The LORD is sovereign which
means that He can do as He pleases. The sovereignty of God may be defined
as the exercise of His supremacy. Being infinitely elevated above the highest
creature, He is the Most High, Lord of heaven and earth. Subject to none, influenced
by none, absolutely independent; God does as He pleases, only as He pleases
always as He pleases. None can thwart Him, none can hinder Him. So His own Word
expressly declares: "My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My
pleasure" (Isa. 46:10); "He does according to His will in the army of
heaven, and the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay His hand"
(Dan. 4:35). Divine sovereignty means that God is God in fact, as well as in
name, that He is on the Throne of the universe, directing all things, working
all things "after the counsel of His own will" (Eph. 1:11).[1]- —
"Our GOD is in the
heavens and He does as He wishes" (Psalm 115;3)..
So the LORD commissions
Zechariah and he goes straight to the point, "The LORD hath been sore displeased with your fathers."
The LORD let it known that He had been greatly displeased, meaning that
GOD was cracked, that is, bursting out in rage: He was angry, had
been provoked to wrath. Yet the LORD says to that new generation to turn
back to Him, to repent, and He would turn to them.[2] -
So what does that have to
do with us today? The LORD of that epoch is the same LORD of
today and tomorrow, "God is not a man, that he should lie; neither
the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and
shall he not make it good?"[3] - This nation if it
does not repent, change, return and seek the LORD GOD, His wrath will pour out
in judgment. He has judged His chosen, the apple of His eye, those generations
that defied Him. How then will He not judge those nations [peoples] that know
Him, that honor Him but now turn against Him? More so this nation whom He has
blessed. God is sovereign over the nations and rules them for His purposes.
God tolerates sin in relation to nations up to a point, and then brings
calamity.
As it was with Moses
who, "... refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's
daughter; Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God,
than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;" [4]. But for those who continue in the enjoyment,
in the pleasures of sin and disobedience He can do as He did to the Canaanites
for their ways.
"And the LORD spake
unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them,
I am the LORD your God. After the doings of the land of Egypt, wherein ye
dwelt, shall ye not do: and after the doings of the land of Canaan, whither I
bring you, shall ye not do: neither shall ye walk in their ordinances. Ye shall
do my judgments, and keep mine ordinances, to walk therein: I am the
LORD your God. Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments:
which if a man do, he shall live in them: I am the LORD. None of you shall
approach to any that is near of kin to him, to uncover their nakedness: I am the
LORD. The nakedness of thy father, or the nakedness of thy mother, shalt
thou not uncover: she is thy mother; thou shalt not uncover her
nakedness. The nakedness of thy father's wife shalt thou not uncover: it is thy
father's nakedness. The nakedness of thy sister, the daughter of thy
father, or daughter of thy mother, whether
she be born at home, or born
abroad, even their nakedness thou shalt not
uncover. The nakedness of thy son's daughter, or of thy
daughter's daughter, even their nakedness thou shalt not
uncover: for theirs is thine own nakedness. The
nakedness of thy father's wife's daughter, begotten of thy father, she is thy
sister, thou shalt not uncover her nakedness. Thou shalt not uncover the
nakedness of thy father's sister: she is thy father's near kinswoman. Thou
shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy mother's sister: for she is thy
mother's near kinswoman. Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy
father's brother, thou shalt not approach to his wife: she is thine
aunt. Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy daughter in law: she is thy
son's wife; thou shalt not uncover her nakedness. Thou shalt not uncover
the nakedness of thy brother's wife: it is thy brother's nakedness. Thou
shalt not uncover the nakedness of a woman and her daughter, neither shalt thou
take her son's daughter, or her daughter's daughter, to uncover her nakedness; for they are her
near kinswomen: it is wickedness. Neither shalt thou
take a wife to her sister, to vex her,
to uncover her nakedness, beside the other in her life time. Also thou shalt not
approach unto a woman to uncover her nakedness, as long as she is put apart for
her uncleanness. Moreover thou shalt not lie carnally with
thy neighbor's wife, to defile thyself with her. And thou
shalt not let any of thy seed pass through the
fire to Molech, neither shalt
thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD. Thou shalt not lie with
mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination. Neither shalt thou
lie with any beast to defile thyself therewith: neither shall any woman stand
before a beast to lie down thereto: it is confusion. Defile not ye
yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations are defiled
which I cast out before you: And the land is defiled: therefore I do visit
the iniquity thereof upon it, and the land itself vomit out her
inhabitants." [5].
How different is this
nation from those that inhabited Canaan whom the LORD Judged for their
wickedness? How much more will it be for this nation that knows
Him, yet defies, mocks, and hates Him?.
[1]- A. W. Pink "The Attributes of God"
[2]- Zechariah 1:2,3.
[3]- Numbers 23:19.
[4]- Hebrews 11:24,25.
[5]- Leviticus 18:1-25.
