A Biblical Understanding of Human Government

Part 1—God and Government

Introduction: People have a seemingly insatiable desire to criticize government. I’m guessing that it’s an almost universal phenomena. Certainly there have been times and nations in which the King or Queen was loved and revered, but for the most part—certainly in our day—people love to vent about what a problem government is. Thus, George Bush’s 70% disapproval rating is topped only by Congress’ 75% disapproval rating.

Yet, the Bible teaches that government is a gift from God. Not just “American” or “democratic” government. Government in general! No kidding. And the Bible was written long, long before there was such a thing as the United States. The ESV Study Bible puts it this way:

“Civil government in general is a great blessing from God for which we should be thankful. Without civil government there would be anarchy, a horrible alternative in which evil runs rampant.” (2180)

Perhaps you haven’t thought of it that way. We thank God for our country, but we tend to chafe at our government, not give thanks for it. Yet, Scripture speaks that government in general and governors in particular are given to humanity by God’s grace and to accomplish His purpose.

1. God ordained human government (Gen. 9:6)

A. Government was God’s idea.

B. Government was intended by God to protect sinners from sinners.

Explanation: In Genesis 9, God promised that He would never again wipe out humanity with a flood. Great. However, the flood was caused by mankind’s incredible wickedness, and nothing had happened to make the heart of man any less sinful. If God were going to deal with sinners in a new way, how could He control them and keep them from destroying one another. The answer is found in Genesis 9:5-6, where God “delegated” His authority to human governors for (a) the defense of the innocent by (b) the punishment of the wicked.

Note: Notice that this shedding of blood is “by man” (v. 6), but not just any man. Scripture isn’t authorizing vigilantism. Rather, it is establishing human authorities to make sure that judgment is carried out certainly and fairly (vs. Lamech in Gen 4:24). Thus, the “life for life” policy (Ex 21:23; Deut 19:21) was instituted to provide justice both to the victim and the assailant’s loved ones.

Cross Reference: Romans 13:1-6 (esp. vv. 3-4) teach the same principles:

Rulers (like Nero!) are God’s servants for our God.
Rulers (like Nero!) bear the sword—the authority and right to punish.
Rulers (like Nero!) are avenger’s, carrying out God’s wrath!

1. At home, we call that ultimate defense “capital punishment.”

a. Capital punishment was instituted as a protection of mankind.

b. Capital punishment was instituted as a protection of God’s image.

Note: Those who argue against capital punishment on the basis that humans don’t have the right to take a life are missing the role and authority of human government: Civil authorities are allowed to do what individual citizens cannot. Everyone recognizes this point.

To deny this fact would lead to a vigilante society—and anarchy.
Government is authorized to take a life (which I cannot due) as certainly as it is authorized to imprison (which I cannot do).

2. Abroad, we call that ultimate defense “war” (1 Sam 8:11-12; etc.).

Note: Government can protect sinners from sinners. That’s what it was designed to do. And that’s about it. It can’t change them, forgive them, rehabilitate them, etc.

2. God installs and controls human governors (Daniel 2, 4, 7).

A. God is in charge of Governors.

1. God exalts human leaders.

Daniel 2:37-45 You, O king, the king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, and the might, and the glory, 38 and into whose hand he has given, wherever they dwell, the children of man, the beasts of the field, and the birds of the heavens, making you rule over them all—you are the head of gold. 39 Another kingdom inferior to you shall arise after you, and yet a third kingdom of bronze, which shall rule over all the earth. 40 And there shall be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron, because iron breaks to pieces and shatters all things. And like iron that crushes, it shall break and crush all these. 41 And as you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter's clay and partly of iron, it shall be a divided kingdom, but some of the firmness of iron shall be in it, just as you saw iron mixed with the soft clay. 42 And as the toes of the feet were partly iron and partly clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly brittle. 43 As you saw the iron mixed with soft clay, so they will mix with one another in marriage, but they will not hold together, just as iron does not mix with clay. 44 And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever, 45 just as you saw that a stone was cut from a mountain by no human hand, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold. A great God has made known to the king what shall be after this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation sure.”
Daniel 4:25b “till you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will.”
Daniel 4:32b “until you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will.”
Daniel 5 God’s taking the kingdom away from Belshazzar.
Psalm 75:5-7 “do not lift up your horn on high, or speak with haughty neck. 6 For not from the east or from the west and not from the wilderness comes lifting up, 7 but it is God who executes judgment, putting down one and lifting up another.”

2. God controls human leaders.

Isaiah 44-45 God’s use of Cyrus.
Esther God’s use of Ahasuerus.
Nehemiah 2 God’s use of Artaxerxes.
Proverb 21:1 The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will.

