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.
Desiring right rule is a good desire. With rule comes benefit, so as believers in CHRIST what benefits do we seek? What benefits are we praying for? Furthermore, what does GOD have to say about government?
GOD’s Thoughts on Government
Romans 13:1 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.
This is an interesting verse to hear believers discuss, especially when their person loses. I have been in circles where this verse is used to defend their choice but totally neglected when their choice loses the election. If we believe, let’s believe it at all times, no matter how difficult that may be.
What we see in Romans 13, is that GOD has a high view of government. The Apostle Paul exhorts us to be subject to governing authorities and tells us that if they are in those positions it is because it has been instituted by GOD. Consider this—concerning taxes JESUS instructed the people to render to Caesar what is Caesar’s and render to GOD what is GOD’s. Caesar was the ruling authority at the time, instituted by GOD, and the people, even the religious people, were to be subject to his governance.
Romans 13:4-5 for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience.
GOD’s high view of government and authority is continued as we see that it’s called GOD’s servant and GOD’s avenger, depending on how you are judged. Once again GOD says to be in subjection to it and that in not being subject to it you can incur GOD’s wrath. GOD has a high view of government.
The Shoulders of Man
Even with GOD’s high view of government and the authority that GOD grants here on Earth, there is still a problem. This is the same problem presented with the perfection of Eden or the perfection of the Law: man. Eden was perfect. The Law is good and perfect, but man is flawed.
All we have ever witnessed is government upon the shoulders of man. The same man who is included in, “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of GOD.” The same man who is included in, “there is none righteous, no not one.”
We have witnessed government upon the shoulders of flawed and sinful man. Men who are great when it comes to the appearance of things, but neglect the weighty things such as justice, mercy, and faithfulness, as the Pharisees did. Government upon the shoulders of men who seek their own causes instead of the causes of others, take bribes, and operate in deceit; government upon the shoulders of men who are faulty in judgment.
Romans 13:3 states that rulers are not a terror to good conduct but to bad conduct. That is how GOD has designed it, but when man’s judgment is faulty, things can go wrong. Think of CHRIST: a man who did no wrong; was tempted in all ways and did not sin; a man who even obeyed the laws of the land and paid taxes; this man was sentenced to death by the rulers who were supposed to be a terror to the bad and not the good. It was the ruling authorities, religious and state, who administered the judgment of guilty and the penalty of death to the most innocent of all innocent.
JESUS spoke harshly to the Pharisees, who were the ruling religious authority during HIS time on earth, speaking on their greed and self-indulgence. I have no problem saying that if we go to the “secular” realm of government, rule, and authority, we will find the same problems: greed and self-indulgence.
Such things can put a bad taste in your mouth as it concerns government. Like all things, when sought to be accomplished by man you can be left wanting. Moses, David, Paul, they all did great things but at the end of the day, they could not accomplish what has been accomplished in CHRIST.
Likewise, there have been some great governing authorities throughout the course of history. These leaders have helped their nations become vast and prosperous, yet, they pale in comparison to the GOD-MAN CHRIST JESUS! Their scrawny shoulders cannot uphold the government like the broad shoulders of JESUS.
