God's Sovereignty in First Century Judaism and the Bible

The concept of God's sovereignty is deeply rooted in the Hebrew Bible and continued to be a central theme in First Century Judaism. In the biblical narrative, God's sovereignty is often depicted as His absolute authority and control over all creation ^[6]. This understanding is reflected in various passages, including Psalms 76:1, which states, "In Judah is the knowledge of God; his name is great in Israel" ^[3].

The historical context of the Hebrew Bible provides numerous examples of God's sovereignty. The book of II Chronicles records the reign of King Solomon, stating, "And strengthen himself doth Solomon son of David over his kingdom, and Jehovah his God is with him, and maketh him exceedingly great" ^[4]. This passage illustrates God's active involvement in the affairs of His people, demonstrating His sovereignty over the kingdoms of Israel.

Flavius Josephus, a Jewish historian from the First Century, also highlights God's sovereignty in his work, "Antiquities of the Jews". Josephus recounts the story of Jehoshaphat, who, with God's assistance, overcame his enemies, demonstrating God's power and control over the affairs of His people ^[1]. Similarly, Josephus describes the appointment of King Saul as being by the command of God, further emphasizing God's sovereignty over the leaders of Israel ^[2].

The prophetic writings of the Hebrew Bible also underscore God's sovereignty. Micah 1:1 introduces the prophecies of Micah, which were received during the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah ^[5]. These prophecies often spoke to the sovereignty of God over Israel and the nations, warning of judgment and promising redemption.

In the New Testament, the concept of God's sovereignty continues, with the writer of Hebrews emphasizing the supremacy of Christ over the angels. The commentary on Hebrews 1:6 from Tyndale House notes that the title "firstborn" refers to Christ's supremacy both in the church and in the created order ^[7]. This understanding is reinforced by Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, who argue that the superiority of Christ over the angels is demonstrated through various biblical passages, including Psalm 97:7 ^[8].

The theme of God's sovereignty is also present in the writings of the apostles. The introduction to Hebrews by John Gill highlights the divine authorship of the Gospel revelation, emphasizing God's sovereignty in the communication of His will to humanity ^[9]. Matthew Henry's commentary on Hebrews further underscores the pre-eminence of Christ and the excellence of the Gospel dispensation over the legal dispensation ^[10].

The Psalms, a collection of liturgical and poetic writings, frequently celebrate God's sovereignty. Jamieson, Fausset & Brown's introduction to Psalms 92 notes that this Psalm and the following ones were applied by the Jews to the times of the Messiah, emphasizing God's supremacy in creation and providence ^[11].

The narrative of 1 Samuel 17, which recounts David's confrontation with Goliath, illustrates God's sovereignty in the affairs of His people. David's declaration, "the Lord of Heaven's Armies" ^[12], reflects his understanding of God's supreme authority and control over the events of the world.

The understanding of God's sovereignty in First Century Judaism was deeply influenced by the Hebrew Bible. The writings of Josephus and the New Testament authors demonstrate a continued emphasis on God's sovereignty, highlighting His control over creation, history, and the affairs of humanity. This concept remained a central theme in Jewish thought and continued to shape the theology of early Christianity.

Sources

Project Gutenberg “Flavius Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, CHAPTER 1, section 1: . Concerning Jehoshaphat Again; How He Constituted Judges And, By God's Assistance Overcame His Enemies.”
Project Gutenberg “Flavius Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, CHAPTER 4, section 1: . The Appointment Of A King Over The Israelites, Whose Name Was Saul; And This By The Command Of God.”
Psalms “Psalms 76:1 (BBE) — In Judah is the knowledge of God; his name is great in Israel,”
II Chronicles “II Chronicles 1:1 (YLT) — And strengthen himself doth Solomon son of David over his kingdom, and Jehovah his God <FI>is<Fi> with him, and maketh him exceedingly great.”
Micah “Micah 1:1 (Geneva1599) — The word of the Lord, that came vnto Micah the Morashite in the dayes of Iotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah Kings of Iudah, which he sawe concerning Samaria, and Ierusalem.”
Genesis (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Genesis 1 (introduction): Genesis 1:1 THE CREATION OF HEAVEN AND EARTH. (Gen 1:1-2) In the beginning--a period of remote and unknown antiquity, hid in the depths of eternal ages; and so the phrase is used in Pro 8:22-23. God--the name of the Supreme Being, signifying in Hebrew, "Strong," "Mighty." It is expressive of omnipotent power; and by its use here in the plural form, is obscurely taught at the opening of the Bible, a doctrine clearly revealed in other parts of it, namely, that though God is one, there is a plurality of persons in the Godhead--Father, So”
Hebrews (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Hebrews 1:6: 1:6 The supreme (or firstborn) Son shared the authority of the father, inherited most of his property, and was especially favored. In the New Testament, “firstborn” most frequently refers to Christ’s supremacy both in the church and in the created order; his resurrection is often given as the evidence for this status (Acts 13:33; Rom 1:4; 8:29; Col 1:15, 18; Rev 1:5; cp. Heb 12:23, where believers are called firstborn children). • “Let all of God’s angels worship him”: This quotation from Deut 32:43 demonstrates the lower status of the angels in that they worship ”
Hebrews (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Hebrews 1:6: And--Greek, "But." Not only this proves His superiority, BUT a more decisive proof is Psa 97:7, which shows that not only at His resurrection, but also in prospect of His being brought into the world (compare Heb 9:11; Heb 10:5) as man, in His incarnation, nativity (Luk 2:9-14), temptation (Mat 4:10-11), resurrection (Mat 28:2), and future second advent in glory, angels were designed by God to be subject to Him. Compare Ti1 3:16, "seen of angels"; God manifesting Messiah as one to be gazed at with adoring love by heavenly intelligences (Eph 3:10; Th2 1”
Hebrews (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Hebrews 1 (introduction): The intention of this epistle being to demonstrate the superior excellency of the Gospel revelation to the legal one, the apostle begins with the divine author of it, in which they both agree, and observes that in other things they differ. The revelation under the law was made in times past, the Gospel revelation in these last days; the former was made to the Jewish fathers that were of old, the latter to the then present apostles; the one was made at sundry times, and in divers manners, the other was made at once, and in one way; the one was made by the ”
Hebrews (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Hebrews 1 (introduction): In this chapter we have a twofold comparison stated: I. Between the evangelical and legal dispensation; and the excellency of the gospel above that of the law is asserted and proved (Heb 1:1-3). II. Between the glory of Christ and that of the highest creatures, the angels; where the pre-eminence is justly given to the Lord Jesus Christ, and clearly demonstrated to belong to him (Heb 1:4 to the end).”
Psalms (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Psalms 92 (introduction): This and the six following Psalms were applied by the Jews to the times of the Messiah. The theme is God's supremacy in creation and providence. (Psa 93:1-5) God is described as a King entering on His reign, and, for robes of royalty, investing Himself with the glorious attributes of His nature. The result of His thus reigning is the durability of the world.”
1 Samuel (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on 1 Samuel 17:45: 17:45-47 the Lord of Heaven’s Armies: See study note on 1:3. Despite the Philistines’ apparent military advantage, David knew that Israel had the supreme advantage in the one true God.”

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