B. Governors may rebel against God and influenced by demonic forces.

Explanation: There is a paradox between point “A” and point “B.” The fact that God exalts people to positions of authority does not mean that all whom He exalts are godly. God may bless a nation with godly leaders, but He may also judge a nation or accomplish another of his inscrutable purposes by exalting ungodly leaders.

Humanity is rebellious as a whole, and leaders are no exceptions:

Psalm 2:1-3, where the kings of earth rebel against the Lord.
Daniel 10:13, where a demonic being is associated with the Prince of Persia.
Herod(s), Pilate, Diocletian, Nero, etc.
Acts 4:27 “Or truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, 28 to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place.

Note: I included Acts 4:27 under this point, showing man’s rebellion. However, notice that at the end of the verse, even rebellious leaders are doing what God has foreordained for them to do.

C. Governors will answer to God for their rebellion.

Illustrations: Psalm 2; Nebuchadnezzar; Belshazzar

3. God will one day replace human government.

A. The OT Prophecies a conquering Kingdom.

Daniel 2:44 And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever,
2 Samuel 7
Isaiah 9:6-7 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.
Zechariah 14:1-9 Behold, a day is coming for the Lord, when the spoil taken from you will be divided in your midst. 2 For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city shall be taken and the houses plundered and the women raped. Half of the city shall go out into exile, but the rest of the people shall not be cut off from the city. 3 Then the Lord will go out and fight against those nations as when he fights on a day of battle. 4 On that day his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley, so that one half of the Mount shall move northward, and the other half southward. 5 And you shall flee to the valley of my mountains, for the valley of the mountains shall reach to Azal. And you shall flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the Lord my God will come, and all the holy ones with him. 6 On that day there shall be no light, cold, or frost. 7 And there shall be a unique day, which is known to the Lord, neither day nor night, but at evening time there shall be light. 8 On that day living waters shall flow out from Jerusalem, half of them to the eastern sea and half of them to the western sea. It shall continue in summer as in winter. 9 And the Lord will be king over all the earth. On that day the Lord will be one and his name one.

B. The NT prophecies a conquering Kingdom.

Luke 1:33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
Rev 11:15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

Rev 12:10* And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.

Rev 17:14 They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful.
Rev 19:16 On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.

Conclusions: God has ordained government to accomplish certain tasks. However, Christians are in danger of expecting too much, misplacing their confidence, and growing distracted.

Principle #1: Government can’t accomplish genuine spiritual change.

Government controls lost men; it doesn’t produce spiritual men.

Muslim nations outlaw abortion. They won’t put up with homosexual marriage. They don’t tolerate immodesty, much less pornography. Does that make them “Christian”? Does that prepare them for eternity?

In other words, we must not expect a government—any government—to do what God sent Christ to do. We must understand government’s limitations. And we must therefore choose which we will prioritize: political movements which make life on a fallen planet more bearable, or the cause of the gospel which accomplishes spiritual change affecting all of life now and life to come.

No party or candidate can “save America.” Christians can’t “save America.” Rather, we must give priority to “saving Americans,” focusing our attention, confidence, influence, and finances on the Redeemer, not the Republicans.

God sends governors to control sinners. God sent Jesus Christ to save sinners.

Principle #2: The health and advance of Christ’s cause is not dependent on government.

Consider China. How can it be that the gospel is flourishing even as human rights and religious freedoms are being abused? How can the gospel be flourishing when adamantly opposed by both the government and the culture?

We might ask the same question of the Philippian church, the Thessalonian church, the Roman church.

Erwin Lutzer notes, “Virtually every letter in the New Testament was written to a church that was an island of righteousness in a sea of pagan values.” The had no vote, no opportunity for political activism, no freedom of religion, no Constitutional protection, etc. Yet, they turned the world upside down. How? With the power of the gospel!

Why is the gospel so ineffective in the midst of American freedom even as it thrives in Communist China?

Certainly in part because people are generally self-satisfied and well-fed.
Maybe more importantly, perhaps because the church in China isn’t trying to force non-Christians to live like Christians, isn’t exerting their best energy to change their government or its policies, is convinced that the gospel can do what politics and culture cannot.

* What will we have accomplished if we rid the world of abortion? Will more people know God? Will fewer face eternal damnation?

Christianity has thrived under emperors, monarchs, communists, dictators, & even presidents.

Principle #3: Government can’t promote Christianity. And Christians really have no business promoting government.

