Certain sections of modern Christians are absolutely fascinated with God's sovereignty. And by no means is God not sovereign, so don't get that wrong.
The English word "sovereign" refers simply to "a supreme ruler, especially a monarch.". If we want to apply it as an adjective, it means "possessing supreme or ultimate power." And that is where we go off the rails. We see that word "power", and all sorts of lights go off in our heads. Picture in your head Jeremy Clarkson in some super-car screaming "MORE POWER".
I was told to imagine the sovereignty of say, David, or Solomon, say hundreds (or more) times more and that would be God. That, with respect is nonsense. David's kingship might be a picture in some way of God's kingdom, but you cannot get God's kingdom by making Davids kingdom "many times more". Yet we see the word "power" and we think "God has infinite power, therefore God is infinitely sovereign". This is what is called an inference. We have done (somewhat poorly) logic to get here. We infer, that if a king has power, and God has more power, God is more sovereign than a king. This is because we love to compare things. Frankly because our God looks just like us fallen creatures to us, and also loves to do power comparisons.
In reality, these concepts are not as closely tied as we think. We're obsessed with power, and it is no surprise that we think only in terms of "who is stronger". And as a result we have reasoned ourselves into quite an absurd position where we are comparing God's power with David's power.
What is the distinguishing feature of sovereignty though? If I have a lot of raw power (many soldiers, and weapons), but I must answer to the Colonel and do as he says, am I sovereign? Obviously not. I must answer for what I do. If I use it badly, I was not sovereign while using it badly, since I must still answer for how I used it.
So me having 100 more soldiers than Fred under my command does not affect my sovereignty in relation to Fred. Neither of us are sovereign, since firstly, neither of us are rulers and both of us must answer to Colonel Panic. Clearly the distinguishing feature of sovereignty is not raw power or force, but to whom one answers. The meaning of God being sovereign is not He has more power (we have a word for that already -omnipotence), but that He does not answer to anyone - instead, all must answer to Him.
The difference between David and God? David answers to God, but God does not answer to David. It is not a matter of scale (100 times or a million times), but of Authority. Not raw power, but Authority. God is not many times David - God is God and David is not.
How then does God use his sovereignty? Well, in John 14:9, Jesus affirms to Phillip that Jesus is the very representation of the Living God. If we know Jesus, we know God. How does Jesus use his authority then? Does he micromanage the disciple's lives? Is He ever disappointed in them, does He correct and teach them? Does God's sovereignty mean He is never disappointed, because He has all power and authority? The Bible shows us otherwise, we see God express deep sorrow over the world(the Bible uses the term regret, not that God wishes to take back His decision to create, but that He wishes to redeem fallen creation), and we see Jesus weep over Israel. We see in Isaiah 5, God ask(rhetorically) "What more could I have done?"
Might this not be, because God knows what humans have never grasped - raw power is not sufficient to get what you want. Perhaps God can no more force Israel to submit to him without violating his character than He can choose to cease to be God?
Some people will suggest this makes God impotent, but that is nonsense. There are things God cannot do - He cannot sin, or lie, for example. He cannot be tempted. These things do not make him impotent.
Now, I am not saying here that God will fail, but I am saying that raw power is not why He wins. Had God's plan of salvation relied upon raw power, Jesus would have come in power and force. And sometimes that does mean mourning over the lost who will not heed him. Scriptures like Ezekiel 18:23 tell us plainly what God desires. Yet the wicked still perish. And if we think God is happy about that, we call Him liar.
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