sovereignty

  • Theological Substitution

    The Lord has established His throne in the heavens, and His sovereignty rules over all. Psalm 103:19 NASB Sovereignty – What has YHVH established in the heavens? His throne. What does that mean? Ah, now you must be very careful with your answer. If you read the text according to the NASB translation, you will…

  • Guilty Until Declared Innocent

    Why do you say, O Jacob, and assert, O Israel, “My way is hidden from the Lord, and the justice due me escapes the notice of my God”?  Isaiah 40:27 NASB Due me – Biblical justice is exactly the opposite of the guiding principle of American jurisprudence. The assumption of guilt is the determining factor…

  • The Smell of Sacrifice

    The Lord smelled the soothing aroma; and the Lord said to Himself, “I will never again curse the ground on account of man, for the intent of man’s heart is evil from his youth; and I will never again destroy every living thing, as I have done.   Genesis 8:21 NASB Soothing Aroma – Can you…

  • Divine Restraint

    Now these are the ones who came to David at Ziklag, while he was still restricted because of Saul the son of Kish; and they were among the mighty men who helped him in war. 1 Chronicles 12:1 NASB Restricted – A great rabbi once said, “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling…

  • Number Four

    Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God.  Deuteronomy 6:13  KJV Fear – According to Rambam’s list of the 613 commandments, this is number four.  “By this injunction we are commanded to believe in the fear and awe of God (exalted be He), and not to be at ease and self-confident but to expect His punishment…

  • The Secret Commandment

    You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.  Exodus 20:17  ESV Not covet – There is a reason why no other legal code of the ancient Near East contains…

  • Planned in Advance

    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.  Psalm 139:16  NASB Ordained for me – This verse is often used as a proof text for the idea that God has foreordained the days…

  • The Half-God Mistake

    And there came near a man of Elohim and spoke to the sovereign of Yisra’el, and said, “Thus said YHWH, ‘Because the Arameans have said, “YHWH is Elohim of the hills, but He is not Elohim of the valleys,” therefore I shall give all this great company into your hand, and you shall know that…

  • Corrupting God’s Image

    I said, “You are gods, and all of you are sons of the Most High, nevertheless you will die like men, and fall like any one of the princes.”  Psalm 82:6-7  NASB Fall – Why do we fall?  Unless we know the conditions of our demise, we may never recognize the traps that corrupt God’s…

  • Hit Me with Your Best Shot

    We have heard with our ears, O God; our fathers have told us, what deeds you performed in their days, in the times of old;  Psalm 44:2  (Hebrew World Translation) You performed – Where is God when we need Him?  That seems to be the theme of this psalm.  If you read a bit further,…