Category Archives: Government

Israel map

Today’s Israel

Bible General, Government,

The monstrous attacks by Hamas have thrust Today’s Israel into the news. Unspeakable brutalities against Israeli women and children fill the news reports. There is neither excuse nor justification for these terrible crimes targeting civilians, especially women and children.

Some popular news commentators, trying to rally support for Israel, are suggesting that today’s Israel is the same Israel of biblical times.  Is it? Christians may support Israel because it is our staunchest ally in the region. They see Israel as one of the most stable democracies in the world. In short, the Israelis are our friends. Supporting Israel because they are supposedly “God’s chosen people” is an error.

Today’s Israel is not the Israel of the Bible.

Origins – Biblical Israel

The Lord promised Abraham that his offspring would be a great nation. He also promised them possession of the land where nomadic Abraham traveled (Genesis 12:1-3, 7). Two generations later, God changed Abraham’s grandson Jacob’s name to Israel. He would have 12 sons who would become the basis for the Biblical nation of Israel.

Almost 500 years later, Jacobs’s 12 sons would grow to over two million people. By then, they had become slaves in Egypt. They prayed to God for deliverance; he heard their prayer and remembered his promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Exodus 2:23-25). When Pharaoh refused to release the slaves, the Lord brought a series of plagues upon the land. Eventually, Pharaoh could withstand God no longer and released the Hebrews (future Israelites).

The Hebrews traveled eastward to Mount Sinai where God formed them into a nation. Because of their lack of faith, they then wandered for 40 years in the wilderness. Finally, God brought them into the land of Canaan and settled them there. Although the Israelites were in and out of captivity in their new homeland, they maintained a presence in the land until the year 70 A.D., when the Romans utterly destroyed them.

Origins – Today’s Israel

for almost 1900 years, the Jews had no homeland. In the late 1800s, Jews began to move back to Israel from their dispersion into Europe. In 1896, the development of Zionism began, which is the call for a formal nation of Israel in the original land. After World War I, the League of Nations granted Great Britain a mandate to govern Palestine. Under that mandate, Jews began to return to the British-controlled region. In 1948, as the British mandate was ending, a representative of the Jewish population in Palestine declared the establishment of the State of Israel. The United Nations had given the Jews about 55% of the land of Palestine, despite the fact that previously, the Jews only owned about 6% of the land.

Armed conflict began immediately. Since that time, multiple attempts at peace have largely failed. Today’s conflict in Israel is but the latest in a long line of wars and conflict.

Governance

God governed biblical Israel as its king (One Samuel 8:7). Later, earthly kings ruled over Israel. The ancient nation reached its zenith under King Solomon. The spiritual life of the nation was under the direction of Levitical priests. All Israelite priests were from the tribe of Levi without exception.

10 of the 12 tribes entered Assyrian captivity. Babylon took the remaining two tribes into slavery. Even after their release from captivity, Israel was little more than a vassal state to the superior kingdoms of the region. In 63 BC the Romans conquered the region. The Jews had a puppet king until A.D. 70 when conflict with Rome exploded into war. Jerusalem and the Temple were completely destroyed.

From A.D. 70 until 1949 the Jews had no land to call their own.

Today’s Israel vs. Biblical Israel: Key Differences

Ancient Israel was a theocracy. Today’s Israel is a democracy. Put differently, one was ostensibly ruled by God, while the modern-day nation is ruled by its people.

Ancient Israel was served by a large cohort of Levitical priests. Today’s Israel has no Levitical priests. Divinely specified sacrifices were daily offered in the Temple. There is no Temple today.

Ancient Israel was God’s chosen people (Leviticus 26:11, 12). Today’s Israel is not. Today, God’s chosen people are Christians regardless of their ancestry (1 Peter 2:9, 10).

Has God Broken His Promises to Today’s Israel?

By no means! Let God be true though everyone were a liar, as it is written, “That you may be justified in your words, and prevail when you are judged.” (Romans 3:4)

We forget that God’s promises were conditional. For example, in the passage above from Leviticus 26, notice verse three: “if you walk in my statutes and observe my commandments and do them then…” This is a classic if/then statement. The covenant required both God and the people to comply with the terms of the covenant. Once one party broke the terms, the other party was freed from the covenant.

