God's Laws & Government (10/25/24)
Laws and government of God
Freya
10/26/2024
Most people abide by the laws of the country in which they are presently.This was no different for Israel or the new Christians in the Old and New Testament. Laws were meant to set the parameters and standards for what is right/wrong to do in the particular culture. Let's consider the following passages, taken from the New American Standard Bible:
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Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
Citizenship of Believers
When we become Christians, we become citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven as well as wherever we are citizens/foreigners here on earth (Philippians 3:20). As such we are subject to the laws of the Kingdom of Heaven as well as those in the countries where we are living or visiting. From Mark 12:17, we see Jesus pointing out such laws with regard to a poll tax when He says, “Pay to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” In this instance there is a bifurcation between the laws of heaven and earth. Yet, Jesus' comment also includes a fundamental existence of laws that apply to both kingdoms. These are the moral laws.
Biblical Laws & Government
God's laws are the moral laws on which humanity lives. The moral laws to mankind are explained by the Ten Commandments (Deuteronomy 5) and summarized by Jesus with the greatest commandment Matthew 22:35-40.
In Deuteronomy 5, Moses summarizes the creation of God's government and laws for the Israelites about to enter the Promised Land. Note that the Lord set the standards on which Israel needed to choose to live a blessed life through obedience to His laws. Much of today's criminal and civil codes were developed from the Ten Commandments.
In Deuteronomy 17:14-20, the Lord even sets forth a continuance of government for Israel, when they desire a king in the Promised Land. Turn to 1 Samuel 12 to study this concept of law and governments and contemplate the following:
Did the Israelites break any of the commandments in 1 Samuel 12? If so, which one(s)?
What did the Lord do to the Israelites? Do you think the Lord reacted reasonably? Why?
Were the Israelites blessed or cursed because of their demand? Why was such blessing or curse conditional?
Does the blessing/curse hold true today for nations? If a nation's leader(s) and law(s) go against God's moral laws, is the nation cursing/blessing itself? Explain with a current example.
Prayer Ephesians 1:17: I pray that the God of my Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give me a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him.