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

Christian & Civil Government # 1

Transcript: AI Transcript

Professor: John Weaver

Subject: Civil Government

Genre: Sermon

Dictation Name:

Date: 2000-12-04

Synopsis: John Weaver introduces a series on the Christian and civil government, establishing that Jesus Christ is King over all spheres of life and that the entire Bible is applicable today. He argues from Romans 13 and other passages that God ordained civil government to be His deacon, exactor of righteousness, and public worship, making government inherently religious. Weaver outlines biblical qualifications for rulers, explains the covenantal nature of government, and contends that when rulers violate their covenant, the people are loosed from obedience. He applies this to the American founding and warns that God judges nations when they tolerate wicked rulers.

[John Weaver] Well, it's good to be here tonight, and I'm certainly thankful for the opportunity, and I trust that you will have your Bibles ready. And some of you have heard me bring some of these truths before, but I trust that if you have, you will understand one little principle, and that's repetition aids learning. And the truth is, the more you hear, the more you understand. I want you to open your Bibles, please, to the book of Romans, chapter 13, and let's read the first eight verses. Romans chapter 13, and notice if you would please beginning there with verse 1. Romans 13, verse 1.

[John Weaver] The Word of God says, Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God. The powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God, and they that resist shall receive of themselves damnation or condemnation. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? Do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same. For he that is the civil magistrate is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid, for he beareth not the sword in vain. For he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. Wherefore, ye must needs be subject not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake.

[John Weaver] For this cause pay you tribute also, for there are God's ministers attending continually upon this very thing. Render therefore to all their dues tribute to whom tribute, custom to whom custom, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor. O no man anything but to love one another, for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.

[John Weaver] Now tonight I want to begin this series on the Christian and civil government. And Lord willing, I want to use a two-edged sword. I want to cut biblically and historically as well. One of our biggest problems is that we're living in a land of absolute ignorance today. We're ignorant of our history, we're ignorant of our heritage, and we're certainly ignorant of the word of God. Greg quoted Hosea 4 and verse 6 where God says, my people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. But our Lord said it like this in John 8 in verse 32.

[John Weaver] He said, you shall know the truth. And the truth shall set you free.

[John Weaver] Now, the opposite is equally true. If you do not know the truth, then you're not free. That means you're bound. That means you're a slave. In fact, 2 Corinthians 3 says it like this, where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. So where the Spirit of the Lord is not, there is bondage. So the main purpose, then, of this study is to equip us with knowledge that we might learn to be responsible Christians in understanding what is our duty and understanding what the Word of God teaches.

[John Weaver] Now, let me give you tonight two basic presuppositions. The very first basic presupposition I have is this, is that Jesus Christ is king of the world. He is not just simply head or king of the church. He is indeed that. But he is king of everything. He is king of politics. He is king of economics. He is king of government. He is king of education. Jesus Christ is king of everything.

[John Weaver] There is absolutely nothing that does not fall under His authority. For instance, the Bible says in Matthew 28 and verse 18, Christ Himself said, All power or all authority is given unto me in heaven and earth. So, Jesus Christ then has all power and all authority. The Bible in 1 Timothy chapter 6 verse 15 says that Jesus Christ is the only potentate and the word potentate literally means the all powerful one. So Jesus Christ himself declares that he is the all powerful one. So he is literally head and king of everything.

[John Weaver] The second basic presupposition I have is this. that the entirety of the Bible is the Word of God and is applicable to us today. The Word of God says in Psalm 119 and verse 89, Forever, O Lord, is thy word settled in the heavens. And so whatever God says is true. And whatever God has given us is applicable to us. The Bible said in 2 Timothy 3 and verse 16, All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for correction, for reproof, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished under every good work."

[John Weaver] And when the Apostle Paul wrote that, he had in mind primarily the Old Testament, for the New Testament had not been completed at that particular time. So the Bible, then, is our law word. It is our guide for every area and every sphere of life. May I remind you that the Word of God teaches on every subject imaginable. It doesn't just simply teach on the family or the church, but it deals with government. It deals with economics. It deals with law. It deals with a multitude of things. Any and everything that affects our lives, there are principles in the Word of God that will correct us and instruct us and lead us to righteousness and godliness.

[John Weaver] Now, let me very quickly tell you about three historical books If you do not have them, some of them may be acquired today. I think one of them is probably out of print. But here were three historical books that I studied. Beside the Word of God, there were a great help to me. The first one is Lex Rex, written by Samuel Rutherford in 1640. Now Lex Rex is a Latin title which just simply means the law is king. It was a book that was written against another treatise, which was entitled Rex Lex, in other words, the King's Law. So Samuel Rutherford, then in 1640, wrote his treatise. He wrote his book against the divine right of kings.

[John Weaver] And his basic premise is this. Kings, like everyone else, are to be subject to the law of God. and a king does not elevate himself above and beyond the law. So, Lex Rex 1640 is a very important book and it is in print today. The second book was entitled, Wendicke Contra Tyrannis. Again, it's a Latin title. It just simply means a vindication of liberty against tyrants.

[John Weaver] Now, the reprint that I have is a 1689 edition by Hubert Langway. Or Judas Brunus is his pen name. There is another edition, 1616. Some say that this book was even available in the 1400s. It's an excellent book. The third book was Thomas Covett's book, A Christian View of the Civil Magistrate, which was written in 1653. Now, probably of those three, the only one that you cannot get today would be Thomas Covett's book, A Christian View of the Civil Government. You might find a copy somewhere, and if you do, you grab it up because it's exceedingly rare and exceedingly beneficial.

[John Weaver] Now, let me just tell you this. Those books are written in Old English. And they're sometimes a little difficult to read until you begin to understand that the S's are like F's and, you know, you just go from there and you learn how to read very quickly.

[John Weaver] Now, let's begin tonight by looking at Romans chapter 13, because I want you to notice, if you would please, verse 1 tonight. We'll deal with verses 1 and 2. God says, Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God. Now look. The powers that be are ordained of God.

[John Weaver] Now, here we have the institution and the nature of government. The Scripture says very concisely and very clearly that it was God who ordained government. The Bible says the powers or the authorities that be are ordained by God. You see, God reigns by virtue of His own authority and rights. All others rule and reign by derivation. In other words, if God does not give someone authority, they simply do not have it.

[John Weaver] Have you ever stopped and asked yourself this question? Why is it that the husband has the authority over the wife and the authority over the family? Why is a pastor an authority over the church? And the answer comes back because that is the way that God ordained it. And likewise, the Bible tells us that God ordained civil government to be an authority as well. For instance, look in your Bibles, first of all, to the book of Proverbs, chapter 8. Proverbs, chapter 8.

[John Weaver] In this passage, you have wisdom personified, who is none other than Jesus Christ. And listen to what he says in Proverbs 8, beginning there with verse 15. Christ says, By me kings reign, and princes decree justice. By me princes rule, and nobles, and all the judges of the earth." In other words, no one has any authority except that which our Lord gives them. If you would look in your Bibles to Psalm 75. Psalm 75, verses 6 and 7. Here's a very clear passage. Psalm 75, beginning there with verse 6. The Word of God says, For promotion cometh neither from the east nor from the west, nor from the south, but God is the judge. He putteth down one, and he setteth up another. So promotion does not come from man. It does not come from any other direction other than from the sovereign God Himself. It is God who takes rulers down. It is God who puts them up. If you will turn in your Bibles to the book of Daniel, chapter 2. Let me show you this illustrated very clearly.

[John Weaver] Daniel, chapter 2. And let's begin reading there with verse twenty one Daniel chapter two and notice if you would please verse twenty one in this passage. Daniel in fact let's read verse twenty just so that you can see that God is in the context. Daniel answered and said blessed be the name of God forever and ever for wisdom and might are his now note Blessed be the name of God. So we've got God in the context verse 21 and he that is God change at the times and the seasons He God remove it Kings and set it up Kings and He giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding. So the Bible says very plainly that God is the one who removes kings or rulers, presidents, congressmen, ever how you want to call it. It is God who removes them. It is God who puts them up. Now, if you look down in your Bibles to verse 37, look what Daniel tells Nebuchadnezzar. He says, Thou, O king, art a king of kings.

[John Weaver] Now, Nebuchadnezzar, why is it that you have authority over other kings? Why are you unique? Here's why. The whole king, or the king of kings, for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, strength, and glory. So, Daniel is telling Nebuchadnezzar, you have the power, you have the authority that you have, only because God gave it to you. Now, Nebuchadnezzar was a proud, arrogant, haughty monarch. And God had to teach Nebuchadnezzar a lesson. So if you look in Daniel chapter 4 and verses 16 and 17, God decrees to do exactly that. The Bible says, Let his heart be changed from a man's, and let a beast's heart be given unto him, and let seven times or seven years pass over him.

[John Weaver] This matter is by the decree of the watchers and by the command of the word of the holy ones. Now look, to the intent that the living may know that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever He will."

[John Weaver] Now, why was Nebuchadnezzar going to be driven insane for seven years? That the living might know that God rules in the kingdom of men, and God gives those kingdoms to whomever He wills. In fact, skip down, if you would, in Daniel chapter 4, beginning with verse 28. You'll see the same truth again. All this came upon King Nebuchadnezzar. At the end of 12 months, he walked in the palace of the kingdom of Babylon. The king spake and said, It's not this great Babylon that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power and for the honor of my majesty. While the word was in the king's mouth, there fell a voice from heaven saying, O King Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken, The kingdom is departed from thee, and they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall make thee eat grasses often. Now look, and seven times or seven years shall pass over you till thou know..."

[John Weaver] What are they to know? "...that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and given it to whomsoever he will." So he says to Nebuchadnezzar, I'm going to teach you a lesson. I'm going to teach you who the real sovereign is. So it is God, then, who has instituted authority. It is God who has set it up. Now, it is obvious if God is the one who institutes and ordains authority, that he himself is the sovereign. He is the one who is absolute. He has all power and all authority. You see, God reigns by virtue of His own proper authority.

[John Weaver] All presidents, kings, congressmen, all other rulers rule by derivation. In other words, God gives it to them. They derive their power. They derive their authority from God. You see, God reigns from Himself. All others reign from Him. God has a jurisdiction that is proper and all others are his delegates. They are his vassals. So it follows then that the jurisdiction or the authority or the sovereignty of God is infinite.

[John Weaver] That is, it is unlimited. But the jurisdiction and the authority of man is limited. For instance, there is no ruler except Christ, of course, who is king of this world. President Clinton may be the president of the United States, but he's not the president of France or England or Germany. And I'm sure they're thankful, but you understand what I'm saying. And you might have the prime minister in England, but he's not the prime minister in America. So all kings, all presidents, all congressmen, all of their authority is limited. It is confined. But that of God is unlimited and not confined. Because God alone is sovereign and all others are to be his delegates and his vassals.

[John Weaver] Now, why am I emphasizing that? Well, let me explain. I want you to understand the fact that God has not resigned his throne. God has not abdicated his position. God has not laid aside His power. God has not given His earth and His people over to a handful of petty bureaucrats to trample under their feet and do with as they please. No, God is still on the throne. And we're going to find out before we're through that God will judge all those who abuse and misuse the authority and the power that he gives now since God has ordained government since God has ordained authority. That means this all who receive authority and power are limited they are responsible and they are accountable. When I say that they are limited, it means that they can only go as far as God has ordained for them to go. It's just like God said to the sea.

[John Weaver] Hitherto shalt thou come and no further. Here shalt thou proud waves be stayed. So God says, all right, civil government, here is your limitation. Here are your confines. Here, church, are your confines. Here, family, are your confines. So God then has limited all authority, and consequently, H is responsible and accountable to God. Now listen, just like the church is responsible to be Christian and biblical, so the family is responsible to be Christian and biblical, and likewise, the government is responsible to be Christian and biblical. Let me demonstrate that to you from the Word of God.

[John Weaver] I want you to turn back in your Bibles to Romans chapter 13. Let me take just a few moments and go through this passage very quickly and show you the titles or some of the names that are used to describe the civil magistrate. For instance, the Bible says in verse one, let every soul be subject unto the higher powers, for there is no power but of God. The powers that be are ordained of God. Here in verse 1, you read higher power and power and powers. And the word power is exousia, which literally means power, jurisdiction, or right. In verse 2, he says,"...whosoever therefore resists at the power," the same word,"...resists at the ordinance of God." So in verse 2, they're not only called the power, but the ordinance of God.

[John Weaver] Now look in verse 3,"...for rulers are not a terror to the good works, but to the evil." Now, the word rulers is the Greek word archontes, which just simply means first ones or chief ones or leaders.

[John Weaver] Now, everyone in this room and everyone outside of this room knows that government deals with leadership, with power and authority. And by the way, there is a difference between power and authority. You say, what's the difference? Well, suppose I come up to you after this service and reach in my coat pocket and pull out a 357 Magnum and stick it between your eyes and say, give me all your money. Now, I've got the power to take your money, but I don't have the authority. See, there's a difference. You can have power, but not authority. And you can have authority and you can have power, but there's a difference between those two. Now, everyone says, all right, government deals with authority. It deals with power. Let me just stop right here and tell you this.

[John Weaver] I was preaching out in Arizona. There was a state senator. His name was Wayne Stump. He was supposed to speak after I did. And so he stood up behind the pulpit and he was a big man. He said, I have been asked to tell everyone here What government is. He said, I'm going to tell you what government is without God. And he reached. Under his jacket. And he pulled out a 357 Magnum and he held it up and then he laid it on the pulpit. Needless to say, he got everyone's attention and when everyone was quiet, he says that my friend is government without God. It's nothing but force. It's nothing but raw power.

[John Weaver] See, everybody understands that in one sense of the word. But let's make sure as Christians that we go as far as God goes, that we say what God says. For instance, look in verse four. We're still talking about the civil magistrate. For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid, for it beareth not the sword in vain. For he is the minister of God." Now, twice in verse 4, the civil magistrate is called the minister of God. And the word minister there in the Greek is the word deikonos. It is where we get our English word deacon. And by the way, deacon is a transliteration from the Greek. It was not translated.

[John Weaver] It was just brought down letter from letter. And you know what the word deacon actually means? It means a servant. Literally what he says in verse 4, for he, that is the civil ruler, is the deacon or the servant of God. So twice in verse 4, The civil magistrate, then, is called a deacon or the servant of God. That's not all. Look in verse 4. He says, for he is the minister of God, the latter part, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. Now, the word revenger is the Greek word ekdikas. Ek is a preposition which means out of, and dikas is righteousness. So, the revenger here actually means an avenger or one who exacts righteousness. So God says civil government is his deacon. It is his exactor of righteousness. And then if you'll skip down to verse 6.

[John Weaver] He says, for this cause pay you tribute also for their God's ministers. Now in verse 6, the word ministers is a different word from verse 4. Verse 4, you had deaconos, where we get our English word deacon. Now in verse 6, the word ministers here is liturgoi. Their tour would be the singular and it's where we get our English word liturgy from. What is a liturgy? A liturgy is a public form of worship. Every every church has a liturgy, not just the Catholics or the Episcopalians. We think of that as high liturgy, but every church has a liturgy. You're a Baptist church. When you come in, you sit down, someone opens in prayer, you sing a song, you take an offering, that's a liturgy. You go through a certain little religious form and ceremony. Now, watch this. A liturgy is a public worship.

[John Weaver] Everyone is willing to admit that government is power and government is authority and government has to deal with leadership, but will you go as far as God? Because God said He ordained civil government not just to be authority, not just to have power, not just to deal with leadership, but to be His deacon, His servant, His exactor of righteousness, and His public worship. God ordained government to publicly worship Him. just like he ordained the family and the church to publicly worship him. Let's ask a question. If God ordained civil government to be his deacon, to be his servant, who is that deacon to serve? Very clearly, the one who ordained it. If God ordained government to be an exactor of righteousness, whose righteousness is it to exact? Very obviously, the one who ordained it. If government has been ordained of God to be a public form of worship, a liturgy, who is it to worship publicly? And the answer is the one who ordained it.

[John Weaver] Now, let me show you the impact and the importance of this truth. It means that government is a theological issue. You cannot understand government without God. And there is no such thing, listen to me carefully, there is no such thing as a separation between government and religion. Now, you might have a separation between government and church. In this instance, there does not necessarily need to be a state church. If you were in England and you were born in that country, then the official church, the official state religion in England would be Anglicanism. The Anglican Church is the Church of England.

[John Weaver] That is all there is to it. You do not have to have the Presbyterian Church or the Baptist Church or the Methodist Church as the official church of this country. No, you don't necessarily have to have that. But listen, just because you don't have a state church or a state religion does not mean, therefore, that government is neutral. No. You cannot separate government and religion. You see, government is either going to be a Christian government or it's going to be a pagan government, but it's still religious. Why?

[John Weaver] Because here are all these lawmakers and they're sitting there and they're passing laws. But guess what they do to pass their laws? They determine if that is a good law or a bad law, if that law is right or wrong, if it's just or unjust. And their determination of right and wrong, good and bad, just and unjust, is determined by their religion. If it is the Christian religion, it might come out a Christian law. But if it's not the Christian religion, it's going to come out a pagan religious law, but it is still religious. You cannot escape religion. Do you realize, way back when Bobby Kennedy was Attorney General, he said that humanism was the official religion of the United States. Supreme Court has said that humanism is a religion.

[John Weaver] You see, when our government kicked God out and kicked the law of God out and kicked prayer out, it was not saying, now we can be neutral. No, no, no. They swapped the Christian religion for a pagan religion. It is still religious. I want to go ahead and make a statement and I'm going to develop this in the next several nights, but I want you to understand that the subjection that God demands in verse one. When he says that every soul be subject to higher powers, the subjection that God demands in verse one is based upon the higher powers being what God has ordained them to be in verse three. In verse 4 and verse 6, I have no problem being in subjection to a civil government that is God's deacon, that is God's exactor of righteousness, and that is God's public worship.

[John Weaver] God is nowhere in Romans 13, and I'll prove it before the week is over, but God is nowhere in this passage demanding that we submit to a tyrannical government, a usurped power, a usurped authority that God never gains. That is not it. Please remember that God only ordained three institutions. That's all. He ordained the family, which is a ministry of education. He ordained the church, which is a ministry of grace. And he ordained the state, which is a ministry of justice. Now, I want you to understand that the family is central. If you were to draw a circle and put God and come down and draw another little circle and put the family. God ordained the family. Come out from the family and come down, draw another little circle and put church. Come out from the family, come down, draw another little circle and put state. The family is central. Why? Without the family, you can't have a church or a state. The family is absolutely fundamental. Now, God has only ordained these three institutions.

[John Weaver] Now, watch. Watch carefully. What He did was He ordained what you and I would call sphere authority. He gave the family authority to operate in its function, in its certain sphere. He gave the church authority to operate in its sphere. He gave the state authority to operate in its sphere. Now listen carefully. Once you leave your sphere of authority, you do not carry that authority with you. For instance, the family cannot tell the church, well, you can't preach the gospel. The church cannot tell the state, well, you cannot execute that murderer. The state cannot tell the church, well, you cannot do this, and it cannot tell the family, you cannot educate your children. No, it has no authority from God to do that. If it leaves its sphere of authority, it loses its authority.

[John Weaver] Let me give you an illustration, one that everyone can identify with. Here I come into your home. And I'm visiting with you and I'm sitting there and I noticed that there are toys scattered around. I noticed the clothes need ironing. Clothes need washing. I noticed dirty dishes in the kitchen sink. I noticed the grass needs cutting. And I sit there for a few minutes, and I finally look and say, I've had all this I can take. I just can't take it anymore. And I look at your wife, and I say, now you get up in there, and you go and wash those dishes. And when you get through, you wash those clothes and iron those clothes. And I tell your kids, you pick up all these toys. And when you get through, you go out and start cutting the grass. Pick up all the trash out in the yard. You are not going to sit there on that couch and say, that way, pastor, go get her. I mean, I've been wanting to tell her that all week long.

[John Weaver] Now, you're not going to tell me that. You're going to say, pastor, that's my wife. Those are my kids, but I say you don't understand. I'm a husband and I'm a father and I have husbandly authority and I have fatherly authority and you respond. Well, you might in your house, but not in this house. Because in this house, I'm the head. And if anybody tells that woman what to do, it's going to be me. If anyone tells those kids what to do, it's going to be me. If you want to order somebody around, preacher, you go back to your house and you tell your wife and your kids what to do. But I'm the head of this house.

[John Weaver] Would you be right in telling me that? Sure you would. Just because I have authority over my wife and children, does not mean I have authority over your wife and children. I cannot carry that authority with me. And just because God has given government certain power in a limited sphere, that does not mean when they step out of that sphere, they still have that same authority and same power. Well, of course not.

[John Weaver] And it's absolutely foolish for anyone then to advise any people that they need to be in submission to tyranny and totalitarianism. Let me tell you very pointedly, God never ordained tyranny or totalitarianism as a lawful, legitimate form of government.

[John Weaver] Now, let me just clear up another passage. I want you to look in your Bibles to 1 Peter chapter 2. And I'll deal with this a little bit later, probably in the week as well. 1 Peter chapter 2. As we turn there, let me remind you that God has not specified a certain type of government. For instance, the Word of God does not demand that we have a republic. Now, I believe that the principles in the Word of God will lead to a republican form of government, but it does not demand that we have a republic. It does not demand that we have a monarchy. It does not demand that we have a constitutional monarchy. It does not demand that we have an aristocracy or an oligarchy.

[John Weaver] Let me ask you a question. Can God use a monarchial form of government? And the answer is yes. He did so in the Old Testament. He did so in the New Testament. Can God use a constitutional form of monarchy? Yes. He did so in the Old Testament. He did so in the New Testament. He did so in England for many years. Can God use a republic? Yes, he did so in this country for many years.

[John Weaver] Now, let me show you why I'm emphasizing this. Look down to 1 Peter, chapter 2 and verse 13. 1 Peter, chapter 2, verse 13. God says, Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake. Whether it be to the king of supreme or to governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evil doers and for the praise of them that do well. Now, what are you going to do with verse 13? Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake.

[John Weaver] Now, when most people read that, they think statutes. They think laws. Did anybody drive over the speed limit coming here tonight? Yeah, everybody did. If this verse really meant ordinance, if you went over 35 in a 35 mile an hour zone, you would have sinned. You follow what I'm saying? What about a law? What if you lived in China, where they require you to have an abortion after the first child? Would you be in submission to that law? You see, the word ordinance is the Greek word katisis, K-T-I-S-I-S.

[John Weaver] It literally means that which is established or the thing established or the act of founding or establishing. Literally, what are you saying in verse 13? Watch carefully. Submit yourselves to every kind of government of man for the Lord's sake. Whether it be, in other words, it doesn't matter if it's a monarchy, a constitutional monarchy, an aristocracy, or a republic, just so it is set up to carry out the functions for which God ordained it. That's all he's saying in verse 13. He's not demanding that we obey every law that comes down the pipe. Not at all. Now, I want you to note, in Romans 13, verse 1, And to government is called the ordinance of God. Here in first Peter, chapter two and verse 13, it is called the ordinance of man. But which is it? Is it the ordinance of God or is it the ordinance of man? And the answer is it's both. God ordained it, but man set it up just because it's called the ordinance of God does not mean it's the ordinance of man only or not the ordinance of man.

