God’s Sovereignty in the OT....

One of the main differences in reading the Old Testament vs the New Testament is the crystal clear examples of God’s sovereignty. Sure, you see it in the New Testament miracles performed and the words of Jesus, but the majority of the examples lie in the Old Testament. The New Testament makes more complete sense when you have knowledge of the OT. With this knowledge the promises in the NT have more meaning and depth. I’m not saying one is more important than the other (both are equally important in understanding the Bible), but I want to emphasize God’s sovereignty is more easily and often seen in the OT. It’s like the OT is painting us a clear picture of Who God is, and the NT is letting us see Him in humanly form. The OT tells us about Him, and the NT lets us meet Him face to face. Here in 2 Kings chapter 19 we get a crystal clear glimpse of God’s sovereignty when Isaiah tells King Hezekiah about the powerful Assyrian Army and their king. Everything, I mean everything is under God’s control. A sparrow doesn’t fall to the ground without God’s knowledge beforehand. Think about it for a second! The Creator of the universe, the Maker of all things, the One Who holds all things together, the Giver of your next breath, knows you. He cares about you. He gives you the opportunity to know Him. And most importantly, He loves you and forgives you when you ask to be forgiven. Wow!!!! All the money, fame, power, relationships, prestige, and significance in the world can’t compare to the blessing of knowing God and having a relationship with Him. The benefits and the beauty of calling God your father, engulf all the things the world could ever offer (they fail in comparison). Knowing He’s in control and His love for us is a priority to Him, is enough for me to fully put my trust and faith in Him. Is it enough for you?

“But have you not heard?I decided this long ago.Long ago I planned it,and now I am making it happen.I planned for you to crush fortified citiesinto heaps of rubble.26 That is why their people have so little powerand are so frightened and confused.They are as weak as grass,as easily trampled as tender green shoots.They are like grass sprouting on a housetop,scorched before it can grow lush and tall. 27 “But I know you well–where you stayand when you come and go.I know the way you have raged against Me.28 And because of your raging against Meand your arrogance, which I have heard for Myself,I will put My hook in your noseand My bit in your mouth.I will make you returnby the same road on which you came”. 2 Kings 19:25-28

35 That night the angel of the Lord went out to the Assyrian camp and killed 185 ,000 Assyrian soldiers. When the surviving Assyrians woke up the next morning, they found corpses everywhere. 36 Then King Sennacherib of Assyria broke camp and returned to his own land. He went home to his capital of Nineveh and stayed there.37 One day while he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch, his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer killed him with their swords. They then escaped to the land of Ararat, and another son, Esarhaddon, became the next king of Assyria. 2 Kings 19:35-37