Civil Government: Chapter 3 – Origins of Civil Government: A Rejection of God’s Rule Over Man (Excerpt)

March 8, 2013 by

Civil Government - coverIf God did not institute civil government from its beginning, how did it originate? The Scriptures show us that civil government had its origin after the flood with Nimrod.

“Now Cush became the father of Nimrod; he became a mighty one on the earth. He was a mighty hunter before the Lord; therefore it is said, ‘Like Nimrod a mighty hunter before the Lord.’ The beginning of his kingdom was Babel and Erech and Accad and Calneh, in the land of Shinar” (Genesis 10:8-10).

Nimrod’s actions in establishing a kingdom were in rebellion against God. Many people do not (or will not) see this. They read these short verses about Nimrod as simply a benign record of history, rather than the first great organized rebellion against God since the flood.

The phrase that is easily overlooked is “before the Lord.” Nimrod was “a mighty hunter before the Lord.” He held such a place of prominence among the people that others would use him as a point of comparison — “Therefore it is said, ‘Like Nimrod a mighty hunter before the Lord.’”

This phrase is often used to mean in the presence of the Lord (Genesis 19:27; Exodus 34:34) or in worship to the Lord (Exodus 29:11; Deuteronomy 26:10). Because of this, brethren assume that the phrase is used positively here. Yet the word translated before (panim) has many different uses. In blessing Joseph’s sons, Jacob placed “Ephraim before Manasseh” (Genesis 48:20), meaning he placed Ephraim as chief among Joseph’s sons over his older brother Manasseh. It is used to describe kings who “faced each other” in battle (2 Kings 14:11). The translators of the New American Standard Bible have also translated this same word as against (Hosea 5:5; Ezekiel 6:9).

The Bible is not describing anything that Nimrod was doing in the presence of the Lord and certainly not in worship to the Lord. Rather, it is describing what Nimrod was doing to place himself before the Lord in the eyes of the people, making him their chief rather than God. Nimrod was opposed to God and wanted the people to forget the Lord and instead look to him as the ultimate authority and the provider of their happiness.

You can read more about the origins of human government in Civil Government: What the Bible Says About Its Origin, History, Nature, and Role. Follow the link to learn more about the book and purchase your copy today!

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Civil Government: Chapter 2 – Government’s History of Taking Man’s Rights (Excerpt)

March 1, 2013 by

Civil Government - cover“But they will become his slaves so that they may learn the difference between My service and the service of the kingdoms of the countries’” (2 Chronicles 12:7-8).

As king, it would be easy for Rehoboam to be unable to relate to the plight of his people under an oppressive ruler. Rehoboam’s oppression of the people was the reason why the kingdom was divided and many left from serving him (2 Chronicles 10). But now, under the oppression of Shishak, he would learn what it was like to live under an oppressive king.

“So Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, and took the treasures of the house of the Lord and the treasures of the king’s palace. He took everything; he even took the golden shields which Solomon had made. Then king Rehoboam made shields of bronze in their place and committed them to the care of the commanders of the guard who guarded the door of the king’s house. As often as the king entered the house of the Lord, the guards came and carried them and then brought them back into the guards’ room” (2 Chronicles 12:9-11).

Serving an oppressive ruler does not just include obeying the laws of the land. It also includes having your possessions confiscated, settling for inferior replacements, and living in constant fear of those possessions being taken away as well.

Serving the Lord is very different. It includes obedience to His laws (Deuteronomy 11:13-15; Matthew 28:19-20). But instead of the rulers of human kingdoms that pillage the fruits of the people’s labor, God provides us with “every good thing… and every perfect gift” (James 1:17).

This is the fundamental difference: God gives; government takes. This has been true throughout the history of civil government and will continue to be true until they are all finally destroyed when the Lord returns.

You can read more about civil government’s history of taking man’s rights in Civil Government: What the Bible Says About Its Origin, History, Nature, and Role. Follow the link to learn more about the book and purchase your copy today!

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Civil Government: Chapter 1 – God-Given Rights (Excerpt)

February 22, 2013 by

Civil Government - coverThe Declaration of Independence speaks of certain “unalienable rights.” These rights were the basis for the colonists’ complaint against England, the justification for their Declaration of Independence, and later, the reason why the Constitution would so constrain the power of the federal government.

The founders of this country carefully crafted these documents. What they produced continues to be a standard for our leaders to follow and for governments around the world to emulate. While the framers of these documents are worthy of regard for their efforts and wisdom, their ideas about man’s natural rights were not original with them. They borrowed ideas from others, combined them with their own wisdom and experience, and produced the documents that laid the foundation of this country.

Ultimately, everything that is good and true, when traced back to its original source, is from God. The founders recognized this about our natural rights. The Declaration of Independence states: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” These men believed that our natural rights — which included life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness — were granted to us by God. As we will see in this study, the Scriptures confirm this.

The rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness can be summed up in one word — freedom. In the beginning, God made man and made him free by virtue of the fact that he was made in God’s image (Genesis 1:27). As long as man is made in God’s image (which will be true until the end of time), he has the inherent right to freedom. Unfortunately, history has repeatedly shown that this freedom is often denied or restricted by those who are stronger, more powerful, more numerous, or, as is often the case, in positions of civil authority.

You can read more about our God-given rights in Civil Government: What the Bible Says About Its Origin, History, Nature, and Role. Follow the link to learn more about the book and purchase your copy today!

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Directed Toward the Right: Notes on Ecclesiastes 10:2 (Excerpt)

February 8, 2013 by

Vanity of Vanities (cover)Ecclesiastes 10:2

A wise man’s heart directs him toward the right, but the foolish man’s heart directs him toward the left.

This translation suggests that the hearts of the wise and foolish men direct them in opposite directions. This is certainly true. However, the King James Version suggests a different meaning. It reads, “A wise man’s heart is at his right hand; but a fool’s heart at his left.” The right hand is used throughout Scripture in a positive way, describing a position of blessing (Genesis 48:13-20), power (Exodus 15:6), strength (Psalm 20:6), and honor (Psalm 110:1). Pursuing wisdom leads to such things. Following after foolishness leads us away from them.

You can read more comments on the book of Ecclesiastes in Vanity of Vanties: Notes on Ecclesiastes. Follow the link to learn more about the book and purchase your copy today!

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Time and Chance: Notes on Ecclesiastes 9:11 (Excerpt)

February 7, 2013 by

Vanity of Vanities (cover)Ecclesiastes 9:11

I again saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift and the battle is not to the warriors, and neither is bread to the wise nor wealth to the discerning nor favor to men of ability; for time and chance overtake them all.

This verse emphasizes the uncertainty of life. While we may work, prepare, learn, and gain experience – as mentioned in the previous verse – we cannot predict what will happen. At times, the faster runner is beaten, and the stronger warrior is defeated. Wisdom and talent do not guarantee favor or success. So while we ought to do the best we can (9:10), we must not become arrogant and ignore the uncertain nature of life. But it is important to notice why Solomon says unexpected things happen. It is not necessarily because God has some direct involvement in producing certain results (though that did happen at various times throughout the Bible). Rather, time and chance produce uncertain outcomes. Some want to attribute every event and circumstance in life to God, but the wise man clearly tells us that various outcomes in life are the result of coincidence and happenstance.

You can read more comments on the book of Ecclesiastes in Vanity of Vanties: Notes on Ecclesiastes. Follow the link to learn more about the book and purchase your copy today!

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