God was no longer obligated to continue to bless them because Israel had broken the covenant. Remember, this was the nation that crucified his Son. They rejected their final prophet. They rejected the one who came to save them. Consider these verses:

For if you turn back and cling to the remnant of these nations remaining among you and make marriages with them, so that you associate with them and they with you, know for certain that the LORD your God will no longer drive out these nations before you, but they shall be a snare and a trap for you, a whip on your sides and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from off this good ground that the LORD your God has given you. (Joshua 23:12, 13

But just as all the good things that the LORD your God promised concerning you have been fulfilled for you, so the LORD will bring upon you all the evil things, until he has destroyed you from off this good land that the LORD your God has given you, if you transgress the covenant of the LORD your God, which he commanded you, and go and serve other gods and bow down to them. Then the anger of the LORD will be kindled against you, and you shall perish quickly from off the good land that he has given to you.” (Joshua 23:15, 16)

There are two important points in this last passage. Notice that Joshua says God fulfilled all of his promises to Israel. He made them a nation. He gave them the land. God provided the heritage through which one would come to bless all nations. God did what he said he was going to do.

Just like the previous passages (Leviticus 26, Joshua 23:12, 13), there is an if/then clause. If they transgressed against God, they would “perish quickly from off the good land.” Ancient Israel violated every command God gave them. As a result, Israel lost their place as God’s chosen people. Today, God’s chosen people are his church (Isaiah 53:1 – 12; Acts 20:28; Hebrews 9:12 – 14; 1 Peter 1:18, 19; Revelation 5:9).

We may choose to support today’s Israel for diplomatic, military, or political reasons. But we must not support Israel because they are God’s chosen people. To do so ignores clear biblical teaching.

5 Ways to be a Christian After the Election

Bible General, Church Bulletin, Culture, Daily living, Government, ,

Chaos is the rule.

Trouble is brewing across the nation as we head into the final weekend of campaigning for the presidency of the United States. All of the congressional seats are up for grabs as are a third of the Senate seats. No matter what happens, somebody will be mad.

Philadelphia faces riots after the shooting of an African-American man. The protests are similar to what we saw earlier this year in the Northwest. ((Hurdle, J., Robertson, C., & Oppel, R. (2020, October 28). Days From Election, Police Killing of Black Man Roils Philadelphia. Retrieved October 29, 2020, from https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/28/us/philadelphia-police-shooting.html)) In Washington D.C. protests turned violent after the death of a black man police were trying to stop. ((DeMarche, E. (2020, October 29). Protesters clash with DC police for second night over fatal moped crash. Retrieved October 29, 2020, from https://www.foxnews.com/us/protesters-clash-with-dc-police-for-second-night-over-fatal-moped-crash)) Armed adical right-wing and radical left-wing groups square-off to “protect” people from the opposing side. ((Fountaine, H. (2020, September 5). Armed group ‘patriots,’ local protesters face off near Jefferson Square Park. Retrieved October 29, 2020, from https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/armed-patriot-group-local-protesters-face-off-near-jefferson-square-park/ar-BB18Km4h)) Thompson-Reuters news service reports that dozens of groups are preparing for protests, hopefully peaceful, depending upon the outcome of the election. ((Timmons, H., & Alper, A. (2020, October 29). Americans plan widespread protests if Trump interferes with election. Retrieved October 29, 2020, from https://news.trust.org/item/20201029090612-t69f4))

We could be facing civil unrest greater than many have ever witnessed. Christians must not contribute to the troubles. We are people of peace and witnesses of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Whether in-person or via social media we must not lend our voice to the voices of hate.

Be a Christian with your mouth

James says the tongue is incredibly dangerous.

So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

James 3:5-8

Inspired Solomon says it this way:

A worthless man plots evil, and his speech is like a scorching fire.

Proverbs 16:27

Christians must not use their tongue (or keyboards) to foment hatred and chaos in the aftermath of the election. The winner is unimportant. How we behave is vital.

Be a Christian; Be salt

Participating in the democratic process is a perfect way to be the needed salt and influence the direction of our country. It was Jesus who reminded us that we are the salt of the earth.

“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.

Matthew 5:13

Salt that does not function properly is useless! Don’t use your presence on social media to sow discord. Salt the conversation with words of goodness, hope, and courage. Let the world see your light so that they will give glory to God for what you have said (Matthew 5:14-16). Think about it! God can be glorified because of you! For those weaned on vinegar how wonderful to garnish them with a proper pinch of salt. Maybe I’m weird, but I’d rather people glorify God instead of Biden or Trump.

