El Elyon’s Sovereignty

Posted on January 7, 2020 by Catey Stover in Freedom Fighters

“But at the end of that period I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High and praised and honored Him who lives forever; For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, And His kingdom endures from generation to generation.” Daniel 4:34 (NASB)

According to the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, sovereignty seems to have the ability to evolve? Maybe fellow Freedom Fighter writer, Dave Brown, could actually speak better to this but I’m kinda intrigued by what I’ve read here. Ernst Kantorowicz wrote a book titled “The King’s Two Bodies”, and in it he describes that some kinda profound transformation took place as the “concept” of the body of Christ evolved into a notion of two bodies. One at the altar, a consecrated host, and the other a social body, the body politic. But before we grab pitchforks, rocks and go stormin’ Ernst’s house we might wanna look at Shakespeare’s “Richard II” where in, according to Kantorowicz, the concept of a king’s two bodies emerged. Apparently, this was a very real discussion back in those Middle-Aged times.

But what ya need to know is that the power vacuum of the Middle Ages was caused by the corrosion of the Roman Empire and that left a lot of God’s truth isolated and as the need for His truth was necessary, not many were educated enough to read it. (kinda like my nose in this fancy book) So, as all of this “higher-minded” reading I was doing went on, the more I got the feeling the men of the Middle Ages just wanted a separation of church and state.

In all actuality, that’s probably for the better. Remember when King Saul tried to do what Samuel was ordained to do? (1 Samuel 13:8-14) Or how about when Uzziah went into the Temple to burn incenses on the altar and gets caught by Azariah? (2 Chronicles 26:10-20) But no one is a better example of having a skewed view on God’s sovereignty than that infamous king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar.

It’s interesting how the Book of Daniel tells the tale of not only of God’s people being taken into captivity but we get this glimpse into the heart of the ruler that conquered them. Much like Pharaoh in the Book of Exodus, El Elyon uses Nebuchadnezzar to illustrate His sovereignty over all things and what will happen when it’s taken for granted.

Daniel had this understanding and in the first 4 chapters of the Book of Daniel, we’ll see how Daniel will acknowledge El Elyon in everything and then get to the task at hand. From changing the diet he was first given to finally having to plead with Nebuchadnezzar, “Therefore, O king, may my advice be pleasing to you: break away now from your sins by doing righteousness and from your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor, in case there may be a prolonging of your prosperity.” (Daniel 4:27) However, one day King Nebbie would be gazing out in the kingdom, maybe on the rooftop of those infamous Hanging Gardens, patting himself on the back and thinking “How Great I Art!!” Next thing ya know his diet becomes the front lawn. Sad but true.

It’s funny how pride will take us to get to a point where we do what isn’t pleasing to nobody but us, only to lose it and then suddenly realize God’s sovereignty. For King Nebbie, it took turning him into a wild beast and it wasn’t like he wasn’t warned ahead of time. Daniel told him straight up, “You will be driven from human society, and you will live in the fields with the wild animals. You will eat grass like a cow, and you will be drenched with the dew of heaven. Seven periods of time will pass while you live this way until you learn that the Most High rules over the kingdoms of the world and gives them to anyone He chooses.” (Daniel 4:25)

So, what of us in these New Testament times? What do we understand about El Elyon and His sovereignty? I kinda like what the author, Catherine Martin wrote, “His sovereignty is mystery, and yet we know that within His control, we have the opportunity for salvation through Jesus Christ, that He does not want anyone to perish. We also know that “as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name.” (John 1:12)

Even though I’ve had my moments where, like king Nebbie, I have proclaimed “How Great I Art”, and ended up face-first in a patch of grass. It’s in His sovereignty over all things where His desire for me not to perish makes me realize that El Elyon is more than just saying He is the Most High, it’s really believing that He is. I hope you see that too. Amen?

Written by Chris Hughes: Chris, a graduate of The Colony of Mercy (11-2003) has been married for 25+ years (Kathy), has a married son (Kevin) and a daughter in college (Karen). He has been a Freedom Fighter contributor since 2008.

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Think About This: “Man’s will is free because God is sovereign. A God less than sovereign could not bestow moral freedom upon His creatures. He would be afraid to do so.” — A.W. Tozer

The Daily Bible Reading: Genesis 21-25 | You can download our 2020 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here. 

This Week’s Verse to Memorize: ⁵ For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; ⁶ and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; ⁷ and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. ⁸ For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. -2 Peter 1:5-8(NIV)

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the doctrinal and theological views held by America’s Keswick.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Daily Quote: “Man’s will is free because God is sovereign. A God less than sovereign could not bestow moral freedom upon His creatures. He would be afraid to do so.” — A.W. Tozer

 

Written by Chris Hughes: Chris, a graduate of The Colony of Mercy (11-2003) has been married for 25+ years (Kathy), has a married son (Kevin) and a daughter in college (Karen). He has been a Freedom Fighter contributor since 2008.