Calvinism Everywhere, Part 1

So here begins a series of posts that simply point out the inescapable glory of God's sovereignty everywhere. Repeatedly (and this has happened for years now), I'm blown away by text after text as I read through the Scriptures each year. For example, a recent reading included Judges 5. And there we read in v. 2: "That the leaders took the lead in Israel, that the people offered themselves willingly, bless the LORD!"

Now why, I ask, is there a call to bless YHWH when "the leaders took the lead" and when "the people offered themselves willingly"? The leaders acted. Sounds volitional. The people willingly offered themselves, not unwillingly, not against their will, not coerced. Sounds like a free act of the will. So why does YHWH get praise for this? Shouldn't the leaders and shouldn't the people get praise for exercising their free will so well?

Of course the reason is clear for those who are "willing" to look at texts without philosophical and theological bias. God is praised here because the leading of the leaders and the willingness of the people was God's willing and acting behind and underneath their willing and acting. It's called sovereign grace. It's called absolute dominion. It's called Calvinism. And there I love to live. There God's glory shines brightest. There I return again and again (inescapably and willingly) as I read holy Scripture—to bow low before the sovereign Lord. Blessed be YHWH for leaders when they lead and for the people when they offer themselves willingly. 


(See also 2 Cor. 8:16 for a New Testament text that comes to mind with the same upshot.)