The Purpose of God in Giving Government – II

 

Though the government is for the good of the people; the government does not always do good! Those entrusted with power often abuse and misuse it!! in the book of proverbs we read, “when the righteous are in authority the people rejoice……the people mourn.”

the system is biased, broken, imperfect, immoral, and this is no surprise! This is what we read in Psalm 2, “Why do the heathen rage……. thing…. against the Lord and against……cast away their cords from us.”    Notwithstanding, that recognizing their authority is delegated from God; they resist The power who gave them their authority. And so they openly fight against Him.

The kings of the earth, and the rulers are lifted up in their pride! No, they do not bow in submission and give thanks for Him that gave them their power! But rather all pursue the failed and futile agenda of their earthly ruler the Devil; who the god of this world! He was the anointed cherub lifted up in pride and thereby fell down to earth, as the fallen angel. Why because he determined that he will not be subject to the God who had created him, and had given him such executive beauty, and privilege! Not being satisfied with his place and position wanted to be like the most high!

So all rulers have followed in this pattern! The government is not advancing the worship, and honoring of God. In every form of government, be it democracy, monarchy, autocracy, socialism or communist regime , military dictatorship uniformly arranged against God! Passing laws contrary to the law of God! Declaring themselves independent and unaccountable to Him! Uncooperative, and uncomprehending, in ruling the world; and God has allowed and permitted them to go as far!

So much so that believers wrestle against this system! Yes, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against the spiritual wickedness in high places! It is the enemies of Christ that rule the world; who are against His people the Christians! They are the ones that call good evil, and evil good as given in Isaiah 5. Wise in their own eyes, prudent in their own selves!! There are many ways in which we can be persecuted! Multitudes in the world today are risking their lives for Christ sake!

One may ask: “ How can God do that, and even allow that?” “ how can wicked men ruthless in their dealings, that are actively rebelling against Him, be given authority to rule others? How can that be?” “Lord how can you use Assyrians and Judge Israel?” Yes, how can God use ruthless dictators to accomplish His purposes, and bring about His goodness?” These are the questions we all ask at this point!  One thing we can be clear of is this: let us ask ourselves this, “ Do we think that the highest glory of God achieved, when God does things that we can understand?”  “Or we look at the excellency and the glory of God; beyond our imagination and say ‘I don’t know how God did that’?” We know one thing that, “His ways are past finding out!” “His ways are not our ways! Neither are His thoughts our thoughts!”

This is the glory of God: He would set up a system to propagate, and to protect and to advance using evil men as rulers,, to accomplish what God purposes!” How He does that is beyond man’s comprehension! Yes, the God of the Bible is able to accomplish His purpose and plan using even the worst of the People!  Think alone of Nebuchadnezzar: you can think of any lucid leader in this world right now, and it falls far short of the power, and the glory of that man! God brought in Daniel, and his three friends, and through them God demonstrated to him who really God is!

• God gave the king a dream, and that dream was gone from him, and no man could give an interpretation of the dream without hearing what the dream was! This king was one who does not accept “no” for an answer. So he declared all to be killed! Which includes Daniel hand his three friends. Daniel and his friends spent the time in prayer before God, and God revealed the dream to him and the interpretation! And the king said to Daniel, “of truth your God is a God of gods and … for he reveals secret….”

Well by this incident one might think that the King has got the truth! Not so, for he goes about and builds a great image, and ask everyone to bow down; all but the three friends of Daniel did! The king being in rage, heated his chamber, an execution and torture chamber and he ordered it to be heated up seven times more! They answered him saying, “ Live forever oh! King, we are not anxious about this, our God will deliver us! Even if not we will not bow down to your image!” While the men that threw them in to the fire died by the heat of the fire, but those three friends of Daniel were not hurt! And when they were come out of the fire there was not even the smell of smoke on their clothes!

And the King said, “ blessed be the God ….sent his angle and delivered his servants….therefore I make a decree… that can deliver after this sort.” Now, the king did not say, “ this time I got it; and anybody against the God Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, I am against that man!”  We don’t know how much time passed, and the king had another dream, and Daniel gave him the interpretation of the dream: “this dream you saw of a tree, and is cut off it is you!! I am telling you break off your sins, do righteousness, be merciful to the poor! “ Be careful you are so proud and lifted up, God is going to bring you down.” Now we may think at this point that Daniel and His God, may have some credibility with the king!

This lasted for 12 months and after that ; the king walking in his palace one day; overlooking the city with such a pride, he said, “is not this great Babylon that I have made…. my power…. my majesty….the kingdom is departed from you.”   Being driven from the palace, to the wilderness with the animals to eat grass! And then finally he gets it! “…. his dominion is an everlasting dominion…honor extol the king of heaven… he is able to abase.”

To Be continued…………………………………