Be a Christian; Talk Jesus

Conversation is political. If you meet a friend in-person or talk with them online, it is probable that politics is the topic. Often, that chat is pleasant because we agree. Still, the topic is Trump or Biden, not Jesus.

When the original Christians were savagely attacked, they became refugees and went everywhere preaching Jesus (Acts 8:4). Even when unfairly arrested by the religious leaders, Peter and John responded with a lesson about Jesus (Acts 4:5-12).

It doesn’t matter how the election ends; if we don’t know Jesus we are absolutely, unquestionably lost!

Be a Christian; Wander

I read Hebrews this morning. I was struck by this verse:

These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.

Hebrews 11:13

In verse 38 they are described as wandering about but always awaiting the promised glory. We must not become so comfortable with this world that we are not homesick for heaven. Albert Brumley penned the immortal words of the song that begins, “This world is not my home I’m just a passing through…” Let that be our daily anthem. The Biden’s Trumps, Obamas, Clintons, and Bushs are all just temporary. Wander to thoughts of glory!

Be a Christian; Be peace

It’s ironic that an internet search for “peacemaker” returns stories and images of the classic Colt M1873 revolver which was called “The Peacemaker.((Colt Single Action Army. (2020, October 07). Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colt_Single_Action_Army)). Not far behind were pictures of the B36 bomber used during the Cold War Years.((Convair B-36 Peacemaker. (2020, September 23). Retrieved October 30, 2020, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convair_B-36_Peacemaker))

Christian peacemaking is different.

Jesus called us to peace and expected his people to be peacemakers (Matthew 5:9). Wouldn’t it be great if we were known as people of reconciliation. What if we called for peace after the election? What if our bonding with Jesus were better known than our like for a particular candidate? What glory would flow to the Lord!

Some will claim that Jesus was no peacemaker and they will cite Matthew 10:34. Jesus claim had nothing to do with the everyday cares of the world and surely had no reference to politics! Jesus spoke of the conflict that between ultimate good and ultimate evil. The context is clear.

As I write this on Thursday and Friday before the election next week, I have no way of knowing the outcome. I will vote. Although I do not endorse candidates I suspect most know where I stand. I will promise my readers that I will be a beacon of light, a dash of salt and a voice of peace as I wander through our common future. Will you join me? Your comments are welcomed as always.

Jesus and Government

Church, Church Bulletin, Culture, Daily living, God, Government,

Christians live in two worlds, secular and spiritual. Christians live in the kingdom of God, governed by Jesus. We also live in an earthly, secular kingdom governed by whoever is in power at the moment. Tension always exists between the two kingdoms. The desires and expectations that the two kingdoms hold clash. We must carefully navigate between our two worlds.

Jesus showed us how to live perfectly in both worlds at the same time. By following his leadership, we can be faithful to the God of Heaven and to the laws of men.

His Words

Jesus was born into God’s kingdom: Israel. They were chosen by God to be his people. Still, Jesus spoke of another kingdom that was still to come (Matthew 4:17; 5:19, 20; 6:10, 33; Luke 11:2; 13:29; 19:11; John 3:3,5; 18:36).

Jesus also acknowledged the earthly kingdom of Rome. Jesus said, “render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s” (Matthew 22:21), thus acknowledging both the legitimacy of the Roman government and the requirement for Christians to obey it. His apostle Paul would voice the same command in Romans” “let every person be subject to the governing authorities” (Romans 13:1ff). To Titus, Paul said, “Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work (Titus 3:1).

His Actions

Jesus applied his words to his actions. The kingdom of Judea, the remnant of Israel, was corrupt, vile and ungodly. Her king lived in open sin. Still, Jesus obeyed the Israelite rulers. When the Israelite religious leader, Annas, questioned Jesus, he submitted and answered him (John 18:19-24).

In his arrest, Jesus declared that he could call “twelve legions of angels” to deliver him. But he did not. (Matthew 26:53). Even as he hung on the cross, Jesus railed not against the Jews or the Romans.

His apostle Paul voiced his submission to Rome as he faced a death penalty. He responded to the governor that he would not refuse to die if he had done some wrong (Acts 25:11). We believe Paul would later die by execution.

