Civil Government: Magistracy, Authority, and Romans 13: Christian & Civil Government

The Bible & Treason

Transcript: AI Transcript

Professor: John Weaver

Subject: Civil Government

Genre: Sermon

Dictation Name:

Date: 2004-10-10

Synopsis: John Weaver examines the biblical concept of treason by comparing the accounts of Zimri (1 Kings 16) and Athaliah (2 Kings 11). He argues that Zimri's murder of King Elah was treason because he acted without divine or popular authorization, whereas Jehoiada's resistance to Athaliah was justice, not treason, because she was an unlawful usurper. Weaver extends the principle to modern civil government, asserting that allegiance is owed only to the constitutional republic, and that resisting an unlawful, unauthorized government is not treason but obedience to God. The highest treason, he concludes, is against God Himself.

[John Weaver] I'm going to bring a message today which is probably a little unusual. The title of the message is The Bible and Treason. Lord willing, next week I'm going to be bringing a message which I hope everyone in here will be anxious to hear. And the title of the message is Why God Does Not Answer Most Prayers. And it's very revealing once you see it. It's so plain in scripture. But the message today is the Bible and treason. And let me tell you that I don't just a lot of times sit down and say, well, I'm going to preach on such and such subject. Sometimes that does happen, but usually the messages come just as I do my own private reading and private devotion. In other words, I see something that piques my curiosity and I said, well, let me check into that. And then that's how a message develops. And I was reading through 1 Kings and 2 Kings, and I came across the word treason. And once I got to it the second time, I thought, well, I wonder how many times the Bible speaks about treason.

[John Weaver] And then Hobie came over one day, and he kind of helped me with this message because we kind of sounded it back and forth off each other. And I thought, you know, most people have probably never thought this thing through. I want to just kind of share it with you from the Bible. So we're going to look in First Kings chapter 16 at verse 20. Now we're going to be looking at a lot of scriptures. First Kings 16 verse 20. Look what the Bible says about Zimri. Now the rest of the acts of Zimri and his treason that he wrought, are they not written in the book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? Note the Bible specifically talks about the treason which Zimri wrought. Now, if you look at 2 Kings 11 and verse 14, you'll read now about Athaliah, and we'll come back and get the context of all of these passages. 2 Kings 11, verse 14, And when she looked, behold, the king stood by a pillar, as the manor was, and the princes and the trumpeters by the king, and all the people of the land rejoiced and blew with trumpets.

[John Weaver] And Athaliah rent her clothes and cried, Treason, treason. Treason is a word that reeks of treachery, subterfuge, espionage, and death. Treason is usually a word or a term that is associated with such names as Judas, Benedict Arnold, and the Rosenbergs. I'm not sure that you are aware of this, but treason is one of the few crimes that is specifically mentioned in the United States Constitution, and treason is also defined in that document.

[John Weaver] Now, while many people are aware of the political ramifications of treason, most of us are woefully ignorant of what the Bible teaches upon the subject. The word treason actually occurs five times in our Bible, and then only in three passages. However, the root word for treason is the Hebrew word kesher, which is translated treason five times. It is translated conspiracy nine times and confederacy two times. So it can be specific and it can also be a very broad term as well.

[John Weaver] Now, according to my understanding of history, I believe I'm correct in saying this. That since the inception of our Constitution, only about 30 people have ever been charged with treason in our Republic. Now, our United States Constitution, in Article 3, Section 3, describes treason as follows.

[John Weaver] Now, it's very important that you listen to this because there are going to be some biblical implications in just a moment. But here's what the United States Constitution says concerning treason. Treason against the United States shall consist only in levying war against them or in adhering to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort. No person shall be convicted of treason unless on the testimony of two witnesses to the same overt act or on confession in open court. The Congress shall have power to declare the punishment of treason, But no attainer of treason shall work corruption of blood or forfeiture except during the life of the person attainted." Now, I'm going to explain that in just a moment. But I want you to note, according to the United States Constitution, in order to be convicted of treason, there must be at least one overt act. That is, one open public act. Not only must there be one open act, there must also be two witnesses to confirm that act, or at least a confession in open court.

[John Weaver] Now, one of the most noticeable things about this definition in the United States Constitution that struck me was this. I want you to note the plurality that is used in defining the United States. Listen again. Treason against the United States shall consist only in levying war against them. Not it, but them, in adhering to their enemies. In other words, treason then was against one of the numerous states that had entered into this agreement, and not necessarily against a federalized bureaucracy.

[John Weaver] The point I'm trying to make is very important. Treason against the United States shall consist, it said, against them, and adhering to their enemies. So evidently, initially then, the crime of treason was against any of the Confederated States, individually or collectively, which made up the United States. Now it is true that only Congress then had the power to declare the punishment of treason, but originally, I hope you remember this, Congress was to represent the United States. May I point out the fact and fit it rather bluntly, that the federal government did not create the states, but the states created the federal government. And so therefore, Congress then, was to represent those confederated states. That's why the definition says, against them, plural, or adhering to their enemies. So the states were the master, and the federal government was the servant. Thus, basically, and according to the definition that I just gave you from the United States Constitution, any attempt then to overthrow the union of the states and subvert the Constitution of the United States, which was the glue binding the states together, was or should be considered as treason.

[John Weaver] In other words, treason then, basically speaking, was an act against our constitutional republic. Do you understand that? You remember the Constitution was accepted in 1789. In 1789, we had a constitutional republic.

[John Weaver] Now, if we meditate upon this line of thought, just even momentarily, we can come up with a number of names, I'm sure, that would have qualified for the crime of treason. The first name that comes to my mind automatically would be President Abraham Lincoln, because Lincoln destroyed the Union in order to preserve the Union. He overthrew the Constitution of the United States and was responsible for dissolving the Union by unconstitutional acts. And lest you want to argue with me, may I point out the fact that Abraham Lincoln himself confessed to and acknowledged six constitutional violations when he tried to get the Congress to ratify his unconstitutional acts, which they did not and would not. So Abraham Lincoln knew very well that he was seeking to overthrow the Constitution.

[John Weaver] Now, the interesting thing is this. I'm sure that if you and I were to think, probably a lot of modern day names could be added to that list as well. Do you realize that any civil ruler who attempts to overthrow the Constitution of the United States is guilty of treason? What we have failed to remember is this. It is not just simply a citizen that can be guilty of treason. It can also be a civil ruler. Anyone who seeks to overthrow the Constitution of the United States would be guilty of treason in that sense that they are seeking to overthrow the Constitutional Republic.

[John Weaver] Let me make a further statement before I go on, on Article 3 and Section 3. When the Constitution states, but no attainder of treason shall work corruption of blood or forfeiture except during the life of the person attainted.

[John Weaver] Now what in the world does that mean? Well, attainder of treason was a practice in Europe, which was forbidden in the United States. An attainder of treason was this. Let's suppose Ed committed an act of treason. Well, an attainer of treason then would mean this, that not only would Ed be punished, but so would his wife, so would his children, so would any member of his family.

[John Weaver] In other words, whether they had anything to do with it or not is immaterial. In other words, the family then was ostracized and banished as traitors. And any inheritance they might have, of course, would certainly be dissolved. In other words, it would be totally unbiblical in the sense that you would be punishing other people for something they did not do.

[John Weaver] Now, the scripture is very plain on that, because the Bible says in Ezekiel chapter 18 and verse 20, God said, the soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither the father bear the iniquity of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him. So God said the son is not to die for the crimes of the father, nor the father to die for the crimes of the sins of the son. Every man shall die for his own sin.

[John Weaver] That is why our Constitution said there shall be no attained or treason. In other words, if Ed is guilty of treason, Ed is convicted, Ed is condemned, not Eddie. Not Dixie, not Carrick, not anybody else in his family.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to understand, look in your Bibles to 2nd Kings chapter 14 in verse 6. This was understood and carried out by numerous individuals who wanted to do that which was right. Of course, it was certainly overlooked by those who wanted to do what was wrong. But in 2nd Kings chapter 14 in verse 6, you have a statement there concerning King Amaziah of Judah. He was avenging the murder of his father, and here the Bible says, well let's read verse 5, and it came to pass as soon as the kingdom was confirmed in his hand that he slew his servants who had slain the king, his father. But the children of the murderers he slew not.

[John Weaver] According to that which was written in the book of the law of Moses, wherein the law commanded, saying, The father shall not be put to death for the children, nor the children be put to death for their fathers, but every man shall be put to death for his own sin. So I want to do what was right. And so those who murdered his father, he put to death. Those who had no hand in it, he allowed them to live, even though they were the children of the murderers.

[John Weaver] So very obviously, then, there is a biblical principle here. Now, let me give you just a quick historical overview before we get to the Bible. I took this from Black's Law Dictionary, the sixth edition, and this is very important. I'm going to give you several definitions and explanations of treason, but I want you to listen to what Black's Law Dictionary says concerning treason. Treason, a breach of allegiance to one's government, usually committed through levying war against such government or by giving aid or comfort to the enemy. Now here's the important part. The offense of attempting by overt acts, that is open acts, to overthrow the government of the state to which the offender owes allegiance, or of betraying the state in the hands of foreign power. And then he goes on and gives the constitutional statement that treason consists of two elements, adhering to the enemy and rendering him aid and comfort, and that a person can only be convicted of treason upon the testimony of two witnesses or confession in open court. Then he goes on and shows how there are different types of treason.

[John Weaver] There is constructive treason, which is treason imputed to a person by law from his conduct or course of actions, though his deeds really do not amount to treason. And, of course, that doctrine is not particularly known in the United States, but it is in England. then there is high treason, which we don't have particularly, because in English law, that then was treason against the king, or treason against the queen, or some magisterial person. But there was one that I did find exceedingly interesting, and that definition was for pettit treason. You know, we have a grand jury and we have a pettit jury? Listen to this, pettit treason, in old English law, the crime committed by a wife in killing her husband, or a servant his lord or master, or an ecclesiastic his lord or ordinary. So then, very obviously, what he is saying is that pettitreason then involved a wife killing the husband, a servant his lord, or someone else killing a higher authority. That was just simply known as pettitreason. I've given you very quickly a brief political and historical overview of treason.

[John Weaver] But here's the question. What does the Bible have to say about treason? In order to answer that question, I want us to look closely at and compare 1 Kings 16 and 2 Kings 14. Now look in 1 Kings 16 and verse 20, because here the Bible says Now, the rest of the acts of Zimri and his treason that he wrought, are they not written in the book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? Now, note, if you would please, the Bible specifically calls the acts of Zimri treason and that which he wrought. Now, in order to understand that, let's begin reading in verse 8. Let's get down. First Kings 16, verse 8. And in the twenty-sixth year of Asa, king of Judah, began Elah, the son of Baasha, to reign over Israel and Terza two years. And his servant Zimri, captain of half his chariots, conspired against him as he was in Terza, drinking himself drunk in the house of Arza, steward of his house in Terza. And Zimri went in and smote him and killed him in the twenty-seventh year of Asa, king of Judah, and reigned in his stead.

[John Weaver] And it came to pass when he began to reign, as soon as he sat on the throne, that he slew all the house of Baasha, and he left not one that pisseth against the wall, neither his kinfolks nor his friends." Now, let me just stop there. When I read that, there's no reason to be embarrassed about that. There's no reason to be, you know, a kid's he-he-he. That was just simply a graphic and a pictorial way of saying he's going to kill every male there in that family. You're going to see that several times in as you read through the history of the keys that this is there. All right. So just say you don't kill every man there. All right. Neither of his kin, folks, nor his friends.

[John Weaver] Thus did Zimri destroy all the house of Baal Shem, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake against Baal Shem by Jacob, the prophet. Now watch for all the sins of Baal Shem, the sins of Eli, his son. by which they sin, and by which they made Israel to sin, in provoking the Lord God of Israel to anger with their vanities. Now the rest of the acts of Elah and all that he did are they not written in the book of the Chronicles of the kings of Israel? In the twenty-seventh year of Asa, king of Judah, did Zimri reign seven days in Terzah, and the people were encamped against Gibbathon, which belonged to the Philistines. And the people that were encamped heard say Zimri had conspired and had also slain the king. Wherefore, all Israel made Omri the captain and host king over Israel that day in the camp. And Omri went up from Gibbathon, and all Israel with him, and they besieged Terza. It came to pass, when Zimri saw that the city was taken, that he went into the palace of the king's house, and burnt the king's house over him with fire, and died.

[John Weaver] For his sins which he sinned into an evil in the sight of the Lord, and walking in the way of Jeroboam, and his sin which he did to make Israel sin. Now the rest of the acts of Zimri, and his treason which he wrought, Are they not written in the books of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?

[John Weaver] Now, the interesting thing is this. Zimri murders Elah, who was the son of Baasha. Now, it is true that Elah was a wicked and an ungodly king. In fact, all of the northern rulers were wicked and ungodly. So while Elah was in the process of drinking himself drunk, Zimri seized the opportunity and murdered the king.

[John Weaver] Now let me ask you a question. What made Zimri's acts unlawful and treasonous? Certainly murder is wrong. Self-will is wrong. And I am sure that the only reason that Zimri had in killing Elah was to elevate himself, usurp authority, and to steal the kingdom for himself. In all probability, he had no desire to serve God. In fact, we already know that. The scripture tells us that. And he had no desire to serve the people. He only wanted to serve himself. So how is it, then, that Zimriah's act of killing a wicked, ungodly Reparate king could be called and classified as treason? Well, one of the main problems was the murder of Elah. with the murder of Elah was this, that he did have some legitimacy to his rule.

[John Weaver] Now let me explain that. Every time I use that word now, Alice and I met a pastor friend who was from Yugoslavia, and he was talking to me, and we talked for a few minutes, and I could not follow what he was saying, although he was speaking plainly, of course he had an accent, And he began to talk about some legitimacy. Legitimacy, there's no legitimacy. What is he saying? Then it dawned on me, that's how he's pronouncing legitimacy, you know, legitimacy, but it's legitimacy.

[John Weaver] So after I figured that out, then we were able to communicate. So I'm saying that Eli did have some legitimacy then. He did have a little legitimacy. In order to understand that, you must understand that God, had originally given Jeroboam ten of the twelve tribes.

[John Weaver] Now, let's go back in our Bibles to 1 Kings 11, beginning there in verse 26. 1 Kings 11, verse 26. Let me just show you the legitimacy that Elah had. 1 Kings 11, verse 26. Here is where God separates the southern kingdom and the northern kingdom. 1 Kings 11, verse 26. And Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, the Ephraithide of Zerida, Solomon's servant, whose mother's name was Zerua, what a woman, even he lifted up his hand against the king. And this was the cause that lifted up his hand against the king. Solomon built Milo and repaired the breaches of the city of David his father. And the man Jeroboam was a mighty man of valor. And Solomon, seeing the young man that he was industrious, he made him ruler over the charge of the house of Joseph. It came to pass at that time, when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, that the prophet Ahijah the Shillonite found him in the way, and he had clad himself with a new garment, and they too were alone in the field.

[John Weaver] And Ahijah caught the new garment that was on him, and rent it into twelve pieces. And he said to Jeroboam, Take thee ten pieces. For thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel, Behold, I will rent the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and will give ten tribes to thee. But he shall have one tribe for my servant David's sake, and for Jerusalem's sake, the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, because they have forsaken me and worshipped Ashtaroth, the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh, the god of the Moabites, Milcom, the god of the children of Ammon, and have not walked in my ways to do that which is right in my eyes, and to keep my statutes and my judgments, as did David his father. Howbeit I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand, but I will make him prince all the days of his life for David my servant's sake, whom I chose because he kept my commandments and my statutes. But I will take the kingdom out of his son's hand and will give it unto the even ten tribes.

[John Weaver] And unto his son will I give one tribe, that David my servant may have a light always before me in Jerusalem in the city, which I have chosen to put my name there." So ten of the twelve tribes, by God's direction were given them to Jeroboam. Now, you know what Jeroboam did. Jeroboam made all Israel to sin because he made those two golden calves. He put one in Dan and the other in Bethel. He said, these be thy gods, O Israel. You don't have to go down to Jerusalem and worship. You just worship right here.

[John Weaver] So what does God do? God now pronounces judgment against Jeroboam and against his lineage for his apostasy. Look in 1 Kings chapter 14, beginning there with verse 10. 1 Kings 14 verse 10. God says, therefore, behold, I will bring evil against the house of Jeroboam and will cut off from Jeroboam him that pitted against the wall and him that is shut up and left in Israel and will take away the remnant of the house of Jeroboam as a man taken away, dung till it all be gone. Him that dieth of Jeroboam in the city shall the dogs eat, and him that dieth in the field shall the fowls of the air eat, for the Lord hath spoken it. Arise thou therefore, get thee to thine own house, and when thy feet enter into the city, the child shall die. And all Israel shall mourn for him and fear him, for he only of Jeroboam shall come to the grave, because in him found some good thing toward the Lord God of Israel and the house of Jeroboam.

[John Weaver] Moreover, now watch, Moreover, the Lord shall raise him up a king over Israel, who shall cut off the house of Jeroboam that day. But what even now? For the Lord shall smite Israel as a reed is shaken in the water. He shall root up Israel out of this good land which he gave to their fathers, and shall scatter them beyond the river, because they have made their groves, provoking the Lord to anger. And he shall give Israel up because of the sins of Jeroboam, who did sin and who made Israel to sin. Now, the interesting thing is, once God pronounces judgment against the house of Jeroboam, guess who the man that God raised up to smite the house of Jeroboam was? It was Baasha.

