As the creator and ruler of the world, God holds absolute ownership over everything in existence. This total domain includes the physical earth itself, along with all the humans and animals that live upon it [מצודת דוד, מלבי״ם, ביאור שטיינזלץ].
God's interaction with the world operates through two distinct aspects of divine leadership. The first involves the sheer, immense power required for the initial act of bringing the universe into existence. The second aspect is His active, extended reach, which symbolizes the constant preservation of the world. God does not merely create and step back; He continuously acts to sustain and maintain His creation in an unending process [מלבי״ם].
Because the entire world and its continual existence belong entirely to Him, God possesses the ultimate authority to entrust the earth to whomever He deems fit [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Consequently, the rise of human leadership is a direct result of this divine authority. God is the one who ultimately appoints kings and rulers, placing them in positions of power to govern the earth exactly as He chooses [מלבי״ם].