Q: Is the "vindication of Jehovah's sovereignty" the "big" or "important issue facing mankind"―as explained in The Watchtower June 15, 2017, Study articles for August? And how does one "support" God's sovereignty?
________________________
A:
Over
the years, the
Watchtower Society's publications have placed much emphasis on the need for the
"vindication of God's sovereignty", explaining how it is the all important issue
facing mankind. The article,
"Keep Your Eyes on the Big Issue," (The Watchtower June
15, 2017) introduces the subject by saying: "A
very big issue facing all of us is the vindication of Jehovah’s sovereignty. We
need to guard against losing sight of this vital issue. How could that happen?
We could become so absorbed in the demands of our day-to-day life that we forget
just how important the vindication of God’s sovereignty really is. Or we could
allow the weight of our personal trials to eclipse that great issue. On the
other hand, the keener our appreciation for the vindication of Jehovah’s
sovereignty, the better equipped we are to meet challenges in our daily lives.
And such appreciation will draw us closer to Jehovah."
How is God's
sovereignty "the big issue" that involves everyone of us? The article explains:
"The action of Satan the Devil has raised the question of the
rightfulness of Jehovah’s sovereignty. He contends that God’s rulership is
corrupt and that Jehovah withholds the best from his creatures. According to the
Devil, humans would be far happier and better off ruling themselves. (Genesis
3:1-5) Satan has also implied that no human at heart is loyal to God—that under
sufficient pressure, anyone will reject Jehovah’s rulership. (Job 2:4, 5) In
connection with the Devil’s challenge, Jehovah is allowing time for human
experience to reveal the unsavory truth about life outside of God’s righteous
rule."―w17
6/15 p. 22-23 par. 3.
The notion that God's sovereignty has been called into question, and that it
somehow needs to be vindicated, does not find support anywhere in the
Scriptures. In fact, the very opposite is true! The Scriptures are clear that
Jehovah is the Almighty God and sovereign ruler over his Creation—his
sovereignty is firmly established. Jehovah himself tells us: “To whom will you
people liken me or make me equal or compare me that we may resemble each other?
. . . Remember the first things of a long time ago, that I am the Divine One
and there is no other God, nor anyone like me; the One telling from the
beginning the finale, and from long ago the things that have not been done; the
One saying, ‘My own counsel will stand, and everything that is my delight I
shall do’; the One calling from the sunrising a bird of prey, from a distant
land the man to execute my counsel. I have even spoken it; I shall also bring it
in. I have formed it, I shall also do it." (Isaiah 46:5, 8-11; 40:25,26)
The prophet Jeremiah expressed God's sovereignty similarly: "In no way is there
anyone like you, O Jehovah. You are great, and your name is great in mightiness.
Who should not fear you, O King of the nations, for to you it is fitting;
because among all the wise ones of the nations and among all their kingships
there is in no way anyone like you. But Jehovah is in truth God. He is the
living God and the King to time indefinite. Because of his indignation the
earth will rock, and no nations will hold up under his denunciation. This is
what you men will say to them: 'The gods that did not make the very heavens and
the earth are the ones who will perish from the earth and from under these
heavens.' He is the Maker of the earth by his power, the One firmly
establishing the productive land by his wisdom, and the One who by his
understanding stretched out the heavens. At his voice there is a giving by
him of a turmoil of waters in the heavens, and he causes vapors to ascend from
the extremity of the earth. He has made even sluices for the rain, and he brings
forth the wind from his storehouses. Every man has behaved so unreasoningly
as not to know. Every metalworker will certainly feel shame because of the
carved image; for his molten image is a falsehood, and there is no spirit in
them." (Jer. 10:6,7, 10-14; Psalms 86:8; 89:6-14)
Jehovah does not need to prove, or justify, or vindicate the fact that he is the
only true God―the
living God―the
Creator of everything in existence. (Rev. 4:11) His sovereignty is a fact that
cannot be disputed or challenged, as one author defines God's sovereignty: "The
sovereignty of God means that He has total control of all things past, present
and future. Nothing happens that is out of His knowledge and control. All
things are either caused by Him or allowed by Him for His own purposes and
through His perfect will and timing (Romans 11:36; 1 Corinthians 8:6). He is
the only absolute and omnipotent ruler of the universe and is sovereign in
creation, providence and redemption."