[John Weaver] So look in your Bibles to 1 Kings chapter 15, beginning there with verse 27. And Baasha, the son of Ahijah of the house of Issachar, conspired against him As against Nadab, the son of Jeroboam, conspired against him, and Baal shall smote him at Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines. For Nadab and all his related seats to Gibbethon. Even in the third year of Asa, king of Judah, did Baal shall slay him and reign in his stead. And it came to pass, when he reigned, that he smote all the house of Jeroboam, He left not to Jeroboam any that breathed, until he destroyed him, according unto the saying of the Lord, which he spake by his servant Ahijah the Shillonite, because of the sins of Jeroboam, which he sinned, and which

[John Weaver] made Israel sin by his provocation, whereof he provoked the Lord God of Israel to anger." Now, the rest of the Acts of Nadab and all they did are written in the book of the Chronicles of the kings of Israel. And there was war between Asa and Bashar all the days of their lives. Now, so you see, Bashar now has been raised up by God. to slay Jeroboam and all of his house.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to look in verse two of First Kings chapter 16. Look in First Kings 16, verse two. In fact, let's read verse one. Then the word of the Lord came to Jehu, the son of Hanani, against Baal, saying, Now look, for as much as I exalted thee out of the dust, and made thee prince over my people Israel, and thou hast walked in the way of Jeroboam, and hast made my people Israel to sin, and

[John Weaver] to broke me to anger with their sins." Who was it that said that he exalted Baal Shem out of the dust and raised him up? It was God. In other words, God made Baal Shem king in the place of Jeroboam and in the place of Nebat. So since Elah was the son of Baasha, whom God had raised up specifically to cleanse the house of Jeroboam, Elah was his son, and therefore there was some legitimacy to his reign.

[John Weaver] You know what the Bible says in Psalm 75 and verse 6? For promotion cometh neither from the north, nor from the south, nor from the east, nor from the west, But it is God who is the judge. He put it up one, and He taketh down another. So what did God do? God is the one that put up Jeroboam and Nadab, and God took them down. God is the one that put up Baasha and Elah, and God took them down.

[John Weaver] Now, the problem with Zimri is this. Zimri was neither chosen by God nor the people to do what he did. Look down to verse 16. And the people that were encamped heard say, Zimri had conspired and also had slain the king, whereof all Israel made Amri the captain of the host, king over Israel that day in the camp. So God did not raise up Zimri specifically to be king and to have the authority to do what he did. Neither did the people.

[John Weaver] Now, please remember this if you would. It is true that many times God chose a man to be king like David. David was the man after God's own heart. But although God chose David to be king, God chose him immediately through the will and the recognition of the people. That is, the people came to David and they made a covenant with David. So David was not only God's chosen, he was also the chosen of the people.

[John Weaver] Now, what was the problem with Zimri? Zimri was nothing more than a murderer. Zimri wanted the kingdom for himself. He could care less about God. He could care less about God's word. He could care less about serving the people. He could care less about being a minister to the people. All he wanted was the kingdom for himself.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to just stop and think with me just for a moment. I want you to contrast the attitude of Zimri and the attitude of David. Now, I don't know that Elah had done anything particularly wrong to Zimri. Zimri just saw him drunk and seized the opportunity and killed him and took the kingdom. But David had been harassed and hounded and persecuted by King Saul. In fact, King Saul had purposely and deliberately tried to slay David on numerous occasions. And when David had the opportunity to slay Saul over and over, did he do it? No. And when Abishai said, there's the king. God had delivered him into your hand, David.

[John Weaver] Let me smite him to the ground, I pray thee. I'll only smite him one time. It won't take me two blows, David. I'll dispatch him quickly and I'll do it with the first blow. And here's what David said. And David said to Abishai, destroy him not. For who can stretch forth his hand against the Lord's anointed and be guiltless? David understood that Saul, although he was wicked in doing him wrong, was still God's king because God had elevated him, God had anointed him. And here's David's attitude. His time will come that he'll either die in battle or by natural causes.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to remember something else. David had already been promised the kingdom. He knew he was going to be king. But he was not willing to take the kingdom by rebellion, by murder, by doing that which was contrary to God. He was willing to wait and get the kingdom in God's time. Zimri, on the other hand, was unwilling to wait. He was not chosen by God. He was not chosen by the people. He simply murdered the king. And when the people chose Omri, then in a final act of rebellion, he burned the palace down upon himself and died there. So he stole that authority which neither God nor the people had given him. So Zimri, by the way, did not prosper.

[John Weaver] He only reigned seven days. I want to show you something. Look in your Bibles to 2 Kings chapter 9 and verse 31.

[John Weaver] Now there is a lesson in this. And even reprobate Jezebel learned a lesson from Zimri and she erroneously tried to apply this to Jehu. In 2 Kings chapter 9, look if you would please at verse 31, Ahab has been killed. And of course, his son has been killed by Jehu. And so he comes now to get rid of Jezebel. Verse 30, And when Jehu was come to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it, and she painted her face, and tired her head, and looked out a window. And as Jehu entered it at the gate, she said, had Zimri peace, who slew his master.

[John Weaver] Now what was she saying? Jehu, you better learn a history lesson. Zimroc conspired against his mastery. How long did it last? Seven days. The only problem was this. God had raised up Jehu, had anointed him to be king, and sent him on the specific mission of killing the house of Ahab and all that he had. You can read that in 2 Kings 9 verses 5 through 10. So, although she was trying to give Jehu a history lesson, the truth was what Zimri did and what Jehu was doing were two totally separate and different things. Zimri was in rebellion. Jehu was in obedience.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to see the contrast because it's very important. I want you to look in your Bibles, the second Kings chapter 14, because I told you about Athaliah, 2 Kings chapter 14. The contrast, which I'm about to show you, is clearly seen in comparing the history of Zimri with the history of Athaliah. In 2 Kings chapter 14, let's begin reading there with verse 1. You're talking about an un-grandmotherly act.

[John Weaver] I am so thankful this woman was not my grandmother. In the second year of Joash, son of Jehoiah, king of Israel, reigned Amaziah, the son of Joash, king of Judah. He was 25 years old when he began to reign. He reigned 29 years in Jerusalem, and his mother's name was Jehoiadan of Jerusalem. And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, yet not like David his father. He did according to all things that Joash his father did. How be it the high places were not taken away, as yet the people did sacrifice and burn incense on the high places. And it came to pass, as soon as the kingdom was confirmed in his hand, that he slew his servants, which had slain the king and his father."

[John Weaver] Well, we read about that. Let's skip down to verse... What verse am I looking for? Let's see. Maybe I'm in the wrong chapter. I'm trying to read about Apollyon. Let me see. What verse is that? Hmm. I gave you there. OK. OK. It's 2 Kings chapter 11. I'm sorry. 2 Kings chapter 11. That's where I wanted. 2 Kings 11. I was getting ahead of myself. And when Athaliah, the mother of Ahaziah, saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the seed royal. Now watch. But Jehoshaphat, the daughter of King Joram, sister of Ahaziah, took Joash, the son of Ahaziah, and stole him from among the king's sons, which were slain. And they hid him, even him and his nurse, in a bedchamber from Athaliah, so that he was not slain. He was with her, hidden in the house of the Lord six years, and Athaliah did reign over all the land. Now, the interesting thing is, Athaliah did a very ungrandmotherly thing.

[John Weaver] She murdered all of her grandchildren. All of her grandchildren. When she saw that her son was dead, she decided she wanted to be the ruler of the land. So to make sure she was ruler, she just simply killed all of her grandchildren. The only one that escaped was Joash, and the only reason that he escaped, his aunt Jehoshabah took him and hid him and her nurse in the temple. So Joash was hidden in the temple for six years, and for six years Athaliah ruled over the land.

[John Weaver] Now let me ask a question, because it's very important for you to know the answer. Who in the world was Athaliah? Well, look in your Bibles to 2 Kings 8 and verse 18. 2 Kings 8 and verse 18. Boy, you talking about Joram, son of Jehoshaphat? Watch. Verse 17, 32 years old when he began to reign. He reigned eight years in Jerusalem. And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as did the house of Ahab. Why? For the daughter of Ahab was his wife, and he did evil in the sight of the Lord. Who did Joram marry? He married Athaliah, the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel.

[John Weaver] No wonder you can see her wickedness. In fact, in 2nd Chronicles 6 and 21 and verse 6, the Bible says that because of that, Jehoram walked in all the ways of the house of Ahab. In other words, all the sins that the northern kingdom had committed were now being committed in the southern kingdom because of Achaliah. Now, Achaliah is also called the daughter of Amri in 2nd Kings 18 verse 26, but Amri would have been her grandfather.

[John Weaver] And you'll find many times in scripture that grandchildren are usually referred to just simply as the children of the grandparents. And one says the word that's true. And in fact, on this trip, someone asked me, they said, Are those your children? I said, Sure, they are. And Tripp said, You're not my dad. I said, No, but I'm your grandfather and you're still my children. I mean, that's all there is to it. But you'll find that in Scripture.

[John Weaver] But Athaliah was the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel. Now, not only did Athaliah have absolutely no authority to rule, no authority to murder her children, but I want you to turn in your Bibles and look please at Isaiah chapter 3 and verse 12 at what specifically is said to be a curse. Isaiah 3 and verse 12. Isaiah 3 verse 12. Look what God says. As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err and destroy the way of thy paths. So one of the curses of God against the people is when women and children rule the land. And Athaliah had ascended to the throne. And for six years, she sat upon that throne. Now, what happened?

[John Weaver] Johanna, the high priest, had taken Joash and hidden him in the temple. And all that time, he was instructing the young king in the ways of God. When the young king was seven years old, he held a coronation service for him. And of course, soldiers were therefore stationed around the young king to protect him. If you look now in second Kings chapter 14. Notice, if you would please.

[John Weaver] Maybe maybe that's still not the right passage. Let me see. No, it's still back. Second Kings 11. I don't know why I put 14 down in my notes, but here it is back in second Kings chapter 11. Skip down, if you would please, to verse First four. And the seventh year, Jehoiada sent and fetched the rulers over hundreds with the captains and the guard and brought them to him into the house of the Lord and made a covenant with them and took an oath of them in the house of the Lord and showed them the king's son.

[John Weaver] And he commanded them, saying, This is the thing that you shall do. A third part of you that enter in on the Sabbath day shall be keepers and watch of the king's house. And a third part shall be at the gate of Sir, and a third part at the gate behind the guard. So shall you keep the watch of the house, that is guard duty, that it be not broken down. Now watch carefully. And two parts of you that go forth on the Sabbath even, they shall keep the watch of the house of the Lord about the king. And you shall compass the king round about every man with his weapons in his hand, and by the way, A lot of these were Levites who were pastors and teachers. You shall accomplish the king round about every man with his weapons in his hand, and he that cometh within the ranges, let him be slain, and be ye with the king as he goeth out and as he cometh in.

[John Weaver] So, Johanna the high priest now has sent guards around this young boy. He's not left alone for a moment. And he said, anybody who comes around, you put him to death. Well, thankfully, no one came around. And so they're now holding this coronation service for him. In fact, let's begin reading verse 11. And the guard stood every man with his weapon in his right hand round about the king from the right corner of the temple to the left corner of the temple, along by the altar in the temple. And he brought forth the king's son and put the crown upon him and gave him the testimony, which is the law of God. And they made him king and anointed him. And they clapped their hands and said, God save the king. Now, watch. And when Athaliah heard the noise of the garden of the people, she came to the people in the temple of the Lord. And when she looked, behold, the king stood by a pillar, as the manor was, and the princes and the trumpeters by the king, and all the people of the land rejoiced and blew with trumpets.

[John Weaver] And Athaliah rent her clothes and cried, Treason! Treason!

[John Weaver] Now, let me ask you, can you even imagine right now in your mind A difference between 2 Kings 11 and 1 Kings 16, a difference between Athaliah and Zimri. I want you to note that God never ordained Athaliah. God never, ever gave her any authority. The people never, ever gave her any authority. In fact, the only way she got to be queen was by murdering her own grandchildren.

[John Weaver] Now, when she comes into the temple, when she hears all this noise, she thinks, what in the world is going on? And she comes there and she sees the one grandson that has escaped. And all the people clapping and saying, God save the king, she turns, rims her royal robe, and cries, treason, treason! First of all, let me point out that when she cried treason, it was a charge and it was an indictment against Jehoiada, the high priest, Joash, the young king, and all the people who had helped Jehoiada. She was saying, you are guilty of treason. And at the same time, it would have been an order for her followers to kill Jehoiada, Joash and all those who follow the young king.

[John Weaver] Now, the interesting thing is this. Look what happens. Begin there with verse. Fifteen. Here it is, but Johanna, the priest, commanded the captains of the hundreds, the officers of the host and said to them, have her forth without the ranges and him that follow her kill with a sword. For the priest had said, Let her not be slain in the house of the Lord. And they laid hands on her, and she went by the way, as she went by the way to which the horses came into the king's house, and there was she slain." And Jehoiada made a covenant between the Lord and the king and the people, they should be the Lord's people, between the king also and the people. Now at the same time, Jehoiada is commanding the soldiers to kill Athaliah. In obedience to his command, the soldiers only kill Athaliah. They kill all who follow her. You'll find that in verse 20. And all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was quiet, and they slew Athaliah with a sword beside the king's house, which included all of her followers.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to understand something. What Johanna and the soldiers did, that is killing Athaliah, was the highest justice. Yet by her it was branded as the highest crime.

[John Weaver] Now think about what I just said. What Johanna and the soldiers did was the highest justice. And yet at the same time it was branded by Athaliah as the highest crime. Athaliah was the greatest traitor and yet she was the first and the loudest in crying treason, treason. Those who are themselves oftentimes most guilty of something accuse and reproach others of the same thing who are undeserving of that charge.

[John Weaver] Before I begin making applications, I want you to see here is a very important doctrine in scripture. This is called the doctrine of interposition. Johania was the high priest. The king had died. The queen had acquired the throne only through murder. No recognition by God, no recognition by the people. When there was no one else around to take over, Jehoiada did so. He stepped in, who himself was not a civil ruler, but a spiritual one, and ordered the execution of Athaliah and all who followed her. That's called a doctrine of interposition. You will find that throughout scripture. You will also find that throughout history. And by the way, that is what happened in the foundation of this country because the king, King George III, had sent his governors over here who were to rule for him and they were doing his bidding. completely contrary to the Constitution and covenants that the king had with the colony.

[John Weaver] And so what in the world did the colonists do? They then nominated and elected and chose their own rulers. And it was their own rulers who led them in fighting the tyranny of George III and the British Parliament. That is called the doctrine of interposition.

[John Weaver] Now, let me make some applications and try to tie some things together for you and get your thinking going. Zimri murdered a king whose reign had been appointed by God in the sense that God had appointed his father. His father had accomplished what he had done, and Elah had some of that authority. In fact, you will remember, I hope, that when Jehu obeyed God in wiping out Ahab and his house, God promised him seven descendants would sit on the throne. for his obedience to God and wiping out Ahab. So, Elah did have some authority. And what did Zimri do? Out of covetousness and willful malice, he murdered a man. And he had no divine authority to do so. He had no human authority to do so. Zimri did what he did because he was a murderer and a thief. Secondly, Johanna, on the other hand, did not rebel against a God-ordained or appointed authority. What Jehoiada did was he resisted a murderer and a thief.

[John Weaver] Although the reigning power, that is Athaliah, attributed its actions to treasonous actions, they were not treasonous, but rather it was nothing but pure justice. Now here's a principle I've enunciated in time past. I want to enunciate it again. Here it is. It is not treason to resist an unlawful unauthorized government. If there is no lawful power, resistance is neither rebellion nor treason. It is just simply resistance to wickedness and evil. You got that now?

[John Weaver] Let me say it again. It is not treason to resist an unlawful and unauthorized government. If there is no lawful power, resistance is neither rebellion nor treason. It is simply resistance to wickedness and evil.

[John Weaver] Now, let me go back because I want to clarify our thinking. Let me go back and give you the quote that I originally gave you from Black's Law Dictionary on treason. Here it is. The offense of attempting by overt acts to overthrow the government of the state to which the offender owes allegiance. Or betraying the state in the hands of a foreign power. Now I want you to stop and think about that. Here is treason defined, the offense of attempting by overt or outward acts to overthrow the government of the state to which the offender owes allegiance. Let me stop right there.

[John Weaver] And ask you a question. To what government do you owe allegiance? First and foremost, of course, it would be to Jesus Christ. But secondly, I'm talking about. In this country. To what government do you owe allegiance? Let me ask, do you allegiance to a bureaucracy? Do you owe allegiance to a democracy? Do you owe allegiance to a one world government? Do you owe allegiance to a United Nations government? To what government do you and I owe allegiance? We owe allegiance only to a constitutional republic that was handed down to us by the lives and fortunes and sacrifices of our forefathers. And by the way, I could ask the same question. To what government do our civil rulers owe their allegiance? Do they owe their allegiance to the oil cartel, the Zionist lobby, the CFR, the Bilderbergers, the United Nations, the One World Government? No. They are supposedly to owe their allegiance to the Constitution of the United States, which is supposedly based upon The Word of God and giving us a constitutional republic. Let me give you, from Article 6, Clause 2 and 3 of the United States Constitution.

