FALLEN, IMPERFECT MEN IN GOVERNMENT AND EVERYWHERE

FALLEN, IMPERFECT MEN IN GOVERNMENT AND EVERYWHERE

Now then, obey their voice; only you shall solemnly warn them and show them the ways of the king who shall reign over them.” So Samuel told all the words of the LORD to the people who were asking for a king from him. He said, “These will be the ways of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots and to be his horsemen and to run before his chariots. And he will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and some to plow his ground and to reap his harvest, and to make his implements of war and the equipment of his chariots. He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive orchards and give them to his servants. He will take the tenth of your grain and of your vineyards and give it to his officers and to his servants. He will take your male servants and female servants and the best of your young men and your donkeys, and put them to his work. He will take the tenth of your flocks, and you shall be his slaves. And in that day you will cry out because of your king, whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the LORD will not answer you in that day.” But the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel. And they said, “No! But there shall be a king over us, that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles.” —I Samuel 8:9-20

He said therefore, “What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? It is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his garden, and it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches.” And again he said, “To what shall I compare the kingdom of God? It is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, until it was all leavened” —Luke 13;18-21

            The people were told what would happen if they had a king over them, but still, they wanted a king like the other nations.  They were told how government leadership typically works and that is why James Madison, fourth president of the United States, said, “If Men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary. In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this: you must first enable the government to control the governed; and the next place, oblige it to control itself.”  But largely, in our nation today, the government wants to govern the people, but the government does not want to govern itself.

            What does the government look like when it is self-satisfying?

• It will take the best of its youth to serve in the government’s military.
• It would have control over the food production.
• It will tax the people, but insure those in government are well taken care of.
• It will increase the number of people it employs.
• It will increase the taxing of people.

People will become dissatisfied with the government, but they still want the government to make decisions for them.  If we do not understand that “men are not angels,” then we will be deceived into thinking the government has our best interests in mind.  Government, without godly control, is self-serving and not out to serve the people.  So, beware!

On other hand, brothers and sisters, fellow followers of Jesus, our job description has not changed.  We are to be witnesses for Jesus and disciple-makers with Jesus.  His plan will go forward and multiply and permeate.  Let us rejoice that we are primarily a citizen of Heaven with a mission given while we live on this planet.  Let us be faithful in that mission until we reach our home in Heaven.  Yes, Dear Father, may this be so by the power of Your Holy Spirit and in the authority of Your Son, Jesus.  So be it! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRSGXKsv7IU