Similarly,
Insight on the Scriptures Volume 2, says this under the heading
Jehovah’s
Sovereignty: "Jehovah God is the Sovereign of the universe
('sovereign of the world,' Ps 47:9, Mo) by reason of his Creatorship, his
Godship, and his supremacy as the Almighty. (Ge 17:1; Ex 6:3; Re 16:14)
He is the Owner of all things and the Source of all authority and power, the
Supreme Ruler in government. (Ps 24:1; Isa 40:21-23; Re 4:11; 11:15) The
psalmist sang of him: 'Jehovah himself has firmly established his throne in the
very heavens; and over everything his own kingship has held domination.' (Ps
103:19; 145:13) Jesus’ disciples prayed, addressing God: 'Sovereign Lord, you
are the One who made the heaven and the earth.' (Ac 4:24, NW; Mo) . . . In
his sovereign position Jehovah has the right and authority to delegate ruling
responsibilities. David was made king of Israel, and the Scriptures speak of
'the kingdom of David’ as though it was his kingdom. But David acknowledged
Jehovah as the great Sovereign Ruler, saying: 'Yours, O Jehovah, are the
greatness and the mightiness and the beauty and the excellency and the dignity;
for everything in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O
Jehovah, the One also lifting yourself up as head over all.'—1Ch 29:11."—it-2
pp. 1008-1009 Sovereignty. (Bold added)
What does the Society say about how God's sovereignty became an issue in
the first place?
Insight on the Scriptures
Volume 2, explains:
"Satan’s rebellion, visibly initiated in Eden, produced an issue of
universal importance—that of the rightfulness of God’s sovereignty over all his
creatures, his right to require full obedience of them." (it-1 p. 1210
Integrity) Is it true that Satan questioned the "rightfulness of Jehovah's
sovereignty over all his creation" in the Garden of Eden? The account in Genesis
relates: "Now
the serpent proved to be the most cautious of all the wild beasts of the field
that Jehovah God had made. So it began to say to the woman: 'Is it really so
that God said you must not eat from every tree of the garden?' At this the woman
said to the serpent: 'Of the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat. But as
for eating of the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden, God has
said, "You must not eat from it, no, you must not touch it that you do not
die.”' At this the serpent said to the woman: 'You positively will not die. For
God knows that in the very day of your eating from it your eyes are bound to be
opened and you are bound to be like God, knowing good and bad.' Consequently the
woman saw that the tree was good for food and that it was something to be longed
for to the eyes, yes, the tree was desirable to look upon. So she began taking
of its fruit and eating it. Afterward she gave some also to her husband when
with her and he began eating it." (Genesis 3:1-6)
It was not God's indisputable sovereignty over his creation that the
serpent called into question, when he contradicted God's clearly stated command
regarding eating the fruit of the forbidden tree. (Genesis 2:9, 15-17) Rather, he raised
the issue of the need for us to listen to God—our
obedience to God's
commands. The "original serpent, the one called Devil and
Satan, who is misleading the entire inhabited earth," claimed that by disobeying
God, Eve would actually benefit herself, for not only would she not die, but she
would become like God in deciding what is good and bad. The issue raised in the
Garden of Eden is well summed up by Jeremiah, when he wrote: "I well know, O
Jehovah, that to earthling man his way does not belong. It does not belong to
man who is walking even to direct his step." (Jer. 10:23; Isa. 48:16-19;
Rev. 12:9) Satan challenged
our dependence
on Jehovah for continued life and happiness; after all, did God not create man as
an intelligent creature, in his own
image? It was on account of his own wisdom and beauty that this "anointed cherub
that is covering" rebelled against God in the first place. (Gen. 1:26,27; Ezek. 28:13-17; John
8:44)
The "big" or "important issue facing mankind" is not
the "vindication of Jehovah's sovereignty", but rather our obedience
to God. It is not about whether God has the right to tell us what is good
and bad, but whether it is to our benefit that we listen to him and obey his commandments. It is the
same issue that Adam and Eve faced, and which was also placed before the nation
of Israel, to
whom God said: "I do take the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you
today, that I have put life and death before you, the blessing and the
malediction; and you must choose life in order that you may keep alive, you and
your offspring, by loving Jehovah your God, by listening to his voice and
by sticking to him; for he is your life and the length of your days, that
you may dwell upon the ground that Jehovah swore to your forefathers Abraham,
Isaac and Jacob to give to them.” (Deut. 30:15-20; 32:47; Jer. 21:8; Ezek.
