Sovereignty of God and Human Responsibility
This is a big subject and has generated countless debates across centuries. Even in seminary, professors can take on different views. As I was meditating on the topic on God’s sovereignty, the very natural question came to my mind, how far then should I exercise my human responsibility. Do I sit still and not do anything because God is sovereign and things are working out despite my non participation or God is sovereign and things are working out because his people choose to obey Him and do His will which includes human responsibility and decisions.
To say that God is sovereign is to say that God is in control of all events taking place in the world, in past and present situations. No event takes him by surprise and all that happened, good or bad, happened with his permission. So, God permitted Hitler to slaughter about 5 million Jews during the holocaust? Yes. Recently, I watched the show “The Black Book” which showed how a Dutch lady who witnessed her family being brutally killed by the germans during WW2. After she was being rescued, she joined the dutch resistance forces against the germans who stationed themselves in Poland. Instead of sitting around and watching events unfold, she got involved with one of the German generals in hope that she’ll get some information of their next move and also to rescue some of the Dutchman who were in the resistance. Corrie Ten Boon and her family also sheltered Jews during the WW2 and that was against the government’s requirement. Yet they continued and was found out later on and her whole family were sent to the concentration camps, spread all over the country.
Does God’s sovereignty negate human responsibility? Absolutely no.
Moses was called by God to lead the Hebrews out of Eygpt. Pharoah was not agreeable on one occassion and on another occassion, he sent his troops to chase after the hebrews. If God sovereignty would to negate human responsibility, God wouldn’t need Moses. Moses heard God and submitted to his plans. His act of submission was human responsibility. Yes, a choice was needed and he made that choice to choose God’s plan over his own fears and inadequacies (although they continued to exist).
Esther, when was told by her uncle Mordecai that Haman was plotting to annihilate the Jews. Esther called a fast and decided to see the King without being asked to be seen, was as good as asking for an execution. Yet if she was born for such a time as this, she would risk her life if she has to. She fasted and pray and acted despite the protocols of the days.
David, although hotly pursued by Saul, when given the opportunity to kill him refused to lay his hands on him because he chose not to touch the Lord’s anointed. David submitted himself to God’s sovereignty by choosing NOT TO kill Saul. It was still exercising his human responsibility as he understood that the perogative to remove God’s appointed one belonged to God alone. He refused to advance himself as King of Israel before His time was up.
The word of God is clear. God is sovereign means that He is in charge but he has chosen his people to serve Him and those who submit to Him and His plans will continue to exercise this God’s given responsibility bestowed upon them. Together with God, we carry out his sovereign plans although what we do and see may only consist of a small little part of His Kingdom.
Noah saved his family from the destruction of the flood, Abraham moved out of Ur, Isaac was born in Abraham’s old age, Jacob wrestled with God and served Him, Joseph was betrayed but rosed to power by God’s grace and preserved Egypt and his family from the nationwide famine, indirectly preserving the nation of Israel. Moses was born during the time where the Pharoah ordered a massacre of babies and he was divinely rescued by Pharoah’s daughter and was raised in the palace. When the time came, God called him to lead the Israelites out of Eygpt to the Promiseland of Canaan. Moses didn’t make it to Canaan and so did the rest of the 3 million Hebrews except Joshua and Caleb because they walked in fear and not in faith.
What God has call us to do, we must do. What we do, is a little but what God can accomplish through the little is beyond our imagination. Bless the Lord Oh my soul.
NB; another interesting article on God’s sovereignty and prayer can be found in this link by John Piper.
