Introduction⤒🔗

A Christian writer remarked that the word “awesome” is very freely used these days, to the point of becoming trite and losing its meaning. The word “awesome” is used to describe the performance of athletes, the thrill of an amusement park ride, the taste of a candy bar.

That writer goes on to say that if you really want to use the term “awesome” in the true sense of the word, you need to stand at the rim of the Grand Canyon, or take in a panoramic view from a mountain peak, that’s when you really will feel a sense of awe. That’s how the writer felt when he visited such places on his vacation. He writes:

Although the scenery itself was breathtaking, my feeling of awe had more to do with God than with the spectacular beauties of nature. I had the sense of being in the presence of the One who created these wonders. I found myself saying, 'What an awesome God!'¹

As we consider what the Scriptures teach us about God’s relationship to His creation and His creatures—His sovereignty over all things—all the more must we declare in worship and humility, “What an awesome God!” Let us now consider Three Things to Know About God’s Sovereignty as they are presented to us in the Book of Proverbs.

Know that the LORD Our God is All-Powerful (Prov. 19:21; 21:30-31)←⤒🔗

There are many plans in a man’s heart, but the purpose of the LORD, that will be accomplished. (Prov. 19:21)←↰⤒🔗

This proverb is contrasting the “plans” (and purposes) of man with those of the LORD. “There are many plans in a man’s heart.” That is to say, a man may conceive a great number of plans, purposes, ambitions, etc.; but how many of those plans is he able to accomplish? How many times are the plans of his heart able to be realized as accomplishments? How many times are man’s plans and ambitions not hindered by a lack of opportunity to fulfill them, or a lack of ability to fulfill them, or a lack of resources to fulfill them? Speaking of men, the wicked in particular, the Psalmist writes, “They have set their mouth in the heavens, and their tongue walks through the earth” (Psl. 73:9). Men speak of the great things they will accomplish, but how much of it ever becomes more than mere talk, how much are they actually able to achieve? Ultimately, no purpose of sinful man shall be accomplished with lasting results.

“But the purpose of the LORD, that will be accomplished.” The LORD, as the sovereign God, as the all-powerful God, brings His plan and purpose to fulfillment; the obstacles He encounters exist by His permission, they serve His all-wise purposes, and they can never withstand the final accomplishment of His will. In Ephesians 1:11 the LORD is described as the one “who causes all things to work for the sake of his own plan.” In this passage the LORD is seen to have a sovereign plan that He Himself has conceived and that He is determined to bring to fulfillment, and in order that that plan may indeed be accomplished, the LORD orders all things to work together in such a way as to secure the accomplishment of His sovereign plan. Note the testimony of King Nebuchadnezzar as recorded in Daniel 4:34-35,

I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted up my eyes to heaven, and my sanity was restored to me. Then I blessed the Most High, and I praised and honored him who lives forever, for his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom continues from generation to generation. ³⁵All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth. No one can push away his hand, or demand of him, What are you doing?

There is no wisdom or understanding or counsel that can prevail against the LORD. (Prov. 21:30)←↰⤒🔗

Simply stated, this proverb is testifying to the fact that there is no way anyone in all creation can successfully oppose the LORD. It impossible to out think, outwit, out maneuver the LORD, because the LORD is the sovereign God.

Consider as an example the Pharisees’ plotting against Jesus and the final outcome of that plotting:

Therefore, the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin and asked, 'What shall we do, this man is performing many signs? ⁴⁸If we leave him alone, everyone will believe in him; then the Romans will come and take away our place and our nation.' ⁴⁹One of them, named Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, 'You know nothing at all. ⁵⁰ You do not realize that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, rather than have the whole nation perish.' ⁵¹ Now he did not say this on his own; on the contrary, being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for the nation, ⁵²and not only for the nation of Israel, but also that he might gather together the children of God who were scattered. ⁵³So from that day on they plotted how they might put him to death. Jn. 11:47-53

By means of their plotting they helped to accomplish what God had sovereignly planned, namely, that Jesus would die for His people. As the Apostle Peter testifies, “[Jesus] was handed over to you by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross” (Acts 2:23). Furthermore, by means of their plotting they destroyed the very thing they sought to preserve, namely, their position in the temple and in the nation. The divinely-intended purpose of the Old Testament temple worship was to point to Christ and His work of atonement; once that work was accomplished, the LORD permitted the temple worship to be brought to an end in 70 A.D. by the Roman armies, and the nation of Israel to be scattered among the Gentile peoples. Note the words of the Apostle Paul:

Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God turned the wisdom of the world into foolishness? ²⁵because the foolishness of God is wiser than men and the weakness of God is stronger than men. 1 Cor. 1:20,25

