The Sovereignty of God

The story of King Nebuchadnezzar in the fourth chapter of Daniel is one that fascinated me since I read it in a picture book as a kid. He grew very proud of the empire he had built, exclaiming, “Is not this great Babylon, which I have built by my mighty power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?” And the next thing you know, as Daniel had prophesized, he becomes like a beast of the field until he knew “that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will.” The quotation at the outset is Nebuchadnezzar coming to his senses, realizing that God is sovereign.

Conrad Mbewe relates this story early in his slim volume Is God Really Sovereign? Part of Crossway’s “Church Questions” series,” this is a 37 page extended essay on the topic. Mbewe is the chancellor of the African Christian University and a Baptist pastor in Zambia.

The first part of the book is a rather winsome exposition of the completeness of God’s sovereignty. It is a commonplace among Christians that “God is Sovereign,” but as Mbewe documents, the extent of the sovereignty is much larger than many Christians imagine. God’s plan was created before time began, He created the world in which that plan would unfold, He has total control over history, He included a plan of salvation, He works out that plan of salvation in history, and He will one day execute his plan for final judgement.

How detailed is this control? Mbewe explains:

But God not only sustains the universe, he is also intricately involved in ordering all the events of every one of his creatures right down to the smallest detail. The next time you’re playing a board game, consider that according to scripture every roll of the dice was planned and purposed by God: “The lot is cast into the lap, but it’s every decision is from the Lord” (Prov. 16:33).

Many people do not like the idea of God’s sovereignty being so all-encompassing. But, for Mbewe, this doctrine is not only important because it is True, but because it causes great joy in those who understand it.

I want you to know the God of the Bible. I want you to find God’s sovereignty to be as life-giving as I do. I want it to be a cordial tonic for your soul, just as I have found God’s character and power a comforting balm and great hope in my Christian life.

So far, so good. Reading this description of the extent of God’s sovereignty makes it very clear that that Mbewe is a rather engaging, inspiring, and charismatic speaker. Everything is so cheerful and happy. Until…well, you know…

Every discussion of the idea of the total sovereignty of God sooner or later comes crashing into the problem of Evil. If God is sovereign, why is there sin and evil? This question is so common, trying to answer it has a name: theodicy. Mbewe faces the question squarely. Yes, it seems like there is a problem here. God is sovereign, holy and good. Horrible things happen in the world. Surely something must give. It is impossible to deny that horrible things happen. If Mbewe is right, then we cannot avoid concluding that God is also sovereign and good and holy. What then?

God brings disaster on a city, and yet Scripture maintains that he remains holy and good. His sovereignty doesn’t compromise his holiness, and his holiness doesn’t compromise his sovereignty. In fact, the biblical authors never even acknowledge any supposed tension between these two ideas. They simply reveal that God is sovereign, holy, and good.

That answer will satisfy nobody. Mbewe knows this, so he goes on to attempt a fuller explanation. He arrives at this maxim: “God has a hand in the action of the sin but not in the sin of the action.” Clearly that distinction makes some sense to Mbewe. His example is the story of Joseph, in which Joseph says to his brothers “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.” To be sure, that is a good example of how God and man can be looking at the same event in very different ways. But the good of Joseph being able to provide food for his family is pretty obvious. Translate the idea to things of greater horror: God had a hand in the fact that genocide happened, but had no hand in the sin of the genocide. Yes, as a sentence that works, but would it reconcile anyone to the problem of believing simultaneously in the goodness and the sovereignty of God? Don’t very many examples of suffering and evil create exactly the same problem?

To his credit, and unlike most writers on this subject, Mbewe is willing to acknowledge that his answer to this question is not full satisfactory. “We simply have to confess that we are shortsighted. We may have to leave some questions unanswered.”

That is the secret of this short book. It does not try to do too much. If you or someone you know is looking for a quick primer on the doctrine of the sovereignty of God, one which will make you appreciate this aspect of God, then this book is a charming starting place.

[An aside about the marvels of the internet age. That book I loved when I was a kid about Nebuchadnezzar turning into a beast has long been lost. But, with a Google search for children’s picture books about this story, I found the book! Copies are even on sale at Amazon! And, as an added bonus, over on YouTube, someone reads the book! My biggest shock—I had no memory that the book was written in rhyme.]

(The Obligatory note: yes, Crossway sent me a copy of the book (Mbewe’s, not the The Braggy King of Babylon) so that I could review it here. Yes, for legal reasons they request that I note this fact. Yes, if you find this fact important, then you probably shouldn’t be bothering to read the things I write about books. Then again, it isn’t really clear to me why anyone would suspect I am being dishonest in my reviews.)

Related Posts
Chesterton, G. K. The Ballad of the White Horse “Yea, Faith Without a Hope”
Spurgeon, Charles Spurgeon on Resting in the Promises of God “Resting in the Promises of God”