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Where does government come from?
Genesis 1:26, Acts 17:24
God Actively Rules Heaven and Earth
What are some basic principles of government from Scripture? First, God actively rules heaven and earth. He reigns over all things. In Acts 17:24 Paul says, “The God who made the world and everything in it is Lord of heaven and earth.” Also in Psalm 103:19, it says, “The LORD has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all.” He is sovereign, he is king, he rules over this earth.
God Delegates Some of His Authority to Created Beings
God delegates some of his authority to created beings. He gives his authority to created beings, and they are to use that authority for good. Genesis 1:16 reveals that God made two great lights, the greater light to govern the day, (that’s the sun) and the lesser light to govern the night (the moon). In like manner then he creates human beings in the image of God. Genesis 1:26 says, “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.'”
This is true also in the heavenly realms, which we cannot see, nor can we perceive by our five senses. Nevertheless, we know of archangels, ruler angels who ruled over other angels. There is order in the heavenly realms. This is reflected even in terms of Satan’s kingdom, which is spoken of in terms of rulers and authorities, and powers, and dominions. So also, there is order here on earth. Ephesians 6:1-3 says, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ‘Honor your father and mother’ (this is the first commandment with a promise), that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” So, God delegates some of his authority to created beings.
God Will Judge Both Governors and Subjects
God will judge both governors and citizens, both governors and the subjects of their reign for how they carry themselves. God holds created beings accountable for their actions. He will judge kings for how they govern. He will judge their subjects or citizens for how they respond to the government. A clear example of this is in Ephesians 6:9 where it says, “Masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven and there is no favoritism with him.”
In other words, masters, you’re going to stand before your master some day and give an account for how you treated your slaves, and so therefore, handle it properly. God will bring to judgment both kings and subjects based on how they handle the relationship.
God Sovereignly Rules Over Both Governors and Subjects
In addition to the judgment mentioned above, God actively and sovereignly rules over governments day-to-day. He doesn’t just delegate to them and then let it go. Almighty God actively guides human history, ruling over all things. Jesus is the King of kings. Isn’t it marvelous to know that he is actively reigning over governments? No matter how wicked they may seem to us, and they are wicked, still Christ reigns. It says in Proverbs 21:1, “The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, he directs it like a watercourse whichever way he chooses.” And I like Daniel 7. In this chapter Daniel has a vision of the sea and up out of the sea come beasts one after the other, four beasts. Each of these beasts represents a human government, a human empire one after the other: the Babylonian Empire, the Medo-Persian Empire, the Greek Empire, the Roman Empire coming up out of the sea, one after the other. They are beasts, and he looks at it.
And it says, concerning that fourth beast (interpreted to be Rome), in Daniel 7:23-26,
“Thus he said: ‘As for the fourth beast, there shall be a fourth kingdom on earth, which shall be different from all the kingdoms, and it shall devour the whole earth, and trample it down, and break it to pieces. As for the ten horns, out of this kingdom ten kings shall arise, and another shall arise after them; he shall be different from the former ones and shall put down three kings. He shall speak words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and shall think to change the times and the law; and they shall be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time. But the court shall sit in judgment, and his dominion shall be taken away, to be consumed and destroyed to the end.’“
God actively rules over human governments day-to-day.
You see the active rule of heaven over these evil kingdoms. The best example of this is in the death of Christ. In Acts 4, the church met together to consider the escalating persecution by the Jews, the Sanhedrin, and by the Romans. And they prayed about it, and in their prayer, they quote from Psalm 2:2,“‘The kings of the earth take their stand, and the rulers gather together, against the Lord and against his Anointed one.’ Indeed, they say Herod and Pontius Pilate met together in the city with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel to conspire against your holy servant Jesus. They did what your power and will had determined ahead of time should happen” (Acts 4:26-28). God actively rules over human governments day-to-day.
Government Restrains Chaos and Evil
So, how is government a blessing from God? Well, it restrains chaos and evil. Do you remember the conquest of Baghdad by the American troops on April 9, 2003? Saddam Hussein’s statue was pulled down, perhaps the most visible symbol of the toppling of his regime. But even a wicked government has this good effect: it restrains evil and chaos. Do you remember what happened after the government was toppled, the anarchy that ruled in Baghdad? While the military pursued military targets, there really was no police force in Baghdad. The Washington Post wrote a story about a month later, May 13, 2003, and this is what it said:
The reports of carjackings, assaults, and forced evictions grew today, adding to an impression that recent improvements and security were evaporating. Fires burned anew at several Iraqi government buildings, and looting resumed at one of former President Saddam Hussein’s palaces. The sound of gunfire rattled during the night; many residents said they were keeping their children home from school during the day. Even traffic was affected as drivers ignored rules in the absence of Iraqi police, only to crash and cause tie-ups. Police officers, prohibited by US forces from carrying anything other than a side arm, are wary of confronting antagonists who can outgun them. The overall situation is further complicated by a disabled court system and a lack of functioning jails. Carjackings have been particularly frequent. A furniture salesman, Abdul Salam Hussein, said he watched through the picture window of his store as gunmen chased down a Peugeot sedan on a busy square, ordered the occupants into the street and sped away. “They had weapons,” he said. “No one could do anything to help.”
Now, the government of Saddam Hussein’s was a wicked government, evil. It’s better that it’s not there, but in the absence even of that evil government, look what happens. People’s wickedness floats to the surface; people take advantage of the situation. We saw the same in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. You see pictures or reports of looters going all over the place. Private citizens guarded their possessions with weapons, willing to gun down anybody who stepped on their property. It was anarchy. So, even bad government restrains evil and chaos. Without government, might makes right, and anarchy rules.
1 John 3:4 says, “Everyone who sins breaks the law. In fact, sin is lawlessness.” Without government, you’ll see that all over the place, sin is lawlessness. Now, some intellectuals in the West have openly espoused anarchy based on a utopian view of society and an overly optimistic view of human nature. “We can get along without government,” they say. Well, the problem is Romans 3:10-18 has already diagnosed the human heart:
“There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; no one who seeks God. All have turned away; they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.” “Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.” “The poison of vipers is on their lips.” “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.” “Their feet are swift to shed blood; ruin and misery mark their ways, and the way of peace they do not know.” “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
You take government away, and this is what you have. You’ll see it lived out right in front of you.
Without government, people’s sin nature runs wild, and loss of life, liberty, and property without due process of law occurs constantly. Without government, we Christians who are basically sheep-like, peace-loving kinds of people would have to hide in the hills as in the days of the Book of Judges with Gideon and just venture forth to see what’s left in the streets to eat and then go back up in the hills. It would be a very dangerous place to live.
(Excerpt of sermon entitled The Christian and Government, preached on April 9, 2006)