[John Weaver] And just because it's called the ordinance of man does not mean it's not the ordinance of God. For instance, God ordained the tabernacle. But men built it and set it up. God ordained the temple, but men built it and set it up. And likewise, God has ordained civil government, but men build it and set it up. And so government then is the ordinance of God objectively, and it is the ordinance of man subjectively, because we're the ones who set it up. So all God is saying in 1 Peter 2 and verse 13, that we're to be in submission to any government that has been set up to carry out the purposes and the functions for which He has ordained. Which, of course, would exclude tyranny and totalitarianism, because tyranny and totalitarianism does not carry out the purpose of government which God has ordained.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to turn in your Bibles to Deuteronomy 17, and let me begin showing you some individual qualifications. You see, if God ordained government and set it up, which we've already seen from Scripture, he has, then it necessarily follows that God has the absolute and sovereign right to tell who should be in His government, and He should have the right to list the qualifications. And of course, He does exactly that. So I want you to look in Deuteronomy 17, and let's begin there with verse 15, and let's look at some of these individual qualifications. God says,"...Thou shalt in any wise set in king over thee, whom the Lord thy God shall choose, one from among thy brethren shalt thou set king over thee. Now mayest not set a stranger over thee who is not thy brother." So the very first requirement is that the individual cannot be a stranger. He must be a brother. That is, he must be a believer.

[John Weaver] I'm not going to preach the message, but I can demonstrated you from the original charters and constitutions of this country that our founding fathers took this verse literally because practically every state excluded anyone from any office who did not profess faith in Jesus Christ and did not confess the inspiration of both the Old and the New Testaments. If you were an unbeliever in this country when it was first founded, you could not hold any political office at all. And so God is saying, look, the very first qualification is you must be a believer.

[John Weaver] How in the world can you have a Christian government without Christians? How in the world can you carry out a government that would worship God and be God's deacon and God's exactor of righteousness if you have individuals who could care less about God or His Word? So the very first qualification is he must be a believer. Look in verse 16. But he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end, that he should multiply horses. Forasmuch as the Lord hath said unto you, you shall henceforth return no more that way." Now, why was God saying not to multiply horses? Well, you've got to remember that horses in the Bible were used offensively and defensively. What you have in verse 16 is a limitation on war machinery. What God is telling us is this.

[John Weaver] that he is our protection. Do you realize we could have the largest standing army in the world? We could have the best air force. We could have the best naval force. We could have the best bombs and the smartest weaponry available. But the truth is, if God doesn't protect us, we're unprotected. What does the Bible say? The Bible says the horse is prepared for the day of battle, but safety is of the Lord. The Bible says the horse is a vain thing to trust in. You know something? I could say, well, there's been a number of muggings and robberies and home invasions, and I'm going to lay all these pistols around my pillow and on my nightstand. I'm going to put my shotguns in the corner. I'm going to put my rifles nearby. Boy, I tell you what, they're not going to get me.

[John Weaver] I got news for you. If God doesn't wake me up in time and if God doesn't enable me to shoot straight, all those weapons would be absolutely useless. If God doesn't protect us, we're unprotected. That's a sermon in itself. But you remember when Elijah was taken to heaven in a whirlwind in a chariot of fire? You remember what Elisha cried? My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and the horsemen thereof. Do you remember when Elisha died, what the king said? My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and the horsemen thereof. What they were confessing was the protection of the nation is in God, not in a standing army. That doesn't mean that you're not to have some standing army for protection, some small, but not some great thing. He said you're not to multiply. And by the way, the army in the Bible originally was the militia. The Bible teaches that and not a huge standing army.

[John Weaver] Now, so you have, first of all, the first qualification must be a believer. Secondly, limitation on war machinery. Look, if you would please, at verse 17, Deuteronomy chapter 17, verse 17. He says, Neither shall he multiply wives to himself that his heart turn not away. Neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold. So the third qualification is he must unquestionably have morality. He shall not multiply wives to himself. In other words, the demand for the civil magistrate is that he must be a moral individual.

[John Weaver] And in our day and time, you hear politicians say all the time, well, what I do in the privacy of my bedroom is my business and nobody else. Well, that's not true. You see, If you are a public figure, if you are a public officer, then it is my business. Why in the world would God say that he must be a man with unquestionable morality? Let me tell you why. Because if a man will cheat and violate his oath to the wife of his youth, whom he professes to love, What in the world would he do to me who he doesn't love and doesn't know if he would do that to his wife? You see what I'm saying? God is saying he has to have a morality that is absolutely unquestionable.

[John Weaver] If you used these first three qualifications, especially just the first one and the third one, a believer, an unquestionable morality, We'd lose most of our congressmen. The White House would be gone for sure. And look, if you would please, at the latter part of that verse, neither shall he multiply to himself silver and gold. I'm going to deal with that in another passage in just a moment. Look, if you would please, in verse 18 and 19. Here's another qualification.

[John Weaver] It shall be when he sit upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law and a book out of that which is before the priest, the Levites. It shall be with him, and that he shall read therein all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God, and to keep all the words of this law and these statutes to do them. So what does God say? God says the civil ruler must have his own personal copy of the Word of God. He must read therein every day. He must learn What? That he may do, that he may fear the Lord and keep all the words of this law and these statutes and do them. You see, God never ordained civil magistrates to make their own laws. He ordained civil magistrates to enforce His laws.

[John Weaver] And then notice, if you would please, in verse 20. Here's another reason. That his heart may not lift it up above his brethren. And that he turned not aside from the commandment to the right hand or to the left. To the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he and his children in the midst of Israel. So God says another reason he must have his own personal copy of the word of God and read it and study it. Is that his heart be not lifted up above his brethren.

[John Weaver] I want to tell you something. If you really want to make a bureaucrat or a politician mad today, if you really want to get them riled. You call them your public servant. Because they don't believe they're public servants. They believe they are your rulers. I'll tell you the exact words that one told me. And I have witnesses. Here are his exact words. When I challenged him, he said, I am the state.

[John Weaver] I could do whatever I please. I said, I got news for you, sir. You are not the state and you cannot do what you please. God says that their heart be not lifted up, and you note, if you would please, today how our civil government passes laws for the populace. But they do not believe they themselves are to be subject to those laws. They want them to control us, but not to control themselves. So God says he must be a believer, he must have unquestionable morality, he must know and study the word of God, that he may apply the law of God.

[John Weaver] Then if you look in Exodus chapter 18, and by the way, since you're in Deuteronomy, so whole Deuteronomy chapter one, if you would please, we'll come Back there just shortly. But I want you to look if you would please. Exodus chapter 18 verse 21. I told you why I was going to wait to deal with the silver and the gold. Here's why. Look at Exodus chapter 18 verse 21 God says.

[John Weaver] Moreover, thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness, and place such over them to be rulers." Now watch. Moreover, thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, there's another requirement, must have ability, such as fear God, piety, that is, they must be believers. Men of truth, that is, men of integrity. You've heard the old.

[John Weaver] Adage, how can you tell if a politician is lying? Watch his lips. If they move, he's lying. Well, the truth is, God says, they must be men of truth. How many of you really genuinely believe our politicians today? You see, I generally believe exactly the opposite of what they say, and usually that's right. You remember Jimmy Carter said, trust me, I'll never lie to you. He did. Sure he did. The Bible says all men are liars. But God says they must be men of truth.

[John Weaver] And then notice not only integrity, but fidelity. He says hating covetousness. Not just don't multiply to yourself silver and gold, but you hate covetousness. Let me ask you a question. Come on now. Have you ever wondered why men would spend millions of dollars to get a job that pays $250,000 a year? Or if you're a congressman, less than that. And do you realize some of these men spend $40 and $50 million? Some of the congressmen spend $6 and $7 and $8 million to get elected. Now, wait a minute. It don't make but $80,000 or $100,000 a year. Maybe your math is different from mine, but if I can only serve two years at $100,000 a year and I've spent $6,000 or $6 million to get elected, I'm in the hole.

[John Weaver] Isn't it amazing that those who go off to Congress, poor, Always come out rich. You don't have perks, you don't have an opportunity to swindle and cheat and steal. That's why God says hating covetous. Now, what's this? Let me just show you how far we've gone. When you hear a politician say, well, I just want to serve the people and here's my answer. Well, let's go back the way it was when our country was first founded, because do you realize that our congressmen served without pay at their own expense? I got news for you, Congress would not be in session nearly as long as it is today if they had to serve at their own expense without pay.

[John Weaver] One of my favorite stories was when Thomas Jefferson was inaugurated as president of the United States after his inauguration, he walked across the street to a boarding house to have lunch. And all the tables and chairs were full. The president of the United States had to stand in the corner and wait for someone to get up so he could have a seat at the table and eat.

[John Weaver] You know what their attitude was? Why should we arise for him? He's our servant. Let Him wait. He didn't hold up a whole runway and get a $40,000 haircut. I can assure you. You see, God says there to be men of ability, there to be men of truth, There to be men of integrity, men of fidelity, men that hate covetousness.

[John Weaver] Now look in Deuteronomy 1, verse 13. This ties right together. He said, Deuteronomy 1, verse 13, take you wise men and understanding and known among your tribes and I'll make them rulers over you.

[John Weaver] Now, boy, there's another qualification. Wise and understanding. That would also eliminate a lot of our politicians today. Because they don't have any wisdom. They certainly don't have any understanding.

[John Weaver] Now, look in your Bibles, if you would please, to 2 Samuel, chapter 23. 2 Samuel, chapter 23. And I want you to notice how many times David claims direct inspiration for this one simple truth. This will boggle your mind. Look at it. 2 Samuel, chapter 23, verse 1. Now these be the last words of David. David the son of Jesse said, and the man who was raised up on high, the anointed of God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel said, now watch verse 2, the Spirit of the Lord spake by me. That's one time.

[John Weaver] His word was in my tongue. That's twice. The God of Israel said, that's three times. The rock of Israel spake to me four times. David claims direct inspiration for this one simple statement. He that ruleth over men, must be just ruling in the fear of God. Isn't that a tremendous statement? God said if you're going to be a civil ruler, you must be just and you must rule in the fear of God. What is justice? What is being just? What is ruling in the fear of God?

[John Weaver] You better let the Bible determine that for you. for by the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. And also the Word of God says in Job 28, verse 28, is turning away from that which is evil and wicked and ungodly. Very quickly, let me tell you, Psalm 72, verses 1 and 2 and verse 11 says rulers are to do homage to Jesus Christ. Psalm 2, verses 10 through 12, they're to be well instructed by Jesus Christ. In Isaiah 49 and verse 23 and Isaiah 16, verse 10, They're called the nursing mothers and the nursing fathers of the people of God.

[John Weaver] And then if you will turn in your Bibles to 2 Samuel chapter 5. I want you to see this one. 2 Samuel chapter 5. Look in verse 12. In this passage, David understands why God made him a king. Look at it. 2 Samuel chapter 5 verse 12, And David perceived that the Lord had established him king over Israel, and that he had exalted his kingdom for his people Israel's sake. David said, God raise me up that I might serve and be a blessing and a benefit to the people of God.

[John Weaver] Now very quickly, do you realize there are collective descriptions of civil magistrates in the Word of God? Romans 13, verse 4. I've already mentioned they're called the ministers of God. In Psalm 78, verses 70-72, they're called a public shepherd to feed. In 1 Samuel 10, verse 1. 2 Kings 20, verse 5, they're called a captain and a leader of the people to defend them. In Psalm 47, verse 9, they're called the shields of the earth. And in Romans 13, verse 4, they're called the avengers of God. All of these are descriptions of civil magistrates.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to turn in your Bibles, once again, back to 1 Peter chapter 2, and look at verse 13. 1 Peter chapter 2 and verse 13, because I want to demonstrate the fact that not only did God ordain civil government, but also that that civil government is covenantal in nature. For in 1 Peter 2, verse 13, he said, Submit yourself to every ordinance of man, or every type of government that man sets up for the purpose which God ordained it. Now, in Romans 13, verse 2, government is called the ordinance of God. Here in 1 Peter 2, it's called the ordinance of man. Therefore, it follows that government is covenantal in nature.

[John Weaver] Let me give you a quote from Hubert Langwey in his book, Mendicant contra Turans. Listen carefully. He says, By the same reason, the people are always called the Lord's people and the Lord's inheritance, and the king is governor of this inheritance and conductor or leader of his people, which is the title given to David, Solomon, Hezekiah, and other good princes. When also the covenant is passed, between God and the king is upon the condition that people being remain always the people of God to show that God will not in any case to spoil himself of his property and his possession when he gives to the kings the government of the people but establishes

[John Weaver] them to take charge of and well use them, no more nor less than he who makes choice of a shepherd to look after the flocks, remains notwithstanding himself still master and owner of them." Now listen to what Langway says. When God chooses a leader, He said it's no more than a man choosing a shepherd to look over his flock. The flock still remains the property of the shepherd. of the owner. He is not the property of the one he's chosen. Look over the shepherd. The flock's the property of the owner. Likewise, he said, once that civil magistrate gets there, the people are not his property. They still belong to God. But I want you to know, he said, when the covenant is passed between God and the king. How did Hubert Langway know that government is covenantal in nature? And the answer is.

[John Weaver] Because he read the Bible. You see, basically, in the Bible, there are two types of covenant when it comes to government, there is a covenant between God and the king. Where God. Says, I'm going to be your God and the king says. I'm going to be your king, so here's a government covenant between God, the king and the people. The people are also saying we're going to be your people. The second covenant is between the king and the people where the king agrees to rule faithfully and the people agree to obey as long as he does so. Let me show it to you in the Bible.

[John Weaver] Look in your Bibles to 2 Kings chapter 11 and verse 17. I'll show you both covenants 2 Kings chapter 11 and verse 17. Look carefully, then Jehoiada, who was the high priest, by the way, then Jehoiada made a covenant between the Lord and the king and the people that they should be the Lord's people. Then he says between the king also and the people. So here's two separate covenants, one between God, the king and the people, and then one between the king and the people as well. Now, if you will turn in your Bibles to 1 Chronicles chapter 11. 1 Chronicles chapter 11. And notice if you would please verse 3. You'll find this also in 2 Samuel chapter 5. We're in verse 3 of 1 Chronicles 11.

[John Weaver] Therefore came all the elders of Israel to the king to Hebron, that is to David. And David made a covenant with them in Hebron. before the Lord and they anointed David king over Israel according to the word of the Lord by Samuel. So David made a covenant with them.

[John Weaver] Now turn in your Bibles to 2 Chronicles chapter 23. Look if you would please at verses 2 and 3 first of all. 2 Chronicles 23 verse 2. And they went about in Judah and gathered the Levites out of all the cities of Judah and the chief of the fathers of Israel and they came to Jerusalem. And all the congregation made a covenant with the king in the house of God.

[John Weaver] And he said unto them, Behold, the king's son shall reign as the Lord had said of the sons of David. Now skip down to verse 16. And Jehoiada made a covenant between him, that is God, and between all the people, and between the king, that they should be the Lord's people. So here are two covenants now. One between God the king and the people. God's going to be their God. The king's going to be God's king. People are going to be God's people. Then there's a separate covenant between the king and the people where the king agrees to rule faithfully and the people agree to obey as long as he does.

[John Weaver] Now, if you don't understand this concept, there are certain verses in the Bible you'll never understand. For instance, Ecclesiastes chapter eight in verse two, where Solomon said, I counsel thee to keep the king's commandment and that in regard to the oath of God. He said, look, you've given an oath, that is, you've entered into a covenant that you're going to obey me as long as I rule faithfully and I expect you to do so.

[John Weaver] Now, let me show you this in the New Testament. Go back in your Bibles to Romans chapter 13, Romans chapter 13. Look at verse five, Romans 13, verse five. He says, wherefore, you must needs be subject not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake.

[John Weaver] Now, God says here's two reasons why you and I should be subject to a godly, to a biblical, to a righteous civil government. Why? Number one, for wrath's sake, because God has not given them the sword in vain. They have the authority. They have the power to use the sword. But the second reason, He said, is for conscience sake. The word conscience is from the Greek word synodesis.

[John Weaver] Syn is a preposition which means with. Edesis, that which you know. Conscience, con, preposition, means with. Sinus, know. Your conscience is that which you know with. So he says you should be in subjection to a godly civil ruler. Why? Not only for wrath's sake, because you know what government is. And you know what God requires of you. and you understand the covenantal nature of government.

[John Weaver] Now, look at your Bibles, please, to 1 Timothy 2. I want you to see this because I want to correct a misinterpretation that most people have of this passage. In 1 Timothy 2, everybody says, now, Brother Weaver, the Bible requires us to pray for our rulers. Yes, it does. But you ask people, why does God ask us to pray for our rulers? Inevitably, someone's going to say, so that they might be saved.

[John Weaver] And that's not the answer. Because if they're not saved, they ought not to be a ruler to begin with, according to the Bible. Look what the Bible says in 1 Timothy chapter 2. Paul says in verse 1, I exhort therefore that first of all, supplications, prayer, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and for all that are in authority. Why should we pray for them? Look, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty, for this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior. Why should we pray for them? He said that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life. You pray for them basically, He said, so that they will do right and leave us alone so that we may do what's right. So when we pray for them, it's not for their benefit, but for our benefit.

[John Weaver] Now, I want to give you two things before we close tonight, and I want you to listen carefully. First of all, in biblical covenants, in biblical covenants, when one party violates the covenant, it loses the other party from obedience. Everyone understands this, or at least they should. If you don't, you better not ever enter into a contract with anyone, because a contract is nothing more than a covenant. You find in a covenant there are always stipulations. And the one I want to tell you about is found in Joshua chapter 2.

[John Weaver] In fact, just turn there. I'll read it to you very quickly. Here was a covenant that was written in, agreed to, by the spies and Rahab. Now, watch this carefully. Joshua chapter 2. You remember, Rahab has taken the spies. She's hidden them. She's saved their lives. She's letting them down. And they're about to escape. And she said, now, before you escape, you've got to promise me that you're going to spare me and you're going to spare my family. Well, look at it, if you would please, in Joshua chapter 2.

[John Weaver] And let's begin in verse 17. And the men said unto her, We will be blameless of this fine oath which thou hast made us a swear. So we've entered into a covenant. We've given each other an oath. Behold, when we come into the land, thou shalt bind this line of Charlotte thread in the window which thou didst let us down by, and thou shalt bring thy father and thy mother and thy brethren and all thy father's household home unto thee. And it shall be that whosoever shall go out of the doors of thy house into the street, His blood shall be upon his head, and we will be guiltless. And whosoever shall be with thee in the house, his blood shall be on our head, if any hand be upon him." Now let's stop there just for a moment. They said, now here are some of the stipulations of this covenant. We've made a covenant. If you want your family spared, you get them in your house. You bind this scarlet cord down. We're not going to touch anybody in this house with a scarlet cord.

[John Weaver] But now if any of your family goes out in the street And they get killed, their blood's on their own heads because they should have stayed in the house. We don't know who belongs to you and who doesn't belong to you.

[John Weaver] Now, if they're outside, we're going to kill them all. But if we come inside this house and touch anybody, then their blood's going to be on us because we've agreed not to. Now, watch this. Look down in verse 20. Here's one last stipulation that they give to Rahab. And if thou utter this our business, That is, if you tell our secret, if you violate your end of this agreement, if you utter this our business, then we will be quit by an oath which else made us a swear. In other words, Rahab, if you spill the beans and tell our plans, we'll kill you and your family just like the rest of them. So in other words, if you violate your end of the agreement, then we're loose from obedience to our end of the agreement.

[John Weaver] You know that is true. I don't care if you're doing contract work. I don't care if you're doing carpentry work. I don't care what it is. If you agree with one man that you will pay him when he finishes a job, and he agrees to do that job a certain way, if he does not do it that way, or if he does not finish that job according to the covenant, according to the contract, you don't owe him the money. Not until he fulfills his end of the covenant. And if he doesn't fulfill his end of the covenant, you're not obligated to keep your end of the covenant. That is true between man and man. Listen carefully. It is also true between God and man. All of us know that God entered into a covenant with Israel. I don't want to take the time to do it tonight, but if you would read 2 Kings 17, beginning with verse 7, and read through verse 23, you will find how Israel repeatedly, over and over, violated that covenant.

[John Weaver] They made molten images. They worshiped Baal. They turned from God. They trampled His law under their feet. They refused to obey. And what did God do? God sent the Assyrians upon them. And God sent them away into captivity.

[John Weaver] Now, could not Israel come to God and say, God, wait a minute. Wait a minute, God. We are your covenant people. You have agreed to bless us. And God says, yeah, that's right. I did agree to bless you as long as you obeyed, but you have violated your in the covenant. And because you disobeyed now, I've brought the curses of my covenant down upon you. All you have to do is read the book of Hosea, read Amos chapter four, read Isaiah 58. You will find that when Israel violated her into the covenant, God was not obligated to keep his into the covenant. And he did not. Now, watch. If this principle is true in the least, that is, between man and man, if it is true in the greatest, that is, between God and man, it is also true in that which is in the middle, between government and man.

[John Weaver] Listen to what Samuel Rutherford said in Lex Rex. This is a very powerful passage. He says, when the king defends not true religion but presses upon the people a false and an idolatrous religion in that they are not under the king but are presumed to have no king so far and are presumed to have the power in themselves as if they had not appointed any king at all. As if we presume the body has given to the right hand the power to ward off strokes and to defend the body, if the right hand should by some palsy or some other disease become impotent and be withered up when ill is coming upon the body, it is presumed that the power of defense is given to the left hand and to the rest of the body to defend itself. In this case, as if the body had no right hand and had never communicated any power to the right hand. If therefore he, the king, defend not religion for the salvation of the souls of all in his public and royal way, it is presumed as undeniable that the people of God, who by the law of God are to care for their own souls, are to defend in their own way true religion which

[John Weaver] so nearly concerned them and their eternal happiness." Now, listen to what he said. He says, when the king usurps power, when the king becomes a tyrant, when the king refuses to keep his end of the covenant. He says the power then goes back to the people as if they had no king at all. And to give you an illustration, and I'm right-handed, here I am and you come up and you try to harm me. And I'm going to defend myself and since I'm right-handed, sooner or later I'm going to throw my right arm. And let's suppose you counter and you block it, and you block it with such force it breaks my right arm. Am I then going to say, well, you've broken my arm, you might as well go ahead and kill me. I'll just stand here while you kill me. No! When you break my arm, I'm going to fight you with my left hand. And when you break my left arm, then I'm going to kick you with my legs.

[John Weaver] And when you break my legs, then I'm going to bite you. And when you pull out all my teeth or knock them out, then I'm going to try to gum you to death. You see what I'm saying? I'm going to defend myself, and if I don't have my right hand, I'm going to fight with you with my left hand, just as if I had no right hand at all.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to understand, if you don't understand this principle, you do not understand how our country was founded and why it was founded. This country was not founded in rebellion. This country was founded based upon biblical principle. And that principle is this. When one party violates the covenant, the other party is loosed from obedience. Let me read to you a couple of points out of the Fairfax Resolve.

[John Weaver] You see, most people do not understand that George III, the king of England, was also king of Georgia, king of South Carolina, king of North Carolina, king of Virginia. He was king of all of the 13 colonies. Each of the colonies had their own separate charter and constitution. None of the colonies were ever under parliament whatsoever. They had their own legislatures. And so King George III then was their king, just like The folks in England who had a king.

[John Weaver] Now the interesting thing is on July the 18th 1774 Charles Broadwater George Mason and George Washington gathered the Fairfax courthouse in Fairfax Virginia and they drew up the Fairfax resolves 24 resolves. And in these resolves, they're petitioning the king of England to fulfill his covenantal responsibilities. I want to read some of these to you, and I want you to understand that some of these could have been written yesterday. Remember, they were written in 1774.

