Covenanter Witness Vol. 86 - Rparchives.org

Lesson Helps for the Week of July 11Sabbath SchoolLessonForJulyll,1971GOD, THE CHRISTIAN,AND GOVERNMENTIndges 9:8-15, Jer. 1:9,10,17-19;Mark 10:43-45; Romans 13:1-7Comments by John K. GaultIn answer to question 4 of theShorter Catechism, "What is God?" weread, "God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, andunchangeable, in His being, wisdom,power, holiness, justice, goodness, andtruth." A Christian is one who makes the"acknowledgement that the Scriptures ofthe Old and New Testaments are the Wordof God and the only infallible rule of faithand life."And second,"an acknowledgmentthat the Lord Jesus Christ is the Son of Godand the only Redeemer of men; togetherwith a personal acceptance of Him asSavior and Lord."In chapter 29 of the Testimony it issaid, first, "Civil government is an ordinanceof God. Man by creation is apolitical being, to whom government isnatural and necessary. As no particularform of government is prescribed in theWord of God, any form,if adequate, isproper; yet always with the proviso that itshall duly acknowledge the authority ofGod, and conduct its affairs so as toconserve the rights of men." Second:"Sovereignty belongs to Almighty Godalone, who has committed all authority toHis Son, our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.It is the duty of every nation, in setting upits government, to acknowledge theauthority of Christ, and to enter intocovenant with Him as its King and Savior."1: Men Who Obey God's CommandmentsShould Be Chosen to RuleOver People.This thought is presented in Judges8:30-35;-9. Gideon was one of the judges ofIsrael, who delivered Israel from theoppression of the Midianites. Gideon hadmany wives by whom he begat seventysons. He also had one son by a maidservantwho lived in Shechem, and his name wasAbimelech. When Gideon had deliveredIsrael from the Midianites Israel desiredhim to be their ruler, as they said, "Rulethou over us, both thou, and thy son, andthy son's son also: for thou hast deliveredus from the hand of Midian. And Gideonsaid unto them, I will not rule over you,neither shall my son rule over you: theLord shall rule over you." They wantedGideon to establish a family dynasty overthem. But after Gideon died the childrenof Israel again went after an idol whichthey called Baalberith and they also ceasedto regard the family of Gideon who haddone so much for them.It was then that Abimelech, the sonof the maidservant, came to his mother'sfolks in Shechem and he said to them,"Whether is better for you, either that allthe sons of Jerubbaal (Gideon), which arethreescore and ten persons, reign over you,or that one reign over you? remember alsothat I am your bone and your flesh." So allof his mother's folks in Shechem decidedto follow Abimelech and they gave himseventy "pieces of silver out of the house ofBaal-berith," with which he hired a largecrowd of "vain and light persons."Abimelech and his gang of hoodlums thenwent and murdered 69 of the seventy sonsof Gideon. One only, named Jotham, hidhimself and thus saved his life. All the menof Shechem and of the fortress of Millothen rallied around Abimelech to makehim king.When Jotham heard what the peopleof Shechem had done he went to the top ofMount Gerizim at the foot of which wasthe village of Shechem, and he called tothem: "Hearken unto me, ye men ofShechem, that God may hearken unto you.The trees went forth on a time to anoint aking over them; and they said unto theolive tree, Reign thou over us. But the olivetree said unto them, Should I leave myfatness, wherewith by me they honor Godand man, and go to be promoted over thetrees? And the tree said unto them, ShouldI forsake my sweetness, and my good fruit,and go to be promoted over the trees?Then said the trees unto the vine, Comethou and reign over us. And the vine saidunto them, Should I leave my wine, whichcheereth God and man, and go to bepromoted over the trees? Then said all thetrees unto the bramble, Come thou andreign over us. And the bramble said untothe trees, If in truth ye anoint me king overyou, then come and put your trust in myshadow: andif not let fire come out of thebramble, and devour the cedars ofLebanon."Now thereforeif ye have done trulyand sincerely, in that ye have madeAbimelech king, andif ye have dealt wellwith Jerubbaal and his house, and havedone unto him according to the deservingof his hands;.. .Butif not, let fire come outfrom Abimelech, and devour the men ofShechem, and the house of Millo; and letfire come out from the men of Shechem,and from the house of Millo, and devourAbimelech. And Jotham ran away."This was a parable and a curse whichJotham declared against the men ofShechem and Abimelech. Events shortlyarose just as Jotham had predicted.Trouble arose between the men ofShechem and Abimelech and he burntthem alive. He then made an attack againstThebez and captured it, but the people ofThebez retreated into a strong tower. AsAbimelech was preparing to burn the doora woman hurled a piece of a millstonewhich struck Abimelech on the headbreaking his skull. As he was about to diehe commanded his armorbearer to kill himwith his sword lestit be said, "A womanslew him." This parable uttered by Jothamillustrates the wrong that is done whenpeople select a wicked ruler and chooseone by the wrong method. David said in 2Samuel 23:3, "He that ruleth over menmust be just, ruling in the fear of God."2: A Ruler's Work Is OftenDestructive as well as Constructive.This fact is portrayed in Jeremiah1:9,10. Now Jeremiah was a prophet and nota civil ruler. But he was the spiritual rulerover the nation and that which he saidwould happen to the country did surelyhappen. Upon his commission God said tohim, "See, I have this day set thee over thenations and over the kingdoms, to root out,and to plant." Jeremiah, therefore, was auniversal ruler, for God had set him overall the nations and kingdoms of the earth.He was commissioned to eradicate fromthe land all that was evil and he was to"build and to plant" all that was good. Civilrulers very often fail in each of these twocategories. In the United States, today,there is much to eradicate and there ismuch to initiate.3: A Christian Should Denounce theNation's Sins and Be Unafraid.God told the youthful and inexperiencedJeremiah to take such an attitudebefore the wicked people and kingsof Judah. He said, "Thou therefore gird upthy loins, and arise and speak unto them allthat I command thee: be not dismayed attheir faces, lest I confound thee beforethem. For, behold, I have made thee thisday a defenced city and an iron pillar, andbrasen walls against the whole land, againstJUNE 16. 1971II