[John Weaver] Here it is, black and white. This Constitution and the laws of the United States, which shall be made in pursuance thereof, that is, in agreement with the Constitution, and all treaties made, or which shall be made under the authority of the United States. What's the authority of the United States? The Constitution. shall be the supreme law of the land, listen carefully, and judges in every state shall be bound thereby anything in the constitutional laws of any state the contrary notwithstanding. So what does the Constitution say? It is to be the supreme law of the land, and judges are to be bound by there, but listen to clause three. The senators and representatives before mention, and the members of the several state legislatures, and all executive and judicial officers, both of the United States and of the several states, shall be bound by oath or affirmation to support this Constitution.

[John Weaver] Now let me ask you a question again. To what government Do our civil rulers owe their allegiance? They're supposed to owe that allegiance to the Constitutional Republic given to us by our founding fathers. That is the government to which you and I owe allegiance.

[John Weaver] Now, the interesting thing is this. Black's Law Dictionary goes a little bit further in defining treason. Not only does it say that treason is the offense of attempting by overt acts to overthrow the government of the state in which the offender owes allegiance, it goes on to say treason also consists of betraying the state into the hands of a foreign power. And here's my question. Who has done that?

[John Weaver] And who can do that most effectively? And the answer is the civil government or the civil leaders thereof. Let me just ask a few leading questions. Has America been betrayed and given over to a foreign power monetarily and economically? Has America been betrayed and handed over to a foreign power politically? Yes. Is not an attempt to subvert, destroy, and mutilate American sovereignty treason? Yes. Well, who committed this treason?

[John Weaver] Not the citizens of the United States. You see what I'm saying? Treason is a two-way street. Do the citizens of America owe allegiance to a bastardized, bureaucratized, and democratized one world government? And the answer is no. We do not owe our allegiance to anything except, first of all, Christ and his word, and secondly, the Constitutional Republic handed down to us by our forefathers. It is not treason to expose wickedness, rebellion, and ungodliness.

[John Weaver] Many of you will remember when Patrick Henry was giving his speech before the Virginia House of Burgesses. In that speech, he said, quote, that some good American would do to George III what Brutus had done to Caesar. Speaker John Robinson flew into a rage and accused Patrick Henry of treason. To which Patrick Henry responded, if this be treason, then make the most of it. What was he saying? It is not treason to speak the truth. If speaking the truth and acknowledging justice or treason, then nothing else is left.

[John Weaver] We've got to come to this position, folks, that right is right and wrong is wrong. Truth is truth and error is error. And God, by his grace and mercy, we pray, will deliver us from error and always lead us into his truth and his right. It is not treason to resist a wicked, ungodly, unauthorized, unlawful civil government. Disobedience to tyrants is obedience to God.

[John Weaver] Now, I'm going to tell you something, folks. Wicked governments may not acknowledge this fact, and they may not acknowledge the truth of the Word of God, But I want to assure you of one thing. God's Word is truth and God is right. And God will always and His Word will always stand the test of time. Stop and think about it. Tyrants have risen and fallen. Empires have come and gone. But the truth of the sovereign God of heaven and earth is still here. And we're going to always have that truth. Let me point out one thing. The highest form of treason is not treason against the civil government, but treason against the sovereign God of heaven and earth.

[John Weaver] And you know what we do? We substitute man's law for God's law, and man's sovereignty for God's sovereignty. And man's word for God's word, and that is the highest form of treason. I was looking at another passage, and probably in the near future I may be preaching on this, why there are wars. and why there are what you and I would call natural disasters in this country. It's amazing what the Word of God reveals in that.

[John Weaver] But let me tell you something. When you forsake God, you incur the judgment and the wrath of God. We must learn first and foremost to be true to the God of heaven and earth. And then second, we need to be true to what our forefathers fought and died for and revive those principles. You know, we live in a day and time when you begin to talk about history or some of these principles, it is unbelievable.

[John Weaver] I heard on the news just this week about they're wanting samples of DNA from everyone. And they were talking about this database that they could have and the FBI and all these could search this database and think of all the criminals they could catch and all the crimes they committed. And then he said, but this is only necessary or this can only come to pass if the people are willing to give up their rights.

[John Weaver] your right to privacy, your right to be left alone. You follow what I'm saying? When you reject God and His law, you only suffer the consequences. Treason against God is the most vile and wicked act. We need to learn, knowing the principles of scripture, for the principles of history and what our forefathers gave us. I would love to live to see Patrick Henry here on earth in front of our present-day Congress for five minutes. For five minutes.

[John Weaver] Or John or Sam Adams. What a mess we're in in this country. We've been traitors to God. traitors to our Constitution, and traitors to ourselves. May God help us. Let's pray. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we ask that You would give us grace and mercy to always stand for You and Your Word and Your truth. Give us a desire to learn and to know what is right, and to stand for that which is right. Help us, Lord, to have backbone, to have character, to have courage. And may we always do that which is pleasing and honoring to Thee. In the name of Jesus Christ we ask and pray. Amen.

The Bible & Treason

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	1020048483
Subject	Civil Government
Course	Civil Government: Magistracy, Authority, and Romans 13: Christian & Civil Government
Genre	Sermon
Date	2004-10-10
Dictation Name
Book	Book 008: Civil Government: Magistracy, Authority, and Romans 13 — Chapter 10
Source Timed Segments	85

Formatted Transcript

Introduction: The Unusual Topic of Treason

Weaver introduces the message as unusual, sparked by his personal Bible reading in 1 and 2 Kings where he noticed the word 'treason.' He previews a future message on unanswered prayer.

I'm going to bring a message today which is probably a little unusual. The title of the message is "The Bible and Treason." Lord willing, next week I'm going to be bringing a message which I hope everyone in here will be anxious to hear, and the title of the message is "Why God Does Not Answer Most Prayers." And it's very revealing once you see it. It's so plain in scripture. But the message today is "The Bible and Treason." And let me tell you that I don't just a lot of times sit down and say, "Well, I'm going to preach on such and such subject." Sometimes that does happen, but usually the messages come just as I do my own private reading and private devotion. In other words, I see something that piques my curiosity and I said, "Well, let me check into that." And then that's how a message develops. And I was reading through 1 Kings and 2 Kings, and I came across the word "treason." And once I got to it the second time, I thought, "Well, I wonder how many times the Bible speaks about treason."

Biblical Occurrences and Definition of Treason

The word 'treason' appears five times in three passages, rooted in the Hebrew 'kesher' (also translated 'conspiracy' or 'confederacy'). Weaver notes its association with treachery and death.

And then Hobie came over one day, and he kind of helped me with this message because we kind of sounded it back and forth off each other. And I thought, you know, most people have probably never thought this thing through. I want to just kind of share it with you from the Bible. So we're going to look in 1 Kings chapter 16 at verse 20. Now we're going to be looking at a lot of scriptures. 1 Kings 16:20. Look what the Bible says about Zimri:

Scripture Reading — 1 Kings 16:20

"Now the rest of the acts of Zimri and his treason that he wrought, are they not written in the book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?"

Note the Bible specifically talks about the treason which Zimri wrought. Now, if you look at 2 Kings 11 and verse 14, you'll read now about Athaliah, and we'll come back and get the context of all of these passages. 2 Kings 11:14: "And when she looked, behold, the king stood by a pillar, as the manner was, and the princes and the trumpeters by the king, and all the people of the land rejoiced and blew with trumpets."

And Athaliah rent her clothes and cried, "Treason, treason." Treason is a word that reeks of treachery, subterfuge, espionage, and death. Treason is usually a word or a term that is associated with such names as Judas, Benedict Arnold, and the Rosenbergs. I'm not sure that you are aware of this, but treason is one of the few crimes that is specifically mentioned in the United States Constitution, and treason is also defined in that document. Now, while many people are aware of the political ramifications of treason, most of us are woefully ignorant of what the Bible teaches upon the subject. The word "treason" actually occurs five times in our Bible, and then only in three passages. However, the root word for treason is the Hebrew word "kesher," which is translated "treason" five times. It is translated "conspiracy" nine times and "confederacy" two times. So it can be specific and it can also be a very broad term as well.

The U.S. Constitutional Definition of Treason

Weaver reads Article 3, Section 3 of the U.S. Constitution, emphasizing the requirement of an overt act and two witnesses. He highlights the plural 'them' and 'their,' arguing treason was originally against the confederated states, not a federal bureaucracy.

Now, according to my understanding of history, I believe I'm correct in saying this: that since the inception of our Constitution, only about 30 people have ever been charged with treason in our Republic. Now, our United States Constitution, in Article 3, Section 3, describes treason as follows. Now, it's very important that you listen to this because there are going to be some biblical implications in just a moment. But here's what the United States Constitution says concerning treason: "Treason against the United States shall consist only in levying war against them or in adhering to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort. No person shall be convicted of treason unless on the testimony of two witnesses to the same overt act or on confession in open court. The Congress shall have power to declare the punishment of treason, but no attainder of treason shall work corruption of blood or forfeiture except during the life of the person attainted." Now, I'm going to explain that in just a moment. But I want you to note, according to the United States Constitution, in order to be convicted of treason, there must be at least one overt act. That is, one open public act. Not only must there be one open act, there must also be two witnesses to confirm that act, or at least a confession in open court.

Now, one of the most noticeable things about this definition in the United States Constitution that struck me was this. I want you to note the plurality that is used in defining the United States. Listen again: "Treason against the United States shall consist only in levying war against them"—not "it," but "them"—"in adhering to their enemies." In other words, treason then was against one of the numerous states that had entered into this agreement, and not necessarily against a federalized bureaucracy. The point I'm trying to make is very important. Treason against the United States shall consist, it said, against "them," and adhering to "their" enemies. So evidently, initially then, the crime of treason was against any of the confederated states, individually or collectively, which made up the United States. Now it is true that only Congress then had the power to declare the punishment of treason, but originally, I hope you remember this, Congress was to represent the United States. May I point out the fact and fit it rather bluntly, that the federal government did not create the states, but the states created the federal government. And so therefore, Congress then was to represent those confederated states. That's why the definition says, against "them," plural, or adhering to "their" enemies. So the states were the master, and the federal government was the servant. Thus, basically, and according to the definition that I just gave you from the United States Constitution, any attempt then to overthrow the union of the states and subvert the Constitution of the United States, which was the glue binding the states together, was or should be considered as treason.

In other words, treason then, basically speaking, was an act against our constitutional republic. Do you understand that? You remember the Constitution was accepted in 1789. In 1789, we had a constitutional republic.

Now, if we meditate upon this line of thought, just even momentarily, we can come up with a number of names, I'm sure, that would have qualified for the crime of treason. The first name that comes to my mind automatically would be President Abraham Lincoln, because Lincoln destroyed the Union in order to preserve the Union. He overthrew the Constitution of the United States and was responsible for dissolving the Union by unconstitutional acts. And lest you want to argue with me, may I point out the fact that Abraham Lincoln himself confessed to and acknowledged six constitutional violations when he tried to get the Congress to ratify his unconstitutional acts, which they did not and would not. So Abraham Lincoln knew very well that he was seeking to overthrow the Constitution.

Historical and Legal Background on Treason

Weaver discusses attainder of treason (forbidden in the U.S.), cites Black's Law Dictionary definitions including constructive treason, high treason, and petit treason, and notes the biblical principle of individual punishment from Ezekiel 18:20 and 2 Kings 14:6.

Now what in the world does that mean? Well, attainder of treason was a practice in Europe, which was forbidden in the United States. An attainder of treason was this: let's suppose Ed committed an act of treason. Well, an attainder of treason then would mean this, that not only would Ed be punished, but so would his wife, so would his children, so would any member of his family. In other words, whether they had anything to do with it or not is immaterial. In other words, the family then was ostracized and banished as traitors. And any inheritance they might have, of course, would certainly be dissolved. In other words, it would be totally unbiblical in the sense that you would be punishing other people for something they did not do.

Now, the scripture is very plain on that, because the Bible says in Ezekiel chapter 18 and verse 20, God said,

Scripture Reading — Ezekiel 18:20

"The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither the father bear the iniquity of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him."

So God said the son is not to die for the crimes of the father, nor the father to die for the crimes of the sins of the son. Every man shall die for his own sin. That is why our Constitution said there shall be no attainder of treason. In other words, if Ed is guilty of treason, Ed is convicted, Ed is condemned—not Eddie, not Dixie, not Carrick, not anybody else in his family.

Now, I want you to understand, look in your Bibles to 2 Kings chapter 14 in verse 6. This was understood and carried out by numerous individuals who wanted to do that which was right. Of course, it was certainly overlooked by those who wanted to do what was wrong. But in 2 Kings chapter 14 in verse 6, you have a statement there concerning King Amaziah of Judah. He was avenging the murder of his father, and here the Bible says—well, let's read verse 5: "And it came to pass as soon as the kingdom was confirmed in his hand that he slew his servants who had slain the king, his father. But the children of the murderers he slew not." According to that which was written in the book of the law of Moses, wherein the law commanded, saying, "The father shall not be put to death for the children, nor the children be put to death for their fathers, but every man shall be put to death for his own sin." So he wanted to do what was right. And so those who murdered his father, he put to death. Those who had no hand in it, he allowed them to live, even though they were the children of the murderers.

So very obviously, then, there is a biblical principle here. Now, let me give you just a quick historical overview before we get to the Bible. I took this from Black's Law Dictionary, the sixth edition, and this is very important. I'm going to give you several definitions and explanations of treason, but I want you to listen to what Black's Law Dictionary says concerning treason: "Treason, a breach of allegiance to one's government, usually committed through levying war against such government or by giving aid or comfort to the enemy." Now here's the important part: "The offense of attempting by overt acts"—that is open acts—"to overthrow the government of the state to which the offender owes allegiance, or of betraying the state into the hands of a foreign power." And then he goes on and gives the constitutional statement that treason consists of two elements, adhering to the enemy and rendering him aid and comfort, and that a person can only be convicted of treason upon the testimony of two witnesses or confession in open court. Then he goes on and shows how there are different types of treason.

There is constructive treason, which is treason imputed to a person by law from his conduct or course of actions, though his deeds really do not amount to treason. And, of course, that doctrine is not particularly known in the United States, but it is in England. Then there is high treason, which we don't have particularly, because in English law, that then was treason against the king, or treason against the queen, or some magisterial person. But there was one that I did find exceedingly interesting, and that definition was for petit treason. You know, we have a grand jury and we have a petit jury? Listen to this: "Petit treason, in old English law, the crime committed by a wife in killing her husband, or a servant his lord or master, or an ecclesiastic his lord or ordinary." So then, very obviously, what he is saying is that petit treason then involved a wife killing the husband, a servant his lord, or someone else killing a higher authority. That was just simply known as petit treason. I've given you very quickly a brief political and historical overview of treason.

The Treason of Zimri (1 Kings 16)

Zimri murdered King Elah while he was drunk, seized the throne, and reigned only seven days before dying in a fire. His act was treason because he had no divine or popular authorization; he was a self-serving murderer.

But here's the question. What does the Bible have to say about treason? In order to answer that question, I want us to look closely at and compare 1 Kings 16 and 2 Kings 14. Now look in 1 Kings 16 and verse 20, because here the Bible says, "Now, the rest of the acts of Zimri and his treason that he wrought, are they not written in the book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?" Now, note, if you would please, the Bible specifically calls the acts of Zimri treason and that which he wrought. Now, in order to understand that, let's begin reading in verse 8. Let's get down. 1 Kings 16:8: "And in the twenty-sixth year of Asa, king of Judah, began Elah, the son of Baasha, to reign over Israel in Tirzah two years. And his servant Zimri, captain of half his chariots, conspired against him as he was in Tirzah, drinking himself drunk in the house of Arza, steward of his house in Tirzah. And Zimri went in and smote him and killed him in the twenty-seventh year of Asa, king of Judah, and reigned in his stead."

"And it came to pass when he began to reign, as soon as he sat on the throne, that he slew all the house of Baasha, and he left not one that pisseth against the wall, neither his kinfolks nor his friends." Now, let me just stop there. When I read that, there's no reason to be embarrassed about that. There's no reason to be, you know, a kid's he-he-he. That was just simply a graphic and a pictorial way of saying he's going to kill every male there in that family. You're going to see that several times as you read through the history of the kings that this is there. All right. So just say he's going to kill every man there. All right. Neither of his kinfolks, nor his friends.

"Thus did Zimri destroy all the house of Baasha, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake against Baasha by Jehu the prophet. Now watch: for all the sins of Baasha, the sins of Elah, his son, by which they sinned, and by which they made Israel to sin, in provoking the Lord God of Israel to anger with their vanities. Now the rest of the acts of Elah and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the Chronicles of the kings of Israel? In the twenty-seventh year of Asa, king of Judah, did Zimri reign seven days in Tirzah, and the people were encamped against Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines. And the people that were encamped heard say Zimri had conspired and had also slain the king. Wherefore, all Israel made Omri the captain of the host king over Israel that day in the camp. And Omri went up from Gibbethon, and all Israel with him, and they besieged Tirzah. And it came to pass, when Zimri saw that the city was taken, that he went into the palace of the king's house, and burnt the king's house over him with fire, and died."

"For his sins which he sinned in doing evil in the sight of the Lord, and walking in the way of Jeroboam, and his sin which he did to make Israel sin. Now the rest of the acts of Zimri, and his treason which he wrought, are they not written in the book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?" Now, the interesting thing is this. Zimri murders Elah, who was the son of Baasha. Now, it is true that Elah was a wicked and an ungodly king. In fact, all of the northern rulers were wicked and ungodly. So while Elah was in the process of drinking himself drunk, Zimri seized the opportunity and murdered the king.

