God's Plan for Civil Government – Part 12 - Does God's Word command us to obedience in all cases? (4rd Session)

In January through April of 2012 I led a Bible Study on the Bible and Civil Government. It lasted 13 weeks. These lessons are being posted on a website (link below)

The Lessons are a bit long for people to read on facebook, so the lessons are being posted on facebook in shorter pieces.

We continue to study the question: “Does God’s Word command us to obedience in all cases?”

I hope it has become clear that there are “limits” to our Christian duty to government. This is very important in today’s world and in the future as we approach the End of Age events revealed in the Bible. This part will conclude looking at Scripture to answer the above question. Later parts will look at what the Scripture tells us about how and when to not “obey” government.

Esther breaks Persian law that could draw a death sentence

Knowing that a plot was in process to murder all of the Jews in Persia, Esther violates the Persian law concerning entering the king’s court which could result in a death sentence. This act of civil disobedience was not done after being ordered to commit an unGodly act by her governing authorities, but to prevent one.

Chapter Verse	King James Version
4:11	All the king's servants, and the people of the king's provinces, do know, that whosoever, whether man or women, shall come unto the king into the inner court, who is not called, there is one law of his to put him to death, except such to whom the king shall hold out the golden sceptre, that he may live: but I have not been called to come in unto the king these thirty days.
5:1	Now it came to pass on the third day, that Esther put on her royal apparel, and stood in the inner court of the king's house, over against the king's house: and the king sat upon his royal throne in the royal house, over against the gate of the house.
5:2	2And it was so, when the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, that she obtained favour in his sight: and the king held out to Esther the golden sceptre that was in his hand. So Esther drew near, and touched the top of the sceptre.

 

Conclusion: There are certainly examples of civil disobedience in the Scripture that received God’s Blessing. In the example of the Hebrew midwives and Rehab they received God’s Blessing even after telling a lie. Thus any interpretation of Romans 13:1-7 that concludes obedience in all cases is incorrect. Other examples also demonstrate clearly that disobedience to a command to do something contrary to the Word of God has received God’s Blessing. The examples of Esther and Azariah demonstrate God’s Blessing on disobedience to authorities or prevailing law that is committed to prevent an action contrary to God’s Word. The modern day interpretations of Romans 13:1-7 would define such actions as in disobedience to God. The modern day interpretations are either incomplete or incorrect.

Next week we will move on to the fourth question:

Next: Part 13 - Did our Founding Fathers deliberately violate God's Word?