20:11)
Jesus called
Satan the Devil "the ruler of this world." How did he become such? (John
12:31) Satan himself acknowledged that he received the authority over all
the kingdoms of the world; and that he, in turn, could give this glory and
authority "to whomever I wish." Thus, he offered it to Jesus in return for one
act of worship. (John 4:5-8) Undeniably, the one who confers authority on
someone is greater than the one receiving such authority, which Satan wanted
Jesus to acknowledge. (Matt. 4:8-10; Dan.
7:13,14) From where or whom did the Devil receive his authority of rulership
over the earth? From the Most High, the Sovereign Lord Jehovah. (Dan. 4:17)
Before he made himself Satan the Devil—by
becoming God's opposer—he
was a glorious spirit creature, "the anointed cherub that is covering," whom
Jehovah God had anointed as protector over mankind. (Ezek. 28:13-17; Compare Psalms
34:7; 91:9-11; Luke 4:9-13; See also w68 6/1 p. 332 par. 2; w58
8/1 p. 455) But rather than proving to be a Protector, this "covering cherub"
sought to bring Adam and all his offspring under his authority, thereby becoming a god
to them. (Luke 4:6,7; 2 Cor. 4:4) Since it was Jehovah God who had initially anointed him
for this lofty position of oversight, Jehovah became indirectly responsible for
the consequence of the rebellious course that this anointed cherub embarked
upon; as in the case of the kings that Jehovah had chosen and anointed over
his people Israel—like Saul and Jeroboam—only
to have them rebel against God, who had anointed them. Jehovah did not
immediately destroy them, but he allowed them to continue in their disastrous
course of opposition. Yet, he did not fail to pronounce his judgment upon them.
(1 Sam. 15:17, 22,23; 1 Kings 11:29-31; 12:20, 25-33; 15:29,30) Please note that
God's sovereignty was never the issue; but obedience was.
The Watchtower article, "Oppose
Satan, and He Will Flee!" said the following: "The Devil has raised the issue of universal sovereignty. Related to it,
he has called into question the integrity of humans to their Creator. Satan
brought persecution upon the upright man Job. Why? In order to break Job’s
integrity to Jehovah." (w06 1/15 p. 28 par. 9) But, rather than the Devil
raising the issue of universal sovereignty in connection with Job's
integrity, the account in Job shows the very opposite, namely, that Satan
acknowledged God's sovereignty. Consider what it says: "Now
it came to be the day when the sons of the true God entered to take their
station before Jehovah, and even Satan proceeded to enter right among them."
(Job 1:6) If indeed Jehovah's universal sovereignty was the issue,
would Satan have stationed himself before Jehovah along with the other sons of the
true God? Recall that when Moses summoned Dathan and Abiram, both of whom (along
with Korah) were rejecting the authority that Moses had received from Jehovah,
they both answered in defiance, "We are not going to come up!" (Num. 16:12-14)
To have appeared before Moses would have acknowledged Moses' authority over them.
Similarly, what can be said about Satan entering before the person of Jehovah,
not just once but twice, in this account? Not that Jehovah had summoned Satan,
but Satan did appear before Jehovah right in the midst of God's faithful angels;
showing that Satan acknowledged God's sovereignty, as did God's other spirit
sons. (Job 2:1; Daniel 7:9,10,
13)
And further, it was not Satan who first brought up the matter of Job's
integrity, but rather Jehovah himself did, when he said to Satan: "'Have you set
your heart upon my servant Job, that there is no one like him in the earth, a
man blameless and upright, fearing God and turning aside from bad?' At that
Satan answered Jehovah and said: 'Is it for nothing that Job has feared God?