[John Weaver] Listen, if you would please, to resolution number five. Resolve. that the claim lately assumed an exercise by the British Parliament of making all such laws as they think fit to govern the people of these colonies and to extort from us our money without our consent. is not only diametrically contrary to the first principles of the Constitution and the original compacts by which we are dependent upon the British Crown and government, but is totally incompatible with the privileges of a free people and the natural rights of mankind and will render our own legislatures merely nominal and nugatory and

[John Weaver] is calculated to reduce us from a state of freedom and happiness to slavery and misery. Now listen to that again. I'm not going to read all of it. But he says, resolve that the claim lately assumed and exercised by the British Parliament of making all such laws as they think fit, and to extort from us our money without our consent. Is that what Congress does? You see what I'm saying? But now, this country was never under Parliament.

[John Weaver] It's just like if Canada passed a law tomorrow that said you had to give five cents tax on every dollar to the Canadian government. Would you do it? Well, I would hope you wouldn't. The Canadian government has no business passing a law for American citizens. Parliament had no business passing laws for the colonials, for they have their own legislatures. Listen to number six. Boy, this one is a doozy.

[John Weaver] Resolve that taxation and representation are in their nature inseparable, and the right of withholding or giving and granting their own money is the only effectual security to a free people against the encroachments of despotism and tyranny, and that whenever they yield to the one, they must quickly fall prey to the other. Now listen to what they said, that taxation and representation are inseparable. Now listen, that the right of withholding and or giving or granting their own money is the only effectual security of a free people.

[John Weaver] Did you hear what George Washington, George Mason, Charles Broadwater said? They said if we do not have the right to withhold our money from the government, we're not free. Can you withhold your money? You say, God, I can. Well, I tell you what, you might do so. But you're going to end up fighting. And they may come and just throw you in jail anyhow and take everything you've got. What does that mean? That means we're not free, we are slaves, and that's exactly what George Washington, the first president of the United States, said was tyranny. In other words, We the people ought to say, well, we want this. We will support it, but we don't want that and we're not going to support it and you're not going to do it. But our government is so deteriorated and has become so tyrannical, they say you will do it or we'll confiscate your goods and put you in prison to boot. Well, listen, if you would please, resolution number eight. resolved that it is our greatest wish and inclination, as well as interest, to continue our connection with and dependence upon the British government.

[John Weaver] But though we are its subjects, we will use every means which heaven hath given us to prevent us from becoming its slaves." They said, George, we want to be your subjects. We're willing to continue our dependence upon Great Britain. But though we are your subjects, we will never be your slaves. Hmm. Listen, if you would, please, to a resolution number. Oh, let's see. Resolution number 22, I think it is.

[John Weaver] This one is is excellent as well. Resolved that should the town of Boston be forced to submit to the late, cruel and oppressive measures of government. You remember the Boston Fort bill after the Boston Tea Party? What? Georgia third and Parliament decided they would do is they'd close the port of Boston. And thus they would starve the people of Massachusetts into submission. And so they say resolved. that should the town of Boston be forced to submit to the late cruel and oppressive measures of government, that we shall not hold the same to be binding upon us, but will notwithstanding religiously maintain and inviolably adhere to such measures as shall be concerted by the general Congress for the preservation of our lives, liberties, and fortunes.

[John Weaver] And you know what the other colonies did? When they tried to close the Boston Port, the other colonies put food, money, medical supplies, whatever was necessary for the folks of Boston and kept them going. They said, we don't care what kind of wall. Parliament passes. It doesn't affect us. We will not submit to it. We will do exactly opposite of what they want us to do. And then let me read to you. Resolution number 23.

[John Weaver] This one is very biting. Resolve it to be recommended to the deputies of the General Congress to draw up. So this resolution now came from the Congress, although Washington, Broadwater and Mason wrote them. resolved that it be recommended to the deputies of the General Congress to drop and transmit a humble and dutiful petition and remonstrous to His Majesty, asserting with decent firmness our just and constitutional rights and privileges, lamenting the fatal necessity of being compelled to enter into measures disgusting to His Majesty and His Parliament, or injurious to our fellow subjects in Great Britain, declaring in the strongest terms our duty and affection to His Majesty's person, family, and government. and our desire to continue our dependence upon Great Britain and most humbly beseeching our majesty not to reduce his faithful subjects of America to a state of desperation and reflect that from our sovereign there can be but one appeal." What were they saying? They were saying, George, we want to be your good subjects and we're willing to do that.

[John Weaver] But if you violate that Constitution and you try to force us to do that which is contrary to that Constitution, we will fight. Now, listen to this. Everyone understands this, but let me read it to you. Because here it is in black and white, the Declaration of Independence. We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal and they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, That among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Now listen carefully. That to secure these rights, government's instituted among men. Rights do not come from government. Government cannot give rights. The only thing they can do is to protect rights. So that to secure these rights, government's instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.

[John Weaver] that whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it and to institute a new government, laying foundations on such principles and organizing its powers in such a form as to them shall see most likely to affect their safety and happiness, Prudence, indeed, will dictate that government long established should not be changed for light and transient reasons, and accordingly, all experience has shown that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations pursuing invariably the same object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government and provide new government for their future security.

[John Weaver] What did our founding father say? George III would not keep his covenantal agreement. He violated it. And consequently, when he tried to force us into slavery, since he obligated his end of the agreement, we were not obligated to keep our end of the agreement. And when he invaded us, we fought. Who were the rebels? Not the Americans, but George III and the Parliament. You see, this country was founded on this very principle.

[John Weaver] Now, let me give you one other thing, and I'm going to try to tie it together tonight, and that's this. In biblical covenants, all parties are responsible to the Lord in the fullest. Let me read to you what Samuel Rutherford said. He says, for the king and the people or each of them above and below each other in different respects, the people, because they create the man king, they have they are so above the king and have a virtual power to compel him to do his duty. And the king asking have an authoritative power above the people because royalty is formally in him. and originally and virtually owning the people. Therefore, he may compel them to do their duty. Now, let me try to put this in a more modern sense.

[John Weaver] What are you saying is this? We have a power and we are over and above our congressmen. Why? Because we're the ones who make them congressmen. They wouldn't be congressmen without us. And so we have a power over them. But once they get an office, they also have a power over us as we make them. And if they don't do as we please, supposedly we can call them back and let them cease being our representative. But once they get an office, they now have a power over us and they can make us do supposedly that which is right as well.

[John Weaver] Now, let me ask you a question. When you read the Bible, have you ever noticed Have you ever noticed that when a king or a ruler sins privately, he is always judged privately. But whenever a king or a ruler sins openly and publicly, the people are always judged with the ruler. In other words, there's a time when just the ruler is judged, But there is a time when the people are judged with the ruler. Why?

[John Weaver] Because of the covenantal nature of government. Because in biblical covenants, listen to me now, each party is responsible to the fullest. Here is a covenant between the king and the people and the Lord. We've agreed to be God's people. We've agreed to be God's rulers. Why do you think the president, for years, always took his oath of office with his hand upon Deuteronomy 28, the passage with the blessings and the curses, recognizing the covenantal nature of government. Let me show you.

[John Weaver] Look in your Bibles to 2 Samuel, chapter 21. Very quickly, just a few passages. 2 Samuel, chapter 21. And look, if you would please, beginning there with verse 1. Here's a time of famine in the land. Second Samuel 21 verse one. Then there was a famine in the days of David three years, year after year. And David inquired of the Lord. It's time to inquire of the Lord when there's a famine three years in a row.

[John Weaver] And God answered him, it is for Saul and for his bloody house because he slew the Gibeonites. Now, I don't know if you knew who the Gibeonites were, but if you'd read Joshua chapter 9, the Gibeonites were those people who came to the children of Israel and they had the moldy bread and old tattered clothes. And so they said, who are you? Oh, we've heard about God and we've heard about you.

[John Weaver] We come to enter into a covenant with you. Well, they said, how do we know that you're not of the land? Wow, they said, look at this bread. I mean, man, it was fresh when we took it out. Look at these wine bottles. Those fresh. But look at it now. Look at our clothes, man. We've been traveling a long time. They never checked with God. They entered into covenant with the Gibeonites. And then afterwards, they found out the Gibeonites were part of the Amorites in the land who they were supposed to kill. And God told the Israelites, look, you've given them your word, you can't kill them. You might make them your slaves, and the Bible says they made them drawers of water and hewers of wood, but God forbade them to kill them because they had given them their word. Now watch. Verse 2, And the king called the Gibeonites and said unto them, Now the Gibeonites were not of the children of Israel, but of the remnant of the Amorites. And the children of Israel had sworn unto them, Look, and Saul sought to slay them in his zeal to the children of Israel and Judah.

[John Weaver] Now wait. If it's King Saul slaying the Gibeonites, Why does God send a famine on the entire nation for three years? Why doesn't God just judge Saul in his house? I'll tell you why. Because this was not a private sin. This was an open, public sin, and every Israelite knew that those Gibeonites were not to be killed. And when they allowed their ruler to murder those Gibeonites contrary to their covenantal agreement, God, not only judged Saul, he judged the nation as well.

[John Weaver] Look in your Bibles to 1 Chronicles chapter 21. Everybody knows the story of David and Bathsheba. When David committed adultery with Bathsheba, it was David and his family that were judged. But when you get to 1 Chronicles chapter 21 and verse 2, And David said to Joab and to the rulers of the people, Go, number Israel from Beersheba even to Dan, and bring the number of them to me, that I may know them. And Joab answered, The Lord make His people a hundred times so many more as they be. But my lord the king, are they not all my lord's servants? Why then doth my lord require this thing? Why will he be a trespass in Israel? Nevertheless, the king's word prevailed over Joab." Now look, David said, Joab, what I want you to do is go out and number the people.

[John Weaver] By the way, what he was wanting numbered was his army. This is where you get the real standing army in the scripture right here. And God judged David and the people because of this. Joab was a murderer. And as wicked as Joab was, he said, are not all these the Lord's servants and your servants, David? Why would you be a cause of trespass for Israel? Nevertheless, the king's word prevailed. So Joab went out and began numbering the people.

[John Weaver] Now, I want to show you something. First of all, the army was God's army, not David's. When you read the phrase in the Bible, the Lord God of hosts, the word host is armies. God is the Lord God of the armies. The armies of Israel were God's armies, not David's.

[John Weaver] Secondly, the armies were not to be numbered except in a time of war. There was no time of war here.

[John Weaver] Thirdly, when they were numbered, there was to be a half-shekel for the sanctuary taken, a ransom. It was not taken.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to skip down, if you would, please, verse 7. And God was displeased with this thing. Therefore, He smote Israel. Huh. Skip down to verse 14. So the Lord sent pestilence upon Israel and their fellow of Israel seventy thousand men.

[John Weaver] Now, my question is this. Why did God not just simply judge David here like He did when He judged him with Bathsheba? I'll tell you why. Because every Israelite knew that what David was doing was wrong. Even Joab the murderer knew it was wrong. And no one lifted a finger to stop him. And so God judged the people with the ruler. You don't have to turn there, but you remember I Kings chapter 18? Old Elijah said, as the Lord God lives, behold whom I stand.

[John Weaver] There shall not be rain or dew these years, but lo, according to my word, for three and a half years there is drought in Israel. Why was there a drought in Israel? Because of Ahab and Jezebel. Everybody knew that they were wrong, Everybody knew they were wicked. No one lifted a finger to stop them. They murdered the prophets of God. God judged the people. He judged the nation along with the rulers.

[John Weaver] Now, turn in your Bibles in one last passage. I want you to look in Jeremiah chapter 15. Jeremiah 15. If there was no other verse in the Bible, this one would be sufficient. Jeremiah chapter 15. If I were to ask you who the most wicked king in Israel was, I would hope you would answer Ahab, for he was. If I were to ask you who the most wicked king in Judah was, I'd hope you would answer Manasseh, for he was. And look, if you would, what the Bible says concerning Manasseh. Jeremiah 15 and verse 4. God says, and I will cause them, that is the people, to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth because of Manasseh, the son of Hezekiah, king of Judah, for that which he did in Jerusalem."

[John Weaver] Did you hear what I just read? God said, I'm going to cause all the people to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth because of Manasseh for what he did in Jerusalem with God. Why don't you just judge Manasseh for what he did? Because Manasseh was a public figure. Manasseh was their king. There was a covenantal agreement. He led the people into idolatry. He seduced them into wickedness.

[John Weaver] They knew that it was wrong. They never stopped him. And so God judged the people with their rumor. You see, the mentality of the average American is this. It's none of my business what they do in Washington. I mean, I just pay my taxes. I mean, what they do, they're responsible for that. Oh, no. Oh, no, that's not true. Well, it doesn't matter to me what they do in Columbia. I just pay my taxes. Oh, no, it does matter what they do. It does matter.

[John Weaver] Because you are in a covenantal agreement, we have a constitution, that constitution is nothing more than a covenant. We have the Bible. The Bible is a covenantal book. And what did God say in 1 Samuel chapter 12? He told the people, He said, you want a king? I'm going to give him to you. In verses 24 and 25, He tells them, but if you sin against Me, I'll destroy the king and you as well. If you think for one minute that America is going to escape God's judgment, For what we have allowed our leaders to do, you're mistaken.

[John Weaver] We've made murder legal in this country through abortion, sodomy, legal, theft, legal, socialism. It's still theft. You know what? We are probably the only country, and maybe the only generation probably, Take in the idea that somehow we're going to be the ones that escape the judgment of God. God will judge everybody else, but He won't judge us. I got news for you folks. You say, Brother Weaver, the Lord's coming back. I know He's coming back, and He's going to come back literally, visibly, and bodily. But that doesn't mean He's going to come back before He judges this country. He did not come back.

[John Weaver] Before 722 B.C., when the Assyrians swept down and destroyed Israel and took them into captivity. He didn't come back before 586 B.C., when Judah got carried away into Babylon. He didn't come back before Stalin murdered those millions over in the forest in Russia. He didn't come back before Mao Zedong murdered his millions. He didn't come back before Castro got his. What makes you think That we are going to be the only ones who escape God's judgment. We have allowed a government to run amok, totally out of control, contrary to God, contrary to God's Word. We've let them basically kick God out of every avenue and every sphere of life. And we think God is pleased? I've got news for you. God is angry.

[John Weaver] There is a covenantal blessing, but there is also a covenantal curse. You say, Brother Weaver, what can I do? Well, let me show you one verse. Look in your Bibles to Proverbs 28 and verse 4. You ought to memorize this verse. Proverbs 28, verse 4. There are some other answers, but certainly one of them. Proverbs 28, verse four, God says they that forsake the law, that's God's law. Praise the wicked. But such as keep the law, contend with them. Now, God says, if you forsake my law, you're praising the wicked. If you keep my law, you're contending. And the word contend means to fight against. You know, one of the ways we fight against the wicked is by obedience. This means we ought to be the most holy, the most godly, the most obedient people we can be by the grace of God. You say, Brother Weaver, what in the world is that going to do? Well, let me show you. I could be facetious tonight and say, well, if you want to change things, you write your congressman.

[John Weaver] You know, they won't even answer you. And if they do, isn't it amazing what all they can say and never answer your questions and never address the issue? And what really gets me is when one of them writes back and says, well, I appreciate your view, but I must vote my conscience on that matter. We didn't send him up there to vote his conscience. We sent him up there to uphold the rule of law. I could tell you, well, what you could do is you can vote. I'm not telling you not to vote.

[John Weaver] But I got news for you folks. The Democrats will take you over the cliff at 100 miles an hour. And the Republicans won't do that. They'll take you over at 80. You're going over one way or the other, just which speed you want to go over. You see? What difference does it make if you've got the lesser of two evils? If you vote for the lesser of two evils, you're still voting for evil.

[John Weaver] Socialists A or Socialists B? I could tell you take it to the courts, but I got news for you folks. If you believe there's justice in this land, you haven't been in any courtroom lately. I can assure you of that. I tell people I'm not a communist. I don't have any sympathy for communists. I don't normally agree with communists whatsoever, but I do agree with one thing one communist said, Gus Hall. Gus Hall said, the reason we refer to our judicial system as the halls of justice is because the only place you can get any justice is out in the halls.

[John Weaver] And that's about the truth. You surely can't get it in the courtroom. You say, well, Brother Weaver, what can I do? You can live as holy and as godly and as obediently as you can by the grace of God in your life. You say, what good will that do? Have you ever stopped to think as wicked and as ungodly as Sodom and Gomorrah were? God was willing to spare those countries, those cities, if they're what? Ten righteous people.

[John Weaver] There's way more than that in this room. Way more than that in this room. You see, we have to understand, we have to fight for what is right. Or we get judged as well. We have to stand up for truth or the judgment of God falls on us. Government has been ordained of God and it is covenantal in nature. Let's pray. Father, we ask in the name of Jesus Christ that you would help us tonight.

[John Weaver] Build us up in the most holy faith. Help us to see the absolute necessity and importance of having a biblical view of government. Lord willing, Father, we will continue this tomorrow night and show the purpose of government and show, Lord, exactly why you have ordained it. Give us, Lord, an understanding heart. In the name of Jesus Christ, we ask and pray, Amen. All right, well, that was a two-star for attacking the wood.

Christian & Civil Government # 1

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	111902995
Subject	Civil Government
Course	Civil Government: Magistracy, Authority, and Romans 13: Christian & Civil Government
Genre	Sermon
Date	2000-12-04
Dictation Name
Book	Book 022: Christian & Civil Government — Chapter 1
Source Timed Segments	146

Formatted Transcript

Opening

Well, it's good to be here tonight, and I'm certainly thankful for the opportunity, and I trust that you will have your Bibles ready. And some of you have heard me bring some of these truths before, but I trust that if you have, you will understand one little principle, and that's repetition aids learning. And the truth is, the more you hear, the more you understand. I want you to open your Bibles, please, to the book of Romans, chapter 13, and let's read the first eight verses. Romans chapter 13, and notice if you would please beginning there with verse 1. Romans 13, verse 1. The Word of God says,

Scripture Reading — Romans 13:1-8

"Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God. The powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God, and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation or condemnation. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? Do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same. For he that is the civil magistrate is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid, for he beareth not the sword in vain. For he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. Wherefore, ye must needs be subject not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake."

"For this cause pay you tribute also, for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing. Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute, custom to whom custom, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor. Owe no man anything but to love one another, for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law."

Introduction and Two Basic Presuppositions

Weaver states his purpose is to equip Christians with knowledge about their duty toward government. He presents two presuppositions: Jesus Christ is King of everything, and the entire Bible is applicable today.

Now tonight I want to begin this series on the Christian and civil government. And Lord willing, I want to use a two-edged sword. I want to cut biblically and historically as well. One of our biggest problems is that we're living in a land of absolute ignorance today. We're ignorant of our history, we're ignorant of our heritage, and we're certainly ignorant of the Word of God. Greg quoted Hosea 4 and verse 6 where God says, "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge." But our Lord said it like this in John 8 and verse 32. He said, "You shall know the truth. And the truth shall set you free."

Now, the opposite is equally true. If you do not know the truth, then you're not free. That means you're bound. That means you're a slave. In fact, 2 Corinthians 3 says it like this, "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." So where the Spirit of the Lord is not, there is bondage. So the main purpose, then, of this study is to equip us with knowledge that we might learn to be responsible Christians in understanding what is our duty and understanding what the Word of God teaches.

Now, let me give you tonight two basic presuppositions. The very first basic presupposition I have is this, is that Jesus Christ is king of the world. He is not just simply head or king of the church. He is indeed that. But he is king of everything. He is king of politics. He is king of economics. He is king of government. He is king of education. Jesus Christ is king of everything.

Scripture Reading — Psalm 119:89

There is absolutely nothing that does not fall under His authority. For instance, the Bible says in Matthew 28 and verse 18, Christ Himself said, "All power" or "all authority is given unto me in heaven and earth." So, Jesus Christ then has all power and all authority. The Bible in 1 Timothy chapter 6 verse 15 says that Jesus Christ is the only potentate, and the word potentate literally means the all-powerful one. So Jesus Christ himself declares that he is the all-powerful one. So he is literally head and king of everything. The second basic presupposition I have is this: that the entirety of the Bible is the Word of God and is applicable to us today. The Word of God says in Psalm 119 and verse 89, "Forever, O Lord, is thy word settled in the heavens." And so whatever God says is true. And whatever God has given us is applicable to us. The Bible said in 2 Timothy 3 and verse 16, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for correction, for reproof, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto every good work."

And when the Apostle Paul wrote that, he had in mind primarily the Old Testament, for the New Testament had not been completed at that particular time. So the Bible, then, is our law word. It is our guide for every area and every sphere of life. May I remind you that the Word of God teaches on every subject imaginable. It doesn't just simply teach on the family or the church, but it deals with government. It deals with economics. It deals with law. It deals with a multitude of things. Any and everything that affects our lives, there are principles in the Word of God that will correct us and instruct us and lead us to righteousness and godliness.

God Ordained Civil Government

From Romans 13:1, Weaver argues that God instituted government and all authority derives from Him. He cites Proverbs 8:15-16, Psalm 75:6-7, and Daniel 2:21, 4:17 to show God sets up and removes rulers.

Now, here we have the institution and the nature of government. The Scripture says very concisely and very clearly that it was God who ordained government. The Bible says the powers or the authorities that be are ordained by God. You see, God reigns by virtue of His own authority and rights. All others rule and reign by derivation. In other words, if God does not give someone authority, they simply do not have it. Have you ever stopped and asked yourself this question? Why is it that the husband has the authority over the wife and the authority over the family? Why is a pastor an authority over the church? And the answer comes back because that is the way that God ordained it. And likewise, the Bible tells us that God ordained civil government to be an authority as well. For instance, look in your Bibles, first of all, to the book of Proverbs, chapter 8. Proverbs, chapter 8.

In this passage, you have wisdom personified, who is none other than Jesus Christ. And listen to what he says in Proverbs 8, beginning there with verse 15. Christ says,

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 8:15-16

"By me kings reign, and princes decree justice. By me princes rule, and nobles, and all the judges of the earth."

In other words, no one has any authority except that which our Lord gives them. If you would look in your Bibles to Psalm 75. Psalm 75, verses 6 and 7. Here's a very clear passage. Psalm 75, beginning there with verse 6. The Word of God says, "For promotion cometh neither from the east nor from the west, nor from the south, but God is the judge. He putteth down one, and he setteth up another." So promotion does not come from man. It does not come from any other direction other than from the sovereign God Himself. It is God who takes rulers down. It is God who puts them up. If you will turn in your Bibles to the book of Daniel, chapter 2. Let me show you this illustrated very clearly.

Daniel, chapter 2. And let's begin reading there with verse 21. Daniel chapter 2 and notice if you would please verse 21 in this passage. Daniel, in fact let's read verse 20 just so that you can see that God is in the context. "Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, for wisdom and might are his." Now note, "Blessed be the name of God." So we've got God in the context. Verse 21, "And he," that is God, "changeth the times and the seasons. He," God, "removeth kings and setteth up kings, and he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding." So the Bible says very plainly that God is the one who removes kings or rulers, presidents, congressmen, however you want to call it. It is God who removes them. It is God who puts them up. Now, if you look down in your Bibles to verse 37, look what Daniel tells Nebuchadnezzar. He says, "Thou, O king, art a king of kings."