I’m not suggesting that we fail to be citizens. We’ll talk about that in part 2. But vote. Write your Congressman. Fine.
What I am suggestion is that we tend to be too optimistic about what a George Bush will do to help the Christian cause and too pessimistic about what a Barack Obama will do to hurt it.
The truth is, the early church thrived when the “President” was Nero, and it will do just fine regardless of who wins the upcoming election.

Principle #4: Politics (especially in America, I think) can be a distraction, if not an idol.

Christians are trying to do politically in our times what Constantine or the Crusaders tried to do militarily in their respective times—promote Christianity with merely human means!

There’s nothing new under the sun:

The Jews wanted a religion that would deal with social and political reform. Thus, they rejected Christ. Why? Because Christ didn’t come to change politics and governments—not yet. He came to give His life as a ransom for sinners and to call them to repentance.
Christ specifically repudiated the idea that His kingdom was an “of this world” thing (John 18:36) that can be advanced by human maneuvers (whether military or political).

Paul* didn’t go into notoriously wicked cities and call for moral or cultural change. He preached the gospel. Did it have an effect? Absolutely! Think of Ephesus. But His message was spiritual, not political.

Paul specifically said that our warfare is not to be fought in a merely human manner (2 Cor 10), say, with boycotts and political maneuvering and a push toward mere morality.
Non-Christian, you need Jesus Christ.
Christian, you need to prioritize the gospel, not a political agenda or candidate.

Our message is the gospel. To be a Christian doesn’t mean to be a Republican, or a Democrat, or a Conservative. It doesn’t mean that you’re an activist for small government, low taxes, free trade, or the right to bear arms. Mercy, to use a vivid picture from Erwin Lutzer, American Christians have turned the cross into “a dilapidated bulletin board cluttered with a whole host of issues” (51).

We must live like we are citizens of a “better kingdom,” one which Hebrews 12:28 describes as “a kingdom which cannot be shaken.”
We must live as the ambassadors of a better message.
We must live as the servants of a better King.

Interesting studies: How have Christians through the centuries thought of and related to government?
Wilberforce used it.
Wycliffe argued (due to Romanism) that government is over religious entities.

1. God established human government – the 2nd human institution (Genesis 9:6).

For what purpose did God ordain human government?

1. Protection. (vs. enemies outside our boarders – Gen. 14; I Sam. 8:11-12)

2. Punishment. (vs. enemies inside our boarders – Romans 13:3-4)

3. Promotion. (1 Tim 2:1,2).

Note: Is it not true that all 3 human institutions – the home, the government & the local church – carry out these functions, at least to a degree? That is especially true in the area of punishment/discipline.

2. God enthrones and controls Human Governors.

(Psalm 75:5-7; Prov. 21:1; Rom. 13:1,4; Daniel 2:36-45; 4:30, 36-37; Is. 45:1; Jer. 27:6).

3. God blesses a nation with Godly Governers…& vice versa!

(Proverbs 29:2; Esther 4:14; Nehemiah 1:11; Genesis 45:1-8; 50:20; Daniel).

Note: God also allows Satan power over nations (Ezekiel 28:11-19; Isaiah 14:4, 12; Daniel 10:20; Eph. 2:2; John 14:30).

4. God requires submission to Human Governors.

(Rom. 13:1-6; I Peter 2:13-17; Titus 3:1; I Samuel 24:5; II Samuel 1:14-17)

Note: That includes the matter of taxation – Matt. 17:24-27; 22:15-22; Romans 13:6.

5. God requires submission to Himself over human governors.

(Acts 4:19; 5:29; Exodus 1:15-22; 2:1-4; Daniel 3:1-12; 6:1-10;).

6. God permits Christians to enjoy their rights as citizens.

(Daniel 1:12; Acts 16:37-38; 21:39; 22:25-37; 25:11 & ff.).

7. God requires & answers prayer for human governors.

(I Timothy 2:1-4, 8; Nehemiah 1; Esther 4:16).

A. The Kingdom of God replaces literal Kingdoms (physical, literal, political).

2. The OT Prophecies a conquering Kingdom.

Daniel 2; Zechariah 14

3. The NT prophecies a conquering Kingdom.

Re 11:15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

Re 12:10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.

B. The Kingdom of God will have a literal King.

1. Christ will be enthroned as the King of Israel.

Then is Christ’s kingdom simply a spiritual concept, a powerful but abstract ideal? No, because He made a definite promise to His disciples that they would rule the tribes of Israel in His kingdom (Matt. 19:23,28). They apparently took Him literally (Acts 1:6).

Lu 1:33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

2. Christ will be enthroned as the King of the Universe.