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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When the Sentence is Not Executed Quickly: Notes on Ecclesiastes 8:11 (Excerpt)

February 6, 2013 by

Vanity of Vanities (cover)Ecclesiastes 8:11

Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed quickly, therefore the hearts of the sons of men among them are given fully to do evil.

Civil authorities have the divine obligation to punish evildoers. They are to be a “cause of fear” for those who do evil (Romans 13:3-4). But in order for this to be the case, the wise man says that the punishment for evil must be “executed quickly.” When the execution of justice is not swift, it has a corrupting influence upon society. Punishment is not just for the evildoer. If it were, the timing of it would not matter so much. Punishment is also meant to deter those who might later do evil. When the punishment is swift, the memory of the crime is still fresh in the people’s mind, impressing upon their minds the connection between the crime and the punishment. When punishment is delayed, the connection is not as apparent; or one may believe he can escape punishment, thus making the crime more attractive.

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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Because of the Oath Before God: Notes on Ecclesiastes 8:2 (Excerpt)

February 5, 2013 by

Vanity of Vanities (cover)Ecclesiastes 8:2

I say, “Keep the command of the king because of the oath before God.

Solomon now begins a discussion about obedience to civil authorities. When studying this passage, it is important that we understand the context. When the Scriptures speak of our responsibility to obey authorities and the benefit we receive from authorities, it must be assumed that said authorities are satisfying their divinely-ordained role. Otherwise we may be forced to disobey the authorities (cf. Acts 5:29); and we may suffer harm as a consequence of their wickedness (Proverbs 29:2). This idea of our conditional obedience to civil authorities is suggested in this verse. We are to “keep the command of the king” for a specific reason. Just because he is king and claims authority over the nation? No, “because of the oath before God.” We must consider God and His will first. Human law does not supersede divine law.

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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Ineffective Government Bureaucracy: Notes on Ecclesiastes 5:8 (Excerpt)

February 1, 2013 by

Vanity of Vanities (cover)Ecclesiastes 5:8

If you see oppression of the poor and denial of justice and righteousness in the province, do not be shocked at the sight; for one official watches over another official, and there are higher officials over them.

Solomon has earlier spoken of the inevitability of oppression (4:1) and wickedness in the place of justice and righteousness (3:16). We should not be shocked when these conditions exist. The wise man gives one reason here: government bureaucracy. An extensive network/hierarchy of officials who oversee the people is incapable of doing what they are supposed to do. The larger the bureaucracy, the more unaccountable and inefficient it becomes. It is important to note that this is not the observation of one who was a “common man” and was a victim of an ineffective government bureaucracy. It is the observation of Solomon, the head of the government. In his position, he could see that such an arrangement would not work to help the people. When there is a large bureaucracy in place, the wise man says we should expect the poor to be oppressed and justice and righteousness to be denied.

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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