Scripture Reading — Daniel 2:21, 37

Now, Nebuchadnezzar, why is it that you have authority over other kings? Why are you unique? Here's why. "Thou, O king, art a king of kings, for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, strength, and glory." So, Daniel is telling Nebuchadnezzar, you have the power, you have the authority that you have, only because God gave it to you. Now, Nebuchadnezzar was a proud, arrogant, haughty monarch. And God had to teach Nebuchadnezzar a lesson. So if you look in Daniel chapter 4 and verses 16 and 17, God decrees to do exactly that. The Bible says, "Let his heart be changed from a man's, and let a beast's heart be given unto him, and let seven times" or seven years "pass over him."

Scripture Reading — Daniel 4:16-17, 28-32

"This matter is by the decree of the watchers and by the command of the word of the holy ones."

Now look,

Scripture Reading — Daniel 4:16-17, 28-32

"to the intent that the living may know that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever He will."

Now, why was Nebuchadnezzar going to be driven insane for seven years? That the living might know that God rules in the kingdom of men, and God gives those kingdoms to whomever He wills. In fact, skip down, if you would, in Daniel chapter 4, beginning with verse 28. You'll see the same truth again. "All this came upon King Nebuchadnezzar. At the end of twelve months, he walked in the palace of the kingdom of Babylon. The king spake and said, Is not this great Babylon that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power and for the honor of my majesty? While the word was in the king's mouth, there fell a voice from heaven saying, O King Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken, The kingdom is departed from thee, and they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall make thee eat grass as oxen." Now look, "and seven times" or seven years "shall pass over thee, till thou know..."

What are they to know? "...that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will." So he says to Nebuchadnezzar, I'm going to teach you a lesson. I'm going to teach you who the real sovereign is. So it is God, then, who has instituted authority. It is God who has set it up. Now, it is obvious if God is the one who institutes and ordains authority, that he himself is the sovereign. He is the one who is absolute. He has all power and all authority. You see, God reigns by virtue of His own proper authority.

The Nature and Titles of the Civil Magistrate

Weaver examines Greek terms in Romans 13:1-6, showing the civil ruler is called God's deacon (servant), exactor of righteousness, and public worshiper (leitourgos). Government is a theological issue and cannot be separated from religion.

I want you to turn back in your Bibles to Romans chapter 13. Let me take just a few moments and go through this passage very quickly and show you the titles or some of the names that are used to describe the civil magistrate. For instance, the Bible says in verse 1, "Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers, for there is no power but of God. The powers that be are ordained of God." Here in verse 1, you read "higher power" and "power" and "powers." And the word "power" is exousia, which literally means power, jurisdiction, or right. In verse 2, he says, "...whosoever therefore resisteth the power," the same word, "...resisteth the ordinance of God." So in verse 2, they're not only called the power, but the ordinance of God.

Now look in verse 3, "...for rulers are not a terror to the good works, but to the evil." Now, the word "rulers" is the Greek word archontes, which just simply means first ones or chief ones or leaders. Now, everyone in this room and everyone outside of this room knows that government deals with leadership, with power and authority. And by the way, there is a difference between power and authority. You say, what's the difference? Well, suppose I come up to you after this service and reach in my coat pocket and pull out a .357 Magnum and stick it between your eyes and say, "Give me all your money." Now, I've got the power to take your money, but I don't have the authority. See, there's a difference. You can have power, but not authority. And you can have authority and you can have power, but there's a difference between those two. Now, everyone says, all right, government deals with authority. It deals with power. Let me just stop right here and tell you this.

I was preaching out in Arizona. There was a state senator. His name was Wayne Stump. He was supposed to speak after I did. And so he stood up behind the pulpit and he was a big man. He said, "I have been asked to tell everyone here what government is." He said, "I'm going to tell you what government is without God." And he reached under his jacket and he pulled out a .357 Magnum and he held it up and then he laid it on the pulpit. Needless to say, he got everyone's attention and when everyone was quiet, he says, "That, my friend, is government without God. It's nothing but force. It's nothing but raw power."

See, everybody understands that in one sense of the word. But let's make sure as Christians that we go as far as God goes, that we say what God says. For instance, look in verse 4. We're still talking about the civil magistrate. "For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid, for he beareth not the sword in vain. For he is the minister of God." Now, twice in verse 4, the civil magistrate is called the minister of God. And the word "minister" there in the Greek is the word diakonos. It is where we get our English word "deacon." And by the way, "deacon" is a transliteration from the Greek. It was not translated.

It was just brought down letter for letter. And you know what the word "deacon" actually means? It means a servant. Literally what he says in verse 4, "For he," that is the civil ruler, "is the deacon or the servant of God." So twice in verse 4, the civil magistrate, then, is called a deacon or the servant of God. That's not all. Look in verse 4. He says, "For he is the minister of God," the latter part, "a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil." Now, the word "revenger" is the Greek word ekdikos. Ek is a preposition which means "out of," and dikos is righteousness. So, the revenger here actually means an avenger or one who exacts righteousness. So God says civil government is his deacon. It is his exactor of righteousness. And then if you'll skip down to verse 6.

He says, "For this cause pay you tribute also, for they are God's ministers." Now in verse 6, the word "ministers" is a different word from verse 4. Verse 4, you had diakonos, where we get our English word "deacon." Now in verse 6, the word "ministers" here is leitourgoi. Leitourgos would be the singular and it's where we get our English word "liturgy" from. What is a liturgy? A liturgy is a public form of worship. Every church has a liturgy, not just the Catholics or the Episcopalians. We think of that as high liturgy, but every church has a liturgy. You're a Baptist church. When you come in, you sit down, someone opens in prayer, you sing a song, you take an offering, that's a liturgy. You go through a certain little religious form and ceremony. Now, watch this. A liturgy is a public worship.

Everyone is willing to admit that government is power and government is authority and government has to deal with leadership, but will you go as far as God? Because God said He ordained civil government not just to be authority, not just to have power, not just to deal with leadership, but to be His deacon, His servant, His exactor of righteousness, and His public worship. God ordained government to publicly worship Him, just like he ordained the family and the church to publicly worship him. Let's ask a question. If God ordained civil government to be his deacon, to be his servant, who is that deacon to serve? Very clearly, the one who ordained it. If God ordained government to be an exactor of righteousness, whose righteousness is it to exact? Very obviously, the one who ordained it. If government has been ordained of God to be a public form of worship, a liturgy, who is it to worship publicly? And the answer is the one who ordained it.

Now, let me show you the impact and the importance of this truth. It means that government is a theological issue. You cannot understand government without God. And there is no such thing, listen to me carefully, there is no such thing as a separation between government and religion. Now, you might have a separation between government and church. In this instance, there does not necessarily need to be a state church. If you were in England and you were born in that country, then the official church, the official state religion in England would be Anglicanism. The Anglican Church is the Church of England.

Sphere Authority and the Limits of Government

God ordained three institutions—family, church, and state—each with limited sphere authority. When government leaves its sphere, it loses its authority. Submission is not owed to tyranny or totalitarianism.

God is nowhere in Romans 13, and I'll prove it before the week is over, but God is nowhere in this passage demanding that we submit to a tyrannical government, a usurped power, a usurped authority that God never gave. That is not it. Please remember that God only ordained three institutions. That's all. He ordained the family, which is a ministry of education. He ordained the church, which is a ministry of grace. And he ordained the state, which is a ministry of justice. Now, I want you to understand that the family is central. If you were to draw a circle and put God and come down and draw another little circle and put the family. God ordained the family. Come out from the family and come down, draw another little circle and put church. Come out from the family, come down, draw another little circle and put state. The family is central. Why? Without the family, you can't have a church or a state. The family is absolutely fundamental. Now, God has only ordained these three institutions.

Now, watch. Watch carefully. What He did was He ordained what you and I would call sphere authority. He gave the family authority to operate in its function, in its certain sphere. He gave the church authority to operate in its sphere. He gave the state authority to operate in its sphere. Now listen carefully. Once you leave your sphere of authority, you do not carry that authority with you. For instance, the family cannot tell the church, "Well, you can't preach the gospel." The church cannot tell the state, "Well, you cannot execute that murderer." The state cannot tell the church, "Well, you cannot do this," and it cannot tell the family, "You cannot educate your children." No, it has no authority from God to do that. If it leaves its sphere of authority, it loses its authority.

Let me give you an illustration, one that everyone can identify with. Here I come into your home. And I'm visiting with you and I'm sitting there and I noticed that there are toys scattered around. I noticed the clothes need ironing. Clothes need washing. I noticed dirty dishes in the kitchen sink. I noticed the grass needs cutting. And I sit there for a few minutes, and I finally look and say, "I've had all this I can take. I just can't take it anymore." And I look at your wife, and I say, "Now you get up in there, and you go and wash those dishes. And when you get through, you wash those clothes and iron those clothes." And I tell your kids, "You pick up all these toys. And when you get through, you go out and start cutting the grass. Pick up all the trash out in the yard." You are not going to sit there on that couch and say, "That way, pastor, go get her. I mean, I've been wanting to tell her that all week long."

Now, you're not going to tell me that. You're going to say, "Pastor, that's my wife. Those are my kids." But I say, "You don't understand. I'm a husband and I'm a father and I have husbandly authority and I have fatherly authority." And you respond, "Well, you might in your house, but not in this house. Because in this house, I'm the head. And if anybody tells that woman what to do, it's going to be me. If anyone tells those kids what to do, it's going to be me. If you want to order somebody around, preacher, you go back to your house and you tell your wife and your kids what to do. But I'm the head of this house."

Would you be right in telling me that? Sure you would. Just because I have authority over my wife and children, does not mean I have authority over your wife and children. I cannot carry that authority with me. And just because God has given government certain power in a limited sphere, that does not mean when they step out of that sphere, they still have that same authority and same power. Well, of course not. And it's absolutely foolish for anyone then to advise any people that they need to be in submission to tyranny and totalitarianism. Let me tell you very pointedly, God never ordained tyranny or totalitarianism as a lawful, legitimate form of government.

Now, let me just clear up another passage. I want you to look in your Bibles to 1 Peter chapter 2. And I'll deal with this a little bit later, probably in the week as well. 1 Peter chapter 2. As we turn there, let me remind you that God has not specified a certain type of government. For instance, the Word of God does not demand that we have a republic. Now, I believe that the principles in the Word of God will lead to a republican form of government, but it does not demand that we have a republic. It does not demand that we have a monarchy. It does not demand that we have a constitutional monarchy. It does not demand that we have an aristocracy or an oligarchy.

Let me ask you a question. Can God use a monarchial form of government? And the answer is yes. He did so in the Old Testament. He did so in the New Testament. Can God use a constitutional form of monarchy? Yes. He did so in the Old Testament. He did so in the New Testament. He did so in England for many years. Can God use a republic? Yes, he did so in this country for many years.

Biblical Qualifications for Rulers

From Deuteronomy 17:15-20, Exodus 18:21, and other passages, Weaver lists qualifications: must be a believer, have unquestionable morality, hate covetousness, be wise and understanding, and rule in the fear of God.

Now, I want you to turn in your Bibles to Deuteronomy 17, and let me begin showing you some individual qualifications. You see, if God ordained government and set it up, which we've already seen from Scripture, he has, then it necessarily follows that God has the absolute and sovereign right to tell who should be in His government, and He should have the right to list the qualifications. And of course, He does exactly that. So I want you to look in Deuteronomy 17, and let's begin there with verse 15, and let's look at some of these individual qualifications. God says, "Thou shalt in any wise set him king over thee, whom the Lord thy God shall choose: one from among thy brethren shalt thou set king over thee. Thou mayest not set a stranger over thee, who is not thy brother." So the very first requirement is that the individual cannot be a stranger. He must be a brother. That is, he must be a believer.

I'm not going to preach the message, but I can demonstrate to you from the original charters and constitutions of this country that our founding fathers took this verse literally because practically every state excluded anyone from any office who did not profess faith in Jesus Christ and did not confess the inspiration of both the Old and the New Testaments. If you were an unbeliever in this country when it was first founded, you could not hold any political office at all. And so God is saying, look, the very first qualification is you must be a believer. How in the world can you have a Christian government without Christians? How in the world can you carry out a government that would worship God and be God's deacon and God's exactor of righteousness if you have individuals who could care less about God or His Word? So the very first qualification is he must be a believer. Look in verse 16.

Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 17:15-20

"But he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he should multiply horses: forasmuch as the Lord hath said unto you, Ye shall henceforth return no more that way."

Now, why was God saying not to multiply horses? Well, you've got to remember that horses in the Bible were used offensively and defensively. What you have in verse 16 is a limitation on war machinery. What God is telling us is this.

that he is our protection. Do you realize we could have the largest standing army in the world? We could have the best air force. We could have the best naval force. We could have the best bombs and the smartest weaponry available. But the truth is, if God doesn't protect us, we're unprotected. What does the Bible say? The Bible says the horse is prepared for the day of battle, but safety is of the Lord. The Bible says the horse is a vain thing to trust in. You know something? I could say, well, there's been a number of muggings and robberies and home invasions, and I'm going to lay all these pistols around my pillow and on my nightstand. I'm going to put my shotguns in the corner. I'm going to put my rifles nearby. Boy, I tell you what, they're not going to get me.

I got news for you. If God doesn't wake me up in time and if God doesn't enable me to shoot straight, all those weapons would be absolutely useless. If God doesn't protect us, we're unprotected. That's a sermon in itself. But you remember when Elijah was taken to heaven in a whirlwind in a chariot of fire? You remember what Elisha cried? "My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and the horsemen thereof." Do you remember when Elisha died, what the king said? "My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and the horsemen thereof." What they were confessing was the protection of the nation is in God, not in a standing army. That doesn't mean that you're not to have some standing army for protection, some small, but not some great thing. He said you're not to multiply. And by the way, the army in the Bible originally was the militia. The Bible teaches that and not a huge standing army. Now, so you have, first of all, the first qualification must be a believer. Secondly, limitation on war machinery. Look, if you would please, at verse 17, Deuteronomy chapter 17, verse 17. He says,

Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 17:15-20

"Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away. Neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold."

So the third qualification is he must unquestionably have morality. He shall not multiply wives to himself. In other words, the demand for the civil magistrate is that he must be a moral individual. And in our day and time, you hear politicians say all the time, "Well, what I do in the privacy of my bedroom is my business and nobody else." Well, that's not true. You see, if you are a public figure, if you are a public officer, then it is my business. Why in the world would God say that he must be a man with unquestionable morality? Let me tell you why. Because if a man will cheat and violate his oath to the wife of his youth, whom he professes to love, what in the world would he do to me who he doesn't love and doesn't know? If he would do that to his wife, you see what I'm saying? God is saying he has to have a morality that is absolutely unquestionable. If you used these first three qualifications, especially just the first one and the third one, a believer, an unquestionable morality, we'd lose most of our congressmen. The White House would be gone for sure. And look, if you would please, at the latter part of that verse,

Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 17:15-20

"neither shall he multiply to himself silver and gold."

I'm going to deal with that in another passage in just a moment. Look, if you would please, in verse 18 and 19. Here's another qualification.

Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 17:15-20

"And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites. And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God, and to keep all the words of this law and these statutes to do them."

So what does God say? God says the civil ruler must have his own personal copy of the Word of God. He must read therein every day. He must learn what? That he may do, that he may fear the Lord and keep all the words of this law and these statutes and do them. You see, God never ordained civil magistrates to make their own laws. He ordained civil magistrates to enforce His laws. And then notice, if you would please, in verse 20. Here's another reason.

Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 17:15-20

"That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment to the right hand or to the left: to the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he and his children, in the midst of Israel."

So God says another reason he must have his own personal copy of the Word of God and read it and study it is that his heart be not lifted up above his brethren. I want to tell you something. If you really want to make a bureaucrat or a politician mad today, if you really want to get them riled, you call them your public servant. Because they don't believe they're public servants. They believe they are your rulers. I'll tell you the exact words that one told me. And I have witnesses. Here are his exact words. When I challenged him, he said, "I am the state."

"I could do whatever I please." I said, "I got news for you, sir. You are not the state and you cannot do what you please." God says that their heart be not lifted up, and you note, if you would please, today how our civil government passes laws for the populace. But they do not believe they themselves are to be subject to those laws. They want them to control us, but not to control themselves. So God says he must be a believer, he must have unquestionable morality, he must know and study the Word of God, that he may apply the law of God.

Then if you look in Exodus chapter 18, and by the way, since you're in Deuteronomy, so hold Deuteronomy chapter 1, if you would please, we'll come back there just shortly. But I want you to look if you would please, Exodus chapter 18 verse 21. I told you why I was going to wait to deal with the silver and the gold. Here's why. Look at Exodus chapter 18 verse 21. God says.

Scripture Reading — Exodus 18:21

"Moreover, thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness, and place such over them to be rulers."

Now watch.

Scripture Reading — Exodus 18:21

"Moreover, thou shalt provide out of all the people able men,"

there's another requirement, must have ability, "such as fear God," piety, that is, they must be believers. "Men of truth," that is, men of integrity. You've heard the old adage, how can you tell if a politician is lying? Watch his lips. If they move, he's lying.

Well, the truth is, God says, they must be men of truth. How many of you really genuinely believe our politicians today? You see, I generally believe exactly the opposite of what they say, and usually that's right. You remember Jimmy Carter said, "Trust me, I'll never lie to you." He did. Sure he did. The Bible says all men are liars. But God says they must be men of truth.

And then notice not only integrity, but fidelity. He says "hating covetousness." Not just don't multiply to yourself silver and gold, but you hate covetousness. Let me ask you a question. Come on now. Have you ever wondered why men would spend millions of dollars to get a job that pays $250,000 a year? Or if you're a congressman, less than that. And do you realize some of these men spend $40 and $50 million? Some of the congressmen spend $6 and $7 and $8 million to get elected. Now, wait a minute. It don't make but $80,000 or $100,000 a year. Maybe your math is different from mine, but if I can only serve two years at $100,000 a year and I've spent $6 million to get elected, I'm in the hole.

Isn't it amazing that those who go off to Congress, poor, always come out rich. You don't have perks, you don't have an opportunity to swindle and cheat and steal. That's why God says hating covetousness. Now, what's this? Let me just show you how far we've gone. When you hear a politician say, "Well, I just want to serve the people," here's my answer. Well, let's go back the way it was when our country was first founded, because do you realize that our congressmen served without pay at their own expense? I got news for you, Congress would not be in session nearly as long as it is today if they had to serve at their own expense without pay.

One of my favorite stories was when Thomas Jefferson was inaugurated as president of the United States. After his inauguration, he walked across the street to a boarding house to have lunch. And all the tables and chairs were full. The president of the United States had to stand in the corner and wait for someone to get up so he could have a seat at the table and eat. You know what their attitude was? "Why should we arise for him? He's our servant. Let him wait." He didn't hold up a whole runway and get a $40,000 haircut. I can assure you. You see, God says they're to be men of ability, they're to be men of truth, they're to be men of integrity, men of fidelity, men that hate covetousness.

Now look in Deuteronomy 1, verse 13. This ties right together. He said, Deuteronomy 1, verse 13,

Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 1:13

"Take you wise men and understanding and known among your tribes and I'll make them rulers over you."

Now, boy, there's another qualification. Wise and understanding. That would also eliminate a lot of our politicians today. Because they don't have any wisdom. They certainly don't have any understanding.

Now, look in your Bibles, if you would please, to 2 Samuel, chapter 23. 2 Samuel, chapter 23. And I want you to notice how many times David claims direct inspiration for this one simple truth. This will boggle your mind. Look at it. 2 Samuel, chapter 23, verse 1. "Now these be the last words of David. David the son of Jesse said, and the man who was raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel said," now watch verse 2, "The Spirit of the Lord spake by me." That's one time.

"His word was in my tongue." That's twice. "The God of Israel said," that's three times. "The rock of Israel spake to me," four times. David claims direct inspiration for this one simple statement. "He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God." Isn't that a tremendous statement? God said if you're going to be a civil ruler, you must be just and you must rule in the fear of God. What is justice? What is being just? What is ruling in the fear of God?

You better let the Bible determine that for you. For by the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. And also the Word of God says in Job 28, verse 28, it is turning away from that which is evil and wicked and ungodly. Very quickly, let me tell you, Psalm 72, verses 1 and 2 and verse 11 says rulers are to do homage to Jesus Christ. Psalm 2, verses 10 through 12, they're to be well instructed by Jesus Christ. In Isaiah 49 and verse 23 and Isaiah 16, verse 10, they're called the nursing mothers and the nursing fathers of the people of God. And then if you will turn in your Bibles to 2 Samuel chapter 5. I want you to see this one. 2 Samuel chapter 5. Look in verse 12. In this passage, David understands why God made him a king. Look at it. 2 Samuel chapter 5 verse 12, "And David perceived that the Lord had established him king over Israel, and that he had exalted his kingdom for his people Israel's sake." David said, God raised me up that I might serve and be a blessing and a benefit to the people of God.

Now very quickly, do you realize there are collective descriptions of civil magistrates in the Word of God? Romans 13, verse 4. I've already mentioned they're called the ministers of God. In Psalm 78, verses 70-72, they're called a public shepherd to feed. In 1 Samuel 10, verse 1, 2 Kings 20, verse 5, they're called a captain and a leader of the people to defend them. In Psalm 47, verse 9, they're called the shields of the earth. And in Romans 13, verse 4, they're called the avengers of God. All of these are descriptions of civil magistrates.

The Covenantal Nature of Government

Government is covenantal, involving a covenant between God, the king, and the people, and a separate covenant between king and people. When one party violates the covenant, the other is loosed from obedience.

Let me give you a quote from Hubert Languet in his book, Vindiciae Contra Tyrannos. Listen carefully. He says, "By the same reason, the people are always called the Lord's people and the Lord's inheritance, and the king is governor of this inheritance and conductor or leader of his people, which is the title given to David, Solomon, Hezekiah, and other good princes. When also the covenant is passed between God and the king, it is upon the condition that the people remain always the people of God, to show that God will not in any case spoil himself of his property and his possession when he gives to the kings the government of the people, but establishes them to take charge of and well use them, no more nor less than he who makes choice of a shepherd to look after the flocks, remains notwithstanding himself still master and owner of them." Now listen to what Languet says. When God chooses a leader, He said it's no more than a man choosing a shepherd to look over his flock. The flock still remains the property of the owner. He is not the property of the one he's chosen to look over the shepherd. The flock's the property of the owner. Likewise, he said, once that civil magistrate gets there, the people are not his property. They still belong to God. But I want you to know, he said, "when the covenant is passed between God and the king." How did Hubert Languet know that government is covenantal in nature? And the answer is.

Because he read the Bible. You see, basically, in the Bible, there are two types of covenant when it comes to government. There is a covenant between God and the king, where God says, "I'm going to be your God," and the king says, "I'm going to be your king." So here's a government covenant between God, the king, and the people. The people are also saying, "We're going to be your people." The second covenant is between the king and the people where the king agrees to rule faithfully and the people agree to obey as long as he does so. Let me show it to you in the Bible. Look in your Bibles to 2 Kings chapter 11 and verse 17. I'll show you both covenants. 2 Kings chapter 11 and verse 17. Look carefully, "And Jehoiada," who was the high priest, by the way, "then Jehoiada made a covenant between the Lord and the king and the people that they should be the Lord's people." Then he says,

Scripture Reading — 2 Kings 11:17

"between the king also and the people."

So here's two separate covenants, one between God, the king, and the people, and then one between the king and the people as well. Now, if you will turn in your Bibles to 1 Chronicles chapter 11. 1 Chronicles chapter 11. And notice if you would please verse 3. You'll find this also in 2 Samuel chapter 5. We're in verse 3 of 1 Chronicles 11.

