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I. WHAT EVIDENCE THERE IS IN SCRIPTURE FOR THE LORD'S TITLE TO ALL THINGS.

1. Those things are His which we have in common with others.

(1)  The world in general (Psalm 1:12);

(2)  heaven (Psalm 89:11);

(3)  the sea (Psalm 95:5);

(4)  the earth (Exodus 19:5);

(5)  everything in the earth (Deuteronomy 10:14).

2. Those things are His which we think to be properly ours. We may be proprietors in respect of men, so far as none of them may be able to produce any good title or lay any just claim to what we have; but we are no proprietors in reference to God.

(1)  Lands (Leviticus 25:28);

(2)  the fruits of the land (Hosea 2:9); and cattle (Psalm 50:10, 11);

(3)  money and clothes (Haggai 2:8; 1 Chronicles 29:14, 16);

(4)  our children (Ezekiel 16:20, 21);

(5)  ourselves (1 Corinthians 6:19; Psalm c. 3);

(6)  our bodies (1 Corinthians 6:20);

(7)  our souls (Ezekiel 18:4; 1 Corinthians 6:19, 20).

II. WHAT IS THE FOUNDATION OF THE LORD'S TITLE TO A PROPRIETY IN ALL THINGS? He that gave to all their being is clearly the owner of all (Psalm 89:11, 12).

1. He made all for Himself, not for the pleasure of another, as the Israelites wrought for Pharaoh.

2. He made all things of nothing.

3. He made all without the help or concurrence of any other.

4. He upholds all things in the same manner as He created.

III. THE NATURE AND QUALITY OF THIS PROPRIETY.

1. He is the primary and original owner of all. His title and propriety is underived.

2. He is the absolute owner of all, without any condition or limitation.

3. He is the principal owner. All others that have right to anything have it under Him, and in subordination to Him, and are tied to acknowledge it by doing Him service for whatever they have.

4. He is total owner of all. When David gave the possession mentioned (2 Samuel 19:29) between Ziba and Mephibosheth, they had a joint interest therein, so Jehoshaphat and Ahaziah would have had in the navy and adventure if they had joined their ships according to the proposal (1 Kings 22:49). But none has a joint interest with God.

5. He is the perpetual owner of all.

6. He is transcendently the owner of all. He has the greatest right to them. He has more right to all than we have to anything.

7. He is the sole owner of all things.

Use 1. Of information.

(1) Herein we may discern the greatness of the Lord whom we serve and whose we are.

(2) This may inform us that the Lord hath a right to deal with us or any creature as He will.

Use 2. For exhortation. This truth suggests many duties of greatest moment and consequence.

(1) Thankfulness. Whatsoever we have that is good is from Him, and not only the substance, but every degree of it.

(2) Self-surrender.

(3) Improving all we have for God.

(4) Patience.

(5) Humility.

(6) Self-denial.If God be the owner of all things, He is the owner of us; if He be the owner of us, we are not to own ourselves, and not to own ourselves is to deny ourselves.We must deny ourselves —

(a) As to our judgments, We must give up ourselves to the conduct of that judgment which is laid down in Scripture, that which is called the mind of the Lord.

(b) As to our wills. The will of the Lord must be our will.

(c) As to our ends. The pleasing, and honouring, and enjoying God is the only end we should propose to ourselves, either in holy duties or worldly business.

(d) As to our interests. If God be our owner, we ought to own and mind His interest and none else.

(e) As to our business and employments. The example of Christ (Luke 2:19; John 4:34; John 9:4).

(f) As to our possessions. We ought to look upon all we possess as the Lord's and not ours.

Use 3. For encouragement.

I. This truth affords encouragement in those special cases which are most apt to trouble and deject you. He can supply all your need.

(1) Want you wealth, or what you judge to be a competency? (ver. 12). All the riches of the world are in His hands, and He can dispose thereof to whom and in what proportion He sees good (2 Corinthians 9:8; Philippians 4:19).

(2) Want you authority to countenance and secure you? (ver. 11). He has the disposing of it all.

(3) Want you victory over enemies, those that afflict and oppress your souls? The Lord can give it you; it is His own.

(4) Want you strength, outward or inward, to do, or to suffer, or to resist? This He can also give you, for it is all His own (ver. 12).

(5) Want you wisdom? (James 1:5).

(6) Want you gifts or other graces, or a greater measure of them? (James 1:17).

(7) Want you comfort? (2 Corinthians 1:3).

(8) Want you friends? All the friends in the world are but cyphers to Him.

2. There is encouragement to undergo or undertake anything for God which He calls you to. He is the owner of all things, and so has enough to requite you, to reward you, if all that is in heaven and in earth be enough to do it.

(D. Clarkson.)

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KJV: Wherefore David blessed the LORD before all the congregation: and David said, Blessed be thou, LORD God of Israel our father, for ever and ever.

WEB: Therefore David blessed Yahweh before all the assembly; and David said, "You are blessed, Yahweh, the God of Israel our father, forever and ever.