The horse is prepared for the day of battle, but victory comes from the LORD. (Prov. 21:31)←↰⤒🔗

Just as all wisdom belongs to the LORD (Prov. 21:30); so, too, all strength and victory belong to the LORD. As one bible commentator expressed it, “Nothing avails against the LORD; nothing avails without the LORD.”²

Consider the awesome power of the LORD our God. At the word of His command the creation was brought into existence:

By the word of the LORD were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth... ⁹he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm. Psl. 33:6,9

At the word of His command the dead are raised to life:

¹⁴Then Jesus told them plainly, 'Lazarus is dead.' ¹⁷Upon his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. ³⁴He asked, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, 'Lord, come and see.' ³⁸Jesus, again groaning within himself, came to the tomb. Now it was a cave, with a stone laid against the entrance. ³⁹Jesus said, 'Remove the stone.' Martha, the sister of the deceased, said to him, Lord, by this time the body stinks, for he has been dead for four days... ⁴³Jesus cried out in a loud voice, 'Lazarus, come out.' ⁴⁴The one who was dead came out, wrapped hand and foot in grave clothes; and there was a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, 'Unwrap him, and let him go.' Jn. 11:14,17,34,38-39,43-44

Know, first, that the LORD our God is all-powerful:

Ah Lord GOD! You have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you! Jer. 32:17

Know that the LORD Our God is All-Knowing (Prov. 15:3,11; 20:27; 20:24)←⤒🔗

The eyes of the LORD are in every place, watching the evil and the good. (Prov. 15:3)←↰⤒🔗

This proverb informs us and reminds us of two of the LORD’s divine attributes, namely, that He is both everywhere present and all-knowing. Consider Jeremiah 23:24, “’Can anyone hide in secret places so that I cannot see him?’ asks the LORD. ‘Do not I fill heaven and earth?’ declares the LORD.”

With regard to the LORD’s omnipresence, consider Psalm 139:7-12,

Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? ⁸If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there. ⁹If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, ¹⁰even there your hand will lead me, your right hand will hold me fast. ¹¹If I say, 'Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,' ¹²even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.

With regard to the LORD’s omniscience, consider Psalm 139:1-6,

O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. ²You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. ³You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. ⁴Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD. ⁵You hem me in, behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me. ⁶Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.

Sheol and Abaddon lie exposed before the LORD, how much more are the hearts of men? (Prov. 15:11)←↰⤒🔗

Whereas Proverbs 15:3 informs us that “the eyes of the LORD are in every place” (on the earth), Proverbs 15:11 informs us that even the mysterious realms of the grave and the place of the dead (Sheol and Abaddon) are open and known to the LORD. Note the testimony of Job, “Sheol is naked before God, and Abaddon has no covering” (Job 26:6).

Furthermore, whereas Proverbs 15:3 informed us that the LORD watches “the evil and the good,” (i.e. He observes their lifestyle and conduct), Proverbs 15:11 informs us that “the hearts of men” are open to the LORD’s constant and infinite observation and scrutiny. Note Hebrews 4:13,

Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give an account. Heb. 4:13

The spirit of man is the lamp of the LORD, searching all his innermost parts. (Prov. 20:27)←↰⤒🔗

The “spirit of a man” is his innermost soul; it is the very core of his being where thoughts are conceived and secrets are hidden. By way of illustration: Just as an iceberg is only 10% visible above the surface of the water; so, likewise, often times our lives are only 10% visible and readily accessible to the people around us. The fullness of who we are and what we are remains hidden and inaccessible to those around us, unless we choose to share with them our innermost thoughts and desires.

But this very spirit that is hidden from men is fully known by God. Indeed, our very spirit is employed by God as a lamp that searches out our mind and heart. This proverb poetically portrays our spirit as a flashlight that the LORD uses to probe the dark cavernous terrain of our mind and heart.

A man’s steps are ordained by the LORD, how then can man understand his way? (Prov. 20:24)←↰⤒🔗

“A man’s steps are ordained by the LORD,” means that one’s life (his course and direction, his purpose and destiny) is under the sovereign control of the LORD, as opposed to being under his own control. Jeremiah testifies, “O LORD, I know that a man’s life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps” (Jer. 10:23). As the Old Testament commentator C.F. Keil observes, Jeremiah is acknowledging that it is not within man’s power to arrange, that is to say, to dictate and determine, the course of his life.³ It is significant to note that Jeremiah makes this acknowledgement and comes to this realization in the hour of crisis. As Jeremiah 10:22 indicates, the nation of Judah is about to be conquered by the Babylonian armies: “Listen! The report is coming—a great commotion from the land of the north! It will make the towns of Judah desolate, a haunt of jackals.” In this hour of crisis it becomes apparent that the course of a man’s life is not in his own power to determine.