"Therefore came all the elders of Israel to the king to Hebron," that is to David. "And David made a covenant with them in Hebron before the Lord, and they anointed David king over Israel according to the word of the Lord by Samuel." So David made a covenant with them. Now turn in your Bibles to 2 Chronicles chapter 23. Look if you would please at verses 2 and 3 first of all. 2 Chronicles 23 verse 2. "And they went about in Judah and gathered the Levites out of all the cities of Judah and the chief of the fathers of Israel and they came to Jerusalem. And all the congregation made a covenant with the king in the house of God."

"And he said unto them, Behold, the king's son shall reign as the Lord had said of the sons of David." Now skip down to verse 16. "And Jehoiada made a covenant between him," that is God, "and between all the people, and between the king, that they should be the Lord's people." So here are two covenants now. One between God, the king, and the people. God's going to be their God. The king's going to be God's king. People are going to be God's people. Then there's a separate covenant between the king and the people where the king agrees to rule faithfully and the people agree to obey as long as he does.

Now, if you don't understand this concept, there are certain verses in the Bible you'll never understand. For instance, Ecclesiastes chapter 8 in verse 2, where Solomon said, "I counsel thee to keep the king's commandment, and that in regard to the oath of God." He said, look, you've given an oath, that is, you've entered into a covenant that you're going to obey me as long as I rule faithfully and I expect you to do so. Now, let me show you this in the New Testament. Go back in your Bibles to Romans chapter 13. Romans chapter 13. Look at verse 5, Romans 13, verse 5. He says, "Wherefore, ye must needs be subject not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake."

Now, God says here's two reasons why you and I should be subject to a godly, to a biblical, to a righteous civil government. Why? Number one, for wrath's sake, because God has not given them the sword in vain. They have the authority. They have the power to use the sword. But the second reason, He said, is for conscience sake. The word "conscience" is from the Greek word syneidesis.

Syn is a preposition which means "with." Eidesis, that which you know. Conscience, con, preposition, means "with." Sciens, know. Your conscience is that which you know with. So he says you should be in subjection to a godly civil ruler. Why? Not only for wrath's sake, because you know what government is. And you know what God requires of you. And you understand the covenantal nature of government.

Now, look at your Bibles, please, to 1 Timothy 2. I want you to see this because I want to correct a misinterpretation that most people have of this passage. In 1 Timothy 2, everybody says, "Now, Brother Weaver, the Bible requires us to pray for our rulers." Yes, it does. But you ask people, "Why does God ask us to pray for our rulers?" Inevitably, someone's going to say, "So that they might be saved." And that's not the answer. Because if they're not saved, they ought not to be a ruler to begin with, according to the Bible. Look what the Bible says in 1 Timothy chapter 2. Paul says in verse 1, "I exhort therefore that first of all, supplications, prayer, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and for all that are in authority." Why should we pray for them? Look, "that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty, for this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior." Why should we pray for them? He said that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life. You pray for them basically, He said, so that they will do right and leave us alone so that we may do what's right. So when we pray for them, it's not for their benefit, but for our benefit.

Now, I want to give you two things before we close tonight, and I want you to listen carefully. First of all, in biblical covenants, in biblical covenants, when one party violates the covenant, it looses the other party from obedience. Everyone understands this, or at least they should. If you don't, you better not ever enter into a contract with anyone, because a contract is nothing more than a covenant. You find in a covenant there are always stipulations. And the one I want to tell you about is found in Joshua chapter 2. In fact, just turn there. I'll read it to you very quickly. Here was a covenant that was written in, agreed to, by the spies and Rahab. Now, watch this carefully. Joshua chapter 2. You remember, Rahab has taken the spies. She's hidden them. She's saved their lives. She's letting them down. And they're about to escape. And she said, "Now, before you escape, you've got to promise me that you're going to spare me and you're going to spare my family." Well, look at it, if you would please, in Joshua chapter 2.

And let's begin in verse 17. "And the men said unto her, We will be blameless of this thine oath which thou hast made us swear." So we've entered into a covenant. We've given each other an oath. "Behold, when we come into the land, thou shalt bind this line of scarlet thread in the window which thou didst let us down by, and thou shalt bring thy father and thy mother and thy brethren and all thy father's household home unto thee. And it shall be that whosoever shall go out of the doors of thy house into the street, his blood shall be upon his head, and we will be guiltless. And whosoever shall be with thee in the house, his blood shall be on our head, if any hand be upon him." Now let's stop there just for a moment. They said, now here are some of the stipulations of this covenant. We've made a covenant. If you want your family spared, you get them in your house. You bind this scarlet cord down. We're not going to touch anybody in this house with a scarlet cord.

But now if any of your family goes out in the street and they get killed, their blood's on their own heads because they should have stayed in the house. We don't know who belongs to you and who doesn't belong to you. Now, if they're outside, we're going to kill them all. But if we come inside this house and touch anybody, then their blood's going to be on us because we've agreed not to. Now, watch this. Look down in verse 20. Here's one last stipulation that they give to Rahab. "And if thou utter this our business," that is, if you tell our secret, if you violate your end of this agreement, "if thou utter this our business, then we will be quit of thine oath which thou hast made us to swear." In other words, Rahab, if you spill the beans and tell our plans, we'll kill you and your family just like the rest of them. So in other words, if you violate your end of the agreement, then we're loose from obedience to our end of the agreement.

Historical Application: The American Founding

Weaver reads from the Fairfax Resolves and the Declaration of Independence to show the American colonies acted on the principle that when a ruler violates the covenant, the people may resist and form a new government.

You see, most people do not understand that George III, the king of England, was also king of Georgia, king of South Carolina, king of North Carolina, king of Virginia. He was king of all of the 13 colonies. Each of the colonies had their own separate charter and constitution. None of the colonies were ever under parliament whatsoever. They had their own legislatures. And so King George III then was their king, just like the folks in England who had a king.

Now the interesting thing is on July the 18th, 1774, Charles Broadwater, George Mason, and George Washington gathered at the Fairfax courthouse in Fairfax, Virginia, and they drew up the Fairfax Resolves, 24 resolves. And in these resolves, they're petitioning the king of England to fulfill his covenantal responsibilities. I want to read some of these to you, and I want you to understand that some of these could have been written yesterday. Remember, they were written in 1774. Listen, if you would please, to resolution number five. "Resolved, that the claim lately assumed and exercised by the British Parliament of making all such laws as they think fit to govern the people of these colonies and to extort from us our money without our consent, is not only diametrically contrary to the first principles of the Constitution and the original compacts by which we are dependent upon the British Crown and government, but is totally incompatible with the privileges of a free people and the natural rights of mankind and will render our own legislatures merely nominal and nugatory and

is calculated to reduce us from a state of freedom and happiness to slavery and misery." Now listen to that again. I'm not going to read all of it. But he says, "Resolved, that the claim lately assumed and exercised by the British Parliament of making all such laws as they think fit, and to extort from us our money without our consent." Is that what Congress does? You see what I'm saying? But now, this country was never under Parliament. It's just like if Canada passed a law tomorrow that said you had to give five cents tax on every dollar to the Canadian government. Would you do it? Well, I would hope you wouldn't. The Canadian government has no business passing a law for American citizens. Parliament had no business passing laws for the colonials, for they have their own legislatures. Listen to number six. Boy, this one is a doozy.

"Resolved, that taxation and representation are in their nature inseparable, and the right of withholding or giving and granting their own money is the only effectual security to a free people against the encroachments of despotism and tyranny, and that whenever they yield to the one, they must quickly fall prey to the other." Now listen to what they said, that taxation and representation are inseparable. Now listen, that the right of withholding and or giving or granting their own money is the only effectual security of a free people. Did you hear what George Washington, George Mason, Charles Broadwater said? They said if we do not have the right to withhold our money from the government, we're not free. Can you withhold your money? You say, "God, I can." Well, I tell you what, you might do so. But you're going to end up fighting. And they may come and just throw you in jail anyhow and take everything you've got. What does that mean? That means we're not free, we are slaves, and that's exactly what George Washington, the first president of the United States, said was tyranny. In other words, we the people ought to say, "Well, we want this. We will support it, but we don't want that and we're not going to support it and you're not going to do it." But our government is so deteriorated and has become so tyrannical, they say you will do it or we'll confiscate your goods and put you in prison to boot. Well, listen, if you would please, resolution number eight. "Resolved, that it is our greatest wish and inclination, as well as interest, to continue our connection with and dependence upon the British government.

But though we are its subjects, we will use every means which heaven hath given us to prevent us from becoming its slaves." They said, George, we want to be your subjects. We're willing to continue our dependence upon Great Britain. But though we are your subjects, we will never be your slaves. Hmm. Listen, if you would, please, to a resolution number—oh, let's see. Resolution number 22, I think it is. This one is excellent as well. "Resolved, that should the town of Boston be forced to submit to the late, cruel and oppressive measures of government"—you remember the Boston Port Bill after the Boston Tea Party? What George III and Parliament decided they would do is they'd close the port of Boston. And thus they would starve the people of Massachusetts into submission. And so they say, "Resolved, that should the town of Boston be forced to submit to the late cruel and oppressive measures of government, that we shall not hold the same to be binding upon us, but will notwithstanding religiously maintain and inviolably adhere to such measures as shall be concerted by the general Congress for the preservation of our lives, liberties, and fortunes."

And you know what the other colonies did? When they tried to close the Boston Port, the other colonies put food, money, medical supplies, whatever was necessary for the folks of Boston and kept them going. They said, we don't care what kind of law Parliament passes. It doesn't affect us. We will not submit to it. We will do exactly opposite of what they want us to do. And then let me read to you resolution number 23.

This one is very biting. "Resolved, that it be recommended to the deputies of the General Congress to draw up"—so this resolution now came from the Congress, although Washington, Broadwater, and Mason wrote them. "Resolved, that it be recommended to the deputies of the General Congress to draw up and transmit a humble and dutiful petition and remonstrance to His Majesty, asserting with decent firmness our just and constitutional rights and privileges, lamenting the fatal necessity of being compelled to enter into measures disgusting to His Majesty and His Parliament, or injurious to our fellow subjects in Great Britain, declaring in the strongest terms our duty and affection to His Majesty's person, family, and government, and our desire to continue our dependence upon Great Britain, and most humbly beseeching our majesty not to reduce his faithful subjects of America to a state of desperation and reflect that from our sovereign there can be but one appeal." What were they saying? They were saying, George, we want to be your good subjects and we're willing to do that.

But if you violate that Constitution and you try to force us to do that which is contrary to that Constitution, we will fight. Now, listen to this. Everyone understands this, but let me read it to you. Because here it is in black and white, the Declaration of Independence. "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal and they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." Now listen carefully. "That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men." Rights do not come from government. Government cannot give rights. The only thing they can do is to protect rights. "So that to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.

that whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it and to institute a new government, laying foundations on such principles and organizing its powers in such a form as to them shall seem most likely to affect their safety and happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that government long established should not be changed for light and transient reasons, and accordingly, all experience has shown that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations pursuing invariably the same object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government and provide new government for their future security."

What did our founding fathers say? George III would not keep his covenantal agreement. He violated it. And consequently, when he tried to force us into slavery, since he obligated his end of the agreement, we were not obligated to keep our end of the agreement. And when he invaded us, we fought. Who were the rebels? Not the Americans, but George III and the Parliament. You see, this country was founded on this very principle.

Corporate Responsibility and Judgment

Because of the covenantal nature of government, when rulers sin openly and the people do not resist, God judges the nation along with the ruler. Examples include Saul and the Gibeonites, David's census, and Manasseh.

Because of the covenantal nature of government. Because in biblical covenants, listen to me now, each party is responsible to the fullest. Here is a covenant between the king and the people and the Lord. We've agreed to be God's people. We've agreed to be God's rulers. Why do you think the president, for years, always took his oath of office with his hand upon Deuteronomy 28, the passage with the blessings and the curses, recognizing the covenantal nature of government. Let me show you.

Look in your Bibles to 2 Samuel, chapter 21. Very quickly, just a few passages. 2 Samuel, chapter 21. And look, if you would please, beginning there with verse 1. Here's a time of famine in the land. 2 Samuel 21 verse 1. "Then there was a famine in the days of David three years, year after year. And David inquired of the Lord." It's time to inquire of the Lord when there's a famine three years in a row.

And God answered him, "It is for Saul and for his bloody house, because he slew the Gibeonites." Now, I don't know if you knew who the Gibeonites were, but if you'd read Joshua chapter 9, the Gibeonites were those people who came to the children of Israel and they had the moldy bread and old tattered clothes. And so they said, "Who are you?" "Oh, we've heard about God and we've heard about you. We come to enter into a covenant with you." Well, they said, "How do we know that you're not of the land?" "Wow," they said, "look at this bread. I mean, man, it was fresh when we took it out. Look at these wine bottles. Those fresh. But look at it now. Look at our clothes, man. We've been traveling a long time." They never checked with God. They entered into covenant with the Gibeonites. And then afterwards, they found out the Gibeonites were part of the Amorites in the land who they were supposed to kill. And God told the Israelites, "Look, you've given them your word, you can't kill them. You might make them your slaves," and the Bible says they made them drawers of water and hewers of wood, but God forbade them to kill them because they had given them their word. Now watch. Verse 2, "And the king called the Gibeonites and said unto them, Now the Gibeonites were not of the children of Israel, but of the remnant of the Amorites. And the children of Israel had sworn unto them. Look, and Saul sought to slay them in his zeal to the children of Israel and Judah."

Now wait. If it's King Saul slaying the Gibeonites, why does God send a famine on the entire nation for three years? Why doesn't God just judge Saul in his house? I'll tell you why. Because this was not a private sin. This was an open, public sin, and every Israelite knew that those Gibeonites were not to be killed. And when they allowed their ruler to murder those Gibeonites contrary to their covenantal agreement, God not only judged Saul, he judged the nation as well.

Look in your Bibles to 1 Chronicles chapter 21. Everybody knows the story of David and Bathsheba. When David committed adultery with Bathsheba, it was David and his family that were judged. But when you get to 1 Chronicles chapter 21 and verse 2, "And David said to Joab and to the rulers of the people, Go, number Israel from Beersheba even to Dan, and bring the number of them to me, that I may know them. And Joab answered, The Lord make His people a hundred times so many more as they be. But my lord the king, are they not all my lord's servants? Why then doth my lord require this thing? Why will he be a trespass in Israel? Nevertheless, the king's word prevailed over Joab." Now look, David said, "Joab, what I want you to do is go out and number the people."

By the way, what he was wanting numbered was his army. This is where you get the real standing army in the scripture right here. And God judged David and the people because of this. Joab was a murderer. And as wicked as Joab was, he said, "Are not all these the Lord's servants and your servants, David? Why would you be a cause of trespass for Israel?" Nevertheless, the king's word prevailed. So Joab went out and began numbering the people.

Now, I want to show you something. First of all, the army was God's army, not David's. When you read the phrase in the Bible, "the Lord God of hosts," the word "hosts" is armies. God is the Lord God of the armies. The armies of Israel were God's armies, not David's. Secondly, the armies were not to be numbered except in a time of war. There was no time of war here.

Thirdly, when they were numbered, there was to be a half-shekel for the sanctuary taken, a ransom. It was not taken. Now, I want you to skip down, if you would, please, verse 7. "And God was displeased with this thing. Therefore, He smote Israel." Huh. Skip down to verse 14. "So the Lord sent pestilence upon Israel and there fell of Israel seventy thousand men."

Now, my question is this. Why did God not just simply judge David here like He did when He judged him with Bathsheba? I'll tell you why. Because every Israelite knew that what David was doing was wrong. Even Joab the murderer knew it was wrong. And no one lifted a finger to stop him. And so God judged the people with the ruler. You don't have to turn there, but you remember 1 Kings chapter 18? Old Elijah said, "As the Lord God lives, before whom I stand.

There shall not be rain or dew these years, but according to my word." For three and a half years there is drought in Israel. Why was there a drought in Israel? Because of Ahab and Jezebel. Everybody knew that they were wrong. Everybody knew they were wicked. No one lifted a finger to stop them. They murdered the prophets of God. God judged the people. He judged the nation along with the rulers.

Now, turn in your Bibles in one last passage. I want you to look in Jeremiah chapter 15. Jeremiah 15. If there was no other verse in the Bible, this one would be sufficient. Jeremiah chapter 15. If I were to ask you who the most wicked king in Israel was, I would hope you would answer Ahab, for he was. If I were to ask you who the most wicked king in Judah was, I'd hope you would answer Manasseh, for he was. And look, if you would, what the Bible says concerning Manasseh. Jeremiah 15 and verse 4. God says, "And I will cause them," that is the people, "to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth because of Manasseh, the son of Hezekiah, king of Judah, for that which he did in Jerusalem."

Did you hear what I just read? God said, "I'm going to cause all the people to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth because of Manasseh for what he did in Jerusalem." Why don't you just judge Manasseh for what he did? Because Manasseh was a public figure. Manasseh was their king. There was a covenantal agreement. He led the people into idolatry. He seduced them into wickedness.

They knew that it was wrong. They never stopped him. And so God judged the people with their ruler. You see, the mentality of the average American is this. "It's none of my business what they do in Washington. I mean, I just pay my taxes. I mean, what they do, they're responsible for that." Oh, no. Oh, no, that's not true. "Well, it doesn't matter to me what they do in Columbia. I just pay my taxes." Oh, no, it does matter what they do. It does matter.

Application and Call to Holiness

Weaver warns that America will not escape God's judgment for tolerating wicked rulers. He urges believers to live holy, godly lives, contend with the wicked by keeping God's law, and recognize that righteous people can spare a nation.

We've made murder legal in this country through abortion, sodomy legal, theft legal, socialism—it's still theft. You know what? We are probably the only country, and maybe the only generation probably, to take in the idea that somehow we're going to be the ones that escape the judgment of God. God will judge everybody else, but He won't judge us. I got news for you folks. You say, "Brother Weaver, the Lord's coming back." I know He's coming back, and He's going to come back literally, visibly, and bodily. But that doesn't mean He's going to come back before He judges this country. He did not come back

before 722 B.C., when the Assyrians swept down and destroyed Israel and took them into captivity. He didn't come back before 586 B.C., when Judah got carried away into Babylon. He didn't come back before Stalin murdered those millions over in the forest in Russia. He didn't come back before Mao Zedong murdered his millions. He didn't come back before Castro got his. What makes you think that we are going to be the only ones who escape God's judgment? We have allowed a government to run amok, totally out of control, contrary to God, contrary to God's Word. We've let them basically kick God out of every avenue and every sphere of life. And we think God is pleased? I've got news for you. God is angry.

There is a covenantal blessing, but there is also a covenantal curse. You say, "Brother Weaver, what can I do?" Well, let me show you one verse. Look in your Bibles to Proverbs 28 and verse 4. You ought to memorize this verse. Proverbs 28, verse 4. There are some other answers, but certainly one of them. Proverbs 28, verse 4, God says, "They that forsake the law," that's God's law, "praise the wicked. But such as keep the law, contend with them." Now, God says, if you forsake my law, you're praising the wicked. If you keep my law, you're contending. And the word "contend" means to fight against. You know, one of the ways we fight against the wicked is by obedience. This means we ought to be the most holy, the most godly, the most obedient people we can be by the grace of God. You say, "Brother Weaver, what in the world is that going to do?" Well, let me show you. I could be facetious tonight and say, "Well, if you want to change things, you write your congressman."

You know, they won't even answer you. And if they do, isn't it amazing what all they can say and never answer your questions and never address the issue? And what really gets me is when one of them writes back and says, "Well, I appreciate your view, but I must vote my conscience on that matter." We didn't send him up there to vote his conscience. We sent him up there to uphold the rule of law. I could tell you, well, what you could do is you can vote. I'm not telling you not to vote.

But I got news for you folks. The Democrats will take you over the cliff at 100 miles an hour. And the Republicans won't do that. They'll take you over at 80. You're going over one way or the other, just which speed you want to go over. You see? What difference does it make if you've got the lesser of two evils? If you vote for the lesser of two evils, you're still voting for evil.

Socialists A or Socialists B? I could tell you take it to the courts, but I got news for you folks. If you believe there's justice in this land, you haven't been in any courtroom lately. I can assure you of that. I tell people I'm not a communist. I don't have any sympathy for communists. I don't normally agree with communists whatsoever, but I do agree with one thing one communist said, Gus Hall. Gus Hall said, "The reason we refer to our judicial system as the halls of justice is because the only place you can get any justice is out in the halls."

And that's about the truth. You surely can't get it in the courtroom. You say, "Well, Brother Weaver, what can I do?" You can live as holy and as godly and as obediently as you can by the grace of God in your life. You say, "What good will that do?" Have you ever stopped to think as wicked and as ungodly as Sodom and Gomorrah were? God was willing to spare those countries, those cities, if there were what? Ten righteous people. There's way more than that in this room. Way more than that in this room. You see, we have to understand, we have to fight for what is right. Or we get judged as well. We have to stand up for truth or the judgment of God falls on us. Government has been ordained of God and it is covenantal in nature. Let's pray. Father, we ask in the name of Jesus Christ that you would help us tonight.

Study Guide

Major Themes

Christ's Kingship Over All Spheres

Summary: Jesus Christ is King of everything—politics, economics, government, education—not just the church. All authority in heaven and earth belongs to Him.

Evidence: Weaver states: 'Jesus Christ is king of the world. He is not just simply head or king of the church. He is indeed that. But he is king of everything.' He cites Matthew 28:18 and 1 Timothy 6:15.

Divine Origin and Purpose of Civil Government

Summary: God ordained civil government to be His deacon, exactor of righteousness, and public worship. Government is inherently religious and must be Christian to fulfill its God-given role.

Evidence: Weaver expounds Romans 13:4,6, noting the Greek words diakonos and leitourgos, and argues: 'God ordained government to publicly worship Him, just like he ordained the family and the church to publicly worship him.'

Sphere Sovereignty and Limited Authority

Summary: God gave family, church, and state distinct spheres of authority. When an institution leaves its sphere, it loses its authority. Government has no authority to usurp the roles of family or church.

Evidence: Weaver illustrates: 'The family cannot tell the church, "Well, you can't preach the gospel." The church cannot tell the state, "Well, you cannot execute that murderer."'

Biblical Qualifications for Civil Rulers

Summary: Scripture requires rulers to be believers, morally upright, haters of covetousness, wise, understanding, and ruling in the fear of God. They must know and apply God's law.

Evidence: Weaver cites Deuteronomy 17:15-20, Exodus 18:21, and 2 Samuel 23:3, emphasizing: 'God never ordained civil magistrates to make their own laws. He ordained civil magistrates to enforce His laws.'

Covenantal Nature of Government

Summary: Government is based on covenants between God, the ruler, and the people. When the ruler violates the covenant, the people are released from obedience and may resist.

Evidence: Weaver cites 2 Kings 11:17, 1 Chronicles 11:3, and Joshua 2:17-20, and quotes Samuel Rutherford: 'When the king defends not true religion... they are not under the king but are presumed to have no king.'

Corporate Responsibility and National Judgment

Summary: When rulers sin openly and the people do not resist, God judges the entire nation. Americans are accountable for what their government does and will not escape judgment.

Evidence: Weaver uses 2 Samuel 21:1, 1 Chronicles 21, and Jeremiah 15:4 to show God judged Israel for the sins of Saul, David, and Manasseh, and warns: 'If you think for one minute that America is going to escape God's judgment for what we have allowed our leaders to do, you're mistaken.'

