Topical Encyclopedia The sovereignty of God is a central theme throughout the Bible, demonstrating His supreme authority and power over all creation. This sovereignty is often manifested in ways that defy human expectations and understanding, revealing God's ability to accomplish His purposes through unconventional means. The Bible provides numerous examples of God's sovereignty in unusual methods, showcasing His wisdom and the fulfillment of His divine plan.1. Gideon's Victory Over the Midianites (Judges 7): In the Book of Judges, God calls Gideon to deliver Israel from the oppression of the Midianites. Despite Gideon's initial hesitation and the overwhelming size of the Midianite army, God instructs Gideon to reduce his forces from 32,000 to just 300 men. This reduction serves to highlight God's power, as He declares, "The people with you are too many for Me to deliver Midian into their hand, lest Israel boast against Me, saying, 'My own hand has saved me'" (Judges 7:2). The victory achieved through such a small force underscores God's ability to save by many or by few, emphasizing His sovereign control over the outcome. 2. Balaam's Donkey (Numbers 22): The account of Balaam and his donkey is another example of God's sovereignty through unexpected means. Balaam, a prophet, is summoned by Balak, the king of Moab, to curse Israel. However, God intervenes by speaking through Balaam's donkey, who sees the angel of the Lord blocking their path. The donkey's ability to speak and perceive the divine presence highlights God's control over creation and His ability to use any means necessary to accomplish His will. As Balaam's eyes are opened to the angel, he realizes the futility of opposing God's purposes. 3. The Fall of Jericho (Joshua 6): The conquest of Jericho is a testament to God's unconventional methods in warfare. Rather than employing traditional military tactics, God instructs Joshua and the Israelites to march around the city once a day for six days, and seven times on the seventh day, followed by the blowing of trumpets and a great shout. "When the people heard the sound of the trumpet, they raised a great shout, and the wall collapsed" (Joshua 6:20). This miraculous victory demonstrates God's power to bring down formidable obstacles through obedience to His commands, regardless of human logic. 4. Naaman's Healing (2 Kings 5): Naaman, a commander of the Syrian army, suffers from leprosy and seeks healing from the prophet Elisha. Instead of a grand gesture, Elisha instructs Naaman to wash seven times in the Jordan River. Initially resistant to such a simple act, Naaman eventually complies and is healed. This account illustrates God's sovereignty in using humble and unexpected means to bring about His purposes, teaching that faith and obedience are more significant than human expectations. 5. The Birth of Jesus (Luke 2): The incarnation of Jesus Christ is perhaps the most profound example of God's sovereignty through unusual methods. Born in a humble manger to a virgin mother, Jesus' arrival defies worldly expectations of a kingly birth. The circumstances of His birth fulfill Old Testament prophecies and demonstrate God's plan to redeem humanity through humility and sacrifice. The angelic announcement to shepherds, rather than to the elite, further emphasizes God's sovereign choice to reveal His glory to the lowly and unexpected. 6. The Conversion of Saul (Acts 9): Saul of Tarsus, a fierce persecutor of Christians, encounters the risen Christ on the road to Damascus. This dramatic conversion is marked by a blinding light and the voice of Jesus, leading to Saul's transformation into Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles. God's sovereign choice of Saul, an unlikely candidate for apostleship, highlights His power to change hearts and redirect lives for His purposes. As Paul later writes, "But when God, who set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me by His grace, was pleased to reveal His Son in me" (Galatians 1:15-16). These examples, among others, illustrate the multifaceted nature of God's sovereignty, revealing His ability to work through