The picture of divine sovereignty in Scripture is that God positively ordains whatsoever comes to pass. He always acts with a purpose. Even the wicked unwittingly do His bidding, and they thus fulfill His sovereign purpose in the end.

This is admittedly a difficult subject, but it is also profoundly important. And the main ideas we need to keep in mind turn out to be fairly simple: the Biblical picture of God’s sovereignty is that he works in and through all that happens. Rather than merely trying to circumvent evil or rearrange his plan to accomplish good in spite of evil, he harnesses the deeds of the wicked to accomplish his good and perfect ends. He also guarantees the ultimate destruction of evil itself. Meanwhile, nothing thwarts any aspect of his plan.

Even the most stubborn actions of the worst sinners turn out to be no actual impediment to the divine purpose. He simply employs them as tools to accomplish his will. That, after all, is precisely what Scripture says happened at the cross, which was the worst atrocity ever carried out by the collective forces of evil. Yet in the hands of a sovereign God, it was also the greatest good ever accomplished on behalf of sinners. (Acts 2:23).