Category: Government

‘GOVERNMENTAL’ CONTROL AND THE CHURCH, THE ISRAEL OF GOD (PART 4)

In the twilight of Samuel’s ministry to the nation of Israel, the people cried out for a king to rule over them. They wanted to be like the other nations. Much to the displeasure of Samuel, God told Samuel to “Heed their voice”. In I Samuel 8 God states that three times. God told Samuel that the people were not rejecting him, they were rejecting Him.

Does that have a familiar ring? (See John 15:18-23)

God told them that there would be ‘governmental’ controls (I Samuel 8:10-17).

In the Mosaic Covenant, Deuteronomy 17:14-20, God knowing what the people intended to do once they came “into the land which the Lord your God is giving you, and possess it and dwell in it”, the people will say “I will set a king over me like all the nations that are around me.” In verse 15, God confirms that that will indeed take place; and God goes on to say (BUT) that king will be the one “whom the Lord your God chooses; one from among your brethren you shall set as king over you; you may not set a foreigner over you, who is not your brother.” In verses 16-17, God states how the king should not conduct himself, listing two things that he should not do. In verse 18-20, God states what the king will do. What is the purpose of the do’s and don’ts? God is stating guidelines for success. (See Deuteronomy 17:14-20) (emphasis mine)

When you have a king, ‘governmental’ controls are not out of the question. They are to be expected. The issue becomes whether or not the king or leader will follow God’s guidelines for success. This is the same guideline the Lord gave to Joshua when he assumed the leadership role of the nation of Israel after Moses died. (See Joshua 1:1-9) Joshua 1:8 (NKJV) tells Joshua what is the foundation for his success. It says, “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall mediate in it day and night that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make you way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” This was the word given to Joshua to establish his ‘governmental’ control. This should be the same foundation that any ‘king’ of Israel should follow.

Saul, a Benjamite, was chosen by God to be the first king of Israel. Saul was a reluctant recipient. When the time came for him to be publicly proclaimed as king, he tried to hide himself. That didn’t work . He was found and the people ‘gawked’ over his outward appearance. I Samuel 10:24, (NKJV) “And Samuel said to all the people, “Do you see him whom the Lord has chosen, that there is not one like him among all the people?” So all the people shouted and said, “Long live the king!” Verse 25 says, “Then Samuel explained to the people what to expect regarding the behavior of their royalty and wrote it in a book and laid it up before the Lord. And Samuel sent all the people away, every man to his own house.”

Israel has a king; everyone was sent home; we have a ‘new’ normal.

My Study Bible includes this commentary regarding verse 25, “The behavior of royalty is a prophetic description of how the monarchy, here established, is to conduct itself in relationship to the law and the covenant of God.” [ I submit this corresponds to what the Lord said to Joshua in Joshua 1:8, and references what God foretold in Deuteronomy 17.]

In order to grasp the seriousness of Israel’s request to have a king, you need to read carefully, I Samuel 12:1-25. This was Samuel’s rebuke to the nation of Israel, after Saul was coronated as king. [We will consider these words in the next BLOG]. I would compare Samuel’s words to the words of Stephen, in Acts 7, when Stephen was falsely accused of undermining the Jewish nation by “…doing great wonders and signs among the people.” (TLV)

Standing in the midst of the Sanhedrin, the high priest asked Stephen if the accusations of the (false) witnesses were true? He outlined to those in attendance a detailed history of the nation of Israel. He began with the calling of Abraham and ended with scathing words regarding Israel’s reaction to the coming of the Messiah; and then he compared them to their fathers who had killed the prophets who had foretold of the coming the Messiah. The crowd reacted violently to his words and stoned him to death. (insert mine)

Acts 7:54-56 (TLV) records, “When they heard these things, they became enraged and began gnashing their teeth at him. But Stephen, full of the Rauch ha-Kodesh (the Holy Spirit) gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God–and Yeshua standing at the right hand of God. And he said, “Look I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!” ” (insert mine)

Stephen had pointed out Israel’s total failure to recognize that the Promised Messiah had come; just as Samuel pointed out to Israel their failure to keep God as their King. Israel rejected God and His ‘governmental’ control ministered through Samuel. The Jews had rejected Jesus not recognizing Him as their Promised Messiah.

