God is Sovereign and We Aren’t Robots

/ Richard Bargas / Leave a comment

“Whatever Yahweh pleases, He does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and in all deeps.”  (Psalm 135:6, LSB)

Whether it is the terrifying storms in the skies (v. 7), the crushing plagues He brought to Egypt (vv. 8-9), the conquests that left the nations decimated as the Lord handed Israel their lands as His gift (vv. 10-12), Psalm 135 speaks loudly about the overwhelming power and plan of God to do whatever He pleases within all of creation. He made it all and He rules it as the sovereign and only Potentate.

For some Christians, the doctrine of God’s sovereignty is a hard pill to swallow. They accept that He is all powerful, but they often will mitigate this truth with additional disclaimers and rebuttals. “God’s sovereign, but He gives up some of His rule and authority over us so that humanity can be free to choose.” But in saying this, they had neutered what the Bible says and inserted something it very clearly doesn’t say. In fact, they have taken the Sovereign God and made Him a little more like the powerless idols spoken of in verses 15-18:

The idols of the nations are silver and gold,

The work of man’s hands.

They have mouths, but they do not speak;

They have eyes, but they do not see;

They have ears, but they do not hear,

Surely, there is not any breath in their mouths.

Those who make them will be like them,

All who trust in them.  (Psalm 135:15–18, LSB)

The God who rules Israel also rules the other nations and the world. In contrast, the gods of the nations were deaf, dumb, and blind. They were not sovereign over anything. And don’t miss the results of such ideas—you become like what you worship.

For those who reject the biblical doctrine of God’s sovereignty, in attempting to protect man’s free will (thus exalting man) they lower God (just a little, they reply). After all, they reason, God wants us to worship Him freely. He doesn’t want worship from robots.

Ah! But the psalmist doesn’t see a contradiction between his praise of this sovereign God who does what He pleases and the open worship of His people. The psalm opens with a command to “Praise Yah! (vv. 1-3) and then closes the psalm with more calls to worship (vv. 19-21). Yahweh is sovereign and thus we must worship. We are not forced to do so, but we cannot contain our exuberance for our God.

Far from squashing genuine worship, the biblical truth that God is unfettered in his power and sovereignty impels worship to greater heights. We are not robots! The sovereignty of God does not teach that a mindless fatalism is at work in the universe. It inspires praise.

In fact, we can attribute the grand and glorious works of God totally to Him because “whatever Yahweh pleases, He does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and in all deeps.”  (Psalm 135:6, LSB)

Wait For Yahweh

/ Richard Bargas / 2 Comments

O Yahweh, my heart is not exalted, and my eyes are not raised high;

And I do not involve myself in great matters,

Or in matters too marvelous for me.

Surely I have soothed and quieted my soul,

Like a weaned child with his mother,

Like a weaned child is my soul within me.

O Israel, wait for Yahweh

From now until forever.  (Psalm 131:1–3, LSB)

As I write this, I’m not thinking of anyone else or any other situation that might be brewing in the broad circles of evangelicalism. I say this, because we live in a day of “hot takes” where people write with an intention to speak into a situation. This can be good when thoughtfulness and facts are taken into consideration. All too often this is not what occurs.

I am writing for myself. Today, as I read the words of Psalm 131 in my daily Bible reading, I was struck by the humility of David, and it placed within me a longing for the same sort of child-like dependence upon our Savior.

In David’s words, I am reminded that our God hates pride. He “opposes the proud” (James 4:6; 1Pet 5:5; Prov 3:34), and yet pride is a hallmark of so many, including myself—especially of those who are placed in high positions. We can fix it. We can muscle through. If we use enough ingenuity, resources, sweat, and force we can achieve anything we put our mind to. How proud we are!

David, at least in the moments when he wrote this song, was lowly. He signals this humility with lowered eyes to match his lowered heart. Once again this leader of Israel voices a reminder of who he truly was—a small man placed in a position by the grace of God. He was not worthy of the great matters of State. He did not deserve to be drawn so close to the Living God. He was not worthy of the grace and mercy lavished upon Him. None of us are.

And yet, God continued to shower David with His goodness. David continued to be in awe. The occasion for his words are unknown, but they point to a time of turmoil. His soul needed to be soothed and quieted, like a small child who was hungering for the tender comforts of his mother’s care. The Lord supplied the soul’s peace when he needed it.

How powerless is the toddler, and yet the caring mother does not fail to provide. The child must simply wait. The lesson was for Israel, and it is for me and you as well. We are not powerful enough. We are not smart enough. We are weak, we are lowly. And yet, like a tender caring mother, our God will come and meet our need in our time of weakness. We simply must wait.

The Sovereignty of God in Life’s Plans

/ Richard Bargas / 1 Comment

In my daily Bible reading, I always appreciate it when I am going through the Proverbs. It seems that each chapter has several nuggets of truth that fit my life and what is happening in that moment. Sometimes the themes are frequently repeated in my heart, things that the Lord is continuously dealing with me about. Other themes are needed reminders in that specific time of my life.

Today’s reading once again brought some interesting truths for me to meditate on. In Proverbs 16:1, it says, “The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from Yahweh” (LSB). A few verses down, it says, “The heart of man plans his way, but Yahweh directs his steps” (Proverbs 16:9, LSB).

Both of these proverbs focus on a man’s heart. We can aim high or settle for less. We might reach for the moon or be so beaten down by life that we only hope for small dreams and little ambition. No matter where someone might stand on this range, our destiny isn’t entirely in our hands. Whether our hopes are big or small, strong or weak, privileged or underprivileged, we are not completely the masters of our own fate.

For the proud person who believes they climbed to the top solely through their own talents and hard work, be cautious not to take too much credit. For the broken or weak person who thinks they must take whatever scraps life offers, be aware that God’s power can still elevate you to a prominent place for His good purposes.