His Non-Actions

There was plenty wrong with governments of the first century. Rome, like the Greeks before, was thoroughly pagan. Recall the picture of Athens, where Paul called the city “full of idols” (Acts 17:16). Rome worshipped anything. They even had an altar to the unknown God (Acts 17:23). Their worship was so twisted as to encourage intercourse between worshipper and priest. Some idol temples had male and female prostitutes who served their false gods. Soon, Rome would even demand worship of the Emperors. Meanwhile, a puppet family ruled the Jews. The Herodian Dynasty included every imaginable sin. Herod the Great was a known mass murderer (Matthew 2:1-18).

But that Jesus never embroiled himself in the politics of the day. The politics of Herod, Annas, and Caeser were not the focus of his wrath. He rebuked people for their sins, not their politics. His emphasis was to follow Him as the Savior.

Jesus led no boycotts. Jesus did not complain of high taxes. Jesus led no revolt against the troops of the Empire. He did not demand a letter campaign against Herod’s crazed behavior. Even when Rome was systematically executing Christians, there was no revolt. The business of the kingdom of God consumed Jesus. The zeal of God’s house consumed Jesus (Psalm 69:9; Luke 2:17).

We have opportunities to do good by being salt in the world. We can affect the direction of government through elections. But we must never speak more of the kingdom of men than of the kingdom of God. Like Jesus, be consumed with the Lord’s work.

Your comments are always welcomed.

Kingdom of God 6

Church, Church Bulletin, Culture, Daily living, God, Government

.”..be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”

Daniel 3:18

“But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.”

Acts 5:29

The Kingdom of God reigns above any government of mankind. Earthly rule protects the believer from the avarice, greed, and violence of the worldly person who has no respect for God’s laws. The Christian is to be subject to those laws. However, when man’s laws contradict or oppose God’s laws, we must refuse to obey the government. Today, some engage in violent opposition to the government at the drop of a hat. They wrap themselves in the banner of the divine while breaking civil laws. We must not do likewise. The decision to engage in civil disobedience must come only after a careful study of the Bible.

Civil disobedience did not begin in the 1950s and 1960s with the civil rights movement or the anti-war protest movement. The two verses above show that resisting the authority of the state has been established for a very long time.  For us, we must take care to avoid a flippant appeal to disobedience. I offer three ideas to consider.

Civil Disobedience Requires the most Extreme Circumstances

God’s people have often found themselves in dire straits. They were attacked by other nations (Judges 4:2; 6:1; 10:7 et al.), enslaved (2 Kings 25), opposed by religious leaders (Acts 4:1-3), arrested and executed by kings (Acts 12:1-3) and generally persecuted by authorities (Hebrews 11:32-40). Despite all the opposition, civil disobedience was uncommon.

In Daniel 3, the king demanded that the Hebrews worship his pagan god. In Acts 5, the religious leaders demanded the apostles to stop preaching the gospel. In the USA, the Constitution constrains the government from issuing such orders. The time may come when such restraint is removed, but for now, we are blessed. Only an extraordinary assault on our faith would justify lawless opposition.

Civil Disobedience Is a Last Resort

Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego did not initiate a confrontation. It arose as a response to their obedience to God. Obedience drove their actions, not publicity. Had the rulers left them alone, there would have been no clash. History records that when Rome tried to prevent Christians from worshipping,  they assembled in hiding.

Another blessing of our nation is the right to petition the government for redress (relief) from burdensome rules. Last week, a federal judge slammed the door on attempts by New York to single out houses of worship for restrictions during the health crisis. Often, our complaints are better addressed in venues other than the media or the street.

Only after using venues of appeal and discussion may the Christian resort to civil disobedience. It is a tactic of last resort.

Civil Disobedience Demands Careful Consultation with the Lord

Before a person willingly breaks the law under God’s banner, he had best be sure his actions have divine approval. Daniel and the apostles were inspired. They received truth directly from on high. We do not. However, we have the inspired word of God that guides us into all truth (John 16:13; 2 Peter 1:19-21). How foolish to charge into lawbreaking without a knowledge of the word of God. So, the one planning disobedience does so only after an intense study and researching of God’s word.

Equally important is a prayerful spirit. Just as Bible study must be intense, our prayers must be fervent. Only then, after prayer and study, may we solemnly engage the exceptional act of disobedience. That prayer and study must be motivated by a desire to know truth. Approaching the Scriptures or bowing in prayer with our minds already made up is dangerous. We must seek to know the will of the Lord, not to find confirmation of our ideas.