Thus, Proverbs 20:24 raises the question, “How then can man understand his way?” In other words, if a man ultimately is not in control of his life, how then can he know where he is going? How can he know his purpose, his destiny? The answer: We must look to God, our Creator and sovereign Lord, for insight and answers to the great questions of life as He reveals His truth to us in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments.

The message of Proverbs 20:24 is this: God is in control of His creation and all of His creatures; therefore, to truly understand the meaning of life we must look to Him and His Word for the answers. Indeed, the LORD invites us and even commands us to do so: “Call to me and I will answer you and show you great and unsearchable things you do not know” (Jer. 33:3).

Secondly, we must understand that the LORD our God is all-knowing. May the prayer of the Psalmist be our prayer:

Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts. ²⁴See if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Psl. 139:23-24

In the light of God’s omniscience, the Psalmist does not seek to futilely conceal himself from the LORD; on the contrary, he invites the LORD to examine his life and make known to him his areas of waywardness so that he may walk in the way that is pleasing to the LORD his God. May we take comfort from the LORD’s promise: “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you” (Psl. 32:8).

Know that the LORD Our God is in Complete Control (Prov. 16:33; 16:4)←⤒🔗

The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD. (Prov. 16:33)←↰⤒🔗

Men cast lots to make decisions and to determine what course to take, but the very outcome of the lot (“its every decision”) is in the LORD’s hand, it is under His sovereign control.

This proverb confronts us with the fact of our LORD’s divine and sovereign control over all things. Question and Answer #11 of the Westminster Shorter Catechism addresses this biblical truth:

Q. What are God’s works of providence?

A. God’s works of providence are, His most holy, wise, and powerful preserving and governing all His creatures, and all their actions.

The LORD has made everything for his own purpose; indeed, even the wicked for the day of destruction. (Prov. 16:4)←↰⤒🔗

The LORD God is not only the Maker of all things, He has also made all things for His purpose, to fulfill His will. As the Apostle Paul informs the church at Rome, “from him, and through him, and unto him, are all things; to him be the glory forever. Amen.” (Rom. 11:36)

Nothing, absolutely nothing, is outside the sphere of God’s sovereign control or alien to His divine purpose. Nothing, not even the presence of evil and evil men, can ultimately frustrate or nullify God’s divine purpose. On the contrary, those very men themselves are under God’s sovereign control and fit into His divine plan, having been made for the Day of Judgment. Consider Romans 9:19-24,

One of you will say to me, 'Then why does God still find fault with us? for who can resist his will?' ²⁰But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, 'Why did you make me like this?' ²¹Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for a noble purpose and some for common use? ²²What Rif God, willing to show his wrath and make his power known, endured with great patience the objects of his wrath—fit for destruction? ²³And what if God was willing to make known the riches of his glory to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory, ²⁴even us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews, but also from the Gentiles?

In verse twenty the apostle reminds us that we are mere mortals, and thus cautions us that we are in no position to rebuke or disparage God our Creator. In verse twenty-one we are reminded that our Creator, as the great Potter, has a right over the clay to do with it as He sees fit—in the final analysis, God is the One who has inalienable rights. Although Scripture speaks of vessels ”fit for destruction,” (i.e. worthy of destruction), or, vessels ”fitted for destruction,” (i.e. made for destruction), at the same time it speaks of God "enduring" such vessels ”with great patience” (vs. 22). What we learn from this language is that the absolute sovereignty of God does not cancel out a dynamic, meaningful interaction between God and His creatures, a relationship in which His creatures are morally responsible for their actions and one in which God’s sovereignty does not nullify that human responsibility.

God’s sovereignty rules out human autonomy, (i.e. human independence); because we are creatures created by God, we do not have an existence independent of God. But at the same time, God’s sovereignty guarantees our human responsibility; since we have been created in the image of God, we have been created to be in some ways like God Himself. Being sovereign, God’s actions are absolutely free and meaningful, they are responsible acts. Since we have been created like God, our actions likewise are meaningful and responsible; within the overarching sphere of God’s absolute sovereignty our actions are meaningful.

The mystery of God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility lies in the fact that we are like God, but God is not like us. That is to say, as previously mentioned, because we have been made in the image of God, we, like Him, are enabled to make meaningful moral choices. But, because He is our Creator and we are merely His creatures, God has “options” that are beyond our comprehension, He operates on a wholly higher plane, with dimensions of interaction that are beyond anything that we experience as His creatures, one of which is His ability to exercise complete sovereignty over His creatures without violating their morally responsible decisions and actions.