Key Arguments

All Authority Derives from God

Summary: God alone has inherent authority; all human rulers derive their authority from Him. Therefore, their authority is limited, and they are accountable to God.

Evidence: Weaver says: 'God reigns by virtue of His own authority and rights. All others rule and reign by derivation.' He cites Daniel 4:17: 'the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever He will.'

Government Is Inherently Religious

Summary: Because God ordained government to be His minister and public worship, there is no separation between government and religion. All law is based on someone's religion.

Evidence: Weaver argues: 'You cannot separate government and religion. You see, government is either going to be a Christian government or it's going to be a pagan government, but it's still religious.'

Submission Is Conditional on Righteous Rule

Summary: Romans 13 commands submission to government only insofar as it fulfills its God-ordained role as deacon, exactor of righteousness, and public worship. Tyranny is not a legitimate form of government.

Evidence: Weaver states: 'God is nowhere in this passage demanding that we submit to a tyrannical government, a usurped power, a usurped authority that God never gave.'

Covenant Violation Releases Obedience

Summary: In biblical covenants, when one party breaks the covenant, the other party is freed from obligation. This principle applies to government: when rulers become tyrannical, the people may resist.

Evidence: Weaver cites Joshua 2:20 and the Fairfax Resolves, and quotes the Declaration of Independence: 'whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it.'

The People Share Responsibility for Rulers' Sins

Summary: Because of the covenantal nature of government, when the people allow their rulers to sin openly without resistance, God judges the nation corporately.

Evidence: Weaver explains: 'Every Israelite knew that what David was doing was wrong. Even Joab the murderer knew it was wrong. And no one lifted a finger to stop him. And so God judged the people with the ruler.'

Scripture References

Romans 13:1-8

Context: Read as the foundational passage on submission to civil government, with emphasis on 'higher powers' being ordained of God.

Hosea 4:6

Context: Quoted by Greg earlier; Weaver references it to highlight the destruction that comes from lack of knowledge.

John 8:32

Context: Cited to show that knowing the truth brings freedom, and ignorance brings bondage.

2 Corinthians 3:17

Context: Paraphrased to argue that where the Spirit of the Lord is not, there is bondage.

Matthew 28:18

Context: Used to support Christ's universal kingship: 'All power is given unto me in heaven and earth.'

1 Timothy 6:15

Context: Cited to show Christ is the only potentate, the all-powerful one.

Psalm 119:89

Context: Used to assert the eternal settled nature of God's Word.

2 Timothy 3:16

Context: Cited to show all Scripture is profitable and applicable, with Paul primarily referring to the Old Testament.

Proverbs 8:15-16

Context: Wisdom personified as Christ declares that by Him kings reign and princes decree justice.

Psalm 75:6-7

Context: Promotion comes from God alone; He puts down one and sets up another.

Daniel 2:21, 37

Context: God changes times and seasons, removes and sets up kings; Nebuchadnezzar's authority given by God.

Daniel 4:16-17, 28-32

Context: Nebuchadnezzar's humiliation to teach that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men.

1 Peter 2:13-14

Context: Submission to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake; 'ordinance' interpreted as type of government, not every law.

Deuteronomy 17:15-20

Context: Qualifications for a king: must be a brother (believer), not multiply horses, wives, or gold; must write and read God's law.

Exodus 18:21

Context: Rulers must be able men, fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness.

Deuteronomy 1:13

Context: Rulers must be wise and understanding.

2 Samuel 23:1-3

Context: David claims direct inspiration: 'He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God.'

2 Samuel 5:12

Context: David perceived God established him king for the sake of God's people Israel.

2 Kings 11:17

Context: Jehoiada made a covenant between the Lord, the king, and the people, and also between the king and the people.

1 Chronicles 11:3

Context: David made a covenant with the elders before the Lord.

Historical References

Lex Rex by Samuel Rutherford (1640)

Context: A book arguing that the law is king, written against the divine right of kings. Weaver recommends it as a key historical resource.

Vindiciae Contra Tyrannos by Hubert Languet (Junius Brutus)

Context: A 1689 edition (possibly earlier) vindicating liberty against tyrants. Weaver quotes Languet on the covenantal nature of government.

A Christian View of the Civil Magistrate by Thomas Cobbet (1653)

Context: A rare book on the Christian view of civil government; Weaver notes it is exceedingly beneficial but hard to find.

Fairfax Resolves (July 18, 1774)

Context: Drafted by George Washington, George Mason, and Charles Broadwater; 24 resolutions petitioning King George III to fulfill his covenantal duties. Weaver reads several resolutions.

Declaration of Independence

Context: Quoted to show the founding fathers' belief that when government becomes destructive, the people have the right to alter or abolish it.

King George III

Context: Referred to as the king of the American colonies who violated his covenantal agreement, leading to the American Revolution.

Bobby Kennedy's statement on humanism

Context: Weaver mentions that Bobby Kennedy, as Attorney General, said humanism was the official religion of the United States.

Supreme Court ruling on humanism as religion

Context: Weaver states the Supreme Court has said humanism is a religion.

Thomas Jefferson's inauguration

Context: Weaver tells a story of Jefferson waiting for a seat at a boarding house after his inauguration, illustrating the servant attitude of early presidents.

Gus Hall, communist

Context: Quoted for his remark that the only place to get justice is in the halls, not the courtroom.

Important Quotes

Jesus Christ is king of the world. He is not just simply head or king of the church. He is indeed that. But he is king of everything. He is king of politics. He is king of economics. He is king of government. He is king of education. Jesus Christ is king of everything.

Significance: Establishes the foundational presupposition of Christ's universal sovereignty over all spheres of life, including civil government.

God ordained government to publicly worship Him, just like he ordained the family and the church to publicly worship him.

Significance: Argues that civil government has a religious purpose as God's leitourgos (public worshiper), making government inherently theological.

There is no such thing as a separation between government and religion.

Significance: Counters the modern notion of a secular state, asserting that all government is based on some religious foundation.

God is nowhere in this passage demanding that we submit to a tyrannical government, a usurped power, a usurped authority that God never gave.

Significance: Limits the command of Romans 13 to legitimate, God-ordained government, not tyranny.

When the king defends not true religion but presses upon the people a false and an idolatrous religion, in that they are not under the king but are presumed to have no king so far and are presumed to have the power in themselves as if they had not appointed any king at all.

Significance: Quote from Samuel Rutherford's Lex Rex, supporting the right of resistance when a ruler violates the covenant.

If you think for one minute that America is going to escape God's judgment for what we have allowed our leaders to do, you're mistaken.

Significance: Warns of impending divine judgment on America for tolerating wicked rulers, based on biblical precedents.

Discussion Questions

What does it mean practically that Jesus Christ is King over politics, economics, and government? How should this affect our voting and political engagement?

Context: Weaver's first presupposition is that Christ is King of everything, not just the church.

How does the biblical teaching that government is God's 'deacon' and 'public worship' challenge the modern idea of a secular state?

Context: Weaver explains the Greek terms in Romans 13:4,6, showing government's religious role.

In what ways has our government overstepped its God-given sphere of authority? How should Christians respond?

Context: Weaver discusses sphere sovereignty and the limits of government authority.

How do the biblical qualifications for rulers (Deuteronomy 17, Exodus 18) apply to our selection of leaders today? Should Christians support candidates who do not meet these qualifications?

Context: Weaver lists qualifications such as being a believer, moral, and hating covetousness.

What is the covenantal nature of government, and how does it affect our obligation to obey? When is resistance justified?

Context: Weaver explains the two covenants in Scripture and the principle that covenant violation releases obedience.

How does the American founding reflect the biblical principle of resisting tyranny? Are there situations today that might warrant similar action?

Context: Weaver reads from the Fairfax Resolves and Declaration of Independence.

Why does God judge a nation corporately for the sins of its rulers? What responsibility do citizens have to oppose wicked policies?

Context: Weaver uses examples like Saul, David, and Manasseh to show corporate judgment.

What does it mean to 'contend' with the wicked by keeping God's law? How can personal holiness impact national judgment?

Context: Weaver cites Proverbs 28:4 and the example of Sodom to encourage holy living as a form of resistance.

Applications

Recognize Christ's Kingship in All Areas

Summary: Believers must acknowledge Jesus Christ as King over government, economics, and education, not just the church, and live accordingly.

Evidence: Weaver states: 'Jesus Christ is king of the world... He is king of politics. He is king of economics. He is king of government.'

Evaluate Government by Biblical Standards

Summary: Christians should assess civil government by whether it functions as God's deacon, exactor of righteousness, and public worship, not by secular metrics.

Evidence: Weaver argues from Romans 13:4,6 that government is ordained to be God's minister and public worship.

Resist Government Overreach

Summary: When government exceeds its God-given sphere, believers must recognize it loses its authority and should not submit to tyranny.

Evidence: Weaver says: 'If it leaves its sphere of authority, it loses its authority.'

Apply Biblical Qualifications to Leaders

Summary: Christians should support only rulers who meet biblical qualifications: believers, morally upright, haters of covetousness, and ruling in the fear of God.

Evidence: Weaver lists qualifications from Deuteronomy 17, Exodus 18, and 2 Samuel 23.

Understand Covenantal Accountability

Summary: Recognize that citizens are in a covenantal relationship with rulers and are accountable to God for what they allow their government to do.

Evidence: Weaver warns: 'If you think for one minute that America is going to escape God's judgment for what we have allowed our leaders to do, you're mistaken.'

Contend Through Holy Living

Summary: One way to fight against wickedness is by keeping God's law and living holy, godly lives, which can spare a nation from judgment.

Evidence: Weaver cites Proverbs 28:4 and the example of Sodom: 'God was willing to spare those countries, those cities, if there were what? Ten righteous people.'