Now let me ask you a question. What made Zimri's acts unlawful and treasonous? Certainly murder is wrong. Self-will is wrong. And I am sure that the only reason that Zimri had in killing Elah was to elevate himself, usurp authority, and to steal the kingdom for himself. In all probability, he had no desire to serve God. In fact, we already know that. The scripture tells us that. And he had no desire to serve the people. He only wanted to serve himself. So how is it, then, that Zimri's act of killing a wicked, ungodly reprobate king could be called and classified as treason? Well, one of the main problems with the murder of Elah was this, that he did have some legitimacy to his rule.

The Legitimacy of Elah's Reign

Weaver traces the divine appointment of Jeroboam (1 Kings 11) and the rise of Baasha (1 Kings 15-16) to show that Elah, as Baasha's son, had some legitimacy. Zimri's act was rebellion against God-ordained authority.

Now let me explain that. Every time I use that word now—Alice and I met a pastor friend who was from Yugoslavia, and he was talking to me, and we talked for a few minutes, and I could not follow what he was saying, although he was speaking plainly, of course he had an accent. And he began to talk about some "legitimacy." "Legitimacy, there's no legitimacy." What is he saying? Then it dawned on me, that's how he's pronouncing legitimacy, you know, "legitimacy," but it's legitimacy.

So after I figured that out, then we were able to communicate. So I'm saying that Elah did have some legitimacy then. He did have a little legitimacy. In order to understand that, you must understand that God had originally given Jeroboam ten of the twelve tribes.

Now, let's go back in our Bibles to 1 Kings 11, beginning there in verse 26. 1 Kings 11:26. Let me just show you the legitimacy that Elah had. 1 Kings 11:26:

Scripture Reading — 1 Kings 11:26-36

"And Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, the Ephrathite of Zereda, Solomon's servant, whose mother's name was Zeruah, a widow woman, even he lifted up his hand against the king. And this was the cause that lifted up his hand against the king. Solomon built Millo and repaired the breaches of the city of David his father. And the man Jeroboam was a mighty man of valor. And Solomon, seeing the young man that he was industrious, he made him ruler over the charge of the house of Joseph. And it came to pass at that time, when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, that the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite found him in the way, and he had clad himself with a new garment, and they two were alone in the field."

"And Ahijah caught the new garment that was on him, and rent it into twelve pieces. And he said to Jeroboam, Take thee ten pieces. For thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel, Behold, I will rend the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and will give ten tribes to thee. But he shall have one tribe for my servant David's sake, and for Jerusalem's sake, the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, because they have forsaken me and worshipped Ashtaroth, the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh, the god of the Moabites, Milcom, the god of the children of Ammon, and have not walked in my ways to do that which is right in my eyes, and to keep my statutes and my judgments, as did David his father. Howbeit I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand, but I will make him prince all the days of his life for David my servant's sake, whom I chose because he kept my commandments and my statutes. But I will take the kingdom out of his son's hand and will give it unto thee, even ten tribes."

"And unto his son will I give one tribe, that David my servant may have a light always before me in Jerusalem in the city, which I have chosen to put my name there." So ten of the twelve tribes, by God's direction, were given unto Jeroboam. Now, you know what Jeroboam did. Jeroboam made all Israel to sin because he made those two golden calves. He put one in Dan and the other in Bethel. He said, "These be thy gods, O Israel. You don't have to go down to Jerusalem and worship. You just worship right here."

So what does God do? God now pronounces judgment against Jeroboam and against his lineage for his apostasy. Look in 1 Kings chapter 14, beginning there with verse 10. 1 Kings 14:10. God says,

Scripture Reading — 1 Kings 14:10-16

"Therefore, behold, I will bring evil against the house of Jeroboam and will cut off from Jeroboam him that pisseth against the wall and him that is shut up and left in Israel and will take away the remnant of the house of Jeroboam as a man taketh away dung, till it all be gone. Him that dieth of Jeroboam in the city shall the dogs eat, and him that dieth in the field shall the fowls of the air eat, for the Lord hath spoken it. Arise thou therefore, get thee to thine own house, and when thy feet enter into the city, the child shall die. And all Israel shall mourn for him and bury him, for he only of Jeroboam shall come to the grave, because in him found some good thing toward the Lord God of Israel in the house of Jeroboam."

"Moreover, now watch, Moreover, the Lord shall raise him up a king over Israel, who shall cut off the house of Jeroboam that day. But what even now? For the Lord shall smite Israel as a reed is shaken in the water. He shall root up Israel out of this good land which he gave to their fathers, and shall scatter them beyond the river, because they have made their groves, provoking the Lord to anger. And he shall give Israel up because of the sins of Jeroboam, who did sin and who made Israel to sin." Now, the interesting thing is, once God pronounces judgment against the house of Jeroboam, guess who the man that God raised up to smite the house of Jeroboam was? It was Baasha.

So look in your Bibles to 1 Kings chapter 15, beginning there with verse 27.

Scripture Reading — 1 Kings 15:27-30

"And Baasha, the son of Ahijah of the house of Issachar, conspired against him—as against Nadab, the son of Jeroboam—conspired against him, and Baasha smote him at Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines. For Nadab and all Israel laid siege to Gibbethon. Even in the third year of Asa, king of Judah, did Baasha slay him and reign in his stead. And it came to pass, when he reigned, that he smote all the house of Jeroboam. He left not to Jeroboam any that breathed, until he destroyed him, according unto the saying of the Lord, which he spake by his servant Ahijah the Shilonite, because of the sins of Jeroboam, which he sinned, and which" "made Israel sin by his provocation, whereof he provoked the Lord God of Israel to anger."

Now, the rest of the acts of Nadab and all they did are written in the book of the Chronicles of the kings of Israel. And there was war between Asa and Baasha all the days of their lives. Now, so you see, Baasha now has been raised up by God to slay Jeroboam and all of his house.

Now, I want you to look in verse two of 1 Kings chapter 16. Look in 1 Kings 16, verse two. In fact, let's read verse one.

Scripture Reading — 1 Kings 16:1-2

"Then the word of the Lord came to Jehu, the son of Hanani, against Baasha, saying, Now look, forasmuch as I exalted thee out of the dust, and made thee prince over my people Israel, and thou hast walked in the way of Jeroboam, and hast made my people Israel to sin, and" "to provoke me to anger with their sins."

Who was it that said that he exalted Baasha out of the dust and raised him up? It was God. In other words, God made Baasha king in the place of Jeroboam and in the place of Nadab. So since Elah was the son of Baasha, whom God had raised up specifically to cleanse the house of Jeroboam, Elah was his son, and therefore there was some legitimacy to his reign.

You know what the Bible says in Psalm 75 and verse 6?

Scripture Reading — Psalm 75:6-7

"For promotion cometh neither from the north, nor from the south, nor from the east, nor from the west, but it is God who is the judge. He putteth up one, and He taketh down another."

So what did God do? God is the one that put up Jeroboam and Nadab, and God took them down. God is the one that put up Baasha and Elah, and God took them down.

Contrast with David's Attitude

Unlike Zimri, David refused to kill King Saul despite persecution, recognizing Saul as the Lord's anointed. David waited for God's timing, while Zimri seized power unlawfully.

Now, I want you to just stop and think with me just for a moment. I want you to contrast the attitude of Zimri and the attitude of David. Now, I don't know that Elah had done anything particularly wrong to Zimri. Zimri just saw him drunk and seized the opportunity and killed him and took the kingdom. But David had been harassed and hounded and persecuted by King Saul. In fact, King Saul had purposely and deliberately tried to slay David on numerous occasions. And when David had the opportunity to slay Saul over and over, did he do it? No. And when Abishai said, "There's the king. God hath delivered him into your hand, David."

"Let me smite him to the ground, I pray thee. I'll only smite him one time. It won't take me two blows, David. I'll dispatch him quickly and I'll do it with the first blow." And here's what David said. And David said to Abishai, "Destroy him not. For who can stretch forth his hand against the Lord's anointed and be guiltless?" David understood that Saul, although he was wicked in doing him wrong, was still God's king because God had elevated him, God had anointed him. And here's David's attitude: "His time will come that he'll either die in battle or by natural causes."

Now, I want you to remember something else. David had already been promised the kingdom. He knew he was going to be king. But he was not willing to take the kingdom by rebellion, by murder, by doing that which was contrary to God. He was willing to wait and get the kingdom in God's time. Zimri, on the other hand, was unwilling to wait. He was not chosen by God. He was not chosen by the people. He simply murdered the king. And when the people chose Omri, then in a final act of rebellion, he burned the palace down upon himself and died there. So he stole that authority which neither God nor the people had given him. So Zimri, by the way, did not prosper.

The Case of Athaliah and Jehoiada (2 Kings 11)

Athaliah murdered her grandchildren to seize the throne. Jehoiada the high priest hid the rightful heir Joash, crowned him at age seven, and ordered Athaliah's execution. Athaliah cried 'Treason!' but her charge was false; Jehoiada's act was justice.

I am so thankful this woman was not my grandmother. "In the second year of Joash, son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel, reigned Amaziah, the son of Joash, king of Judah. He was 25 years old when he began to reign. He reigned 29 years in Jerusalem, and his mother's name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem. And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, yet not like David his father. He did according to all things that Joash his father did. Howbeit the high places were not taken away, as yet the people did sacrifice and burn incense on the high places. And it came to pass, as soon as the kingdom was confirmed in his hand, that he slew his servants, which had slain the king and his father."

Well, we read about that. Let's skip down to verse... What verse am I looking for? Let's see. Maybe I'm in the wrong chapter. I'm trying to read about Athaliah. Let me see. What verse is that? Hmm. I gave you there. OK. OK. It's 2 Kings chapter 11. I'm sorry. 2 Kings chapter 11. That's where I wanted. 2 Kings 11. I was getting ahead of myself. "And when Athaliah, the mother of Ahaziah, saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the seed royal. Now watch. But Jehoshabeath, the daughter of King Joram, sister of Ahaziah, took Joash, the son of Ahaziah, and stole him from among the king's sons, which were slain. And they hid him, even him and his nurse, in a bedchamber from Athaliah, so that he was not slain. He was with her, hidden in the house of the Lord six years, and Athaliah did reign over all the land." Now, the interesting thing is, Athaliah did a very ungrandmotherly thing.

She murdered all of her grandchildren. All of her grandchildren. When she saw that her son was dead, she decided she wanted to be the ruler of the land. So to make sure she was ruler, she just simply killed all of her grandchildren. The only one that escaped was Joash, and the only reason that he escaped, his aunt Jehoshabeath took him and hid him and her nurse in the temple. So Joash was hidden in the temple for six years, and for six years Athaliah ruled over the land.

Now let me ask a question, because it's very important for you to know the answer. Who in the world was Athaliah? Well, look in your Bibles to 2 Kings 8 and verse 18. 2 Kings 8 and verse 18. Boy, you talking about Joram, son of Jehoshaphat? Watch. Verse 17:

Scripture Reading — 2 Kings 8:18

"32 years old when he began to reign. He reigned eight years in Jerusalem. And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as did the house of Ahab. Why? For the daughter of Ahab was his wife, and he did evil in the sight of the Lord."

Who did Joram marry? He married Athaliah, the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel.

No wonder you can see her wickedness. In fact, in 2 Chronicles 21 and verse 6, the Bible says that because of that, Jehoram walked in all the ways of the house of Ahab. In other words, all the sins that the northern kingdom had committed were now being committed in the southern kingdom because of Athaliah. Now, Athaliah is also called the daughter of Omri in 2 Kings 8 verse 26, but Omri would have been her grandfather. And you'll find many times in scripture that grandchildren are usually referred to just simply as the children of the grandparents. And one says the word that's true. And in fact, on this trip, someone asked me, they said, "Are those your children?" I said, "Sure, they are." And Tripp said, "You're not my dad." I said, "No, but I'm your grandfather and you're still my children." I mean, that's all there is to it. But you'll find that in Scripture.

But Athaliah was the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel. Now, not only did Athaliah have absolutely no authority to rule, no authority to murder her children, but I want you to turn in your Bibles and look please at Isaiah chapter 3 and verse 12 at what specifically is said to be a curse. Isaiah 3 and verse 12. Isaiah 3:12. Look what God says:

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 3:12

"As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err and destroy the way of thy paths."

So one of the curses of God against the people is when women and children rule the land. And Athaliah had ascended to the throne. And for six years, she sat upon that throne. Now, what happened?

Jehoiada, the high priest, had taken Joash and hidden him in the temple. And all that time, he was instructing the young king in the ways of God. When the young king was seven years old, he held a coronation service for him. And of course, soldiers were therefore stationed around the young king to protect him. If you look now in 2 Kings chapter 14. Notice, if you would please. Maybe maybe that's still not the right passage. Let me see. No, it's still back. 2 Kings 11. I don't know why I put 14 down in my notes, but here it is back in 2 Kings chapter 11. Skip down, if you would please, to verse 4.

Scripture Reading — 2 Kings 11:4-14

"And the seventh year, Jehoiada sent and fetched the rulers over hundreds with the captains and the guard and brought them to him into the house of the Lord and made a covenant with them and took an oath of them in the house of the Lord and showed them the king's son."

"And he commanded them, saying, This is the thing that you shall do. A third part of you that enter in on the Sabbath day shall be keepers and watch of the king's house. And a third part shall be at the gate of Sur, and a third part at the gate behind the guard. So shall you keep the watch of the house, that is guard duty, that it be not broken down. Now watch carefully. And two parts of you that go forth on the Sabbath even, they shall keep the watch of the house of the Lord about the king. And you shall compass the king round about every man with his weapons in his hand, and by the way, a lot of these were Levites who were pastors and teachers. You shall compass the king round about every man with his weapons in his hand, and he that cometh within the ranges, let him be slain, and be ye with the king as he goeth out and as he cometh in."

So, Jehoiada the high priest now has sent guards around this young boy. He's not left alone for a moment. And he said, anybody who comes around, you put him to death. Well, thankfully, no one came around. And so they're now holding this coronation service for him. In fact, let's begin reading verse 11. "And the guard stood every man with his weapon in his right hand round about the king from the right corner of the temple to the left corner of the temple, along by the altar in the temple. And he brought forth the king's son and put the crown upon him and gave him the testimony, which is the law of God. And they made him king and anointed him. And they clapped their hands and said, God save the king. Now, watch. And when Athaliah heard the noise of the guard and of the people, she came to the people in the temple of the Lord. And when she looked, behold, the king stood by a pillar, as the manner was, and the princes and the trumpeters by the king, and all the people of the land rejoiced and blew with trumpets."

"And Athaliah rent her clothes and cried, Treason! Treason!" Now, let me ask you, can you even imagine right now in your mind a difference between 2 Kings 11 and 1 Kings 16, a difference between Athaliah and Zimri. I want you to note that God never ordained Athaliah. God never, ever gave her any authority. The people never, ever gave her any authority. In fact, the only way she got to be queen was by murdering her own grandchildren.

Now, when she comes into the temple, when she hears all this noise, she thinks, what in the world is going on? And she comes there and she sees the one grandson that has escaped. And all the people clapping and saying, "God save the king," she turns, rends her royal robe, and cries, "Treason, treason!" First of all, let me point out that when she cried treason, it was a charge and it was an indictment against Jehoiada, the high priest, Joash, the young king, and all the people who had helped Jehoiada. She was saying, you are guilty of treason. And at the same time, it would have been an order for her followers to kill Jehoiada, Joash and all those who follow the young king.

Now, the interesting thing is this. Look what happens. Begin there with verse 15. Here it is: "But Jehoiada, the priest, commanded the captains of the hundreds, the officers of the host and said to them, Have her forth without the ranges and him that follow her kill with a sword. For the priest had said, Let her not be slain in the house of the Lord. And they laid hands on her, and she went by the way, as she went by the way to which the horses came into the king's house, and there was she slain." And Jehoiada made a covenant between the Lord and the king and the people, that they should be the Lord's people, between the king also and the people. Now at the same time, Jehoiada is commanding the soldiers to kill Athaliah. In obedience to his command, the soldiers only kill Athaliah. They kill all who follow her. You'll find that in verse 20. "And all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was quiet, and they slew Athaliah with a sword beside the king's house," which included all of her followers.

Now, I want you to understand something. What Jehoiada and the soldiers did, that is killing Athaliah, was the highest justice. Yet by her it was branded as the highest crime.

The Doctrine of Interposition

Jehoiada's action exemplifies interposition: when civil authority is unlawful, spiritual leaders may step in to restore righteous order. Weaver connects this to the American founding, where colonists interposed against King George III.

Before I begin making applications, I want you to see here is a very important doctrine in scripture. This is called the doctrine of interposition. Jehoiada was the high priest. The king had died. The queen had acquired the throne only through murder. No recognition by God, no recognition by the people. When there was no one else around to take over, Jehoiada did so. He stepped in, who himself was not a civil ruler, but a spiritual one, and ordered the execution of Athaliah and all who followed her. That's called a doctrine of interposition. You will find that throughout scripture. You will also find that throughout history. And by the way, that is what happened in the foundation of this country because the king, King George III, had sent his governors over here who were to rule for him and they were doing his bidding, completely contrary to the Constitution and covenants that the king had with the colonies.

And so what in the world did the colonists do? They then nominated and elected and chose their own rulers. And it was their own rulers who led them in fighting the tyranny of George III and the British Parliament. That is called the doctrine of interposition.

Applications: Allegiance and Modern Treason

Weaver argues that allegiance is owed only to the constitutional republic, not to a bureaucratic or globalist government. Civil rulers who subvert the Constitution commit treason. The highest treason is against God.