Have not you yourself put up a hedge about him and about his house and about
everything that he has all around? The work of his hands you have blessed, and
his livestock itself has spread abroad in the earth. But, for a change, thrust
out your hand, please, and touch everything he has and see whether he will not
curse you to your very face.' Accordingly Jehovah said to Satan: 'Look!
Everything that he has is in your hand. Only against him himself do not thrust
out your hand!' So Satan went out away from the person of Jehovah." (Job 1:8-12)
Again, please note, that it was not Jehovah's sovereignty that was at issue, but man's
integrity to God, in this case that of Job. Also, in his attempt to break Job's
integrity, Satan accepted the restriction that God placed on him by not touching
Job himself in the first instance; and on the second occasion not to take his
life. Satan obeyed both times! (Job 2:3-8) That clearly demonstrates that Satan
never challenged God's superiority, his sovereignty. And neither have the demons. James writes
that the demons believe there is one God, and they shudder. They are in
fear of the abyss, into which they know they will be hurled at God's appointed
time. And further showing that God's sovereignty is not an issue with the demons
is the fact that Jesus gave the twelve apostles "power and authority over all
the demons." (James 2:19; Luke 8:31; 9:1; Rev.
20:3)
Do we, by our
integrity to Jehovah, like that of Job, support God's rightful sovereignty? That
is what the Study article—mentioned above—claims, when it asks:
"What is the
lesson for us? Primarily this: Let us not become so absorbed in our own lives
that we lose sight of this big issue—the vindication of Jehovah’s
sovereignty. And let us appreciate that our role in this vital issue
entails remaining faithful even under difficult circumstances, as did
Job."
(w17
6/15 p. 22-23; Bold added)
Numerous other Watchtower articles have explained the issue similarly. While at times the
Watchtower has acknowledged that God's sovereignty does not depend on our
integrity, yet at the same time it has insisted that God's sovereignty
needs to be vindicated, and stresses our part in that vital issue. For example,
an article in The Watchtower back in 2008 said: "Jehovah’s sovereignty does not depend on our integrity. His sovereignty is just,
eternal, and universal. It will always be so, regardless of what any creatures
say or do. However, God’s sovereignty has been grossly maligned in the heavens
and on the earth. His rulership thus needs to be vindicated—confirmed as right,
just, and loving—before all intelligent creatures. As Jehovah’s Witnesses, we
love to discuss God’s universal sovereignty with anyone who will listen. How,
though, can we take our own stand on the issue? How do we show that we choose
Jehovah as our own Sovereign? By keeping integrity."―w08
12/15 p. 4 par. 9 Why Keep Your Integrity? (Bold added)
What strange notion, to imagine
that by our obedience and integrity to Jehovah we somehow support the
vindication of his sovereignty; as if Jehovah needs our endorsement. What
could possibly be the motive for inventing such an unscriptural teaching? The
apostle Paul warned that "oppressive wolves will enter in among you and will not
treat the flock with tenderness, and from among you yourselves men will rise up
and speak twisted things to draw away the disciples after themselves." The
apostle Peter similarly foretold that false teachers and false prophets would
appear among God's people, and that "with covetousness they will exploit you
with counterfeit words." (Acts 20:29,30; 2 Peter 2:1-3) How does the Society's
teaching regarding the "big issue" of
the "vindication of Jehovah's sovereignty" exploit God's people? In the
same way that their other non-scriptural doctrines, such as on
Dedication, has served them well, by
subtly getting us to conform to their authority and teachings, setting forth the
many requirements that our dedication to God is supposed to include
if we are to receive everlasting life. It has proved burdensome for
former many zealous
servants of Jehovah. (Ezek. 34:4, 27; Matt. 11:28-30)
This point is well demonstrated in an article in The Watchtower, entitled
"Welcome to the Best Way of Life!"