unexpected and unconventional means to fulfill His divine purposes. Through these narratives, believers are reminded of the depth of God's wisdom and the assurance that His plans will prevail, often in ways that surpass human understanding. Subtopics God for Other Anthropomorphic Scriptures by Israel God for Other Anthropomorphic Scriptures: Saul God in the Banishment of John to Patmos God in Turning the Heart of the King of Assyria to Favor the Jews God is Declared to Be: A Consuming Fire God is Declared to Be: Compassionate God is Declared to Be: Eternal God is Declared to Be: Faithful God is Declared to Be: Glorious God is Declared to Be: Gracious God is Declared to Be: Immortal God is Declared to Be: Immutable God is Declared to Be: Incorruptible God is Declared to Be: Invisible God is Declared to Be: Jealous God is Declared to Be: Long-Suffering God is Declared to Be: Merciful God is Declared to Be: Most High God is Declared to Be: Omnipotent God is Declared to Be: Omnipresent God is Declared to Be: Omniscient God is Declared to Be: Only-Wise God is Declared to Be: Perfect God is Declared to Be: Righteous God is Declared to Be: Unsearchable God is Declared to Be: Upright God Loving all of his Children God: Appearances of To Abraham God: Appearances of To Ezekiel God: Appearances of To Jacob, at Beth-El God: Appearances of To Moses and Joshua God: Appearances of To Moses, at Sinai God: Appearances of To Moses, in the Flaming Bush God: Appearances of To Solomon God: Delaying and Destroying Pharaoh God: Delivering the Israelites God: Feeding Elijah and the Widow God: Fighting the Battles of Israel God: Preserver in Delivering from the Oppressions of the King of Syria God: Preserver in Exempting the Land of Goshen from the Plague of Darkness God: Preserver in Exempting the Land of Goshen from the Plague of Flies God: Preserver in Giving Peace With Other Nations God: Preserver in Preserving Their Cattle from the Plague of Murrain, God: Preserver in Saving the Firstborn, when the Plague of Death Destroyed the Firstborn of Egypt, God: Preserver in the Wilderness God: Preserver: As he Journeyed in the Land of Canaan God: Preserver: Daniel and the Three Hebrew Captives God: Preserver: Deliverance from Egypt, God: Preserver: Delivering Israel by Jeroboam Ii God: Preserver: Delivering the Kingdom of Israel from Syria God: Preserver: Delivering Them from the Army of the Assyrians God: Preserver: Jeremah and Baruch God: Preserver: Jesus and his Parents God: Preserver: On Account of Samuel's Intercession God: Preserver: Paul and Silas God: Preserver: The Ethiopian Host God: Preserver: The Wise Men of the East God: Preserver: To Abraham and Sarah, in Egypt God: Preserver: To Hagar, when Abraham Cast Her Out God: Preserver: To Jacob, when he Fled from Laban, his Father-In-Law God: Preserver: To Joseph, in Egypt God: Preserver: To Lot, when Sodom Was Destroyed God: Preserver: To Moses, in his Infancy God: Preserver: To Noah and his Family, at the Time of the Flood God: Preserver: To the Israelites, in Bringing About Their Deliverance from Bondage God: Preserver: To the Kingdom of Judah: in Delivering from Egypt God: Preserver: Under Jephthah God: Preserver: Victories Over the Canaanites Under Joshua God: Preserver: when he Met Esau God: Protecting Abraham, Sarah, and Abimelech God: Protection of Homes While at Feasts God: Providence of, Mysterious and Misinterpreted God: Providence of, Overruling Interpositions of The God: Purifying the Waters of Marah God: Rebuilding the Walls of Jerusalem God: Restoring Manasseh After his Conversion God: should be Worshipped in Spirit and in Truth God: Special Grace: To Abraham God: Special Grace: To Solomon God: Supplying Manna and Quail God: Supplying Water at Meribah God: Symbolized by the Darkness of the Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle God: Symbolized by the General Structure of the Most Holy Place, See God: Symbolized by the Pillar of Fire God: The Revolt of the Ten Tribes God: Unclassified Scriptures Relating To God: Warning Pharaoh About the Famine God: Warning the Wise Men from the East Sarcasm: God Reproaching Israel Related Terms |