Now, let me make some applications and try to tie some things together for you and get your thinking going. Zimri murdered a king whose reign had been appointed by God in the sense that God had appointed his father. His father had accomplished what he had done, and Elah had some of that authority. In fact, you will remember, I hope, that when Jehu obeyed God in wiping out Ahab and his house, God promised him seven descendants would sit on the throne for his obedience to God and wiping out Ahab. So, Elah did have some authority. And what did Zimri do? Out of covetousness and willful malice, he murdered a man. And he had no divine authority to do so. He had no human authority to do so. Zimri did what he did because he was a murderer and a thief. Secondly, Jehoiada, on the other hand, did not rebel against a God-ordained or appointed authority. What Jehoiada did was he resisted a murderer and a thief.

Although the reigning power, that is Athaliah, attributed its actions to treasonous actions, they were not treasonous, but rather it was nothing but pure justice. Now here's a principle I've enunciated in time past. I want to enunciate it again. Here it is: It is not treason to resist an unlawful unauthorized government. If there is no lawful power, resistance is neither rebellion nor treason. It is just simply resistance to wickedness and evil. You got that now?

Let me say it again. It is not treason to resist an unlawful and unauthorized government. If there is no lawful power, resistance is neither rebellion nor treason. It is simply resistance to wickedness and evil.

Now, let me go back because I want to clarify our thinking. Let me go back and give you the quote that I originally gave you from Black's Law Dictionary on treason. Here it is: "The offense of attempting by overt acts to overthrow the government of the state to which the offender owes allegiance. Or betraying the state into the hands of a foreign power." Now I want you to stop and think about that. Here is treason defined: "the offense of attempting by overt or outward acts to overthrow the government of the state to which the offender owes allegiance." Let me stop right there. And ask you a question. To what government do you owe allegiance? First and foremost, of course, it would be to Jesus Christ. But secondly, I'm talking about in this country. To what government do you owe allegiance? Let me ask, do you owe allegiance to a bureaucracy? Do you owe allegiance to a democracy? Do you owe allegiance to a one world government? Do you owe allegiance to a United Nations government? To what government do you and I owe allegiance? We owe allegiance only to a constitutional republic that was handed down to us by the lives and fortunes and sacrifices of our forefathers. And by the way, I could ask the same question. To what government do our civil rulers owe their allegiance? Do they owe their allegiance to the oil cartel, the Zionist lobby, the CFR, the Bilderbergers, the United Nations, the One World Government? No. They are supposedly to owe their allegiance to the Constitution of the United States, which is supposedly based upon the Word of God and giving us a constitutional republic. Let me give you, from Article 6, Clause 2 and 3 of the United States Constitution.

Here it is, black and white: "This Constitution and the laws of the United States, which shall be made in pursuance thereof"—that is, in agreement with the Constitution—"and all treaties made, or which shall be made under the authority of the United States"—what's the authority of the United States? The Constitution—"shall be the supreme law of the land, and judges in every state shall be bound thereby, anything in the constitutional laws of any state the contrary notwithstanding." So what does the Constitution say? It is to be the supreme law of the land, and judges are to be bound thereby, but listen to clause three: "The senators and representatives before mentioned, and the members of the several state legislatures, and all executive and judicial officers, both of the United States and of the several states, shall be bound by oath or affirmation to support this Constitution."

Now let me ask you a question again. To what government do our civil rulers owe their allegiance? They're supposed to owe that allegiance to the constitutional republic given to us by our founding fathers. That is the government to which you and I owe allegiance.

Now, the interesting thing is this. Black's Law Dictionary goes a little bit further in defining treason. Not only does it say that treason is the offense of attempting by overt acts to overthrow the government of the state in which the offender owes allegiance, it goes on to say treason also consists of betraying the state into the hands of a foreign power. And here's my question. Who has done that? And who can do that most effectively? And the answer is the civil government or the civil leaders thereof. Let me just ask a few leading questions. Has America been betrayed and given over to a foreign power monetarily and economically? Has America been betrayed and handed over to a foreign power politically? Yes. Is not an attempt to subvert, destroy, and mutilate American sovereignty treason? Yes. Well, who committed this treason?

Not the citizens of the United States. You see what I'm saying? Treason is a two-way street. Do the citizens of America owe allegiance to a bastardized, bureaucratized, and democratized one world government? And the answer is no. We do not owe our allegiance to anything except, first of all, Christ and his word, and secondly, the constitutional republic handed down to us by our forefathers. It is not treason to expose wickedness, rebellion, and ungodliness.

Many of you will remember when Patrick Henry was giving his speech before the Virginia House of Burgesses. In that speech, he said, quote, that some good American would do to George III what Brutus had done to Caesar. Speaker John Robinson flew into a rage and accused Patrick Henry of treason. To which Patrick Henry responded, "If this be treason, then make the most of it." What was he saying? It is not treason to speak the truth. If speaking the truth and acknowledging justice be treason, then nothing else is left. We've got to come to this position, folks, that right is right and wrong is wrong. Truth is truth and error is error. And God, by his grace and mercy, we pray, will deliver us from error and always lead us into his truth and his right. It is not treason to resist a wicked, ungodly, unauthorized, unlawful civil government. Disobedience to tyrants is obedience to God.

Now, I'm going to tell you something, folks. Wicked governments may not acknowledge this fact, and they may not acknowledge the truth of the Word of God, but I want to assure you of one thing. God's Word is truth and God is right. And God will always—and His Word will always—stand the test of time. Stop and think about it. Tyrants have risen and fallen. Empires have come and gone. But the truth of the sovereign God of heaven and earth is still here. And we're going to always have that truth. Let me point out one thing. The highest form of treason is not treason against the civil government, but treason against the sovereign God of heaven and earth.

And you know what we do? We substitute man's law for God's law, and man's sovereignty for God's sovereignty. And man's word for God's word, and that is the highest form of treason. I was looking at another passage, and probably in the near future I may be preaching on this, why there are wars and why there are what you and I would call natural disasters in this country. It's amazing what the Word of God reveals in that.

But let me tell you something. When you forsake God, you incur the judgment and the wrath of God. We must learn first and foremost to be true to the God of heaven and earth. And then second, we need to be true to what our forefathers fought and died for and revive those principles. You know, we live in a day and time when you begin to talk about history or some of these principles, it is unbelievable.

Conclusion and Prayer

Weaver laments national apostasy, calls for courage to stand for God's truth, and prays for grace to be faithful.

I heard on the news just this week about they're wanting samples of DNA from everyone. And they were talking about this database that they could have and the FBI and all these could search this database and think of all the criminals they could catch and all the crimes they committed. And then he said, "But this is only necessary or this can only come to pass if the people are willing to give up their rights."

Your right to privacy, your right to be left alone. You follow what I'm saying? When you reject God and His law, you only suffer the consequences. Treason against God is the most vile and wicked act. We need to learn, knowing the principles of scripture, for the principles of history and what our forefathers gave us. I would love to live to see Patrick Henry here on earth in front of our present-day Congress for five minutes. For five minutes.

Or John or Sam Adams. What a mess we're in in this country. We've been traitors to God, traitors to our Constitution, and traitors to ourselves. May God help us. Let's pray. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we ask that You would give us grace and mercy to always stand for You and Your Word and Your truth. Give us a desire to learn and to know what is right, and to stand for that which is right. Help us, Lord, to have backbone, to have character, to have courage. And may we always do that which is pleasing and honoring to Thee. In the name of Jesus Christ we ask and pray. Amen.

Study Guide

Major Themes

Biblical Definition of Treason

Summary: Treason in Scripture involves unlawful seizure of authority without divine or popular sanction, as seen in Zimri's murder of Elah.

Evidence: Weaver states: 'Zimri was neither chosen by God nor the people to do what he did... So he stole that authority which neither God nor the people had given him.'

Justice vs. Treason

Summary: Resisting an unlawful, unauthorized ruler is not treason but justice, exemplified by Jehoiada's execution of Athaliah.

Evidence: Weaver says: 'What Jehoiada and the soldiers did, that is killing Athaliah, was the highest justice. Yet by her it was branded as the highest crime.'

Allegiance to Constitutional Republic

Summary: Citizens and rulers owe allegiance only to the constitutional republic established by the founders, not to modern bureaucratic or globalist entities.

Evidence: Weaver asks: 'To what government do you owe allegiance?... We owe allegiance only to a constitutional republic that was handed down to us by the lives and fortunes and sacrifices of our forefathers.'

Treason as a Two-Way Street

Summary: Civil rulers can commit treason by betraying the nation to foreign powers or subverting the Constitution.

Evidence: Weaver states: 'Treason is a two-way street... Has America been betrayed and handed over to a foreign power politically? Yes. Is not an attempt to subvert, destroy, and mutilate American sovereignty treason? Yes.'

Highest Treason Against God

Summary: The ultimate treason is against God, by substituting man's law for God's law and man's sovereignty for God's.

Evidence: Weaver declares: 'The highest form of treason is not treason against the civil government, but treason against the sovereign God of heaven and earth.'

Doctrine of Interposition

Summary: When civil authority becomes tyrannical and unlawful, lesser magistrates or spiritual leaders may interpose to restore righteousness, as Jehoiada did.

Evidence: Weaver explains: 'Jehoiada was the high priest... When there was no one else around to take over, Jehoiada did so... and ordered the execution of Athaliah... That's called a doctrine of interposition.'

Key Arguments

Zimri's act was treason because he lacked authorization

Summary: Zimri murdered a king who had some legitimacy from God's appointment of his father Baasha, and Zimri acted solely out of self-interest without divine or popular mandate.

Evidence: Weaver argues: 'Zimri was neither chosen by God nor the people to do what he did... Zimri was nothing more than a murderer. Zimri wanted the kingdom for himself.'

Jehoiada's resistance was not treason but justice

Summary: Athaliah had no legitimate authority, having murdered the royal seed. Jehoiada, as high priest, rightfully interposed to crown the true king and execute the usurper.

Evidence: Weaver states: 'It is not treason to resist an unlawful unauthorized government. If there is no lawful power, resistance is neither rebellion nor treason.'

Allegiance is to the Constitution, not to modern government forms

Summary: The U.S. Constitution defines the government to which allegiance is owed; any deviation toward democracy, bureaucracy, or globalism is a betrayal of that compact.

Evidence: Weaver reads Article 6, Clause 2-3, and asks: 'To what government do our civil rulers owe their allegiance?... They're supposed to owe that allegiance to the constitutional republic given to us by our founding fathers.'

Civil rulers can be guilty of treason

Summary: Treason is not limited to citizens; any civil ruler who attempts to overthrow the Constitution or betray the nation to foreign powers commits treason.

Evidence: Weaver asserts: 'Do you realize that any civil ruler who attempts to overthrow the Constitution of the United States is guilty of treason?'

Disobedience to tyrants is obedience to God

Summary: When government becomes unlawful and tyrannical, resistance is a duty, not treason, as illustrated by Patrick Henry's defiance.

Evidence: Weaver quotes Patrick Henry: 'If this be treason, then make the most of it,' and concludes: 'Disobedience to tyrants is obedience to God.'

Scripture References

1 Kings 16:20

Context: The Bible specifically mentions Zimri's treason.

2 Kings 11:14

Context: Athaliah cries 'Treason, treason' upon seeing Joash crowned king.

Ezekiel 18:20

Context: The soul that sins shall die; the son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, supporting the ban on attainder of treason.

2 Kings 14:5-6

Context: Amaziah slew the murderers of his father but not their children, obeying the law of Moses.

1 Kings 16:8-20

Context: The account of Zimri's conspiracy, murder of Elah, and brief reign.

1 Kings 11:26-36

Context: God's promise to give Jeroboam ten tribes, establishing legitimacy for the northern kingdom.

1 Kings 14:10-16

Context: God's judgment on the house of Jeroboam and promise to raise up a king to cut it off.

1 Kings 15:27-30

Context: Baasha conspires against Nadab and destroys the house of Jeroboam as God's instrument.

1 Kings 16:1-2

Context: God declares He exalted Baasha out of the dust to be prince over Israel.

Psalm 75:6-7

Context: Promotion comes from God; He puts down one and exalts another.

2 Kings 9:30-31

Context: Jezebel taunts Jehu by asking, 'Had Zimri peace, who slew his master?'

2 Kings 11:1-3

Context: Athaliah destroys the royal seed, but Joash is hidden.

2 Kings 8:18

Context: Joram married the daughter of Ahab (Athaliah), leading him into evil.

Isaiah 3:12

Context: A curse when women and children rule over God's people.

2 Kings 11:4-14

Context: Jehoiada crowns Joash, and Athaliah cries treason.

2 Kings 11:15-20

Context: Jehoiada orders Athaliah's execution; the people rejoice.

Historical References

United States Constitution, Article 3, Section 3

Context: Defines treason against the United States and requires two witnesses or confession.

Abraham Lincoln

Context: Weaver claims Lincoln destroyed the Union and overthrew the Constitution, acknowledging six constitutional violations.

Black's Law Dictionary (6th edition)

Context: Definitions of treason, constructive treason, high treason, and petit treason.

Patrick Henry and the Virginia House of Burgesses

Context: Henry's speech suggesting a Brutus-like act against George III led to accusations of treason; he replied, 'If this be treason, then make the most of it.'

King George III and the American colonies

Context: The colonists interposed by electing their own rulers to resist the king's tyranny, an example of the doctrine of interposition.

United States Constitution, Article 6, Clauses 2-3

Context: Establishes the Constitution as supreme law and requires all officers to support it by oath.

Important Quotes

Treason is a word that reeks of treachery, subterfuge, espionage, and death.

Significance: Sets the tone for the gravity of treason as a concept.

Treason against the United States shall consist only in levying war against them or in adhering to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort.

Significance: Direct quote from the U.S. Constitution used to anchor the legal definition.

The federal government did not create the states, but the states created the federal government.

Significance: Key to Weaver's argument that allegiance is to the states' constitutional compact.

It is not treason to resist an unlawful unauthorized government. If there is no lawful power, resistance is neither rebellion nor treason.

Significance: Central thesis distinguishing justice from treason.

What Jehoiada and the soldiers did, that is killing Athaliah, was the highest justice. Yet by her it was branded as the highest crime.

Significance: Illustrates the inversion of justice by the wicked.

The highest form of treason is not treason against the civil government, but treason against the sovereign God of heaven and earth.

Significance: Elevates the discussion to spiritual treason as the ultimate offense.

Disobedience to tyrants is obedience to God.

Significance: Succinct summary of the duty to resist unlawful authority.

If this be treason, then make the most of it.

Significance: Patrick Henry's defiant response, used to encourage boldness for truth.

Discussion Questions

How does the biblical account of Zimri's treason inform our understanding of legitimate authority versus usurpation?

Context: Weaver contrasts Zimri's self-serving murder with David's refusal to harm Saul.

In what ways does Athaliah's cry of 'Treason!' reveal the tendency of the guilty to project their crimes onto the innocent?

Context: Weaver notes that Athaliah was the greatest traitor yet first to cry treason.

What is the doctrine of interposition, and how might it apply to modern situations where civil government oversteps its bounds?

Context: Weaver explains Jehoiada's role and connects it to the American founding.

According to Weaver, to what government do Christians in America owe primary allegiance, and why?

Context: Weaver argues allegiance is to the constitutional republic, not to modern bureaucratic or global entities.

How can civil rulers commit treason, and what examples does Weaver suggest?

Context: Weaver asks who has betrayed America to foreign powers and points to economic and political subversion.

Why does Weaver consider treason against God to be the highest form of treason?

Context: He states that substituting man's law for God's law is the ultimate treason.

What lessons can we draw from David's refusal to kill Saul, and how does that contrast with modern revolutionary attitudes?

Context: David waited for God's timing despite having the promise of kingship.

Applications

Discern Legitimate Authority

Summary: Believers must distinguish between God-ordained authority and usurped power, refusing to support unlawful rulers.

Evidence: Weaver states: 'It is not treason to resist an unlawful unauthorized government.'

Maintain Allegiance to the Constitution

Summary: Christians should uphold the original constitutional republic and resist its subversion by modern political trends.

Evidence: Weaver asks: 'To what government do you owe allegiance?... We owe allegiance only to a constitutional republic.'

Speak Truth Boldly

Summary: Like Patrick Henry, believers must not fear accusations of treason when speaking truth to power.

Evidence: Weaver quotes Henry: 'If this be treason, then make the most of it.'

Prioritize Allegiance to God

Summary: The highest loyalty is to God; rejecting His law for man's law is spiritual treason.

Evidence: Weaver warns: 'The highest form of treason is not treason against the civil government, but treason against the sovereign God.'

Practice Interposition When Necessary

Summary: When civil authority becomes tyrannical, lesser magistrates or spiritual leaders may need to interpose to restore righteousness.

Evidence: Weaver cites Jehoiada's example and the American founding as interposition.

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-06T01:46:01Z

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T15:35:13Z

Clean Transcript

The Bible & Treason

Clean readable transcript. This view follows the Commentary.net cleaned segment text while preserving timestamps for audio follow-along.