God’s sovereignty and human responsibility, how do they fit together? The answer: We are like God, (we have the capacity to make meaningful and responsible moral choices), but God is not like us, (God has options that allow Him to exercise His sovereign actions without compromising the validity of our moral decisions). By way of illustration: You come to the warehouse with your pickup truck to load two huge crates of cargo. Try as you will, you cannot fit both crates into your pickup truck at the same time. It is impossible, at least for you with your limited cargo space. But when God comes to the warehouse with His eighteen-wheeler, He has no problem fitting both crates into His trailer. Note: For a further discussion of God’s sovereignty and human responsibility, the reader is referred to the Appendix, “Some Thoughts on the ‘Problem’ of Evil,” found at the conclusion of Study #5, (Reverently Heed God’s Word, Gen. 3:1-24), of the Bible Study on the Book of Genesis.

Thus, the third thing we must appreciate about God's sovereignty is the fact that the LORD our God is in complete control: “from him, and through him, and unto him, are all things; to him be the glory forever. Amen.” (Rom. 11:36)

Conclusion←⤒🔗

From our topical study of the Book of Proverbs we are confronted with these three great facts concerning God’s sovereignty: 1) the LORD our God is All-Powerful; 2) the LORD our God is All-Knowing; and, 3) the LORD our God is in Complete Control of all things.

The God who made us and with whom we interact is, indeed, an awesome God;

Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the people of the world stand in awe of him; ⁹for he spoke, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood firm. ¹⁰The LORD foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples. ¹¹But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.Psl. 33:8-11

Discussion Questions←⤒🔗

1. How are the plans of man contrasted with the purposes of the LORD? See Prov. 19:21; also contrast Psl. 73:9 with 1 Sam. 2:3 What does the LORD say about the enemies’ plan to destroy His covenant people? See Isa. 7:7 What does our Lord Jesus Christ tell us about the sure plans His Father has for us as Christians? See Lk. 12:32,

There are many plans in a man’s heart, but the purpose of the LORD, that will be accomplished. Prov. 19:21

They set their mouth in the heavens, and their tongue walks through the earth. Psl. 73:9

Talk no more so very proudly, let no arrogance come from your mouth; for the LORD is the God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.1 Sam. 2:3

This is what the Lord GOD says, Their plan will not be established, neither will it be accomplished...Isa. 7:7

Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Lk. 12:32

2. In a passage that speaks about His relationship with His covenant people, how is the LORD God described in Ephesians 1:11? What comfort should we as Christians derive from the fact that the LORD orders all things to work together in such a way as to insure the accomplishment of His plan? Note Rom. 8:28,

...we were allotted to him, having been predestined in accordance with the purpose of him who causes all things to work for the sake of his own plan... Eph. 1:11

Those who put their faith in Christ the Lord have been allotted to Him by the One who sovereignly governs the lot:

The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD. Prov. 16:33

And we know that all things work together for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose. Rom. 8:28

3. What warning is given us in Proverbs 21:30? How does the LORD react to those who oppose Him and His Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ? See Psl. 2:4 What counsel is given us in 1 Pet. 5:5b-6,

There is no wisdom or understanding or counsel that can prevail against the LORD. Prov. 21:30

He that sits in the heavens shall laugh; the LORD shall hold them in derision. Psl. 2:4

...God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. ⁶Therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you at the appointed time... 1 Pet. 5:5-6

4. What does Proverbs 15:3 tell us about God’s omnipresence and omniscience (i.e. His complete knowledge of all things)? How does Proverbs 15:11 elaborate and expand upon Proverbs 15:3, especially deepening our appreciation of the LORD’s omniscience? As Christians, what affect should this have on our lives? See Heb. 4:13 What comfort should we derive from the LORD’s omnipresence and omniscience? Note Ex. 3:7-8a,

The eyes of the LORD are in everyplace, watching the evil and the good.Prov. 15:3

Sheol and Abaddon lie exposed before the LORD, how much more are the hearts of men? Prov. 15:11

And there is no creature hidden from his sight, but all things are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account. Heb. 4:13

Then the LORD said, I have certainly seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt, and I have heard them crying out because of their taskmasters. I know their sorrows. ⁸I have come down to deliver them... Ex. 3:7-8

5. What does the Psalmist exhort all mankind to do, (including we who are Christians)? See Psl. 33:8 What reason does the Psalmist give to inspire us to comply with his exhortation? See Psl. 33:9 What confidence and assurance is provided for us as Christians in Psalm 33:10-11?

Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him. Psl. 33:8

For he spoke, and it was done [or, it came into being]; he commanded, and it stood firm. Psl. 33:9

The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; he makes the plans of the peoples of no effect. ¹¹The counsel of the LORD stands forever, the plans of his heart to all generations. Psl. 33:10-11