Jeremiah makes a  great statement of faith, declaration amidst painful and trying times, “Ah Sovereign LORD, You Have made the heavens and earth by Your Great Power and Outstretched Hand, NOTHING is Too Difficult For You!”-{Jeremiah 32:17}

Because You Or me “believe” something WON’T be Done BECAUSE you or me ‘believe’ It CAN’T be Done -is BECAUSE WE have Placed ourselves in the place of “Sovereign LORD!’ The last five letters of Sovereign is R-E-I-G-N! We believe we R-E-I-G-N! We are in control And what we think, or  “say, we conclude is Final!We falsely believe we are “Sovereign Lord! We are revealed as those who are at that moment Playing GOD! It is perverted faith, whose FOCUS is on SELF, who elevate self as “Sovereign LORD!” Subtle, but satanic in its origin, as it attacks the character of God seeking to elevate SELF above the SOVEREIGN LORD! A little like kids used to play “King of the castle,” where kids would charge and try and take a hill and the one who could get to the top and fight off all other contenders were “king of the castle!”  And the “king of the castle” was the top person, elevated, everyone else in subject to them. in reality they were just “pretenders,” pretending to be a king, when in reality they were not. We too in our minds believe we are “King Of The Universe,” but we are worse than “pretenders,” we are  deceived, dishonoring the True KING, Sovereign King of the universe and all His creation.  To say God is “Sovereign” is to say that God is in Control. He is owner and controller of all. There is nothing, no one who is not ultimately under His control.!

 

FALSE “SOVEREIGN’S;”

1. – King Nebuchadnezzar:

” Twelve months later, as the king was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, 30 he said, “Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?”  Even as the words were on his lips, a voice came from heaven, “This is what is decreed for you, King Nebuchadnezzar: Your royal authority has been taken from you. You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like the ox. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes. Immediately what had been said about Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled. He was driven away from people and ate grass like the ox. His body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his hair grew like the feathers of an eagle and his nails like the claws of a bird. ” -{Dan 4:29-24}  Nebuchadnezzar was playing “King of the Castle” He believed he was “Sovereign Lord,”  “BUT GOD…” in mercy humbles him and delivers him from SELF Deception and spiritual pride to SEE THE SOVEREIGN LORD, and he testified to the true KING– when he said,

“At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High; I honored and glorified him who lives forever.

His dominion is an eternal dominion;
    His kingdom endures from generation to generation.
 All the peoples of the earth
    are regarded as nothing.
He does as He pleases
    with the powers of heaven
    and the peoples of the earth.
No one can hold back His hand
    or say to Him: “What have you done?”  – { Dan 4:28-39}

36 At the same time that my sanity was restored, my honor and splendor were returned to me for the glory of my kingdom. My advisers and nobles sought me out, and I was restored to my throne and became even greater than before. 37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble.”

 

2. – HEROD and the WORMS;

” On the appointed day Herod, wearing his royal robes, sat on his throne and delivered a public address to the people.  They shouted, “This is the voice of a god, not of a man.”  Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died.” – {Acts 12:21-24},

Herod the king would not give God the glory as he viewed himself as worthy of such praise and glory, he was playing “king of the castle,” “But God…” he soon knew who was “SOVEREIGN LORD”and He demonstrated to him who was in CONTROL and not Herod!  Then the true SOVEREIGN LORD showed how He was in control as we read, though the “pretender king,” is gone, God, the SOVEREIGN LORD showed His KINGSHIP as it says, “ But the word of God continued to spread and flourish.”-{Acts 12:25}

 

3. – PHARAOH

” Pharaoh said, “Who is the LORD, that I should obey Him and let Israel go? I do not know the LORD and I will not let Israel go.”-{Exodus 5:2}. We see his sinful rebellious attitude “Who is the Lord that I SHOULD OBEY HIM?…”I DO NOT know the LORD and I WILL not let Israel Go!”

But the “SOVEREIGN LORD” would manifest HIS POWER AND DELIVERANCE to Pharaoh and his people and they would see the LORD  as “SOVEREIGN” KING in bringing upon them…

10 PLAGUES;

  • Plaque Water Into Blood – Ex 7:14-24
  • Plaque Of Frogs – Ex 7:25-8:15
  • Plaque Of Lice- Ex 8:16-19
  • Plaque Of Flies – Ex 8:20-32
  • Plaque Of  Diseased Livestock – Ex 9;1-7
  • Plaque Of Boils – Ex 9:8-12
  • Plaque Of  Hail And Fire – Ex 9:13-35
  • Plaque Of  Locusts – Ex 10:1-20
  • Plaque Of Darkness For Three days – Ex 10: 21-29
  • Plaque Of Death Of Firstborn- Ex 11:1-12:36

In the end the “Pretender” king, was unable to defend, defeat, overthrow or stop the SOVEREIGN KING from exercising His power. Pharaoh would know by personal experience the TRUE KING, who is no “pretender to the Throne” But who owns the Throne, sits on the THRONE, legitimately so and rules and reigns SUPREME from His Throne over all!