I'm going to bring a message today which is probably a little unusual. The title of the message is "The Bible and Treason." Lord willing, next week I'm going to be bringing a message which I hope everyone in here will be anxious to hear, and the title of the message is "Why God Does Not Answer Most Prayers." And it's very revealing once you see it. It's so plain in scripture. But the message today is "The Bible and Treason." And let me tell you that I don't just a lot of times sit down and say, "Well, I'm going to preach on such and such subject." Sometimes that does happen, but usually the messages come just as I do my own private reading and private devotion. In other words, I see something that piques my curiosity and I said, "Well, let me check into that." And then that's how a message develops. And I was reading through 1 Kings and 2 Kings, and I came across the word "treason." And once I got to it the second time, I thought, "Well, I wonder how many times the Bible speaks about treason."
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And then Hobie came over one day, and he kind of helped me with this message because we kind of sounded it back and forth off each other. And I thought, you know, most people have probably never thought this thing through. I want to just kind of share it with you from the Bible. So we're going to look in 1 Kings chapter 16 at verse 20. Now we're going to be looking at a lot of scriptures. 1 Kings 16:20. Look what the Bible says about Zimri: "Now the rest of the acts of Zimri and his treason that he wrought, are they not written in the book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?" Note the Bible specifically talks about the treason which Zimri wrought. Now, if you look at 2 Kings 11 and verse 14, you'll read now about Athaliah, and we'll come back and get the context of all of these passages. 2 Kings 11:14: "And when she looked, behold, the king stood by a pillar, as the manner was, and the princes and the trumpeters by the king, and all the people of the land rejoiced and blew with trumpets."
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And Athaliah rent her clothes and cried, "Treason, treason." Treason is a word that reeks of treachery, subterfuge, espionage, and death. Treason is usually a word or a term that is associated with such names as Judas, Benedict Arnold, and the Rosenbergs. I'm not sure that you are aware of this, but treason is one of the few crimes that is specifically mentioned in the United States Constitution, and treason is also defined in that document.
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Now, while many people are aware of the political ramifications of treason, most of us are woefully ignorant of what the Bible teaches upon the subject. The word "treason" actually occurs five times in our Bible, and then only in three passages. However, the root word for treason is the Hebrew word "kesher," which is translated "treason" five times. It is translated "conspiracy" nine times and "confederacy" two times. So it can be specific and it can also be a very broad term as well.
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Now, according to my understanding of history, I believe I'm correct in saying this: that since the inception of our Constitution, only about 30 people have ever been charged with treason in our Republic. Now, our United States Constitution, in Article 3, Section 3, describes treason as follows.
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Now, it's very important that you listen to this because there are going to be some biblical implications in just a moment. But here's what the United States Constitution says concerning treason: "Treason against the United States shall consist only in levying war against them or in adhering to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort. No person shall be convicted of treason unless on the testimony of two witnesses to the same overt act or on confession in open court. The Congress shall have power to declare the punishment of treason, but no attainder of treason shall work corruption of blood or forfeiture except during the life of the person attainted." Now, I'm going to explain that in just a moment. But I want you to note, according to the United States Constitution, in order to be convicted of treason, there must be at least one overt act. That is, one open public act. Not only must there be one open act, there must also be two witnesses to confirm that act, or at least a confession in open court.
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Now, one of the most noticeable things about this definition in the United States Constitution that struck me was this. I want you to note the plurality that is used in defining the United States. Listen again: "Treason against the United States shall consist only in levying war against them"—not "it," but "them"—"in adhering to their enemies." In other words, treason then was against one of the numerous states that had entered into this agreement, and not necessarily against a federalized bureaucracy.
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The point I'm trying to make is very important. Treason against the United States shall consist, it said, against "them," and adhering to "their" enemies. So evidently, initially then, the crime of treason was against any of the confederated states, individually or collectively, which made up the United States. Now it is true that only Congress then had the power to declare the punishment of treason, but originally, I hope you remember this, Congress was to represent the United States. May I point out the fact and fit it rather bluntly, that the federal government did not create the states, but the states created the federal government. And so therefore, Congress then was to represent those confederated states. That's why the definition says, against "them," plural, or adhering to "their" enemies. So the states were the master, and the federal government was the servant. Thus, basically, and according to the definition that I just gave you from the United States Constitution, any attempt then to overthrow the union of the states and subvert the Constitution of the United States, which was the glue binding the states together, was or should be considered as treason.
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In other words, treason then, basically speaking, was an act against our constitutional republic. Do you understand that? You remember the Constitution was accepted in 1789. In 1789, we had a constitutional republic.
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Now, if we meditate upon this line of thought, just even momentarily, we can come up with a number of names, I'm sure, that would have qualified for the crime of treason. The first name that comes to my mind automatically would be President Abraham Lincoln, because Lincoln destroyed the Union in order to preserve the Union. He overthrew the Constitution of the United States and was responsible for dissolving the Union by unconstitutional acts. And lest you want to argue with me, may I point out the fact that Abraham Lincoln himself confessed to and acknowledged six constitutional violations when he tried to get the Congress to ratify his unconstitutional acts, which they did not and would not. So Abraham Lincoln knew very well that he was seeking to overthrow the Constitution.
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Now, the interesting thing is this. I'm sure that if you and I were to think, probably a lot of modern day names could be added to that list as well. Do you realize that any civil ruler who attempts to overthrow the Constitution of the United States is guilty of treason? What we have failed to remember is this: it is not just simply a citizen that can be guilty of treason. It can also be a civil ruler. Anyone who seeks to overthrow the Constitution of the United States would be guilty of treason in that sense that they are seeking to overthrow the constitutional republic.
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Let me make a further statement before I go on, on Article 3 and Section 3. When the Constitution states, "but no attainder of treason shall work corruption of blood or forfeiture except during the life of the person attainted."
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Now what in the world does that mean? Well, attainder of treason was a practice in Europe, which was forbidden in the United States. An attainder of treason was this: let's suppose Ed committed an act of treason. Well, an attainder of treason then would mean this, that not only would Ed be punished, but so would his wife, so would his children, so would any member of his family.
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In other words, whether they had anything to do with it or not is immaterial. In other words, the family then was ostracized and banished as traitors. And any inheritance they might have, of course, would certainly be dissolved. In other words, it would be totally unbiblical in the sense that you would be punishing other people for something they did not do.
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Now, the scripture is very plain on that, because the Bible says in Ezekiel chapter 18 and verse 20, God said, "The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither the father bear the iniquity of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him." So God said the son is not to die for the crimes of the father, nor the father to die for the crimes of the sins of the son. Every man shall die for his own sin.
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That is why our Constitution said there shall be no attainder of treason. In other words, if Ed is guilty of treason, Ed is convicted, Ed is condemned—not Eddie, not Dixie, not Carrick, not anybody else in his family.
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Now, I want you to understand, look in your Bibles to 2 Kings chapter 14 in verse 6. This was understood and carried out by numerous individuals who wanted to do that which was right. Of course, it was certainly overlooked by those who wanted to do what was wrong. But in 2 Kings chapter 14 in verse 6, you have a statement there concerning King Amaziah of Judah. He was avenging the murder of his father, and here the Bible says—well, let's read verse 5: "And it came to pass as soon as the kingdom was confirmed in his hand that he slew his servants who had slain the king, his father. But the children of the murderers he slew not."
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According to that which was written in the book of the law of Moses, wherein the law commanded, saying, "The father shall not be put to death for the children, nor the children be put to death for their fathers, but every man shall be put to death for his own sin." So he wanted to do what was right. And so those who murdered his father, he put to death. Those who had no hand in it, he allowed them to live, even though they were the children of the murderers.
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So very obviously, then, there is a biblical principle here. Now, let me give you just a quick historical overview before we get to the Bible. I took this from Black's Law Dictionary, the sixth edition, and this is very important. I'm going to give you several definitions and explanations of treason, but I want you to listen to what Black's Law Dictionary says concerning treason: "Treason, a breach of allegiance to one's government, usually committed through levying war against such government or by giving aid or comfort to the enemy." Now here's the important part: "The offense of attempting by overt acts"—that is open acts—"to overthrow the government of the state to which the offender owes allegiance, or of betraying the state into the hands of a foreign power." And then he goes on and gives the constitutional statement that treason consists of two elements, adhering to the enemy and rendering him aid and comfort, and that a person can only be convicted of treason upon the testimony of two witnesses or confession in open court. Then he goes on and shows how there are different types of treason.
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There is constructive treason, which is treason imputed to a person by law from his conduct or course of actions, though his deeds really do not amount to treason. And, of course, that doctrine is not particularly known in the United States, but it is in England. Then there is high treason, which we don't have particularly, because in English law, that then was treason against the king, or treason against the queen, or some magisterial person. But there was one that I did find exceedingly interesting, and that definition was for petit treason. You know, we have a grand jury and we have a petit jury? Listen to this: "Petit treason, in old English law, the crime committed by a wife in killing her husband, or a servant his lord or master, or an ecclesiastic his lord or ordinary." So then, very obviously, what he is saying is that petit treason then involved a wife killing the husband, a servant his lord, or someone else killing a higher authority. That was just simply known as petit treason. I've given you very quickly a brief political and historical overview of treason.
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But here's the question. What does the Bible have to say about treason? In order to answer that question, I want us to look closely at and compare 1 Kings 16 and 2 Kings 14. Now look in 1 Kings 16 and verse 20, because here the Bible says, "Now, the rest of the acts of Zimri and his treason that he wrought, are they not written in the book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?" Now, note, if you would please, the Bible specifically calls the acts of Zimri treason and that which he wrought. Now, in order to understand that, let's begin reading in verse 8. Let's get down. 1 Kings 16:8: "And in the twenty-sixth year of Asa, king of Judah, began Elah, the son of Baasha, to reign over Israel in Tirzah two years. And his servant Zimri, captain of half his chariots, conspired against him as he was in Tirzah, drinking himself drunk in the house of Arza, steward of his house in Tirzah. And Zimri went in and smote him and killed him in the twenty-seventh year of Asa, king of Judah, and reigned in his stead."
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"And it came to pass when he began to reign, as soon as he sat on the throne, that he slew all the house of Baasha, and he left not one that pisseth against the wall, neither his kinfolks nor his friends." Now, let me just stop there. When I read that, there's no reason to be embarrassed about that. There's no reason to be, you know, a kid's he-he-he. That was just simply a graphic and a pictorial way of saying he's going to kill every male there in that family. You're going to see that several times as you read through the history of the kings that this is there. All right. So just say he's going to kill every man there. All right. Neither of his kinfolks, nor his friends.
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"Thus did Zimri destroy all the house of Baasha, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake against Baasha by Jehu the prophet. Now watch: for all the sins of Baasha, the sins of Elah, his son, by which they sinned, and by which they made Israel to sin, in provoking the Lord God of Israel to anger with their vanities. Now the rest of the acts of Elah and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the Chronicles of the kings of Israel? In the twenty-seventh year of Asa, king of Judah, did Zimri reign seven days in Tirzah, and the people were encamped against Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines. And the people that were encamped heard say Zimri had conspired and had also slain the king. Wherefore, all Israel made Omri the captain of the host king over Israel that day in the camp. And Omri went up from Gibbethon, and all Israel with him, and they besieged Tirzah. And it came to pass, when Zimri saw that the city was taken, that he went into the palace of the king's house, and burnt the king's house over him with fire, and died."
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"For his sins which he sinned in doing evil in the sight of the Lord, and walking in the way of Jeroboam, and his sin which he did to make Israel sin. Now the rest of the acts of Zimri, and his treason which he wrought, are they not written in the book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?"
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Now, the interesting thing is this. Zimri murders Elah, who was the son of Baasha. Now, it is true that Elah was a wicked and an ungodly king. In fact, all of the northern rulers were wicked and ungodly. So while Elah was in the process of drinking himself drunk, Zimri seized the opportunity and murdered the king.
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Now let me ask you a question. What made Zimri's acts unlawful and treasonous? Certainly murder is wrong. Self-will is wrong. And I am sure that the only reason that Zimri had in killing Elah was to elevate himself, usurp authority, and to steal the kingdom for himself. In all probability, he had no desire to serve God. In fact, we already know that. The scripture tells us that. And he had no desire to serve the people. He only wanted to serve himself. So how is it, then, that Zimri's act of killing a wicked, ungodly reprobate king could be called and classified as treason? Well, one of the main problems with the murder of Elah was this, that he did have some legitimacy to his rule.
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Now let me explain that. Every time I use that word now—Alice and I met a pastor friend who was from Yugoslavia, and he was talking to me, and we talked for a few minutes, and I could not follow what he was saying, although he was speaking plainly, of course he had an accent. And he began to talk about some "legitimacy." "Legitimacy, there's no legitimacy." What is he saying? Then it dawned on me, that's how he's pronouncing legitimacy, you know, "legitimacy," but it's legitimacy.
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So after I figured that out, then we were able to communicate. So I'm saying that Elah did have some legitimacy then. He did have a little legitimacy. In order to understand that, you must understand that God had originally given Jeroboam ten of the twelve tribes.
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Now, let's go back in our Bibles to 1 Kings 11, beginning there in verse 26. 1 Kings 11:26. Let me just show you the legitimacy that Elah had. 1 Kings 11:26: "And Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, the Ephrathite of Zereda, Solomon's servant, whose mother's name was Zeruah, a widow woman, even he lifted up his hand against the king. And this was the cause that lifted up his hand against the king. Solomon built Millo and repaired the breaches of the city of David his father. And the man Jeroboam was a mighty man of valor. And Solomon, seeing the young man that he was industrious, he made him ruler over the charge of the house of Joseph. And it came to pass at that time, when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, that the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite found him in the way, and he had clad himself with a new garment, and they two were alone in the field."
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"And Ahijah caught the new garment that was on him, and rent it into twelve pieces. And he said to Jeroboam, Take thee ten pieces. For thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel, Behold, I will rend the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and will give ten tribes to thee. But he shall have one tribe for my servant David's sake, and for Jerusalem's sake, the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, because they have forsaken me and worshipped Ashtaroth, the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh, the god of the Moabites, Milcom, the god of the children of Ammon, and have not walked in my ways to do that which is right in my eyes, and to keep my statutes and my judgments, as did David his father. Howbeit I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand, but I will make him prince all the days of his life for David my servant's sake, whom I chose because he kept my commandments and my statutes. But I will take the kingdom out of his son's hand and will give it unto thee, even ten tribes."
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"And unto his son will I give one tribe, that David my servant may have a light always before me in Jerusalem in the city, which I have chosen to put my name there." So ten of the twelve tribes, by God's direction, were given unto Jeroboam. Now, you know what Jeroboam did. Jeroboam made all Israel to sin because he made those two golden calves. He put one in Dan and the other in Bethel. He said, "These be thy gods, O Israel. You don't have to go down to Jerusalem and worship. You just worship right here."
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So what does God do? God now pronounces judgment against Jeroboam and against his lineage for his apostasy. Look in 1 Kings chapter 14, beginning there with verse 10. 1 Kings 14:10. God says, "Therefore, behold, I will bring evil against the house of Jeroboam and will cut off from Jeroboam him that pisseth against the wall and him that is shut up and left in Israel and will take away the remnant of the house of Jeroboam as a man taketh away dung, till it all be gone. Him that dieth of Jeroboam in the city shall the dogs eat, and him that dieth in the field shall the fowls of the air eat, for the Lord hath spoken it. Arise thou therefore, get thee to thine own house, and when thy feet enter into the city, the child shall die. And all Israel shall mourn for him and bury him, for he only of Jeroboam shall come to the grave, because in him found some good thing toward the Lord God of Israel in the house of Jeroboam."
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"Moreover, now watch, Moreover, the Lord shall raise him up a king over Israel, who shall cut off the house of Jeroboam that day. But what even now? For the Lord shall smite Israel as a reed is shaken in the water. He shall root up Israel out of this good land which he gave to their fathers, and shall scatter them beyond the river, because they have made their groves, provoking the Lord to anger. And he shall give Israel up because of the sins of Jeroboam, who did sin and who made Israel to sin." Now, the interesting thing is, once God pronounces judgment against the house of Jeroboam, guess who the man that God raised up to smite the house of Jeroboam was? It was Baasha.
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So look in your Bibles to 1 Kings chapter 15, beginning there with verse 27. "And Baasha, the son of Ahijah of the house of Issachar, conspired against him—as against Nadab, the son of Jeroboam—conspired against him, and Baasha smote him at Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines. For Nadab and all Israel laid siege to Gibbethon. Even in the third year of Asa, king of Judah, did Baasha slay him and reign in his stead. And it came to pass, when he reigned, that he smote all the house of Jeroboam. He left not to Jeroboam any that breathed, until he destroyed him, according unto the saying of the Lord, which he spake by his servant Ahijah the Shilonite, because of the sins of Jeroboam, which he sinned, and which"
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"made Israel sin by his provocation, whereof he provoked the Lord God of Israel to anger." Now, the rest of the acts of Nadab and all they did are written in the book of the Chronicles of the kings of Israel. And there was war between Asa and Baasha all the days of their lives. Now, so you see, Baasha now has been raised up by God to slay Jeroboam and all of his house.
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Now, I want you to look in verse two of 1 Kings chapter 16. Look in 1 Kings 16, verse two. In fact, let's read verse one. "Then the word of the Lord came to Jehu, the son of Hanani, against Baasha, saying, Now look, forasmuch as I exalted thee out of the dust, and made thee prince over my people Israel, and thou hast walked in the way of Jeroboam, and hast made my people Israel to sin, and"
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"to provoke me to anger with their sins." Who was it that said that he exalted Baasha out of the dust and raised him up? It was God. In other words, God made Baasha king in the place of Jeroboam and in the place of Nadab. So since Elah was the son of Baasha, whom God had raised up specifically to cleanse the house of Jeroboam, Elah was his son, and therefore there was some legitimacy to his reign.
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You know what the Bible says in Psalm 75 and verse 6? "For promotion cometh neither from the north, nor from the south, nor from the east, nor from the west, but it is God who is the judge. He putteth up one, and He taketh down another." So what did God do? God is the one that put up Jeroboam and Nadab, and God took them down. God is the one that put up Baasha and Elah, and God took them down.
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Now, the problem with Zimri is this. Zimri was neither chosen by God nor the people to do what he did. Look down to verse 16. "And the people that were encamped heard say, Zimri had conspired and also had slain the king, wherefore all Israel made Omri the captain of the host, king over Israel that day in the camp." So God did not raise up Zimri specifically to be king and to have the authority to do what he did. Neither did the people.
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Now, please remember this if you would. It is true that many times God chose a man to be king like David. David was the man after God's own heart. But although God chose David to be king, God chose him immediately through the will and the recognition of the people. That is, the people came to David and they made a covenant with David. So David was not only God's chosen, he was also the chosen of the people.
