“Have you not two eyes, man? Must you needs put one of them out in order to see clearly?” —C.H. Spurgeon
Darius found that “King Cyrus issued a decree concerning the house of God” (Ezra 6:3) to have it rebuilt. Then it must be! Darius is also featured in the book of Daniel. When the palace co-conspirators set about to entrap Daniel, they asked the king to sign a decree that no one could be worshipped but him. In describing Persian legislation, they said, “Now, O king, establish the decree…so that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which does not alter” (Dan 6:8). Persian law could not be revised or repealed, a vain attempt by puny men to arrogate to themselves absolute sovereignty, which only belongs to God. Where is the fatal flaw in this? Such imagined omnipotence must be accompanied by omniscience, or it devolves into madness. Man’s authority is vested and therefore limited. Hear, instead, the description of the One who holds the world’s scepter in a nail-pierced hand. “To God our Savior, who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen” ( Jude 1:25). His absolute power is also linked with absolute presence and perception. It’s sometimes assumed that God’s sovereignty means He must make every decision in history, and that man, in his fallen state, though responsible for his choices, cannot choose what is right. Neither is the case. The same One described in Jude 1:25 also wept over Jerusalem with the lament, “I willed…but you willed not.” He wanted them, but let them make their choice. God’s sovereignty and human freedom are both taught in Scripture. How are they reconciled? God in His sovereignty chose to give man the ability to choose. He can overrule when He desires, but responsibility must mean the ability to respond.