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-06T05:19:33Z

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T17:07:04Z

Clean Transcript

Christian & Civil Government # 1

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

Well, it's good to be here tonight, and I'm certainly thankful for the opportunity, and I trust that you will have your Bibles ready. And some of you have heard me bring some of these truths before, but I trust that if you have, you will understand one little principle, and that's repetition aids learning. And the truth is, the more you hear, the more you understand. I want you to open your Bibles, please, to the book of Romans, chapter 13, and let's read the first eight verses. Romans chapter 13, and notice if you would please beginning there with verse 1. Romans 13, verse 1.
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The Word of God says, "Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God. The powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God, and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation or condemnation. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? Do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same. For he that is the civil magistrate is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid, for he beareth not the sword in vain. For he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. Wherefore, ye must needs be subject not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake."
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"For this cause pay you tribute also, for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing. Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute, custom to whom custom, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor. Owe no man anything but to love one another, for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law."
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Now tonight I want to begin this series on the Christian and civil government. And Lord willing, I want to use a two-edged sword. I want to cut biblically and historically as well. One of our biggest problems is that we're living in a land of absolute ignorance today. We're ignorant of our history, we're ignorant of our heritage, and we're certainly ignorant of the Word of God. Greg quoted Hosea 4 and verse 6 where God says, "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge." But our Lord said it like this in John 8 and verse 32.
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He said, "You shall know the truth. And the truth shall set you free."
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Now, the opposite is equally true. If you do not know the truth, then you're not free. That means you're bound. That means you're a slave. In fact, 2 Corinthians 3 says it like this, "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." So where the Spirit of the Lord is not, there is bondage. So the main purpose, then, of this study is to equip us with knowledge that we might learn to be responsible Christians in understanding what is our duty and understanding what the Word of God teaches.
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Now, let me give you tonight two basic presuppositions. The very first basic presupposition I have is this, is that Jesus Christ is king of the world. He is not just simply head or king of the church. He is indeed that. But he is king of everything. He is king of politics. He is king of economics. He is king of government. He is king of education. Jesus Christ is king of everything.
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There is absolutely nothing that does not fall under His authority. For instance, the Bible says in Matthew 28 and verse 18, Christ Himself said, "All power" or "all authority is given unto me in heaven and earth." So, Jesus Christ then has all power and all authority. The Bible in 1 Timothy chapter 6 verse 15 says that Jesus Christ is the only potentate, and the word potentate literally means the all-powerful one. So Jesus Christ himself declares that he is the all-powerful one. So he is literally head and king of everything.
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The second basic presupposition I have is this: that the entirety of the Bible is the Word of God and is applicable to us today. The Word of God says in Psalm 119 and verse 89, "Forever, O Lord, is thy word settled in the heavens." And so whatever God says is true. And whatever God has given us is applicable to us. The Bible said in 2 Timothy 3 and verse 16, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for correction, for reproof, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto every good work."
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And when the Apostle Paul wrote that, he had in mind primarily the Old Testament, for the New Testament had not been completed at that particular time. So the Bible, then, is our law word. It is our guide for every area and every sphere of life. May I remind you that the Word of God teaches on every subject imaginable. It doesn't just simply teach on the family or the church, but it deals with government. It deals with economics. It deals with law. It deals with a multitude of things. Any and everything that affects our lives, there are principles in the Word of God that will correct us and instruct us and lead us to righteousness and godliness.
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Now, let me very quickly tell you about three historical books. If you do not have them, some of them may be acquired today. I think one of them is probably out of print. But here were three historical books that I studied. Beside the Word of God, they were a great help to me. The first one is Lex Rex, written by Samuel Rutherford in 1640. Now Lex Rex is a Latin title which just simply means "the law is king." It was a book that was written against another treatise, which was entitled Rex Lex, in other words, "the king's law." So Samuel Rutherford, then in 1640, wrote his treatise. He wrote his book against the divine right of kings.
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And his basic premise is this: Kings, like everyone else, are to be subject to the law of God, and a king does not elevate himself above and beyond the law. So, Lex Rex 1640 is a very important book and it is in print today. The second book was entitled, Vindiciae Contra Tyrannos. Again, it's a Latin title. It just simply means "a vindication of liberty against tyrants."
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Now, the reprint that I have is a 1689 edition by Hubert Languet. Or Junius Brutus is his pen name. There is another edition, 1616. Some say that this book was even available in the 1400s. It's an excellent book. The third book was Thomas Cobbet's book, A Christian View of the Civil Magistrate, which was written in 1653. Now, probably of those three, the only one that you cannot get today would be Thomas Cobbet's book, A Christian View of the Civil Government. You might find a copy somewhere, and if you do, you grab it up because it's exceedingly rare and exceedingly beneficial.
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Now, let me just tell you this. Those books are written in Old English. And they're sometimes a little difficult to read until you begin to understand that the S's are like F's and, you know, you just go from there and you learn how to read very quickly.
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Now, let's begin tonight by looking at Romans chapter 13, because I want you to notice, if you would please, verse 1 tonight. We'll deal with verses 1 and 2. God says, "Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God." Now look. "The powers that be are ordained of God."
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Now, here we have the institution and the nature of government. The Scripture says very concisely and very clearly that it was God who ordained government. The Bible says the powers or the authorities that be are ordained by God. You see, God reigns by virtue of His own authority and rights. All others rule and reign by derivation. In other words, if God does not give someone authority, they simply do not have it.
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Have you ever stopped and asked yourself this question? Why is it that the husband has the authority over the wife and the authority over the family? Why is a pastor an authority over the church? And the answer comes back because that is the way that God ordained it. And likewise, the Bible tells us that God ordained civil government to be an authority as well. For instance, look in your Bibles, first of all, to the book of Proverbs, chapter 8. Proverbs, chapter 8.
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In this passage, you have wisdom personified, who is none other than Jesus Christ. And listen to what he says in Proverbs 8, beginning there with verse 15. Christ says, "By me kings reign, and princes decree justice. By me princes rule, and nobles, and all the judges of the earth." In other words, no one has any authority except that which our Lord gives them. If you would look in your Bibles to Psalm 75. Psalm 75, verses 6 and 7. Here's a very clear passage. Psalm 75, beginning there with verse 6. The Word of God says, "For promotion cometh neither from the east nor from the west, nor from the south, but God is the judge. He putteth down one, and he setteth up another." So promotion does not come from man. It does not come from any other direction other than from the sovereign God Himself. It is God who takes rulers down. It is God who puts them up. If you will turn in your Bibles to the book of Daniel, chapter 2. Let me show you this illustrated very clearly.
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Daniel, chapter 2. And let's begin reading there with verse 21. Daniel chapter 2 and notice if you would please verse 21 in this passage. Daniel, in fact let's read verse 20 just so that you can see that God is in the context. "Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, for wisdom and might are his." Now note, "Blessed be the name of God." So we've got God in the context. Verse 21, "And he," that is God, "changeth the times and the seasons. He," God, "removeth kings and setteth up kings, and he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding." So the Bible says very plainly that God is the one who removes kings or rulers, presidents, congressmen, however you want to call it. It is God who removes them. It is God who puts them up. Now, if you look down in your Bibles to verse 37, look what Daniel tells Nebuchadnezzar. He says, "Thou, O king, art a king of kings."
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Now, Nebuchadnezzar, why is it that you have authority over other kings? Why are you unique? Here's why. "Thou, O king, art a king of kings, for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, strength, and glory." So, Daniel is telling Nebuchadnezzar, you have the power, you have the authority that you have, only because God gave it to you. Now, Nebuchadnezzar was a proud, arrogant, haughty monarch. And God had to teach Nebuchadnezzar a lesson. So if you look in Daniel chapter 4 and verses 16 and 17, God decrees to do exactly that. The Bible says, "Let his heart be changed from a man's, and let a beast's heart be given unto him, and let seven times" or seven years "pass over him."
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"This matter is by the decree of the watchers and by the command of the word of the holy ones." Now look, "to the intent that the living may know that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever He will."
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Now, why was Nebuchadnezzar going to be driven insane for seven years? That the living might know that God rules in the kingdom of men, and God gives those kingdoms to whomever He wills. In fact, skip down, if you would, in Daniel chapter 4, beginning with verse 28. You'll see the same truth again. "All this came upon King Nebuchadnezzar. At the end of twelve months, he walked in the palace of the kingdom of Babylon. The king spake and said, Is not this great Babylon that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power and for the honor of my majesty? While the word was in the king's mouth, there fell a voice from heaven saying, O King Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken, The kingdom is departed from thee, and they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall make thee eat grass as oxen." Now look, "and seven times" or seven years "shall pass over thee, till thou know..."
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What are they to know? "...that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will." So he says to Nebuchadnezzar, I'm going to teach you a lesson. I'm going to teach you who the real sovereign is. So it is God, then, who has instituted authority. It is God who has set it up. Now, it is obvious if God is the one who institutes and ordains authority, that he himself is the sovereign. He is the one who is absolute. He has all power and all authority. You see, God reigns by virtue of His own proper authority.
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All presidents, kings, congressmen, all other rulers rule by derivation. In other words, God gives it to them. They derive their power. They derive their authority from God. You see, God reigns from Himself. All others reign from Him. God has a jurisdiction that is proper and all others are his delegates. They are his vassals. So it follows then that the jurisdiction or the authority or the sovereignty of God is infinite.
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That is, it is unlimited. But the jurisdiction and the authority of man is limited. For instance, there is no ruler except Christ, of course, who is king of this world. President Clinton may be the president of the United States, but he's not the president of France or England or Germany. And I'm sure they're thankful, but you understand what I'm saying. And you might have the prime minister in England, but he's not the prime minister in America. So all kings, all presidents, all congressmen, all of their authority is limited. It is confined. But that of God is unlimited and not confined. Because God alone is sovereign and all others are to be his delegates and his vassals.
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Now, why am I emphasizing that? Well, let me explain. I want you to understand the fact that God has not resigned his throne. God has not abdicated his position. God has not laid aside His power. God has not given His earth and His people over to a handful of petty bureaucrats to trample under their feet and do with as they please. No, God is still on the throne. And we're going to find out before we're through that God will judge all those who abuse and misuse the authority and the power that he gives. Now since God has ordained government, since God has ordained authority, that means this: all who receive authority and power are limited, they are responsible, and they are accountable. When I say that they are limited, it means that they can only go as far as God has ordained for them to go. It's just like God said to the sea.
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"Hitherto shalt thou come and no further. Here shalt thy proud waves be stayed." So God says, all right, civil government, here is your limitation. Here are your confines. Here, church, are your confines. Here, family, are your confines. So God then has limited all authority, and consequently, each is responsible and accountable to God. Now listen, just like the church is responsible to be Christian and biblical, so the family is responsible to be Christian and biblical, and likewise, the government is responsible to be Christian and biblical. Let me demonstrate that to you from the Word of God.
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I want you to turn back in your Bibles to Romans chapter 13. Let me take just a few moments and go through this passage very quickly and show you the titles or some of the names that are used to describe the civil magistrate. For instance, the Bible says in verse 1, "Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers, for there is no power but of God. The powers that be are ordained of God." Here in verse 1, you read "higher power" and "power" and "powers." And the word "power" is exousia, which literally means power, jurisdiction, or right. In verse 2, he says, "...whosoever therefore resisteth the power," the same word, "...resisteth the ordinance of God." So in verse 2, they're not only called the power, but the ordinance of God.
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Now look in verse 3, "...for rulers are not a terror to the good works, but to the evil." Now, the word "rulers" is the Greek word archontes, which just simply means first ones or chief ones or leaders.
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Now, everyone in this room and everyone outside of this room knows that government deals with leadership, with power and authority. And by the way, there is a difference between power and authority. You say, what's the difference? Well, suppose I come up to you after this service and reach in my coat pocket and pull out a .357 Magnum and stick it between your eyes and say, "Give me all your money." Now, I've got the power to take your money, but I don't have the authority. See, there's a difference. You can have power, but not authority. And you can have authority and you can have power, but there's a difference between those two. Now, everyone says, all right, government deals with authority. It deals with power. Let me just stop right here and tell you this.
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I was preaching out in Arizona. There was a state senator. His name was Wayne Stump. He was supposed to speak after I did. And so he stood up behind the pulpit and he was a big man. He said, "I have been asked to tell everyone here what government is." He said, "I'm going to tell you what government is without God." And he reached under his jacket and he pulled out a .357 Magnum and he held it up and then he laid it on the pulpit. Needless to say, he got everyone's attention and when everyone was quiet, he says, "That, my friend, is government without God. It's nothing but force. It's nothing but raw power."
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See, everybody understands that in one sense of the word. But let's make sure as Christians that we go as far as God goes, that we say what God says. For instance, look in verse 4. We're still talking about the civil magistrate. "For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid, for he beareth not the sword in vain. For he is the minister of God." Now, twice in verse 4, the civil magistrate is called the minister of God. And the word "minister" there in the Greek is the word diakonos. It is where we get our English word "deacon." And by the way, "deacon" is a transliteration from the Greek. It was not translated.
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It was just brought down letter for letter. And you know what the word "deacon" actually means? It means a servant. Literally what he says in verse 4, "For he," that is the civil ruler, "is the deacon or the servant of God." So twice in verse 4, the civil magistrate, then, is called a deacon or the servant of God. That's not all. Look in verse 4. He says, "For he is the minister of God," the latter part, "a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil." Now, the word "revenger" is the Greek word ekdikos. Ek is a preposition which means "out of," and dikos is righteousness. So, the revenger here actually means an avenger or one who exacts righteousness. So God says civil government is his deacon. It is his exactor of righteousness. And then if you'll skip down to verse 6.
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He says, "For this cause pay you tribute also, for they are God's ministers." Now in verse 6, the word "ministers" is a different word from verse 4. Verse 4, you had diakonos, where we get our English word "deacon." Now in verse 6, the word "ministers" here is leitourgoi. Leitourgos would be the singular and it's where we get our English word "liturgy" from. What is a liturgy? A liturgy is a public form of worship. Every church has a liturgy, not just the Catholics or the Episcopalians. We think of that as high liturgy, but every church has a liturgy. You're a Baptist church. When you come in, you sit down, someone opens in prayer, you sing a song, you take an offering, that's a liturgy. You go through a certain little religious form and ceremony. Now, watch this. A liturgy is a public worship.
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Everyone is willing to admit that government is power and government is authority and government has to deal with leadership, but will you go as far as God? Because God said He ordained civil government not just to be authority, not just to have power, not just to deal with leadership, but to be His deacon, His servant, His exactor of righteousness, and His public worship. God ordained government to publicly worship Him, just like he ordained the family and the church to publicly worship him. Let's ask a question. If God ordained civil government to be his deacon, to be his servant, who is that deacon to serve? Very clearly, the one who ordained it. If God ordained government to be an exactor of righteousness, whose righteousness is it to exact? Very obviously, the one who ordained it. If government has been ordained of God to be a public form of worship, a liturgy, who is it to worship publicly? And the answer is the one who ordained it.
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Now, let me show you the impact and the importance of this truth. It means that government is a theological issue. You cannot understand government without God. And there is no such thing, listen to me carefully, there is no such thing as a separation between government and religion. Now, you might have a separation between government and church. In this instance, there does not necessarily need to be a state church. If you were in England and you were born in that country, then the official church, the official state religion in England would be Anglicanism. The Anglican Church is the Church of England.
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That is all there is to it. You do not have to have the Presbyterian Church or the Baptist Church or the Methodist Church as the official church of this country. No, you don't necessarily have to have that. But listen, just because you don't have a state church or a state religion does not mean, therefore, that government is neutral. No. You cannot separate government and religion. You see, government is either going to be a Christian government or it's going to be a pagan government, but it's still religious. Why?
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Because here are all these lawmakers and they're sitting there and they're passing laws. But guess what they do to pass their laws? They determine if that is a good law or a bad law, if that law is right or wrong, if it's just or unjust. And their determination of right and wrong, good and bad, just and unjust, is determined by their religion. If it is the Christian religion, it might come out a Christian law. But if it's not the Christian religion, it's going to come out a pagan religious law, but it is still religious. You cannot escape religion. Do you realize, way back when Bobby Kennedy was Attorney General, he said that humanism was the official religion of the United States. The Supreme Court has said that humanism is a religion.
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You see, when our government kicked God out and kicked the law of God out and kicked prayer out, it was not saying, now we can be neutral. No, no, no. They swapped the Christian religion for a pagan religion. It is still religious. I want to go ahead and make a statement and I'm going to develop this in the next several nights, but I want you to understand that the subjection that God demands in verse 1, when he says that every soul be subject to higher powers, the subjection that God demands in verse 1 is based upon the higher powers being what God has ordained them to be in verse 3, in verse 4, and verse 6. I have no problem being in subjection to a civil government that is God's deacon, that is God's exactor of righteousness, and that is God's public worship.
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God is nowhere in Romans 13, and I'll prove it before the week is over, but God is nowhere in this passage demanding that we submit to a tyrannical government, a usurped power, a usurped authority that God never gave. That is not it. Please remember that God only ordained three institutions. That's all. He ordained the family, which is a ministry of education. He ordained the church, which is a ministry of grace. And he ordained the state, which is a ministry of justice. Now, I want you to understand that the family is central. If you were to draw a circle and put God and come down and draw another little circle and put the family. God ordained the family. Come out from the family and come down, draw another little circle and put church. Come out from the family, come down, draw another little circle and put state. The family is central. Why? Without the family, you can't have a church or a state. The family is absolutely fundamental. Now, God has only ordained these three institutions.
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Now, watch. Watch carefully. What He did was He ordained what you and I would call sphere authority. He gave the family authority to operate in its function, in its certain sphere. He gave the church authority to operate in its sphere. He gave the state authority to operate in its sphere. Now listen carefully. Once you leave your sphere of authority, you do not carry that authority with you. For instance, the family cannot tell the church, "Well, you can't preach the gospel." The church cannot tell the state, "Well, you cannot execute that murderer." The state cannot tell the church, "Well, you cannot do this," and it cannot tell the family, "You cannot educate your children." No, it has no authority from God to do that. If it leaves its sphere of authority, it loses its authority.
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Let me give you an illustration, one that everyone can identify with. Here I come into your home. And I'm visiting with you and I'm sitting there and I noticed that there are toys scattered around. I noticed the clothes need ironing. Clothes need washing. I noticed dirty dishes in the kitchen sink. I noticed the grass needs cutting. And I sit there for a few minutes, and I finally look and say, "I've had all this I can take. I just can't take it anymore." And I look at your wife, and I say, "Now you get up in there, and you go and wash those dishes. And when you get through, you wash those clothes and iron those clothes." And I tell your kids, "You pick up all these toys. And when you get through, you go out and start cutting the grass. Pick up all the trash out in the yard." You are not going to sit there on that couch and say, "That way, pastor, go get her. I mean, I've been wanting to tell her that all week long."
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Now, you're not going to tell me that. You're going to say, "Pastor, that's my wife. Those are my kids." But I say, "You don't understand. I'm a husband and I'm a father and I have husbandly authority and I have fatherly authority." And you respond, "Well, you might in your house, but not in this house. Because in this house, I'm the head. And if anybody tells that woman what to do, it's going to be me. If anyone tells those kids what to do, it's going to be me. If you want to order somebody around, preacher, you go back to your house and you tell your wife and your kids what to do. But I'm the head of this house."
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Would you be right in telling me that? Sure you would. Just because I have authority over my wife and children, does not mean I have authority over your wife and children. I cannot carry that authority with me. And just because God has given government certain power in a limited sphere, that does not mean when they step out of that sphere, they still have that same authority and same power. Well, of course not.
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And it's absolutely foolish for anyone then to advise any people that they need to be in submission to tyranny and totalitarianism. Let me tell you very pointedly, God never ordained tyranny or totalitarianism as a lawful, legitimate form of government.
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Now, let me just clear up another passage. I want you to look in your Bibles to 1 Peter chapter 2. And I'll deal with this a little bit later, probably in the week as well. 1 Peter chapter 2. As we turn there, let me remind you that God has not specified a certain type of government. For instance, the Word of God does not demand that we have a republic. Now, I believe that the principles in the Word of God will lead to a republican form of government, but it does not demand that we have a republic. It does not demand that we have a monarchy. It does not demand that we have a constitutional monarchy. It does not demand that we have an aristocracy or an oligarchy.
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Let me ask you a question. Can God use a monarchial form of government? And the answer is yes. He did so in the Old Testament. He did so in the New Testament. Can God use a constitutional form of monarchy? Yes. He did so in the Old Testament. He did so in the New Testament. He did so in England for many years. Can God use a republic? Yes, he did so in this country for many years.
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Now, let me show you why I'm emphasizing this. Look down to 1 Peter, chapter 2 and verse 13. 1 Peter, chapter 2, verse 13. God says, "Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake. Whether it be to the king as supreme or to governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of them that do well." Now, what are you going to do with verse 13? "Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake."
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Now, when most people read that, they think statutes. They think laws. Did anybody drive over the speed limit coming here tonight? Yeah, everybody did. If this verse really meant ordinance, if you went over 35 in a 35 mile an hour zone, you would have sinned. You follow what I'm saying? What about a law? What if you lived in China, where they require you to have an abortion after the first child? Would you be in submission to that law? You see, the word "ordinance" is the Greek word ktisis, K-T-I-S-I-S.
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It literally means that which is established or the thing established or the act of founding or establishing. Literally, what are you saying in verse 13? Watch carefully. "Submit yourselves to every kind of government of man for the Lord's sake. Whether it be"—in other words, it doesn't matter if it's a monarchy, a constitutional monarchy, an aristocracy, or a republic, just so it is set up to carry out the functions for which God ordained it. That's all he's saying in verse 13. He's not demanding that we obey every law that comes down the pipe. Not at all. Now, I want you to note, in Romans 13, verse 1, government is called the ordinance of God. Here in 1 Peter, chapter 2 and verse 13, it is called the ordinance of man. But which is it? Is it the ordinance of God or is it the ordinance of man? And the answer is it's both. God ordained it, but man set it up. Just because it's called the ordinance of God does not mean it's not the ordinance of man.
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And just because it's called the ordinance of man does not mean it's not the ordinance of God. For instance, God ordained the tabernacle. But men built it and set it up. God ordained the temple, but men built it and set it up. And likewise, God has ordained civil government, but men build it and set it up. And so government then is the ordinance of God objectively, and it is the ordinance of man subjectively, because we're the ones who set it up. So all God is saying in 1 Peter 2 and verse 13, that we're to be in submission to any government that has been set up to carry out the purposes and the functions for which He has ordained. Which, of course, would exclude tyranny and totalitarianism, because tyranny and totalitarianism does not carry out the purpose of government which God has ordained.
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Now, I want you to turn in your Bibles to Deuteronomy 17, and let me begin showing you some individual qualifications. You see, if God ordained government and set it up, which we've already seen from Scripture, he has, then it necessarily follows that God has the absolute and sovereign right to tell who should be in His government, and He should have the right to list the qualifications. And of course, He does exactly that. So I want you to look in Deuteronomy 17, and let's begin there with verse 15, and let's look at some of these individual qualifications. God says, "Thou shalt in any wise set him king over thee, whom the Lord thy God shall choose: one from among thy brethren shalt thou set king over thee. Thou mayest not set a stranger over thee, who is not thy brother." So the very first requirement is that the individual cannot be a stranger. He must be a brother. That is, he must be a believer.
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I'm not going to preach the message, but I can demonstrate to you from the original charters and constitutions of this country that our founding fathers took this verse literally because practically every state excluded anyone from any office who did not profess faith in Jesus Christ and did not confess the inspiration of both the Old and the New Testaments. If you were an unbeliever in this country when it was first founded, you could not hold any political office at all. And so God is saying, look, the very first qualification is you must be a believer.
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How in the world can you have a Christian government without Christians? How in the world can you carry out a government that would worship God and be God's deacon and God's exactor of righteousness if you have individuals who could care less about God or His Word? So the very first qualification is he must be a believer. Look in verse 16. "But he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he should multiply horses: forasmuch as the Lord hath said unto you, Ye shall henceforth return no more that way." Now, why was God saying not to multiply horses? Well, you've got to remember that horses in the Bible were used offensively and defensively. What you have in verse 16 is a limitation on war machinery. What God is telling us is this.
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that he is our protection. Do you realize we could have the largest standing army in the world? We could have the best air force. We could have the best naval force. We could have the best bombs and the smartest weaponry available. But the truth is, if God doesn't protect us, we're unprotected. What does the Bible say? The Bible says the horse is prepared for the day of battle, but safety is of the Lord. The Bible says the horse is a vain thing to trust in. You know something? I could say, well, there's been a number of muggings and robberies and home invasions, and I'm going to lay all these pistols around my pillow and on my nightstand. I'm going to put my shotguns in the corner. I'm going to put my rifles nearby. Boy, I tell you what, they're not going to get me.
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I got news for you. If God doesn't wake me up in time and if God doesn't enable me to shoot straight, all those weapons would be absolutely useless. If God doesn't protect us, we're unprotected. That's a sermon in itself. But you remember when Elijah was taken to heaven in a whirlwind in a chariot of fire? You remember what Elisha cried? "My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and the horsemen thereof." Do you remember when Elisha died, what the king said? "My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and the horsemen thereof." What they were confessing was the protection of the nation is in God, not in a standing army. That doesn't mean that you're not to have some standing army for protection, some small, but not some great thing. He said you're not to multiply. And by the way, the army in the Bible originally was the militia. The Bible teaches that and not a huge standing army.
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Now, so you have, first of all, the first qualification must be a believer. Secondly, limitation on war machinery. Look, if you would please, at verse 17, Deuteronomy chapter 17, verse 17. He says, "Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away. Neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold." So the third qualification is he must unquestionably have morality. He shall not multiply wives to himself. In other words, the demand for the civil magistrate is that he must be a moral individual.
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And in our day and time, you hear politicians say all the time, "Well, what I do in the privacy of my bedroom is my business and nobody else." Well, that's not true. You see, if you are a public figure, if you are a public officer, then it is my business. Why in the world would God say that he must be a man with unquestionable morality? Let me tell you why. Because if a man will cheat and violate his oath to the wife of his youth, whom he professes to love, what in the world would he do to me who he doesn't love and doesn't know? If he would do that to his wife, you see what I'm saying? God is saying he has to have a morality that is absolutely unquestionable.
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If you used these first three qualifications, especially just the first one and the third one, a believer, an unquestionable morality, we'd lose most of our congressmen. The White House would be gone for sure. And look, if you would please, at the latter part of that verse, "neither shall he multiply to himself silver and gold." I'm going to deal with that in another passage in just a moment. Look, if you would please, in verse 18 and 19. Here's another qualification.
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"And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites. And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God, and to keep all the words of this law and these statutes to do them." So what does God say? God says the civil ruler must have his own personal copy of the Word of God. He must read therein every day. He must learn what? That he may do, that he may fear the Lord and keep all the words of this law and these statutes and do them. You see, God never ordained civil magistrates to make their own laws. He ordained civil magistrates to enforce His laws.
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And then notice, if you would please, in verse 20. Here's another reason. "That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment to the right hand or to the left: to the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he and his children, in the midst of Israel." So God says another reason he must have his own personal copy of the Word of God and read it and study it is that his heart be not lifted up above his brethren.
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I want to tell you something. If you really want to make a bureaucrat or a politician mad today, if you really want to get them riled, you call them your public servant. Because they don't believe they're public servants. They believe they are your rulers. I'll tell you the exact words that one told me. And I have witnesses. Here are his exact words. When I challenged him, he said, "I am the state."
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"I could do whatever I please." I said, "I got news for you, sir. You are not the state and you cannot do what you please." God says that their heart be not lifted up, and you note, if you would please, today how our civil government passes laws for the populace. But they do not believe they themselves are to be subject to those laws. They want them to control us, but not to control themselves. So God says he must be a believer, he must have unquestionable morality, he must know and study the Word of God, that he may apply the law of God.
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Then if you look in Exodus chapter 18, and by the way, since you're in Deuteronomy, so hold Deuteronomy chapter 1, if you would please, we'll come back there just shortly. But I want you to look if you would please, Exodus chapter 18 verse 21. I told you why I was going to wait to deal with the silver and the gold. Here's why. Look at Exodus chapter 18 verse 21. God says.
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"Moreover, thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness, and place such over them to be rulers." Now watch. "Moreover, thou shalt provide out of all the people able men," there's another requirement, must have ability, "such as fear God," piety, that is, they must be believers. "Men of truth," that is, men of integrity. You've heard the old adage, how can you tell if a politician is lying? Watch his lips. If they move, he's lying.
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Well, the truth is, God says, they must be men of truth. How many of you really genuinely believe our politicians today? You see, I generally believe exactly the opposite of what they say, and usually that's right. You remember Jimmy Carter said, "Trust me, I'll never lie to you." He did. Sure he did. The Bible says all men are liars. But God says they must be men of truth.
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And then notice not only integrity, but fidelity. He says "hating covetousness." Not just don't multiply to yourself silver and gold, but you hate covetousness. Let me ask you a question. Come on now. Have you ever wondered why men would spend millions of dollars to get a job that pays $250,000 a year? Or if you're a congressman, less than that. And do you realize some of these men spend $40 and $50 million? Some of the congressmen spend $6 and $7 and $8 million to get elected. Now, wait a minute. It don't make but $80,000 or $100,000 a year. Maybe your math is different from mine, but if I can only serve two years at $100,000 a year and I've spent $6 million to get elected, I'm in the hole.
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Isn't it amazing that those who go off to Congress, poor, always come out rich. You don't have perks, you don't have an opportunity to swindle and cheat and steal. That's why God says hating covetousness. Now, what's this? Let me just show you how far we've gone. When you hear a politician say, "Well, I just want to serve the people," here's my answer. Well, let's go back the way it was when our country was first founded, because do you realize that our congressmen served without pay at their own expense? I got news for you, Congress would not be in session nearly as long as it is today if they had to serve at their own expense without pay.