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Now, what was the problem with Zimri? Zimri was nothing more than a murderer. Zimri wanted the kingdom for himself. He could care less about God. He could care less about God's word. He could care less about serving the people. He could care less about being a minister to the people. All he wanted was the kingdom for himself.
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Now, I want you to just stop and think with me just for a moment. I want you to contrast the attitude of Zimri and the attitude of David. Now, I don't know that Elah had done anything particularly wrong to Zimri. Zimri just saw him drunk and seized the opportunity and killed him and took the kingdom. But David had been harassed and hounded and persecuted by King Saul. In fact, King Saul had purposely and deliberately tried to slay David on numerous occasions. And when David had the opportunity to slay Saul over and over, did he do it? No. And when Abishai said, "There's the king. God hath delivered him into your hand, David."
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"Let me smite him to the ground, I pray thee. I'll only smite him one time. It won't take me two blows, David. I'll dispatch him quickly and I'll do it with the first blow." And here's what David said. And David said to Abishai, "Destroy him not. For who can stretch forth his hand against the Lord's anointed and be guiltless?" David understood that Saul, although he was wicked in doing him wrong, was still God's king because God had elevated him, God had anointed him. And here's David's attitude: "His time will come that he'll either die in battle or by natural causes."
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Now, I want you to remember something else. David had already been promised the kingdom. He knew he was going to be king. But he was not willing to take the kingdom by rebellion, by murder, by doing that which was contrary to God. He was willing to wait and get the kingdom in God's time. Zimri, on the other hand, was unwilling to wait. He was not chosen by God. He was not chosen by the people. He simply murdered the king. And when the people chose Omri, then in a final act of rebellion, he burned the palace down upon himself and died there. So he stole that authority which neither God nor the people had given him. So Zimri, by the way, did not prosper.
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He only reigned seven days. I want to show you something. Look in your Bibles to 2 Kings chapter 9 and verse 31.
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Now there is a lesson in this. And even reprobate Jezebel learned a lesson from Zimri and she erroneously tried to apply this to Jehu. In 2 Kings chapter 9, look if you would please at verse 31. Ahab has been killed. And of course, his son has been killed by Jehu. And so he comes now to get rid of Jezebel. Verse 30: "And when Jehu was come to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it, and she painted her face, and tired her head, and looked out a window. And as Jehu entered in at the gate, she said, Had Zimri peace, who slew his master?"
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Now what was she saying? "Jehu, you better learn a history lesson. Zimri conspired against his master. How long did it last? Seven days." The only problem was this: God had raised up Jehu, had anointed him to be king, and sent him on the specific mission of killing the house of Ahab and all that he had. You can read that in 2 Kings 9 verses 5 through 10. So, although she was trying to give Jehu a history lesson, the truth was what Zimri did and what Jehu was doing were two totally separate and different things. Zimri was in rebellion. Jehu was in obedience.
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Now, I want you to see the contrast because it's very important. I want you to look in your Bibles, the second Kings chapter 14, because I told you about Athaliah, 2 Kings chapter 14. The contrast, which I'm about to show you, is clearly seen in comparing the history of Zimri with the history of Athaliah. In 2 Kings chapter 14, let's begin reading there with verse 1. You're talking about an un-grandmotherly act.
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I am so thankful this woman was not my grandmother. "In the second year of Joash, son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel, reigned Amaziah, the son of Joash, king of Judah. He was 25 years old when he began to reign. He reigned 29 years in Jerusalem, and his mother's name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem. And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, yet not like David his father. He did according to all things that Joash his father did. Howbeit the high places were not taken away, as yet the people did sacrifice and burn incense on the high places. And it came to pass, as soon as the kingdom was confirmed in his hand, that he slew his servants, which had slain the king and his father."
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Well, we read about that. Let's skip down to verse... What verse am I looking for? Let's see. Maybe I'm in the wrong chapter. I'm trying to read about Athaliah. Let me see. What verse is that? Hmm. I gave you there. OK. OK. It's 2 Kings chapter 11. I'm sorry. 2 Kings chapter 11. That's where I wanted. 2 Kings 11. I was getting ahead of myself. "And when Athaliah, the mother of Ahaziah, saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the seed royal. Now watch. But Jehoshabeath, the daughter of King Joram, sister of Ahaziah, took Joash, the son of Ahaziah, and stole him from among the king's sons, which were slain. And they hid him, even him and his nurse, in a bedchamber from Athaliah, so that he was not slain. He was with her, hidden in the house of the Lord six years, and Athaliah did reign over all the land." Now, the interesting thing is, Athaliah did a very ungrandmotherly thing.
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She murdered all of her grandchildren. All of her grandchildren. When she saw that her son was dead, she decided she wanted to be the ruler of the land. So to make sure she was ruler, she just simply killed all of her grandchildren. The only one that escaped was Joash, and the only reason that he escaped, his aunt Jehoshabeath took him and hid him and her nurse in the temple. So Joash was hidden in the temple for six years, and for six years Athaliah ruled over the land.
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Now let me ask a question, because it's very important for you to know the answer. Who in the world was Athaliah? Well, look in your Bibles to 2 Kings 8 and verse 18. 2 Kings 8 and verse 18. Boy, you talking about Joram, son of Jehoshaphat? Watch. Verse 17: "32 years old when he began to reign. He reigned eight years in Jerusalem. And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as did the house of Ahab. Why? For the daughter of Ahab was his wife, and he did evil in the sight of the Lord." Who did Joram marry? He married Athaliah, the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel.
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No wonder you can see her wickedness. In fact, in 2 Chronicles 21 and verse 6, the Bible says that because of that, Jehoram walked in all the ways of the house of Ahab. In other words, all the sins that the northern kingdom had committed were now being committed in the southern kingdom because of Athaliah. Now, Athaliah is also called the daughter of Omri in 2 Kings 8 verse 26, but Omri would have been her grandfather.
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And you'll find many times in scripture that grandchildren are usually referred to just simply as the children of the grandparents. And one says the word that's true. And in fact, on this trip, someone asked me, they said, "Are those your children?" I said, "Sure, they are." And Tripp said, "You're not my dad." I said, "No, but I'm your grandfather and you're still my children." I mean, that's all there is to it. But you'll find that in Scripture.
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But Athaliah was the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel. Now, not only did Athaliah have absolutely no authority to rule, no authority to murder her children, but I want you to turn in your Bibles and look please at Isaiah chapter 3 and verse 12 at what specifically is said to be a curse. Isaiah 3 and verse 12. Isaiah 3:12. Look what God says: "As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err and destroy the way of thy paths." So one of the curses of God against the people is when women and children rule the land. And Athaliah had ascended to the throne. And for six years, she sat upon that throne. Now, what happened?
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Jehoiada, the high priest, had taken Joash and hidden him in the temple. And all that time, he was instructing the young king in the ways of God. When the young king was seven years old, he held a coronation service for him. And of course, soldiers were therefore stationed around the young king to protect him. If you look now in 2 Kings chapter 14. Notice, if you would please.
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Maybe maybe that's still not the right passage. Let me see. No, it's still back. 2 Kings 11. I don't know why I put 14 down in my notes, but here it is back in 2 Kings chapter 11. Skip down, if you would please, to verse 4. "And the seventh year, Jehoiada sent and fetched the rulers over hundreds with the captains and the guard and brought them to him into the house of the Lord and made a covenant with them and took an oath of them in the house of the Lord and showed them the king's son."
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"And he commanded them, saying, This is the thing that you shall do. A third part of you that enter in on the Sabbath day shall be keepers and watch of the king's house. And a third part shall be at the gate of Sur, and a third part at the gate behind the guard. So shall you keep the watch of the house, that is guard duty, that it be not broken down. Now watch carefully. And two parts of you that go forth on the Sabbath even, they shall keep the watch of the house of the Lord about the king. And you shall compass the king round about every man with his weapons in his hand, and by the way, a lot of these were Levites who were pastors and teachers. You shall compass the king round about every man with his weapons in his hand, and he that cometh within the ranges, let him be slain, and be ye with the king as he goeth out and as he cometh in."
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So, Jehoiada the high priest now has sent guards around this young boy. He's not left alone for a moment. And he said, anybody who comes around, you put him to death. Well, thankfully, no one came around. And so they're now holding this coronation service for him. In fact, let's begin reading verse 11. "And the guard stood every man with his weapon in his right hand round about the king from the right corner of the temple to the left corner of the temple, along by the altar in the temple. And he brought forth the king's son and put the crown upon him and gave him the testimony, which is the law of God. And they made him king and anointed him. And they clapped their hands and said, God save the king. Now, watch. And when Athaliah heard the noise of the guard and of the people, she came to the people in the temple of the Lord. And when she looked, behold, the king stood by a pillar, as the manner was, and the princes and the trumpeters by the king, and all the people of the land rejoiced and blew with trumpets."
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"And Athaliah rent her clothes and cried, Treason! Treason!"
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Now, let me ask you, can you even imagine right now in your mind a difference between 2 Kings 11 and 1 Kings 16, a difference between Athaliah and Zimri. I want you to note that God never ordained Athaliah. God never, ever gave her any authority. The people never, ever gave her any authority. In fact, the only way she got to be queen was by murdering her own grandchildren.
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Now, when she comes into the temple, when she hears all this noise, she thinks, what in the world is going on? And she comes there and she sees the one grandson that has escaped. And all the people clapping and saying, "God save the king," she turns, rends her royal robe, and cries, "Treason, treason!" First of all, let me point out that when she cried treason, it was a charge and it was an indictment against Jehoiada, the high priest, Joash, the young king, and all the people who had helped Jehoiada. She was saying, you are guilty of treason. And at the same time, it would have been an order for her followers to kill Jehoiada, Joash and all those who follow the young king.
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Now, the interesting thing is this. Look what happens. Begin there with verse 15. Here it is: "But Jehoiada, the priest, commanded the captains of the hundreds, the officers of the host and said to them, Have her forth without the ranges and him that follow her kill with a sword. For the priest had said, Let her not be slain in the house of the Lord. And they laid hands on her, and she went by the way, as she went by the way to which the horses came into the king's house, and there was she slain." And Jehoiada made a covenant between the Lord and the king and the people, that they should be the Lord's people, between the king also and the people. Now at the same time, Jehoiada is commanding the soldiers to kill Athaliah. In obedience to his command, the soldiers only kill Athaliah. They kill all who follow her. You'll find that in verse 20. "And all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was quiet, and they slew Athaliah with a sword beside the king's house," which included all of her followers.
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Now, I want you to understand something. What Jehoiada and the soldiers did, that is killing Athaliah, was the highest justice. Yet by her it was branded as the highest crime.
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Now think about what I just said. What Jehoiada and the soldiers did was the highest justice. And yet at the same time it was branded by Athaliah as the highest crime. Athaliah was the greatest traitor and yet she was the first and the loudest in crying "treason, treason." Those who are themselves oftentimes most guilty of something accuse and reproach others of the same thing who are undeserving of that charge.
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Before I begin making applications, I want you to see here is a very important doctrine in scripture. This is called the doctrine of interposition. Jehoiada was the high priest. The king had died. The queen had acquired the throne only through murder. No recognition by God, no recognition by the people. When there was no one else around to take over, Jehoiada did so. He stepped in, who himself was not a civil ruler, but a spiritual one, and ordered the execution of Athaliah and all who followed her. That's called a doctrine of interposition. You will find that throughout scripture. You will also find that throughout history. And by the way, that is what happened in the foundation of this country because the king, King George III, had sent his governors over here who were to rule for him and they were doing his bidding, completely contrary to the Constitution and covenants that the king had with the colonies.
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And so what in the world did the colonists do? They then nominated and elected and chose their own rulers. And it was their own rulers who led them in fighting the tyranny of George III and the British Parliament. That is called the doctrine of interposition.
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Now, let me make some applications and try to tie some things together for you and get your thinking going. Zimri murdered a king whose reign had been appointed by God in the sense that God had appointed his father. His father had accomplished what he had done, and Elah had some of that authority. In fact, you will remember, I hope, that when Jehu obeyed God in wiping out Ahab and his house, God promised him seven descendants would sit on the throne for his obedience to God and wiping out Ahab. So, Elah did have some authority. And what did Zimri do? Out of covetousness and willful malice, he murdered a man. And he had no divine authority to do so. He had no human authority to do so. Zimri did what he did because he was a murderer and a thief. Secondly, Jehoiada, on the other hand, did not rebel against a God-ordained or appointed authority. What Jehoiada did was he resisted a murderer and a thief.
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Although the reigning power, that is Athaliah, attributed its actions to treasonous actions, they were not treasonous, but rather it was nothing but pure justice. Now here's a principle I've enunciated in time past. I want to enunciate it again. Here it is: It is not treason to resist an unlawful unauthorized government. If there is no lawful power, resistance is neither rebellion nor treason. It is just simply resistance to wickedness and evil. You got that now?
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Let me say it again. It is not treason to resist an unlawful and unauthorized government. If there is no lawful power, resistance is neither rebellion nor treason. It is simply resistance to wickedness and evil.
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Now, let me go back because I want to clarify our thinking. Let me go back and give you the quote that I originally gave you from Black's Law Dictionary on treason. Here it is: "The offense of attempting by overt acts to overthrow the government of the state to which the offender owes allegiance. Or betraying the state into the hands of a foreign power." Now I want you to stop and think about that. Here is treason defined: "the offense of attempting by overt or outward acts to overthrow the government of the state to which the offender owes allegiance." Let me stop right there.
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And ask you a question. To what government do you owe allegiance? First and foremost, of course, it would be to Jesus Christ. But secondly, I'm talking about in this country. To what government do you owe allegiance? Let me ask, do you owe allegiance to a bureaucracy? Do you owe allegiance to a democracy? Do you owe allegiance to a one world government? Do you owe allegiance to a United Nations government? To what government do you and I owe allegiance? We owe allegiance only to a constitutional republic that was handed down to us by the lives and fortunes and sacrifices of our forefathers. And by the way, I could ask the same question. To what government do our civil rulers owe their allegiance? Do they owe their allegiance to the oil cartel, the Zionist lobby, the CFR, the Bilderbergers, the United Nations, the One World Government? No. They are supposedly to owe their allegiance to the Constitution of the United States, which is supposedly based upon the Word of God and giving us a constitutional republic. Let me give you, from Article 6, Clause 2 and 3 of the United States Constitution.
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Here it is, black and white: "This Constitution and the laws of the United States, which shall be made in pursuance thereof"—that is, in agreement with the Constitution—"and all treaties made, or which shall be made under the authority of the United States"—what's the authority of the United States? The Constitution—"shall be the supreme law of the land, and judges in every state shall be bound thereby, anything in the constitutional laws of any state the contrary notwithstanding." So what does the Constitution say? It is to be the supreme law of the land, and judges are to be bound thereby, but listen to clause three: "The senators and representatives before mentioned, and the members of the several state legislatures, and all executive and judicial officers, both of the United States and of the several states, shall be bound by oath or affirmation to support this Constitution."
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Now let me ask you a question again. To what government do our civil rulers owe their allegiance? They're supposed to owe that allegiance to the constitutional republic given to us by our founding fathers. That is the government to which you and I owe allegiance.
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Now, the interesting thing is this. Black's Law Dictionary goes a little bit further in defining treason. Not only does it say that treason is the offense of attempting by overt acts to overthrow the government of the state in which the offender owes allegiance, it goes on to say treason also consists of betraying the state into the hands of a foreign power. And here's my question. Who has done that?
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And who can do that most effectively? And the answer is the civil government or the civil leaders thereof. Let me just ask a few leading questions. Has America been betrayed and given over to a foreign power monetarily and economically? Has America been betrayed and handed over to a foreign power politically? Yes. Is not an attempt to subvert, destroy, and mutilate American sovereignty treason? Yes. Well, who committed this treason?
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Not the citizens of the United States. You see what I'm saying? Treason is a two-way street. Do the citizens of America owe allegiance to a bastardized, bureaucratized, and democratized one world government? And the answer is no. We do not owe our allegiance to anything except, first of all, Christ and his word, and secondly, the constitutional republic handed down to us by our forefathers. It is not treason to expose wickedness, rebellion, and ungodliness.
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Many of you will remember when Patrick Henry was giving his speech before the Virginia House of Burgesses. In that speech, he said, quote, that some good American would do to George III what Brutus had done to Caesar. Speaker John Robinson flew into a rage and accused Patrick Henry of treason. To which Patrick Henry responded, "If this be treason, then make the most of it." What was he saying? It is not treason to speak the truth. If speaking the truth and acknowledging justice be treason, then nothing else is left.
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We've got to come to this position, folks, that right is right and wrong is wrong. Truth is truth and error is error. And God, by his grace and mercy, we pray, will deliver us from error and always lead us into his truth and his right. It is not treason to resist a wicked, ungodly, unauthorized, unlawful civil government. Disobedience to tyrants is obedience to God.
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Now, I'm going to tell you something, folks. Wicked governments may not acknowledge this fact, and they may not acknowledge the truth of the Word of God, but I want to assure you of one thing. God's Word is truth and God is right. And God will always—and His Word will always—stand the test of time. Stop and think about it. Tyrants have risen and fallen. Empires have come and gone. But the truth of the sovereign God of heaven and earth is still here. And we're going to always have that truth. Let me point out one thing. The highest form of treason is not treason against the civil government, but treason against the sovereign God of heaven and earth.
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And you know what we do? We substitute man's law for God's law, and man's sovereignty for God's sovereignty. And man's word for God's word, and that is the highest form of treason. I was looking at another passage, and probably in the near future I may be preaching on this, why there are wars and why there are what you and I would call natural disasters in this country. It's amazing what the Word of God reveals in that.
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But let me tell you something. When you forsake God, you incur the judgment and the wrath of God. We must learn first and foremost to be true to the God of heaven and earth. And then second, we need to be true to what our forefathers fought and died for and revive those principles. You know, we live in a day and time when you begin to talk about history or some of these principles, it is unbelievable.
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I heard on the news just this week about they're wanting samples of DNA from everyone. And they were talking about this database that they could have and the FBI and all these could search this database and think of all the criminals they could catch and all the crimes they committed. And then he said, "But this is only necessary or this can only come to pass if the people are willing to give up their rights."
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Your right to privacy, your right to be left alone. You follow what I'm saying? When you reject God and His law, you only suffer the consequences. Treason against God is the most vile and wicked act. We need to learn, knowing the principles of scripture, for the principles of history and what our forefathers gave us. I would love to live to see Patrick Henry here on earth in front of our present-day Congress for five minutes. For five minutes.
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Or John or Sam Adams. What a mess we're in in this country. We've been traitors to God, traitors to our Constitution, and traitors to ourselves. May God help us. Let's pray. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we ask that You would give us grace and mercy to always stand for You and Your Word and Your truth. Give us a desire to learn and to know what is right, and to stand for that which is right. Help us, Lord, to have backbone, to have character, to have courage. And may we always do that which is pleasing and honoring to Thee. In the name of Jesus Christ we ask and pray. Amen.
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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-06T01:46:01Z

