:22-24: 22 What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction (Job 21:30; Ps 5:4-6; 92:7; Pro 16:4; Mt 7:21-23; Rev 20:15)? 23 And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand (Ephs 1:3-6) for glory, 24 even us, whom He also called (Jn 6:44,65; I Ptr 1:3(3-6a)), not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles.