Scriptural Proofs on God's sovereignty (part 3)

In my previous blogs, I have expounded on God's total control over the inanimate matters, spirit beings (bad and holy angels) and animal kingdom. In this blog, I will talk about the most sublime yet probably the most controversial truths in the Scriptures. That God has complete control over all other created things is easily accepted by majority but that God has complete control over the children of men is commonly repudiated. It is understandable as man naturally wants to have freedom over his own decision. He naturally desires to exalt his own will uninfluenced and unrestricted because of pride. Men are sinners by nature and he will do all his best to defend his ability. 

For some, it is easier to accept that God has plan and control over the elect but the fact that God has a plan and total control over the heathens/unbelievers doesn't gain wide recognition. The popular notion even amongst Bible believers  is that it is Satan who governs the actions of evil men. The thought that Satan is the one ruling over them and that the sinner has become so unruly that God has somehow lost His grip on them becomes the general consensus. But the teaching that God has total control of all men cannot be  ignored however hard men try to deny or disagree with it. Here are the Scriptural proofs on God's total control over the heathens.
 

God's complete control over the heathens/unbelievers
The story of Joseph is a classic example on how God used the heathens to fulfill his purposes. As the brothers of Joseph were eating, a caravan of Ishmaelites passed by and did not hesitate to buy Joseph from his brothers (Gen. 7:25) Thus Joseph was brought to Egypt and  Potiphar who happened to be a high official of Pharaoh bought him from the Ishmaelites. Potiphar's wife had evil intentions with Joseph but that is God's way to bring Joseph to jail where God has providentially joined him together with the Pharaoh's bread maker and butler. God gave dreams to both of these men who were rightly interpreted by Joseph, an event who would later cause the butler to recommend Joseph to pharaoh when the latter dreamed peculiar dreams that foretell the future calamities that would befall Egypt and the rest of the world. These very dreams were the instruments of God for the Pharaoh to have high regard for a former slave who would later become the governor of the whole Egypt. Joseph recognized that everything that has taken place in his life, all the evil actions of his brothers and the Egyptians towards him are all part of God's divine plan. He said to his brothers "it was not you who sent me here, but God. He made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt" (Genesis 45:8).

To protect himself from harm, Abraham did not tell Abimelech who wanted to marry Sarah that she is his wife. So the heathen king took Sarah to his palace. But before Abimelech was able to touch her, God spoke to Abimelech in a dream and told him "you are good as dead because of the woman you had taken; she is a married woman...and I kept you from sinning against Me" (Genesis 20:3,6). And so Abimelech was not able to touch Sarah and immediately returned her to Abraham the next day.

For the purpose of displaying His power before the heathen nation of Egypt God hardened the heart of Pharaoh so that he would not listen to Aaron and Moses (Exodus 9:12; 10:1; 11:10;14:8). In fact apostle Paul says that this is the very purpose why God raised up the Pharaoh to his throne (Romans 9:17). It was also the Lord who hardened the hearts of ALL the heathen kings of the nations that formerly occupied Canaan to keep them from having treaty with Israel so that He would totally destroy them (Joshua 11:16-20). It was God who instructed Nebuchadnezzar the pagan king of Babylon to remove all the treasures in the temple of of Jerusalem (2 Kings 2:14).

God moved the heart of king Cyrus of Persia to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem and the temple of God. He even wrote in his own decree in 2nd Chronicles 36:23 "Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, All the kingdoms of the earth hath the Lord God of heaven given me; and he hath charged me to build him an house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all his people? The Lord his God be with him, and let him go up."

In Isaiah 10:5-15, God declares that the pagan nation of Assyria is the rod of His anger and the staff  of His indignation. He used the proud and ungodly men of this kingdom as an instrument of His punishment to the Israelite people who turned their hearts from Him. Why can't he use all men when we are told that "the king's heart is in the hand of Jehovah, as the watercourses; He turneth it whithersoever He will," Proverbs 21:1. The evidences of  God having absolute control over all the actions of evil men are too numerous to mention. We will be discussing God's absolute control over His own children next.....