When Israel rejected Christ, they had rejected God. When Israel rejected Samuel, they had rejected God. Saul was the first king of Israel. Christ is the firstborn from the dead and the King of the (NEW) Israel of God. (emphasis mine)

B.U.T. Believers Understand This,

Galatians 6: 15-17 (NKJV), Paul writes, “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avail anything but a new creation. And as many as walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the ISRAEL OF GOD. From now on let no one trouble me, for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.” (emphasis mine) We, as believers in Christ, are, NOW, the Israel of God. We have a King. He is the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the King of the Kingdom of God. As believers in Christ, we have a new Covenant with God. It is a Covenant of Grace. We are under His ‘governmental’ control. That is not a bad thing. In fact, it is a noble thing. Our Lord is a Righteous God, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. He alone is worthy of our praise. He has been given authority over all. He sits at the right hand of God the Father in Heaven. He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. He is the One who alone is worthy to open the seals of the scroll. It is said of Him, in heaven, “You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and have made us, kings and priests to our God, and we shall reign on earth.” Revelation 5:9-10 (NKJV) (emphasis mine)

This is the One, Israel rejected. This is the One, Stephen proclaimed. Jesus is King. “OLD things have passed away, behold all things have become NEW.” This is a radical NEW normal. (emphasis mine)

Let us reflect on the real ‘governmental’ control.

Who is in absolute ‘governmental’ control ?

The Lord Jesus Christ, rules and reigns.

As believers in Christ Jesus, we know and understand that when God, the Father, raised His Son from the dead, “that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:10,11 NKJV)

In Ephesians 1:20-23 (NKJV), it says, “…He (God) raised Him (Jesus) from the dead and seated Him at the right hand in the heavenly places, far over above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named not only in this age but also in that which is to come. And He put all things under His feet and gave Him to be head over all things to the church which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.” (inserts mine)

After His resurrection, prior to His ascension, Jesus told His disciples, (Matthew 28:18, (NKJV), “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.”

The Lord Jesus Christ has been given all ‘governmental’ control. He is the King of the Kingdom. He is the Head of the Church, the Body of Christ, the (NEW) Israel of God. (insert mine)

Psalm 2:1-6 (NKJV) asks a question, and gives us an answer: God’s perspective of His ‘governmental’ control.

Why do the nations rage, and the people plot a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves , and the rulers take counsel together, Against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying, “Let us break Their bonds in pieces And cast away Their cords from us.” He who sits in the heavens shall laugh: The Lord shall hold them in derision, Then He shall speak to them in His wrath, And distress them in His deep displeasure; Yet I have set My King On My holy hill in Zion.”

Hebrews 12:18-29 (TLV) gives us a summary of the two covenants, the OLD and the NEW. (emphasis mine)

“For you have not come to a mountain that can be touched, and to a blazing fire, and to darkness and gloom and storm, and to the blast of a shofar and a voice whose words made those who heard it beg that not another word be spoken to them. For they could not bear what was commanded: If even an animal touches the mountain, it shall be stoned. So terrifying was the sight that Moses said, “I am quaking with fear.”

But you have come to Mount Zion–to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, a joyous gathering, and to the assembly of the of the firstborn who are written in a scroll in heaven, and to God the Judge of all and to the spirits of the righteous ones made perfect, and to Yeshua, the Mediator of a NEW covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks of something better than the blood of Able! (emphasis mine)

See to it that you do not refuse the One who is speaking! For if they did not escape when they refused the One who was warning them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject the One who warns us from heaven. His voice shook the earth then, but now he has promised, saying, “yet once more I will shake not only the earth, but also the heavens.” Now this phrase, “Yet once more”, shows the removal of those things that are shaken–this is, created things–so that what cannot be shaken may remain.

Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude-through this we may offer worship in a manner pleasing to God, with reverence and awe. For our God is a consuming fire.”

Rejoice, Our God reigns. Our God rules the nations. Our Lord is King of the Kingdom. Our Lord is the Head of the Church, the Body of Christ.

The Godhead is the ‘governmental’ control of the universe.

As such, God’s Word exhorts us, Romans 13:1,2, (TLV), “Let every person submit himself to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist are put in place by God. So whoever opposes the authority has resisted God direction, and those who have resisted will bring judgment on themselves.”

Remember, OLD things have passes away, and all things have become NEW.

Do you believe that in 2021? How do I live this out? What if I do not ‘like’ those in “governmental’ control? Do I just do what Samuel told Israel to do, ‘go home’.

What happened next I Samuel 12? tbc

ENTER SAMUEL, TIME FOR TRANSITION: NOW WHO IS IN CONTROL? (PART 3)

As bleak as the title might sound, our God is always in control. It is impossible for Him not to be in control. So why is the subject of ‘Who is in Control” being discussed? Because it is the issue of the universe. In Genesis, Satan approaches Eve (Genesis 3:1 NKJV). “Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, “You shall not eat of every tree of the garden?””