The Results of The Ten Plaques were that the Israelite’s whom Pharaoh had arrogantly said defiantly so he would not release them because the LORD said to do so, now commanded they leave-{Ex 12:31}. Exodus 12:33,37 says there was 600,000 men besides children who left that night. They did not leave impoverished by enriched by the Egyptians {Ex 12:33,36}, This ended the children of Israel living in bondage in the land of Egypt-{Exodus 12;40,41}. The “Sovereign Pretender” who had openly defied the LORD now had been confronted by the SOVEREIGN LORD and he was exposed as helpless and powerless to stay the hand of the SOVEREIGN King who would go on to open the Red Sea for the people and down the advancing army who chased them and lead them to safety!!

4. – SATAN;

In Isaiah, satan said he would be like the Most High….he wanted to replace and displace God! When we place our OPINION Above His Revealed Word, it is in essence calling God a liar and that we ourselves are Wiser than Him. We place ourselves above Him, and in essence are saying we are Sovereign, in control and what we say is the ultimate authority, because we falsely believe we are the Ultimate authority. We have in our own warped, sinful, arrogant thinking, concluded we are Sovereign.cSelf’s satanic desire is to usurp God!

It is as though you go back living like a lost person, before you turned to God in repentance and placed your faith in Jesus Christ…” Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins.  You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work IN the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature.” -{Eph 2:1-4}.

Note the phrase, “I WILL,” his demonic determination to usurp God.

“….You said in your heart,
“I will ascend to the heavens;
I will raise my throne
above the stars of God;
I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly,
on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon.
I will ascend above the tops of the clouds;…” -(Isaiah 14:10-14)

Self’s satanic Desire is to usurp God!

5. ALL HUMAN BEINGS:

We read “All HAVE SINNED AND Fallen short of the Glory of God….  “There is NONE Righteous NO NOT ONE…” There is none who have been born or will be born who have not a sin nature. The rebellion within that does not want to be told what to do, that rebels against authority that seeks to look out for “number one,” themselves. Some don’t mind religion they just don’t like Jesus claims of Exclusivity, “I am THE Way, THE Truth and THE Life, NO ONE comes to the Father EXCEPT through Me.”-{Read John 14:6} Note He does not say He is “A” as in one of many ways, many truths.. but “THE” exclusive WAY TO GOD IS THROUGH JESUS CHRIST AND HIM ALONE!

We balk at His claims over us, and like the parable of the Ten Minas, “…We will not have this man to reign over us “-{Luke 19:14}. We don’t mind Him helping us out, digging us out of trouble, “blessing” and providing us, but we do not want Him to have Authority over us. Why? Because we are rebels, sinners. We are by nature Sinners, and we are by CHOICE Sinners! We don’t have to be taught how to lie, slander, fight, be bitter, resentful, covet, want our own way- it comes naturally to us because we are sinners! Some “sinners” may be violent, evil wicked people and others are “nice, mannerly, even church going people,” and so we compare one to another and come up with the “nice” person will get to Heaven based on their works and we are deceived for ALL have sinned, and one sin sends a soul to Hell, because the wages of sin is death- eternal separation from God who hates sin and is angry with the wicked every day, and the wicked are those who sin!  At the center is our will, for our ways, for our sake. And it all is evident in our “will” of profession and conclusion and doings. “I” is at he center and forefront! SELF DECEPTION, DELUSION. All humans are ‘Playing GOD!’   and each is  a”PRETENDER to the THRONE!”

Whereas with Jeremiah his focus, exclamation was  on the “SOVEREIGN LORD.” His Reign, His Power, His Creative power, His ability to Do as he pleases. Nothing was too Difficult for Him!  Nebuchadnezzar, Herod, Pharaoh, satan and sinners alike all would know they are but “Pretenders”and there is ONE undefeated “SOVEREIGN LORD! in whom every knee shall bow and tongue confess, that Jesus Christ is LORD to the Glory of God -{Phil 2:10}

Jeremiah took his rightful place and his focus displayed his rightful attitude, his submission and seeing Him for who He Is! His reverent attitude in his proclamation that the LORD was Sovereign not him!  Self’s satanic desire is to usurp God, and the evil one tempts with thoughts to lean to your own understanding and do things as you “think and believe” are best, to the exclusion of His Revealed Word. The Holy Spirit’s desire is to EXALT God! One focus’s on self, the other on the Sovereign King!