God as the Sovereign of the Universe: Legal and Political Analysis of the Operation of the Concept of Sovereignty in Nigeria

Abstract

Sovereignty as a concept suggests an unalloyed power to do and undo. It is the nature of being absolute and not lacking in any power quality whatsoever. Genesis chapters one and two depict the universe as formless and void, but God created and filled it with life and light. This makes Him rightfully the absolute owner and ruler of the universe. God beheld and declared everything He had created within the literal six days as very good. God gave green plants that bear seeds, birds, and animals as food for humans. Furthermore, God instituted the Sabbath as the seal of creation and for His continual blessing on all creation. He planted the beautiful paradise garden and made it man’s habitat, instructing Adam and filling his desires with a woman so that they may warm and support each other. By understanding nature and themselves, with such knowledge, they were to dominate creation until ransomed. However, God did not take away man’s thinking faculty nor coerce them into obedience but allowed their free exercise of will so that their praise of Him would be voluntary, loving, and genuine. These facts alone, and more, form the basis for God being dubbed as the sovereign of the universe, and rightfully so—who else could it be? The paper adopted library research and interpreted the contents of Genesis chapters one and two, along with other literature, aligning it with the concept of sovereignty attributed to God and the secular claims derived from divine assertions of absolute legitimate power. The paper begins with an introduction, followed by a conceptual clarification of sovereignty; an exploration of God as the sovereign of the universe; the types of sovereignty; limitations of the concept in political application; and finally, a conclusion. It affirms that God is sovereign because He is the creator of the universe, sustainer, and giver of life to all. However, the meaning of the concept has transformed from its divine sense to legal and state political meanings, without undermining the biblical foundation regarding the nature of God; states are considered creatures of law and politics, limited by law itself.