Let us earnestly seek to be subject to the laws of government while being faithful to the real king, Jesus!

What are your thoughts? Please comment.

Kingdom of God 5

Church, Church Bulletin, Government

“These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.”

Hebrews 11:13-16

We’ve previously explored the nature of human governments. Human authority exists, by God’s decree, alongside God’s kingdom. The common and the divine work side by side to provide for our needs. Divine ordinances do not regulate speed limits; instead, they point to the earthly and command obedience. Most governments of men do not reciprocate. They do not point heavenward and command obedience to God. And that causes friction.

The Christian lives in two worlds. That works well as long as rulers respect the superiority of the kingdom of God. The second-century Christian Justin Martyr wrote to Emperor Antonius Pius, demanding that the government fairly treat Christians. He penned: “Reason directs those who are truly pious and philosophical to honour and love only what is true, declining to follow traditional opinions, if these be worthless.” (Justin Martyr, 1st apology, Chapter 1). He is calling for the civil authorities to respect truth and reject falsehoods as the government investigates Christianity. Justin wrote a second Apology addressed to the Roman Senate, begging for a truthful investigation of the church. His pleas fell upon hardened hearts. He and several followers were scourged and beheaded because they refused to bow to Roman pagan gods. Government had overstepped her bounds.

There is no inherent conflict between the divine and the common. Earthly governments can co-exist with the church, provided the all acknowledge the superiority of the church. Jesus said as much in Matthew 22:21, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” His apostles affirmed the primacy of the kingdom of God in Acts 5:29. The apostles were under arrest for preaching the Gospel. “We must obey God rather than men,” was the reply of Peter and the apostles. Service to the Lord comes before obedience to human government.

 The incredibly difficult question today is when a Christian may disobey the laws of men. The Bible offers plenty of examples.  Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to worship a false god (Daniel 3). Daniel was commanded not to pray but did anyway (Daniel 6). We observe that all of the apostles, except wicked Judas, were persecuted and mostly died because they would not stop teaching of Jesus. John was on the prison isle of Patmos “on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus” (Revelation 1:9).

There are accounts where God’s people did not revolt but only paused. Kings commanded Ezra cease working on the rebuilding of the Temple, a task commanded by God. The people did not disobey the king! Instead, they paused and pursued successful challenges to the order to cease work (Ezra 4,5,6).

The question of when a Christian may reject the laws of man is thorny. Next week, we will offer principles for making such a decision.

The Kingdom of God – Part 5

“These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.”

Hebrews 11:13-16

We’ve previously explored the nature of human governments. Human authority exists, by God’s decree, alongside God’s kingdom. The common and the divine work side by side to provide for our needs. Divine ordinances do not regulate speed limits; instead, they point to the earthly and command obedience. Most governments of men do not reciprocate. They do not point heavenward and command obedience to God. And that causes friction.

The Christian lives in two worlds. That works well as long as rulers respect the superiority of the kingdom of God. The second-century Christian Justin Martyr wrote to Emperor Antonius Pius, demanding that the government fairly treat Christians. He penned: “Reason directs those who are truly pious and philosophical to honour and love only what is true, declining to follow traditional opinions, if these be worthless.” (Justin Martyr, 1st apology, Chapter 1). He is calling for the civil authorities to respect truth and reject falsehoods as the government investigates Christianity. Justin wrote a second Apology addressed to the Roman Senate, begging for a truthful investigation of the church. His pleas fell upon hardened hearts. He and several followers were scourged and beheaded because they refused to bow to Roman pagan gods. Government had overstepped her bounds.

There is no inherent conflict between the divine and the common. Earthly governments can co-exist with the church, provided the all acknowledge the superiority of the church. Jesus said as much in Matthew 22:21, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” His apostles affirmed the primacy of the kingdom of God in Acts 5:29. The apostles were under arrest for preaching the Gospel. “We must obey God rather than men,” was the reply of Peter and the apostles. Service to the Lord comes before obedience to human government.

 The incredibly difficult question today is when a Christian may disobey the laws of men. The Bible offers plenty of examples.  Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to worship a false god (Daniel 3). Daniel was commanded not to pray but did anyway (Daniel 6). We observe that all of the apostles, except wicked Judas, were persecuted and mostly died because they would not stop teaching of Jesus. John was on the prison isle of Patmos “on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus” (Revelation 1:9).

There are accounts where God’s people did not revolt but only paused. Kings commanded Ezra cease working on the rebuilding of the Temple, a task commanded by God. The people did not disobey the king! Instead, they paused and pursued successful challenges to the order to cease work (Ezra 4,5,6).

The question of when a Christian may reject the laws of man is thorny. Next week, we will offer principles for making such a decision.

Kingdom of God 4

Church, Church Bulletin, Government

“He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”

Colossians 1:13,14

Two kingdoms ruled over God’s people many times in history. Although they were Jews and subject to the kingdom of Judah, the people were also subjugated by Babylon. Rome ruled during Jesus’ lifetime while Herod remained the Jewish authority. This dual citizenship foreshadows our current condition. For Christians in the United States, there is one physical government, but a second spiritual government rules over us also. There is frequently tension between the earthly and the spiritual, but the Christian knows who he must honor first.

Our Government is not Rome

Before we examine the relationship between modern Christians and the American government, we note that there are major differences between the ancient rulers and today’s leaders.

Citizens of Rome, though very privileged compared to non-citizens, had little impact upon government. There were no campaigns for the vote of the common man. No one ran for emperor. Criticism of the powerful in Rome had dire consequences. There were no newspapers or media outlets to rage against the throne. Few competing voices discussed the policies of Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, Nero, or any other ruler. Roman senators served because of wealth, power, and influence, not through the popular vote.

Authoritarian rule is present in many nations today. In the United States, a person may practice his faith, speak his mind, and seek redress from the government, all of which are protected by our bedrock, founding documents.

Because we are blessed with the ability to impact our government, we are also laden with new responsibilities. Remember Jesus’ words, which call us to be salt and light in our world (Matthew 5:13-16). Where we can influence for good, we must. The original Christians had no such ability to influence Rome.

Our Government is not God’s

It is anathema to suggest that our government is not God’s. To say that capitalism is not divine is heresy to some. So let me explain.

The need for government is without question. Men have organized themselves into governable bodies almost from the beginning. The Lord acknowledges the need for government by giving government to his people. He also commands that we obey. “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment” (Romans 13:1,2). Those words are inspired and strong. We must obey. However, God never defines the form of government to which we must be subject. The closest is probably in the next verse, Romans 13:3: “For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad.” Inspiration assumes a government that upholds and encourages “good conduct.”

When a government supports ungodly and evil behaviors, it surely cannot be said to be of God. Still, we are to obey. Bloodthirsty, pagan, Nero begins his reign of terror just about the time Paul wrote the Romans 13 passage. We may conclude that subjection to government may be very uncomfortable. Still, we are commanded to respect our leaders.

Kingdom of God 3

Bible General, Government

“And the Lord said to Samuel, “Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them.”

1 Samuel 8:7

The spiritual wisdom of Israel was so deranged that they could not see the depth of their error in demanding a human king. More, they missed the higher point that they were rejecting God. We are surprised because we think God should have stopped them and demanded adherence to his way. He did not, and that puzzles us.

The Lord allows us to choose our own destiny. His kingdom has existed for all eternity. It is open to the children of men if they so choose. But when men make corrupt choices, the Creator allows them to err. The passage in 1 Samuel 8 is a story about the national destiny of Israel. It is also a story out how God deals with men. Just as the church, the kingdom of God today, is composed of individuals, the nations of earth are also so composed. We should learn from this episode how God deals with us.

God Gives Us Choice

From the beginning of time, man had the freedom to choose. In Eden, God placed a tree of knowledge but commanded the first couple to avoid it. They were not even to touch the tree. Satan intervened and convinced Eve to eat and to give to her husband, Adam. They ate and brought condemnation upon themselves. That condemnation was a choice. They were warned, and they ate anyway. The consequence of their sin followed.

The children of Israel had finally entered the Promised Land. They were settling into their homes. Their leader, Joshua, said, “choose this day whom you will serve” (Joshua 24:13). At that moment, they declared their allegiance to God. History, however, proves otherwise. Israel consistently made terrible choices. Those bad choices included the decision to leave God in 1 Samuel 8 and would include innumerable wicked decisions for centuries to come.

God gave them the power to choose, and they failed.

Men Make Poor Decisions

Inspired Jeremiah says, “I know, O Lord, that the way of man is not in himself, that it is not in man who walks to direct his steps” (Jeremiah 10:23). He writes: “for my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water” (Jeremiah 2:13). The psalmist says no man does good; all are corrupt (Psalm 14:1-3). The son of the psalmist wrote: “… God made man upright, but they have sought out many schemes” (Ecclesiastes 7:29).

The Scripture makes plain that man cannot correctly guide himself.  He can depart from God, and he can seek his own ways, but in the end, those ways are always empty and void.

People believe that mankind is the ultimate force in existence. They believe that any question, given time, can be answered through the wisdom and knowledge of man. Today, we make the same error as the ancients. Man cannot guide himself. Man cannot create a government that is capable of bringing righteousness. Once God is eliminated, all is lost.

Kingdom of God 2

Government

“And in that day you will cry out because of your king, whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the Lord will not answer you in that day.”

1 Samuel 8:18

Governance has always been a problem for God’s people. They chaffed under the cruel hand of Egyptian taskmasters, the divine guidance of Moses, the wisdom of God’s judges, and the rule of their own kings. After Moses and Joshua died, God used judges to govern his people. While there was a judicial-like function to the judges (Judges 4:4, 5), they were largely military leaders and deliverers. Even under the laissez-faire, decentralized governance of the judges, Israel was unruly, and “everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 17:6, 21:25). There was no respect of God, nor was there a concern for their fellow countrymen.

Israel settled in Caannan and soon began to seek a better way of governing. They thought they were wiser than God. The told priest, prophet, and judge Samuel that they wanted a king so they could be like all the nations (1 Samuel 8:5). Samuel was angry as he prayed. God revealed the shocking truth: “they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them” (1 Samuel 8:7). This is a pivotal moment in human history. Israel has repudiated God’s sovereignty over his people. The consequences of this decision would plague Israel for the remainder of its existence.

Surprisingly, God permitted their choice. He told Samuel to warn them, but allow them to have a king.

He said, “These will be the ways of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots and to be his horsemen and to run before his chariots. And he will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and some to plow his ground and to reap his harvest, and to make his implements of war and the equipment of his chariots. He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive orchards and give them to his servants. He will take the tenth of your grain and of your vineyards and give it to his officers and to his servants. He will take your male servants and female servants and the best of your young men and your donkeys, and put them to his work. He will take the tenth of your flocks, and you shall be his slaves.

1 Samuel 10-17

Their desire would not be good. A king would bring conscription into the king’s service, taxation to support the king’s appetites, and effective servitude to the king.  It was not a pleasant future for Israel. Any government which rejects God is bound to fail. As Paul wrote, “no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:11). He speaks of a spiritual foundation that either will or will not bring one to salvation. But it is an appropriate reminder of what will happen when we reject God as our leader.

Israel would learn that there were even darker ramifications to their demand for a king. Because of their kings, they would divide into two nations, undergo long periods of wickedness in the palace and their own homes, be taken into slavery by pagan nations, see God’s temple destroyed, and watch the once-powerful empire become a footnote in history. One can only ponder what might have been if Israel humbled themselves under the hand of God.

The moment of 1 Samuel 8 marks the beginning of a slow decline into oblivion for the nation. Just 40 years after Jesus died, Israel would cease to exist. The Israel of the Bible was never restored and never will be. The Lord’s kingdom, the church, does exist and will not be overthrown.

Kingdom of God

Bible General, God, Government,

“My kingdom is not of this world…”

John 18:36

There is much confusion surrounding the kingdom of God and the kingdoms of earth.  Christians, citizens of God’s kingdom, live in and under earthly governments. But just because God approves of earthly governance does not mean those governments are identical, or even parallel to, the kingdom of Christ. Often, they are enemies of the cross of Christ. We must distinguish between the heavenly and earthly authorities.

There was a brief period when no earthly government existed. Beginning at Creation and lasting until the days of Cain. Genesis 4:17 notes that Cain built a city. Such would likely have had some kind of centralized authority. Going forward, we encounter increasing and total corruption of mankind, resulting in Noah’s flood (Genesis 6 -9).

By Genesis 10, we are reading of nations (vs. 5) established by the descendants of Noah’s sons. Egypt is already a mighty nation when Abram and Sarai travel there in Genesis 12. It would be the Egyptian monarch who would order the enslavement of Israel’s sons. After their miraculous release from captivity, the Lord crafts them into his own nation with a divinely given code of law, often called the Law of Moses. In this divine economy, there are no human kings, princes, or presidents. There is no governing body apart from God. Judges occasionally rise to adjudicate disputes and to deliver the people from external oppression.

Soon, God’s people turn on him and demand a king “like all the nations”  (1 Samuel 8:7). Though displeased, God allows them to have a king. Ideally, God would still be the ultimate sovereign. But in short order, we see faithlessness invade the throne, and God’s people begin a slow descent into wickedness. At the beginning of the reign of the fourth king, a schism divides the people into two distinct nations.

In the historical background, mighty nations have arisen and would soon enslave Israel. The larger of the two was captured by Assyria and the smaller, by Babylon. Seventy years after its capture,  the smaller kingdom is allowed to re-establish themselves in Jerusalem. Although frequently overrun by more powerful nations, Israel continues until the absolute destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. At that moment, and probably earlier, the governments of the world were fully secular.

Rome morphed into the so-called Holy Roman Empire, but it was as corrupt and wicked as anything seen before. Its governance was always rooted in humanity and never found itself anchored in the authority of God. The very existence of that Empire was an affront to Christianity.

Our point is that no human government is on par with God’s kingdom. Some are better than others, but in the end, all are inferior to “the kingdom of his beloved son” (Colossians 1:13). Therefore, we argue that any allegiance to our earthly government must be second to our citizenship in heaven. Any activity of a political or governmental nature must be viewed carefully through God’s eyes, not our own.

In coming posts, we will develop these ideas further. Please watch for future articles.

Government Is Not What It Is Supposed to Be

1st and 2nd Samuel, Government

Government is not what it is supposed to be.

You are probably not shocked by that statement. Corruption, self-serving agendas, and widespread narcissism are so common that we barely notice when they arise. In Alabama, we are finding that some Sheriffs are pocketing money supposedly given them to feed inmates in the local lockup. At the state level, we’ve seen corruption scandals affecting our state representatives and senators. Nationally…we’ll not even go there.

Government is not what it is supposed to be.

Government is not what God wants it to be either.

It is not that laws, rules, or regulations are bad. They are needed. The Law of Moses provided both civic and spiritual laws so that the new nation, Israel, could survive, function and thrive. The problem comes from the people who make and enforce the laws.

The original plan – God’s plan – was simple. He, alone, would be their King. They would live in harmony with each other and would turn to faithful Judges to resolve disputes. One of those Judges was Deborah. She held court under a palm tree in central Israel (Judges 4:5).

This system probably had its origins in the days of Moses when, at the advice of his father-in-law, he appointed respected men from among the community to adjudicated cases brought by the people. A system of appeals was created with Moses at the top to hear only the most complicated cases (Exodus 18:17-27).

Things worked well for a long time. But then something changed.

The people decided that God’s plan was not right for them. They wanted a King to lead them. Samuel tells the sad story in 1 Samuel 8. Part of the problem was that Eli’s sons and now Samuel son’s were not faithful to God.

When Samuel laid the people’s request before God he received an unexpected reply:

“Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them”

(1 Samuel 8:7 – emphasis mine).

Wow! Their rejection of God’s plan of governance was a rejection of God himself! The Lord continues to charge them with forsaking him and serving idols.  He warns them of what will happen:

  • Involuntary conscription into the King’s service (vss. 11, 13, 16, 17)
  • Swelling government bureaucracy (vs. 12)
  • Growing taxation (vss. 14, 15, 17)
  • Regret over their chosen governance (vs. 18)

Nevertheless, despite the warnings, the people wanted a king. Guess what? Every one of the warnings came true.

When God is no longer the king, trouble comes.

Today, God is no longer king. Today, God is even being pushed out of the public square. The result is corruption and evil at every turn.

So, what is a faithful Christian to do? Paul was clear:

“Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.” (Romans 13:1)

I will be the first to say that I do not always like the laws and rules we live under. But, as a Christian, I am bound to follow those laws so long as they do not interfere with my faith. It gets a little sticky here because so many of things big government does are anathema to me. I look to the example of the original Christians who lived, worked, worshiped, and evangelized under the heavy hand of Rome.

If the church could grow and prosper under rampant persecution from a pagan government, we can grow today too.

Government is not what it is supposed to be. Pray the church will be.