The Bible & Treason

John Weaver | Freedom Ministries

John Weaver examines the biblical concept of treason by comparing the accounts of Zimri (1 Kings 16) and Athaliah (2 Kings 11). He argues that Zimri's murder of King Elah was treason because he acted without divine or popular authorization, whereas Jehoiada's resistance to Athaliah was justice, not treason, because she was an unlawful usurper. Weaver extends the principle to modern civil government, asserting that allegiance is owed only to the constitutional republic, and that resisting an unlawful, unauthorized government is not treason but obedience to God. The highest treason, he concludes, is against God Himself.

Introduction: The Unusual Topic of Treason

Weaver introduces the message as unusual, sparked by his personal Bible reading in 1 and 2 Kings where he noticed the word 'treason.' He previews a future message on unanswered prayer.

Biblical Occurrences and Definition of Treason

The word 'treason' appears five times in three passages, rooted in the Hebrew 'kesher' (also translated 'conspiracy' or 'confederacy'). Weaver notes its association with treachery and death.

Scripture Reading — 1 Kings 16:20

"Now the rest of the acts of Zimri and his treason that he wrought, are they not written in the book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?"

The U.S. Constitutional Definition of Treason

Historical and Legal Background on Treason

Now, the scripture is very plain on that, because the Bible says in Ezekiel chapter 18 and verse 20, God said,

Scripture Reading — Ezekiel 18:20

"The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither the father bear the iniquity of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him."

The Treason of Zimri (1 Kings 16)

The Legitimacy of Elah's Reign

Now, let's go back in our Bibles to 1 Kings 11, beginning there in verse 26. 1 Kings 11:26. Let me just show you the legitimacy that Elah had. 1 Kings 11:26:

Scripture Reading — 1 Kings 11:26-36

"And Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, the Ephrathite of Zereda, Solomon's servant, whose mother's name was Zeruah, a widow woman, even he lifted up his hand against the king. And this was the cause that lifted up his hand against the king. Solomon built Millo and repaired the breaches of the city of David his father. And the man Jeroboam was a mighty man of valor. And Solomon, seeing the young man that he was industrious, he made him ruler over the charge of the house of Joseph. And it came to pass at that time, when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, that the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite found him in the way, and he had clad himself with a new garment, and they two were alone in the field."

So what does God do? God now pronounces judgment against Jeroboam and against his lineage for his apostasy. Look in 1 Kings chapter 14, beginning there with verse 10. 1 Kings 14:10. God says,

Scripture Reading — 1 Kings 14:10-16

"Therefore, behold, I will bring evil against the house of Jeroboam and will cut off from Jeroboam him that pisseth against the wall and him that is shut up and left in Israel and will take away the remnant of the house of Jeroboam as a man taketh away dung, till it all be gone. Him that dieth of Jeroboam in the city shall the dogs eat, and him that dieth in the field shall the fowls of the air eat, for the Lord hath spoken it. Arise thou therefore, get thee to thine own house, and when thy feet enter into the city, the child shall die. And all Israel shall mourn for him and bury him, for he only of Jeroboam shall come to the grave, because in him found some good thing toward the Lord God of Israel in the house of Jeroboam."

So look in your Bibles to 1 Kings chapter 15, beginning there with verse 27.

Scripture Reading — 1 Kings 15:27-30

"And Baasha, the son of Ahijah of the house of Issachar, conspired against him—as against Nadab, the son of Jeroboam—conspired against him, and Baasha smote him at Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines. For Nadab and all Israel laid siege to Gibbethon. Even in the third year of Asa, king of Judah, did Baasha slay him and reign in his stead. And it came to pass, when he reigned, that he smote all the house of Jeroboam. He left not to Jeroboam any that breathed, until he destroyed him, according unto the saying of the Lord, which he spake by his servant Ahijah the Shilonite, because of the sins of Jeroboam, which he sinned, and which" "made Israel sin by his provocation, whereof he provoked the Lord God of Israel to anger."

Now, I want you to look in verse two of 1 Kings chapter 16. Look in 1 Kings 16, verse two. In fact, let's read verse one.

Scripture Reading — 1 Kings 16:1-2

"Then the word of the Lord came to Jehu, the son of Hanani, against Baasha, saying, Now look, forasmuch as I exalted thee out of the dust, and made thee prince over my people Israel, and thou hast walked in the way of Jeroboam, and hast made my people Israel to sin, and" "to provoke me to anger with their sins."

You know what the Bible says in Psalm 75 and verse 6?

Scripture Reading — Psalm 75:6-7

"For promotion cometh neither from the north, nor from the south, nor from the east, nor from the west, but it is God who is the judge. He putteth up one, and He taketh down another."

So what did God do? God is the one that put up Jeroboam and Nadab, and God took them down. God is the one that put up Baasha and Elah, and God took them down.

Contrast with David's Attitude

Unlike Zimri, David refused to kill King Saul despite persecution, recognizing Saul as the Lord's anointed. David waited for God's timing, while Zimri seized power unlawfully.

The Case of Athaliah and Jehoiada (2 Kings 11)

Scripture Reading — 2 Kings 8:18

"32 years old when he began to reign. He reigned eight years in Jerusalem. And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as did the house of Ahab. Why? For the daughter of Ahab was his wife, and he did evil in the sight of the Lord."

Who did Joram marry? He married Athaliah, the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel.

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 3:12

"As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err and destroy the way of thy paths."

So one of the curses of God against the people is when women and children rule the land. And Athaliah had ascended to the throne. And for six years, she sat upon that throne. Now, what happened?

Scripture Reading — 2 Kings 11:4-14

"And the seventh year, Jehoiada sent and fetched the rulers over hundreds with the captains and the guard and brought them to him into the house of the Lord and made a covenant with them and took an oath of them in the house of the Lord and showed them the king's son."

Now, I want you to understand something. What Jehoiada and the soldiers did, that is killing Athaliah, was the highest justice. Yet by her it was branded as the highest crime.

The Doctrine of Interposition

Applications: Allegiance and Modern Treason

Conclusion and Prayer

Weaver laments national apostasy, calls for courage to stand for God's truth, and prays for grace to be faithful.

The Bible & Treason

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	1020048483
Subject	Civil Government
Course	Civil Government: Magistracy, Authority, and Romans 13: Christian & Civil Government
Genre	Sermon
Date	2004-10-10
Dictation Name
Book	Book 008: Civil Government: Magistracy, Authority, and Romans 13 — Chapter 10
Source Timed Segments	85

Lecture Guide

Outline

Introduction: The Unusual Topic of Treason: Weaver introduces the message as unusual, sparked by his personal Bible reading in 1 and 2 Kings where he noticed the word 'treason.' He previews a future message on unanswered prayer.
Biblical Occurrences and Definition of Treason: The word 'treason' appears five times in three passages, rooted in the Hebrew 'kesher' (also translated 'conspiracy' or 'confederacy'). Weaver notes its association with treachery and death.
The U.S. Constitutional Definition of Treason: Weaver reads Article 3, Section 3 of the U.S. Constitution, emphasizing the requirement of an overt act and two witnesses. He highlights the plural 'them' and 'their,' arguing treason was originally against the confederated states, not a federal bureaucracy.
Historical and Legal Background on Treason: Weaver discusses attainder of treason (forbidden in the U.S.), cites Black's Law Dictionary definitions including constructive treason, high treason, and petit treason, and notes the biblical principle of individual punishment from Ezekiel 18:20 and 2 Kings 14:6.
The Treason of Zimri (1 Kings 16): Zimri murdered King Elah while he was drunk, seized the throne, and reigned only seven days before dying in a fire. His act was treason because he had no divine or popular authorization; he was a self-serving murderer.
The Legitimacy of Elah's Reign: Weaver traces the divine appointment of Jeroboam (1 Kings 11) and the rise of Baasha (1 Kings 15-16) to show that Elah, as Baasha's son, had some legitimacy. Zimri's act was rebellion against God-ordained authority.
Contrast with David's Attitude: Unlike Zimri, David refused to kill King Saul despite persecution, recognizing Saul as the Lord's anointed. David waited for God's timing, while Zimri seized power unlawfully.
The Case of Athaliah and Jehoiada (2 Kings 11): Athaliah murdered her grandchildren to seize the throne. Jehoiada the high priest hid the rightful heir Joash, crowned him at age seven, and ordered Athaliah's execution. Athaliah cried 'Treason!' but her charge was false; Jehoiada's act was justice.
The Doctrine of Interposition: Jehoiada's action exemplifies interposition: when civil authority is unlawful, spiritual leaders may step in to restore righteous order. Weaver connects this to the American founding, where colonists interposed against King George III.
Applications: Allegiance and Modern Treason: Weaver argues that allegiance is owed only to the constitutional republic, not to a bureaucratic or globalist government. Civil rulers who subvert the Constitution commit treason. The highest treason is against God.
Conclusion and Prayer: Weaver laments national apostasy, calls for courage to stand for God's truth, and prays for grace to be faithful.

Major Themes

Key Arguments

Zimri's act was treason because he lacked authorization

Zimri murdered a king who had some legitimacy from God's appointment of his father Baasha, and Zimri acted solely out of self-interest without divine or popular mandate.

Weaver argues: 'Zimri was neither chosen by God nor the people to do what he did... Zimri was nothing more than a murderer. Zimri wanted the kingdom for himself.'

Jehoiada's resistance was not treason but justice

Athaliah had no legitimate authority, having murdered the royal seed. Jehoiada, as high priest, rightfully interposed to crown the true king and execute the usurper.

Weaver states: 'It is not treason to resist an unlawful unauthorized government. If there is no lawful power, resistance is neither rebellion nor treason.'

Allegiance is to the Constitution, not to modern government forms

The U.S. Constitution defines the government to which allegiance is owed; any deviation toward democracy, bureaucracy, or globalism is a betrayal of that compact.

Weaver reads Article 6, Clause 2-3, and asks: 'To what government do our civil rulers owe their allegiance?... They're supposed to owe that allegiance to the constitutional republic given to us by our founding fathers.'

Civil rulers can be guilty of treason

Treason is not limited to citizens; any civil ruler who attempts to overthrow the Constitution or betray the nation to foreign powers commits treason.

Weaver asserts: 'Do you realize that any civil ruler who attempts to overthrow the Constitution of the United States is guilty of treason?'

Disobedience to tyrants is obedience to God

When government becomes unlawful and tyrannical, resistance is a duty, not treason, as illustrated by Patrick Henry's defiance.

Weaver quotes Patrick Henry: 'If this be treason, then make the most of it,' and concludes: 'Disobedience to tyrants is obedience to God.'

Scripture References

1 Kings 16:20: The Bible specifically mentions Zimri's treason.
2 Kings 11:14: Athaliah cries 'Treason, treason' upon seeing Joash crowned king.
Ezekiel 18:20: The soul that sins shall die; the son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, supporting the ban on attainder of treason.
2 Kings 14:5-6: Amaziah slew the murderers of his father but not their children, obeying the law of Moses.
1 Kings 16:8-20: The account of Zimri's conspiracy, murder of Elah, and brief reign.
1 Kings 11:26-36: God's promise to give Jeroboam ten tribes, establishing legitimacy for the northern kingdom.
1 Kings 14:10-16: God's judgment on the house of Jeroboam and promise to raise up a king to cut it off.
1 Kings 15:27-30: Baasha conspires against Nadab and destroys the house of Jeroboam as God's instrument.
1 Kings 16:1-2: God declares He exalted Baasha out of the dust to be prince over Israel.
Psalm 75:6-7: Promotion comes from God; He puts down one and exalts another.
2 Kings 9:30-31: Jezebel taunts Jehu by asking, 'Had Zimri peace, who slew his master?'
2 Kings 11:1-3: Athaliah destroys the royal seed, but Joash is hidden.
2 Kings 8:18: Joram married the daughter of Ahab (Athaliah), leading him into evil.
Isaiah 3:12: A curse when women and children rule over God's people.
2 Kings 11:4-14: Jehoiada crowns Joash, and Athaliah cries treason.
2 Kings 11:15-20: Jehoiada orders Athaliah's execution; the people rejoice.

Historical References

United States Constitution, Article 3, Section 3: Defines treason against the United States and requires two witnesses or confession.
Abraham Lincoln: Weaver claims Lincoln destroyed the Union and overthrew the Constitution, acknowledging six constitutional violations.
Black's Law Dictionary (6th edition): Definitions of treason, constructive treason, high treason, and petit treason.
Patrick Henry and the Virginia House of Burgesses: Henry's speech suggesting a Brutus-like act against George III led to accusations of treason; he replied, 'If this be treason, then make the most of it.'
King George III and the American colonies: The colonists interposed by electing their own rulers to resist the king's tyranny, an example of the doctrine of interposition.
United States Constitution, Article 6, Clauses 2-3: Establishes the Constitution as supreme law and requires all officers to support it by oath.

Important Quotes

Treason is a word that reeks of treachery, subterfuge, espionage, and death.

Sets the tone for the gravity of treason as a concept.

Treason against the United States shall consist only in levying war against them or in adhering to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort.

Direct quote from the U.S. Constitution used to anchor the legal definition.

The federal government did not create the states, but the states created the federal government.

Key to Weaver's argument that allegiance is to the states' constitutional compact.

It is not treason to resist an unlawful unauthorized government. If there is no lawful power, resistance is neither rebellion nor treason.

Central thesis distinguishing justice from treason.

What Jehoiada and the soldiers did, that is killing Athaliah, was the highest justice. Yet by her it was branded as the highest crime.

Illustrates the inversion of justice by the wicked.

The highest form of treason is not treason against the civil government, but treason against the sovereign God of heaven and earth.

Elevates the discussion to spiritual treason as the ultimate offense.

Disobedience to tyrants is obedience to God.

Succinct summary of the duty to resist unlawful authority.

If this be treason, then make the most of it.

Patrick Henry's defiant response, used to encourage boldness for truth.

Discussion Questions

[Question]

How does the biblical account of Zimri's treason inform our understanding of legitimate authority versus usurpation?

[Context]

Weaver contrasts Zimri's self-serving murder with David's refusal to harm Saul.

[Question]

In what ways does Athaliah's cry of 'Treason!' reveal the tendency of the guilty to project their crimes onto the innocent?

[Context]

Weaver notes that Athaliah was the greatest traitor yet first to cry treason.

[Question]

What is the doctrine of interposition, and how might it apply to modern situations where civil government oversteps its bounds?

[Context]

Weaver explains Jehoiada's role and connects it to the American founding.

[Question]

According to Weaver, to what government do Christians in America owe primary allegiance, and why?

[Context]

Weaver argues allegiance is to the constitutional republic, not to modern bureaucratic or global entities.

[Question]

How can civil rulers commit treason, and what examples does Weaver suggest?

[Context]

Weaver asks who has betrayed America to foreign powers and points to economic and political subversion.

[Question]

Why does Weaver consider treason against God to be the highest form of treason?

[Context]

He states that substituting man's law for God's law is the ultimate treason.

[Question]

What lessons can we draw from David's refusal to kill Saul, and how does that contrast with modern revolutionary attitudes?

[Context]

David waited for God's timing despite having the promise of kingship.

Applications

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