There it is! The issue of ‘governmental’ control. Plain and simple, but profoundly deadly. The result of Adam and Eve’s decision to ‘put off’ the ‘governmental’ control of God, willfully disobeying God’s Word, transformed mankind into a humanity that is lost and without hope apart from God’s love and grace. Adam and Eve hid “from the presence of the Lord God among the tress of the garden”. God sought them out and “called out to them”. Jesus said, that He had come to seek and save the lost. That is the heart of the Father. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosever would believe in Him would not perish but have everlasting life.” (John3:16)

The story of mankind; God’s dealings with people; the formation of the nation of Israel; the coming of Christ; the Cross; Christ’s death, burial, resurrection and ascension; the institution of the Church; and the return of Christ are the broad panorama of God’s dealings with Adam and Eve’s decision to pursue their own ‘governmental’ control.

What began in the garden and what we have previously considered in the two previous BLOGs, lays a foundation as we enter Israel’s history in the life of Samuel, who was both a judge and a prophet to Israel.

Samuel is approaching the end of his life, I Samuel 8:1 says, “Now it came to pass when Samuel was very old that he made his sons judges over Israel.” One would assume that this was a good thing. However, this was not the way Israel viewed it. Why? I Samuel 8:3 tells us, “But his sons did not walk in his ways; they turned aside after dishonest gain, took bribes, and perverted justice.” This is definitely not a good resume’ for the leadership of God’s people. It is, however, a foreshadowing of the type of leadership the nation of Israel was going to have in their history.

The elders of the nation approach Samuel and “said to him, “Look, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now, make us a king to judge us like all the nations.” (I Samuel 8:5, NKJV) Do you remember the final words of the book of Judges? Judges 22:25 says, “in those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”

This mindset was in the heart of the nation. It had manifested itself in the lives of the sons of Samuel. And now, the nation of Israel seeks to set aside the office of ‘judge’ and embrace the office of ‘king’. But what kind of king? One like the nations that co-exist with them.

Let me include here some commentary from my Study Bible. “It is well established in Israel that God intended they they (God’s people) should have a king. Gen. 49:10 specifies that the chosen dynasty would be from the tribe of Judah. Specific guidelines for setting up a king are stated in Deut. 17. The displeasure of God is based on their motives to be like all the nations.” (my insert)

I Samuel 8:6 says, ” But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” So Samuel prayed to the Lord..” (NKJV)

Throughout the book of Judges, Israel’s history was one of obedience and disobedience toward God. God used judges to exercise His ‘governmental’ control. In the days of Samuel, Israel petitioned Samuel for a king like the nations surrounding them. In spite of Samuel’s displeasure, God said to him, I Samuel 8:7 (NKJV), “Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them.” What does God understand? Israel does not want His ‘governmental’ control.

I Samuel 8:8 is very insightful regarding the people’s heart and their relationship to God as His people.

It says, (NKJV), “According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even unto this day–with which they have forsaken Me and served other gods–so they are doing to you also.”

God says, nothing has changed in their heart since that first day I delivered Israel out of Egypt. I Samuel 8 is a very solemn chapter. Three times in the chapter, God says to Samuel, “Heed their voice”. God knows they want their way and He is going to allow them to have their own way. God reveals to Samuel what he is to communicate to the people regarding the behavior of a king ruling over them. Samuel delivers God’s Word to them.

Read I Samuel 8:10-18.

In verse 18, Samuel says to the people (NKJV), “And you will cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves and the Lord will not hear you in that day.”

Verse 19 seems to indicate that there was a tension brewing between Samuel and the people. The people heard God’s message through Samuel. Their reaction was, “Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel, and they said, “No, but we will have a king over us,”

(Sounds intense to me), then verse 20,” 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.” May I suggest that it appears that the nation of Israel has taken control. And God has permitted it. One may ask, How do you come to that conclusion? My response is that three times God said to Samuel, “Heed their voice”.

The last time that God says that to Samuel comes in verse 22. Let’s conclude our thoughts with I Samuel 8:21, 22. (KNJV).”And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he repeated them in the hearing of the Lord. So the Lord said to Samuel, “Heed their voice”, and make them a king.” And Samuel said to the men of Israel, “Every man to to his city.”

The scene is set. Now what?

I want to add a personal thought. I am not an advocate of Christian Nationalism. However, as I composed this blog and read the scripture, I could not help but wonder whether or not God has allowed this nation to have ‘leadership’ that is like the nations of this world. Is He permitting this nation to pursue a system of ‘governmental’ control like other nations in this world because we want it? Personally, I do not want it. I am asking the Lord to remove the grave clothes that are being wrapped around this nation and resurrect our republic. May the Lord be merciful to us.

tbc