Exegeting the Hymns #74 - The Sovereign God of Love

Sovereign God of Love
w/m - Bill & Karen Itzel

The sovereign God of love
Creator of this earth
And every star up in the sky
Six days, He gave it birth
He moves upon all life
Created by His call
Almighty sovereign God of love,
In power, sustains it all

The sovereign God of love
His covenant is sure
For the glory of His name
The weak He will secure
He moves upon their will
Quickening their mind
To choose the Sovereign God of love
And serve Him as Divine

The sovereign God of love
When trials and testings come
Gives supernatural peace
Until the trial is done
He moves upon the heart
And guides it to His rest
O praise the sovereign God of love
His plan is always best

The sovereign God of love
Though kings and kingdoms rise
Throughout His providential plan
He never is surprised
He moves upon those kings
And sets them on their thrones
To serve the sovereign God of love
Praise God, and God alone!

The sovereign God of love
The King of heav’n and earth
With conquering sword, He will descend
And give the world new birth
He moves upon the land
With justice He will reign
Give to the sovereign God of love
All glory due His name

This was actually the first hymn that we wrote after officially deciding to transition from being exclusively a concert band in 2016, to joining the ranks of the modern hymn writers and composing songs for corporate worship. Our goal was to write a song that put the focus squarely on God, His works, and His attributes. The first attribute we looked at was His sovereignty, the fact that there is nothing in this universe that moves or operates apart from God. We looked at 5 different areas that we often forget God is in control of: creation, salvation, trials, politics, and eschatology.

The sovereign God of love, Creator of this earth and every star up in the sky, six days, He gave it birth. We believe in a literal 6 day creation about 6–8 thousand years ago and we wanted to reference that. Everything we see in the natural, physical world of creation, God made. John 1:3 says, “All things were created through him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created.” He moves upon all life, created by His call. Almighty sovereign God of love, in power, sustains it all. Not only does God create life, He sustains it every second of every day. That is complete sovereignty!

The sovereign God of love, His covenant is sure. For the glory of His name, the weak He will secure. Jeremiah 31 speaks of a new covenant with Israel, a covenant that the gentile church is grafted into. We receive the blessings of salvation through Christ, for through Him, “All the nations of the earth will be blessed” (Genesis 22:18). As believers in Christ, we are secure, not by our power, but because “Those whom He justified, He glorified” (Romans 8:30). All this is done “To the praise of his glory” (Ephesians 1). He moves upon their will, quickening their mind to choose the Sovereign God of love and serve Him as Divine. This line speaks of John 1:13 for we are children, “who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” Ephesians 2:1–5 speaks of God making us alive when we were dead in our trespasses and sins. Just as Lazarus was raised from the dead, so we are made alive by the power and sovereign call of God.

The sovereign God of love when trials and testings come, gives supernatural peace until the trial is done. Every day we face trials and testings and these are a gift of God (James 1:17). They don’t always feel like gifts as we go through them, but there can be supernatural peace. God is sovereignly in control of every situation so we need not worry. He moves upon the heart and guides it to His rest. O praise the sovereign God of love, His plan is always best. There is peace and rest in the arms of God when we engage our minds and give thanks to Him in the midst of our trials (Philippians 4:6–7).

The sovereign God of love though kings and kingdoms rise, throughout His providential plan He never is surprised. God isn’t up in heaven watching CNN or FOX news to find out what is happening in our country and in our world. God has already determined who will be in power and what direction the world will go. That does not mean God causes people to sin, but He allows it, and providentially uses even the sin of man sinlessly in His sovereign plan. He moves upon those kings and sets them on their thrones to serve the sovereign God of love. Praise God, and God alone! The same God who put Trump in the White House, also put Nancy Pelosi in control of the House of Representatives. We can vote, but in reality, only one person gets a vote and that is the sovereign God.

The sovereign God of love, the King of heav’n and earth with conquering sword, He will descend and give the world new birth. Every minute of human history is known by God and part of His plan. This includes the last days. Christ will return and set all to right, which should put every second of our lives in a new perspective. He moves upon the land. With justice He will reign. Give to the sovereign God of love. All glory due His name! This hymn ends with a shout of praise. As Psalm 47:7 says, “For God is the King of all the earth; sing to him a psalm of praise.”

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