The article
associates the doctrine of Dedication with the issue of God's
universal sovereignty. It says: "By dedicating ourselves to God and being baptized, we make it known that we
belong to Jehovah. 'None of us, in fact, lives with regard to himself only, and
no one dies with regard to himself only,' wrote the apostle Paul, 'for both if
we live, we live to Jehovah, and if we die, we die to Jehovah. Therefore both if
we live and if we die, we belong to Jehovah.' (Rom. 14:7, 8) God has dignified
us by giving us free will. When we firmly decide to pursue this way of life
because we love God, we make his heart rejoice. (Prov. 27:11) Our baptism is
both a symbol of our dedication to God and a public declaration that Jehovah is
our Ruler. It shows that we have taken a stand on his side of the issue of
universal sovereignty. (Acts 5:29, 32) In turn, Jehovah is on our side.
(Read Psalm 118:6.) Baptism also opens the way for us to receive many other
spiritual blessings now and in the future."
―w10
2/15 p. 25 par. 6. (Bold added)
Since neither the requirement for our dedication to God nor the "vindication of
Jehovah's sovereignty" is discussed in the Scriptures, we may rightly ask:
why
is so much emphasis placed on these teachings by the Watchtower Society? Perhaps, their
question "How
do we show that we choose Jehovah as our own Sovereign?"
helps shed light
on the answer. We see that when teachers go "beyond the things that are
written", and their teaching finds no support in the Scriptures, they then feel
free to interpret their teaching to include whatever they want it to
mean. (1 Cor. 4:6; Gal. 1:8) Take for example the reasoning of The Watchtower
(November 15, 2010) on how we uphold God's sovereignty, when it says: "We
uphold Jehovah’s sovereignty and maintain our integrity by preaching
righteousness, making disciples, applying Scriptural counsel, and assembling
with fellow believers at meetings, assemblies, and conventions." (w10
11/15 p. 32 par. 23; Bold added) Further, it states in another article:
"Make the most of this grand opportunity to share in the vindication of
God’s sovereignty and the sanctification of his holy name by keeping pace
with Jehovah’s celestial chariot." (w91 3/15 p. 18 par. 24) In
other words, if we want to share in the vindication of God’s sovereignty then we
need to keep up-to-date with the ever changing teachings of "God's visible
organization"—which
is said to be
his celestial chariot. And even more incredible, our support for the
"big" issue involves
"our response to divinely authorized headship. By our
respectful cooperation, we show our support for Jehovah’s sovereignty.
Even if we do not fully understand or agree with a decision, we will still want
to support theocratic order. That is quite different from the way of the
world, but it is the way of life under Jehovah’s rulership."―w17
6/15 p. 30 par. 15 Loyally Uphold God's Sovereignty.
(Bold added)
Thus, we see that when the Society wants to spur us on to greater activity in
the preaching work; or to admonish us to be more regular in attending the
congregation meetings, and to more fully participate in them; or to encourage us
to contribute
financially to the world-wide preaching work, because "the material needs of an
international organization are not supplied by faith alone"; or to remind
us that we must submit to
their authority; or anything else they deem is important to the organization;
they present these as evidence of "living up to our dedication" and our "hearty support of Jehovah's sovereignty".
―w55
3/1 p. 151 par. 22 Supporting Jehovah’s Organization; World Government
(1977) chap. 12 p. 186 par. 5.
God's sovereignty
over his creation has never been in doubt; it has never been challenged; and
therefore it has never been an issue that needs to be settled. There is no need
for its vindication! Rather, the all important issue that was raised by Satan
in the Garden of Eden involves: living our life independent from our
Creator Jehovah God, or submitting to his laws and guidance;―which
choice will lead to
everlasting life and happiness? The vindication belongs to God's people who have
chosen to obediently submit to Jehovah's rightful sovereignty, when he rewards them with the promised everlasting life.
The prophet Isaiah tells us: "He will actually swallow up death forever, and
the
Sovereign Lord Jehovah will certainly wipe the tears from all faces. And the
reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for Jehovah himself
has spoken it." (Isaiah 25:8) Yes, "none that rests his
faith on him will be disappointed." And, the Psalmist adds: "Happy is everyone
fearing Jehovah, who is walking in his ways." That is the all
important issue! (Rom. 10:11; Psalms 36:9; 128:1; 144:15;
Rev. 21:3-5)
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