There is no such thing as luck. Everything is part of God’s perfect plan. It was God’s plan for Joseph to end up in Egypt, even though his brothers intended it for evil. It was God’s plan for Pharaoh to resist Moses’ demands to let God’s people go, so that the Lord would demonstrate His power to the nations, but most importantly, to His broken people. It was God’s plan that Judas should lead the temple guard to the Mount of Olives to arrest and ultimately crucify His Son, so that Jesus could be our substitute on the cross, dying as the perfect Man for sinful man. None of that was “bad luck” that turned into “good luck.”

As Proverbs 16 concludes, it reaffirms this truth by stating that there is no such thing as chance, “The lot is cast into the lap, but its every judgment is from Yahweh” (Proverbs 16:33, LSB). Whether it is your life or the casting of dice, everything is in God’s secure hands.

Peter’s Response to Criticism: A Lesson in Faith

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“Now the apostles and the brothers who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. And when Peter came up to Jerusalem, those who were circumcised took issue with him, saying, “You went to uncircumcised men and ate with them.” (Acts 11:1–3, LSB)

People were saved, and yet there is criticism.

Note that even in the greatest blessings within the church, there is always at least one person (or two) willing to see the negative side. And notice that the problem they have with this is an unbiblical tradition that was broken. 

How does Peter respond? Here we have a wonderful example! Peter is calm and patient. He explains the situation, brings biblical clarity, and then humbly awaits the church to share its wisdom. In this instance, they concurred with Peter.

Had the majority agreed with the circumcision party, I do not think Peter would have bowed out and remained silent. However, his first response was to trust the Spirit to lead the leaders, and if they were not led by the Spirit, then I think Peter would have continued to passionately reason with them from the Word.

Here is the balance of Spirit and truth; shepherding and yet being shepherded. Let us learn both.

Overcoming Fear with Prayer: Jehoshaphat’s Story

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“And Jehoshaphat was afraid and set his face to seek Yahweh, and called for a fast throughout all Judah.” (2 Chronicles 20:3, LSB)  

People react differently when they become afraid. Psychologists have noted that people typically respond with either a “fight or flight” reaction. Being originally from Southern California, I can testify that every time there is a major earthquake, the news reports that someone died from the earthquake. Surprisingly, many of these deaths are not directly related to the earthquake, such as something collapsing on the victim. Instead, some deaths occur when a person panics and runs into the street into traffic because they are afraid of being in a shaking building. I have heard of people running through glass doors or falling in their panic and hitting their heads. This is the “flight” response at play.

However, fight or flight aren’t the only two ways that people react to fear. In 2 Chronicles 20:3, King Jehoshaphat was in a moment of fear that I have to imagine was terrifying, and for good reason. War was on the horizon. Two nations had gathered to wage war against the kingdom of Judah, and it appeared there was no stopping them. The gathered armies had already crossed the Dead Sea and advanced north to En Gedi. They were in the land and moving quickly to engage in battle.

In such an instance, kings are no different. They either fight or flee to save their own necks. But as I mentioned, these aren’t the only two responses, and Jehoshaphat chose another option—prayer. Verse 3 above shows us the moment when the king decided he wasn’t going to fight and he wasn’t going to run.

In his prayer, Jehoshaphat states several truths that are helpful for us to remember when we are stricken by those terrifying moments when we are tempted to either fight or flee. I’d like to point them out so we can keep them in mind for when that moment arrives:

  1. Remember the mighty power of God. The king prayed: “and he said, “O Yahweh, the God of our fathers, are You not God in the heavens? And are You not ruler over all the kingdoms of the nations? Power and might are in Your hand so that no one can take their stand against You” (2 Chronicles 20:6, LSB).  
  2. Remember God always keeps His covenant promises. ““Did You not, O our God, dispossess the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel and give it to the seed of Abraham Your friend forever?” (2 Chronicles 20:7, LSB).  
  3. Remember God loves His people. Notice the possessive pronouns the king used: “and he said, “O Yahweh, the God of our fathers, are You not God in the heavens? And are You not ruler over all the kingdoms of the nations? Power and might are in Your hand so that no one can take their stand against You. Did You not, O our God, dispossess the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel and give it to the seed of Abraham Your friend forever?” (2 Chronicles 20:6–7, LSB)
  4. Remember that God remembers! “Did You not, O our God, dispossess the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel and give it to the seed of Abraham Your friend forever? And they have lived in it, and have built You a sanctuary there for Your name, saying,‘Should evil come upon us, the sword, or judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we will stand before this house and before You (for Your name is in this house) and cry to You in our distress, and You will hear and save us’” (2 Chronicles 20:7–9, LSB).
  5. Remember that God is just and will not allow the wicked to go unpunished: “So now, behold, the sons of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir, whom You did not let Israel invade when they came out of the land of Egypt (they turned aside from them and did not destroy them), and behold, they are rewarding us by coming to drive us out from Your possession which You have caused us to possess. “O our God, will You not judge them? For we are powerless before this great multitude who are coming against us; and we do not know what we should do, but our eyes are on You.”” (2 Chronicles 20:10–12, LSB)
  6. Remember that prayer is a family affair: “Now all Judah was standing before Yahweh, with their little ones, their wives, and their children.” (2 Chronicles 20:13, LSB)

In times of fear, it’s easy to be swept away by the instinct to fight or flee—but Jehoshaphat shows us a better way. He turned his fear into faith, and his panic into prayer. Rather than rely on his own strength, he gathered his people, remembered God’s character and promises, and sought divine help. When fear grips us, may we too fix our eyes not on the danger, but on the One who is sovereign over it. Like Jehoshaphat, let our first response be to seek the Lord.