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One of my favorite stories was when Thomas Jefferson was inaugurated as president of the United States. After his inauguration, he walked across the street to a boarding house to have lunch. And all the tables and chairs were full. The president of the United States had to stand in the corner and wait for someone to get up so he could have a seat at the table and eat.
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You know what their attitude was? "Why should we arise for him? He's our servant. Let him wait." He didn't hold up a whole runway and get a $40,000 haircut. I can assure you. You see, God says they're to be men of ability, they're to be men of truth, they're to be men of integrity, men of fidelity, men that hate covetousness.
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Now look in Deuteronomy 1, verse 13. This ties right together. He said, Deuteronomy 1, verse 13, "Take you wise men and understanding and known among your tribes and I'll make them rulers over you."
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Now, boy, there's another qualification. Wise and understanding. That would also eliminate a lot of our politicians today. Because they don't have any wisdom. They certainly don't have any understanding.
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Now, look in your Bibles, if you would please, to 2 Samuel, chapter 23. 2 Samuel, chapter 23. And I want you to notice how many times David claims direct inspiration for this one simple truth. This will boggle your mind. Look at it. 2 Samuel, chapter 23, verse 1. "Now these be the last words of David. David the son of Jesse said, and the man who was raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel said," now watch verse 2, "The Spirit of the Lord spake by me." That's one time.
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"His word was in my tongue." That's twice. "The God of Israel said," that's three times. "The rock of Israel spake to me," four times. David claims direct inspiration for this one simple statement. "He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God." Isn't that a tremendous statement? God said if you're going to be a civil ruler, you must be just and you must rule in the fear of God. What is justice? What is being just? What is ruling in the fear of God?
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You better let the Bible determine that for you. For by the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. And also the Word of God says in Job 28, verse 28, it is turning away from that which is evil and wicked and ungodly. Very quickly, let me tell you, Psalm 72, verses 1 and 2 and verse 11 says rulers are to do homage to Jesus Christ. Psalm 2, verses 10 through 12, they're to be well instructed by Jesus Christ. In Isaiah 49 and verse 23 and Isaiah 16, verse 10, they're called the nursing mothers and the nursing fathers of the people of God.
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And then if you will turn in your Bibles to 2 Samuel chapter 5. I want you to see this one. 2 Samuel chapter 5. Look in verse 12. In this passage, David understands why God made him a king. Look at it. 2 Samuel chapter 5 verse 12, "And David perceived that the Lord had established him king over Israel, and that he had exalted his kingdom for his people Israel's sake." David said, God raised me up that I might serve and be a blessing and a benefit to the people of God.
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Now very quickly, do you realize there are collective descriptions of civil magistrates in the Word of God? Romans 13, verse 4. I've already mentioned they're called the ministers of God. In Psalm 78, verses 70-72, they're called a public shepherd to feed. In 1 Samuel 10, verse 1, 2 Kings 20, verse 5, they're called a captain and a leader of the people to defend them. In Psalm 47, verse 9, they're called the shields of the earth. And in Romans 13, verse 4, they're called the avengers of God. All of these are descriptions of civil magistrates.
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Now, I want you to turn in your Bibles, once again, back to 1 Peter chapter 2, and look at verse 13. 1 Peter chapter 2 and verse 13, because I want to demonstrate the fact that not only did God ordain civil government, but also that that civil government is covenantal in nature. For in 1 Peter 2, verse 13, he said, "Submit yourself to every ordinance of man," or every type of government that man sets up for the purpose which God ordained it. Now, in Romans 13, verse 2, government is called the ordinance of God. Here in 1 Peter 2, it's called the ordinance of man. Therefore, it follows that government is covenantal in nature.
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Let me give you a quote from Hubert Languet in his book, Vindiciae Contra Tyrannos. Listen carefully. He says, "By the same reason, the people are always called the Lord's people and the Lord's inheritance, and the king is governor of this inheritance and conductor or leader of his people, which is the title given to David, Solomon, Hezekiah, and other good princes. When also the covenant is passed between God and the king, it is upon the condition that the people remain always the people of God, to show that God will not in any case spoil himself of his property and his possession when he gives to the kings the government of the people, but establishes
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them to take charge of and well use them, no more nor less than he who makes choice of a shepherd to look after the flocks, remains notwithstanding himself still master and owner of them." Now listen to what Languet says. When God chooses a leader, He said it's no more than a man choosing a shepherd to look over his flock. The flock still remains the property of the owner. He is not the property of the one he's chosen to look over the shepherd. The flock's the property of the owner. Likewise, he said, once that civil magistrate gets there, the people are not his property. They still belong to God. But I want you to know, he said, "when the covenant is passed between God and the king." How did Hubert Languet know that government is covenantal in nature? And the answer is.
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Because he read the Bible. You see, basically, in the Bible, there are two types of covenant when it comes to government. There is a covenant between God and the king, where God says, "I'm going to be your God," and the king says, "I'm going to be your king." So here's a government covenant between God, the king, and the people. The people are also saying, "We're going to be your people." The second covenant is between the king and the people where the king agrees to rule faithfully and the people agree to obey as long as he does so. Let me show it to you in the Bible.
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Look in your Bibles to 2 Kings chapter 11 and verse 17. I'll show you both covenants. 2 Kings chapter 11 and verse 17. Look carefully, "And Jehoiada," who was the high priest, by the way, "then Jehoiada made a covenant between the Lord and the king and the people that they should be the Lord's people." Then he says, "between the king also and the people." So here's two separate covenants, one between God, the king, and the people, and then one between the king and the people as well. Now, if you will turn in your Bibles to 1 Chronicles chapter 11. 1 Chronicles chapter 11. And notice if you would please verse 3. You'll find this also in 2 Samuel chapter 5. We're in verse 3 of 1 Chronicles 11.
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"Therefore came all the elders of Israel to the king to Hebron," that is to David. "And David made a covenant with them in Hebron before the Lord, and they anointed David king over Israel according to the word of the Lord by Samuel." So David made a covenant with them.
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Now turn in your Bibles to 2 Chronicles chapter 23. Look if you would please at verses 2 and 3 first of all. 2 Chronicles 23 verse 2. "And they went about in Judah and gathered the Levites out of all the cities of Judah and the chief of the fathers of Israel and they came to Jerusalem. And all the congregation made a covenant with the king in the house of God."
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"And he said unto them, Behold, the king's son shall reign as the Lord had said of the sons of David." Now skip down to verse 16. "And Jehoiada made a covenant between him," that is God, "and between all the people, and between the king, that they should be the Lord's people." So here are two covenants now. One between God, the king, and the people. God's going to be their God. The king's going to be God's king. People are going to be God's people. Then there's a separate covenant between the king and the people where the king agrees to rule faithfully and the people agree to obey as long as he does.
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Now, if you don't understand this concept, there are certain verses in the Bible you'll never understand. For instance, Ecclesiastes chapter 8 in verse 2, where Solomon said, "I counsel thee to keep the king's commandment, and that in regard to the oath of God." He said, look, you've given an oath, that is, you've entered into a covenant that you're going to obey me as long as I rule faithfully and I expect you to do so.
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Now, let me show you this in the New Testament. Go back in your Bibles to Romans chapter 13. Romans chapter 13. Look at verse 5, Romans 13, verse 5. He says, "Wherefore, ye must needs be subject not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake."
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Now, God says here's two reasons why you and I should be subject to a godly, to a biblical, to a righteous civil government. Why? Number one, for wrath's sake, because God has not given them the sword in vain. They have the authority. They have the power to use the sword. But the second reason, He said, is for conscience sake. The word "conscience" is from the Greek word syneidesis.
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Syn is a preposition which means "with." Eidesis, that which you know. Conscience, con, preposition, means "with." Sciens, know. Your conscience is that which you know with. So he says you should be in subjection to a godly civil ruler. Why? Not only for wrath's sake, because you know what government is. And you know what God requires of you. And you understand the covenantal nature of government.
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Now, look at your Bibles, please, to 1 Timothy 2. I want you to see this because I want to correct a misinterpretation that most people have of this passage. In 1 Timothy 2, everybody says, "Now, Brother Weaver, the Bible requires us to pray for our rulers." Yes, it does. But you ask people, "Why does God ask us to pray for our rulers?" Inevitably, someone's going to say, "So that they might be saved."
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And that's not the answer. Because if they're not saved, they ought not to be a ruler to begin with, according to the Bible. Look what the Bible says in 1 Timothy chapter 2. Paul says in verse 1, "I exhort therefore that first of all, supplications, prayer, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and for all that are in authority." Why should we pray for them? Look, "that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty, for this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior." Why should we pray for them? He said that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life. You pray for them basically, He said, so that they will do right and leave us alone so that we may do what's right. So when we pray for them, it's not for their benefit, but for our benefit.
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Now, I want to give you two things before we close tonight, and I want you to listen carefully. First of all, in biblical covenants, in biblical covenants, when one party violates the covenant, it looses the other party from obedience. Everyone understands this, or at least they should. If you don't, you better not ever enter into a contract with anyone, because a contract is nothing more than a covenant. You find in a covenant there are always stipulations. And the one I want to tell you about is found in Joshua chapter 2.
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In fact, just turn there. I'll read it to you very quickly. Here was a covenant that was written in, agreed to, by the spies and Rahab. Now, watch this carefully. Joshua chapter 2. You remember, Rahab has taken the spies. She's hidden them. She's saved their lives. She's letting them down. And they're about to escape. And she said, "Now, before you escape, you've got to promise me that you're going to spare me and you're going to spare my family." Well, look at it, if you would please, in Joshua chapter 2.
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And let's begin in verse 17. "And the men said unto her, We will be blameless of this thine oath which thou hast made us swear." So we've entered into a covenant. We've given each other an oath. "Behold, when we come into the land, thou shalt bind this line of scarlet thread in the window which thou didst let us down by, and thou shalt bring thy father and thy mother and thy brethren and all thy father's household home unto thee. And it shall be that whosoever shall go out of the doors of thy house into the street, his blood shall be upon his head, and we will be guiltless. And whosoever shall be with thee in the house, his blood shall be on our head, if any hand be upon him." Now let's stop there just for a moment. They said, now here are some of the stipulations of this covenant. We've made a covenant. If you want your family spared, you get them in your house. You bind this scarlet cord down. We're not going to touch anybody in this house with a scarlet cord.
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But now if any of your family goes out in the street and they get killed, their blood's on their own heads because they should have stayed in the house. We don't know who belongs to you and who doesn't belong to you.
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Now, if they're outside, we're going to kill them all. But if we come inside this house and touch anybody, then their blood's going to be on us because we've agreed not to. Now, watch this. Look down in verse 20. Here's one last stipulation that they give to Rahab. "And if thou utter this our business," that is, if you tell our secret, if you violate your end of this agreement, "if thou utter this our business, then we will be quit of thine oath which thou hast made us to swear." In other words, Rahab, if you spill the beans and tell our plans, we'll kill you and your family just like the rest of them. So in other words, if you violate your end of the agreement, then we're loose from obedience to our end of the agreement.
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You know that is true. I don't care if you're doing contract work. I don't care if you're doing carpentry work. I don't care what it is. If you agree with one man that you will pay him when he finishes a job, and he agrees to do that job a certain way, if he does not do it that way, or if he does not finish that job according to the covenant, according to the contract, you don't owe him the money. Not until he fulfills his end of the covenant. And if he doesn't fulfill his end of the covenant, you're not obligated to keep your end of the covenant. That is true between man and man. Listen carefully. It is also true between God and man. All of us know that God entered into a covenant with Israel. I don't want to take the time to do it tonight, but if you would read 2 Kings 17, beginning with verse 7, and read through verse 23, you will find how Israel repeatedly, over and over, violated that covenant.
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They made molten images. They worshiped Baal. They turned from God. They trampled His law under their feet. They refused to obey. And what did God do? God sent the Assyrians upon them. And God sent them away into captivity.
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Now, could not Israel come to God and say, "God, wait a minute. Wait a minute, God. We are your covenant people. You have agreed to bless us." And God says, "Yeah, that's right. I did agree to bless you as long as you obeyed, but you have violated your end of the covenant. And because you disobeyed, now I've brought the curses of my covenant down upon you." All you have to do is read the book of Hosea, read Amos chapter 4, read Isaiah 58. You will find that when Israel violated her end of the covenant, God was not obligated to keep his end of the covenant. And he did not. Now, watch. If this principle is true in the least, that is, between man and man, if it is true in the greatest, that is, between God and man, it is also true in that which is in the middle, between government and man.
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Listen to what Samuel Rutherford said in Lex Rex. This is a very powerful passage. He says, "When the king defends not true religion but presses upon the people a false and an idolatrous religion, in that they are not under the king but are presumed to have no king so far and are presumed to have the power in themselves as if they had not appointed any king at all. As if we presume the body has given to the right hand the power to ward off strokes and to defend the body, if the right hand should by some palsy or some other disease become impotent and be withered up when ill is coming upon the body, it is presumed that the power of defense is given to the left hand and to the rest of the body to defend itself. In this case, as if the body had no right hand and had never communicated any power to the right hand. If therefore he, the king, defend not religion for the salvation of the souls of all in his public and royal way, it is presumed as undeniable that the people of God, who by the law of God are to care for their own souls, are to defend in their own way true religion which
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so nearly concerned them and their eternal happiness." Now, listen to what he said. He says, when the king usurps power, when the king becomes a tyrant, when the king refuses to keep his end of the covenant, he says the power then goes back to the people as if they had no king at all. And to give you an illustration, and I'm right-handed, here I am and you come up and you try to harm me. And I'm going to defend myself and since I'm right-handed, sooner or later I'm going to throw my right arm. And let's suppose you counter and you block it, and you block it with such force it breaks my right arm. Am I then going to say, "Well, you've broken my arm, you might as well go ahead and kill me. I'll just stand here while you kill me." No! When you break my arm, I'm going to fight you with my left hand. And when you break my left arm, then I'm going to kick you with my legs.
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And when you break my legs, then I'm going to bite you. And when you pull out all my teeth or knock them out, then I'm going to try to gum you to death. You see what I'm saying? I'm going to defend myself, and if I don't have my right hand, I'm going to fight with you with my left hand, just as if I had no right hand at all.
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Now, I want you to understand, if you don't understand this principle, you do not understand how our country was founded and why it was founded. This country was not founded in rebellion. This country was founded based upon biblical principle. And that principle is this. When one party violates the covenant, the other party is loosed from obedience. Let me read to you a couple of points out of the Fairfax Resolves.
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You see, most people do not understand that George III, the king of England, was also king of Georgia, king of South Carolina, king of North Carolina, king of Virginia. He was king of all of the 13 colonies. Each of the colonies had their own separate charter and constitution. None of the colonies were ever under parliament whatsoever. They had their own legislatures. And so King George III then was their king, just like the folks in England who had a king.
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Now the interesting thing is on July the 18th, 1774, Charles Broadwater, George Mason, and George Washington gathered at the Fairfax courthouse in Fairfax, Virginia, and they drew up the Fairfax Resolves, 24 resolves. And in these resolves, they're petitioning the king of England to fulfill his covenantal responsibilities. I want to read some of these to you, and I want you to understand that some of these could have been written yesterday. Remember, they were written in 1774.
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Listen, if you would please, to resolution number five. "Resolved, that the claim lately assumed and exercised by the British Parliament of making all such laws as they think fit to govern the people of these colonies and to extort from us our money without our consent, is not only diametrically contrary to the first principles of the Constitution and the original compacts by which we are dependent upon the British Crown and government, but is totally incompatible with the privileges of a free people and the natural rights of mankind and will render our own legislatures merely nominal and nugatory and
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is calculated to reduce us from a state of freedom and happiness to slavery and misery." Now listen to that again. I'm not going to read all of it. But he says, "Resolved, that the claim lately assumed and exercised by the British Parliament of making all such laws as they think fit, and to extort from us our money without our consent." Is that what Congress does? You see what I'm saying? But now, this country was never under Parliament.
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It's just like if Canada passed a law tomorrow that said you had to give five cents tax on every dollar to the Canadian government. Would you do it? Well, I would hope you wouldn't. The Canadian government has no business passing a law for American citizens. Parliament had no business passing laws for the colonials, for they have their own legislatures. Listen to number six. Boy, this one is a doozy.
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"Resolved, that taxation and representation are in their nature inseparable, and the right of withholding or giving and granting their own money is the only effectual security to a free people against the encroachments of despotism and tyranny, and that whenever they yield to the one, they must quickly fall prey to the other." Now listen to what they said, that taxation and representation are inseparable. Now listen, that the right of withholding and or giving or granting their own money is the only effectual security of a free people.
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Did you hear what George Washington, George Mason, Charles Broadwater said? They said if we do not have the right to withhold our money from the government, we're not free. Can you withhold your money? You say, "God, I can." Well, I tell you what, you might do so. But you're going to end up fighting. And they may come and just throw you in jail anyhow and take everything you've got. What does that mean? That means we're not free, we are slaves, and that's exactly what George Washington, the first president of the United States, said was tyranny. In other words, we the people ought to say, "Well, we want this. We will support it, but we don't want that and we're not going to support it and you're not going to do it." But our government is so deteriorated and has become so tyrannical, they say you will do it or we'll confiscate your goods and put you in prison to boot. Well, listen, if you would please, resolution number eight. "Resolved, that it is our greatest wish and inclination, as well as interest, to continue our connection with and dependence upon the British government.
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But though we are its subjects, we will use every means which heaven hath given us to prevent us from becoming its slaves." They said, George, we want to be your subjects. We're willing to continue our dependence upon Great Britain. But though we are your subjects, we will never be your slaves. Hmm. Listen, if you would, please, to a resolution number—oh, let's see. Resolution number 22, I think it is.
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This one is excellent as well. "Resolved, that should the town of Boston be forced to submit to the late, cruel and oppressive measures of government"—you remember the Boston Port Bill after the Boston Tea Party? What George III and Parliament decided they would do is they'd close the port of Boston. And thus they would starve the people of Massachusetts into submission. And so they say, "Resolved, that should the town of Boston be forced to submit to the late cruel and oppressive measures of government, that we shall not hold the same to be binding upon us, but will notwithstanding religiously maintain and inviolably adhere to such measures as shall be concerted by the general Congress for the preservation of our lives, liberties, and fortunes."
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And you know what the other colonies did? When they tried to close the Boston Port, the other colonies put food, money, medical supplies, whatever was necessary for the folks of Boston and kept them going. They said, we don't care what kind of law Parliament passes. It doesn't affect us. We will not submit to it. We will do exactly opposite of what they want us to do. And then let me read to you resolution number 23.
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This one is very biting. "Resolved, that it be recommended to the deputies of the General Congress to draw up"—so this resolution now came from the Congress, although Washington, Broadwater, and Mason wrote them. "Resolved, that it be recommended to the deputies of the General Congress to draw up and transmit a humble and dutiful petition and remonstrance to His Majesty, asserting with decent firmness our just and constitutional rights and privileges, lamenting the fatal necessity of being compelled to enter into measures disgusting to His Majesty and His Parliament, or injurious to our fellow subjects in Great Britain, declaring in the strongest terms our duty and affection to His Majesty's person, family, and government, and our desire to continue our dependence upon Great Britain, and most humbly beseeching our majesty not to reduce his faithful subjects of America to a state of desperation and reflect that from our sovereign there can be but one appeal." What were they saying? They were saying, George, we want to be your good subjects and we're willing to do that.
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But if you violate that Constitution and you try to force us to do that which is contrary to that Constitution, we will fight. Now, listen to this. Everyone understands this, but let me read it to you. Because here it is in black and white, the Declaration of Independence. "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal and they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." Now listen carefully. "That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men." Rights do not come from government. Government cannot give rights. The only thing they can do is to protect rights. "So that to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.
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that whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it and to institute a new government, laying foundations on such principles and organizing its powers in such a form as to them shall seem most likely to affect their safety and happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that government long established should not be changed for light and transient reasons, and accordingly, all experience has shown that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations pursuing invariably the same object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government and provide new government for their future security."
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What did our founding fathers say? George III would not keep his covenantal agreement. He violated it. And consequently, when he tried to force us into slavery, since he obligated his end of the agreement, we were not obligated to keep our end of the agreement. And when he invaded us, we fought. Who were the rebels? Not the Americans, but George III and the Parliament. You see, this country was founded on this very principle.
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Now, let me give you one other thing, and I'm going to try to tie it together tonight, and that's this. In biblical covenants, all parties are responsible to the Lord in the fullest. Let me read to you what Samuel Rutherford said. He says, "For the king and the people are each of them above and below each other in different respects. The people, because they create the man king, they are so above the king and have a virtual power to compel him to do his duty. And the king, asking, have an authoritative power above the people because royalty is formally in him and originally and virtually owning the people. Therefore, he may compel them to do their duty." Now, let me try to put this in a more modern sense.
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What are you saying is this? We have a power and we are over and above our congressmen. Why? Because we're the ones who make them congressmen. They wouldn't be congressmen without us. And so we have a power over them. But once they get an office, they also have a power over us as we make them. And if they don't do as we please, supposedly we can call them back and let them cease being our representative. But once they get an office, they now have a power over us and they can make us do supposedly that which is right as well.
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Now, let me ask you a question. When you read the Bible, have you ever noticed that when a king or a ruler sins privately, he is always judged privately. But whenever a king or a ruler sins openly and publicly, the people are always judged with the ruler. In other words, there's a time when just the ruler is judged, but there is a time when the people are judged with the ruler. Why?
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Because of the covenantal nature of government. Because in biblical covenants, listen to me now, each party is responsible to the fullest. Here is a covenant between the king and the people and the Lord. We've agreed to be God's people. We've agreed to be God's rulers. Why do you think the president, for years, always took his oath of office with his hand upon Deuteronomy 28, the passage with the blessings and the curses, recognizing the covenantal nature of government. Let me show you.
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Look in your Bibles to 2 Samuel, chapter 21. Very quickly, just a few passages. 2 Samuel, chapter 21. And look, if you would please, beginning there with verse 1. Here's a time of famine in the land. 2 Samuel 21 verse 1. "Then there was a famine in the days of David three years, year after year. And David inquired of the Lord." It's time to inquire of the Lord when there's a famine three years in a row.
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And God answered him, "It is for Saul and for his bloody house, because he slew the Gibeonites." Now, I don't know if you knew who the Gibeonites were, but if you'd read Joshua chapter 9, the Gibeonites were those people who came to the children of Israel and they had the moldy bread and old tattered clothes. And so they said, "Who are you?" "Oh, we've heard about God and we've heard about you.
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We come to enter into a covenant with you." Well, they said, "How do we know that you're not of the land?" "Wow," they said, "look at this bread. I mean, man, it was fresh when we took it out. Look at these wine bottles. Those fresh. But look at it now. Look at our clothes, man. We've been traveling a long time." They never checked with God. They entered into covenant with the Gibeonites. And then afterwards, they found out the Gibeonites were part of the Amorites in the land who they were supposed to kill. And God told the Israelites, "Look, you've given them your word, you can't kill them. You might make them your slaves," and the Bible says they made them drawers of water and hewers of wood, but God forbade them to kill them because they had given them their word. Now watch. Verse 2, "And the king called the Gibeonites and said unto them, Now the Gibeonites were not of the children of Israel, but of the remnant of the Amorites. And the children of Israel had sworn unto them. Look, and Saul sought to slay them in his zeal to the children of Israel and Judah."
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Now wait. If it's King Saul slaying the Gibeonites, why does God send a famine on the entire nation for three years? Why doesn't God just judge Saul in his house? I'll tell you why. Because this was not a private sin. This was an open, public sin, and every Israelite knew that those Gibeonites were not to be killed. And when they allowed their ruler to murder those Gibeonites contrary to their covenantal agreement, God not only judged Saul, he judged the nation as well.
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Look in your Bibles to 1 Chronicles chapter 21. Everybody knows the story of David and Bathsheba. When David committed adultery with Bathsheba, it was David and his family that were judged. But when you get to 1 Chronicles chapter 21 and verse 2, "And David said to Joab and to the rulers of the people, Go, number Israel from Beersheba even to Dan, and bring the number of them to me, that I may know them. And Joab answered, The Lord make His people a hundred times so many more as they be. But my lord the king, are they not all my lord's servants? Why then doth my lord require this thing? Why will he be a trespass in Israel? Nevertheless, the king's word prevailed over Joab." Now look, David said, "Joab, what I want you to do is go out and number the people."
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By the way, what he was wanting numbered was his army. This is where you get the real standing army in the scripture right here. And God judged David and the people because of this. Joab was a murderer. And as wicked as Joab was, he said, "Are not all these the Lord's servants and your servants, David? Why would you be a cause of trespass for Israel?" Nevertheless, the king's word prevailed. So Joab went out and began numbering the people.
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Now, I want to show you something. First of all, the army was God's army, not David's. When you read the phrase in the Bible, "the Lord God of hosts," the word "hosts" is armies. God is the Lord God of the armies. The armies of Israel were God's armies, not David's.
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Secondly, the armies were not to be numbered except in a time of war. There was no time of war here.
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Thirdly, when they were numbered, there was to be a half-shekel for the sanctuary taken, a ransom. It was not taken.
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Now, I want you to skip down, if you would, please, verse 7. "And God was displeased with this thing. Therefore, He smote Israel." Huh. Skip down to verse 14. "So the Lord sent pestilence upon Israel and there fell of Israel seventy thousand men."
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Now, my question is this. Why did God not just simply judge David here like He did when He judged him with Bathsheba? I'll tell you why. Because every Israelite knew that what David was doing was wrong. Even Joab the murderer knew it was wrong. And no one lifted a finger to stop him. And so God judged the people with the ruler. You don't have to turn there, but you remember 1 Kings chapter 18? Old Elijah said, "As the Lord God lives, before whom I stand.
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There shall not be rain or dew these years, but according to my word." For three and a half years there is drought in Israel. Why was there a drought in Israel? Because of Ahab and Jezebel. Everybody knew that they were wrong. Everybody knew they were wicked. No one lifted a finger to stop them. They murdered the prophets of God. God judged the people. He judged the nation along with the rulers.
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Now, turn in your Bibles in one last passage. I want you to look in Jeremiah chapter 15. Jeremiah 15. If there was no other verse in the Bible, this one would be sufficient. Jeremiah chapter 15. If I were to ask you who the most wicked king in Israel was, I would hope you would answer Ahab, for he was. If I were to ask you who the most wicked king in Judah was, I'd hope you would answer Manasseh, for he was. And look, if you would, what the Bible says concerning Manasseh. Jeremiah 15 and verse 4. God says, "And I will cause them," that is the people, "to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth because of Manasseh, the son of Hezekiah, king of Judah, for that which he did in Jerusalem."
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Did you hear what I just read? God said, "I'm going to cause all the people to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth because of Manasseh for what he did in Jerusalem." Why don't you just judge Manasseh for what he did? Because Manasseh was a public figure. Manasseh was their king. There was a covenantal agreement. He led the people into idolatry. He seduced them into wickedness.
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They knew that it was wrong. They never stopped him. And so God judged the people with their ruler. You see, the mentality of the average American is this. "It's none of my business what they do in Washington. I mean, I just pay my taxes. I mean, what they do, they're responsible for that." Oh, no. Oh, no, that's not true. "Well, it doesn't matter to me what they do in Columbia. I just pay my taxes." Oh, no, it does matter what they do. It does matter.
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Because you are in a covenantal agreement. We have a constitution. That constitution is nothing more than a covenant. We have the Bible. The Bible is a covenantal book. And what did God say in 1 Samuel chapter 12? He told the people, He said, "You want a king? I'm going to give him to you." In verses 24 and 25, He tells them, "But if you sin against Me, I'll destroy the king and you as well." If you think for one minute that America is going to escape God's judgment for what we have allowed our leaders to do, you're mistaken.
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We've made murder legal in this country through abortion, sodomy legal, theft legal, socialism—it's still theft. You know what? We are probably the only country, and maybe the only generation probably, to take in the idea that somehow we're going to be the ones that escape the judgment of God. God will judge everybody else, but He won't judge us. I got news for you folks. You say, "Brother Weaver, the Lord's coming back." I know He's coming back, and He's going to come back literally, visibly, and bodily. But that doesn't mean He's going to come back before He judges this country. He did not come back
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before 722 B.C., when the Assyrians swept down and destroyed Israel and took them into captivity. He didn't come back before 586 B.C., when Judah got carried away into Babylon. He didn't come back before Stalin murdered those millions over in the forest in Russia. He didn't come back before Mao Zedong murdered his millions. He didn't come back before Castro got his. What makes you think that we are going to be the only ones who escape God's judgment? We have allowed a government to run amok, totally out of control, contrary to God, contrary to God's Word. We've let them basically kick God out of every avenue and every sphere of life. And we think God is pleased? I've got news for you. God is angry.
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There is a covenantal blessing, but there is also a covenantal curse. You say, "Brother Weaver, what can I do?" Well, let me show you one verse. Look in your Bibles to Proverbs 28 and verse 4. You ought to memorize this verse. Proverbs 28, verse 4. There are some other answers, but certainly one of them. Proverbs 28, verse 4, God says, "They that forsake the law," that's God's law, "praise the wicked. But such as keep the law, contend with them." Now, God says, if you forsake my law, you're praising the wicked. If you keep my law, you're contending. And the word "contend" means to fight against. You know, one of the ways we fight against the wicked is by obedience. This means we ought to be the most holy, the most godly, the most obedient people we can be by the grace of God. You say, "Brother Weaver, what in the world is that going to do?" Well, let me show you. I could be facetious tonight and say, "Well, if you want to change things, you write your congressman."
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You know, they won't even answer you. And if they do, isn't it amazing what all they can say and never answer your questions and never address the issue? And what really gets me is when one of them writes back and says, "Well, I appreciate your view, but I must vote my conscience on that matter." We didn't send him up there to vote his conscience. We sent him up there to uphold the rule of law. I could tell you, well, what you could do is you can vote. I'm not telling you not to vote.
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But I got news for you folks. The Democrats will take you over the cliff at 100 miles an hour. And the Republicans won't do that. They'll take you over at 80. You're going over one way or the other, just which speed you want to go over. You see? What difference does it make if you've got the lesser of two evils? If you vote for the lesser of two evils, you're still voting for evil.
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Socialists A or Socialists B? I could tell you take it to the courts, but I got news for you folks. If you believe there's justice in this land, you haven't been in any courtroom lately. I can assure you of that. I tell people I'm not a communist. I don't have any sympathy for communists. I don't normally agree with communists whatsoever, but I do agree with one thing one communist said, Gus Hall. Gus Hall said, "The reason we refer to our judicial system as the halls of justice is because the only place you can get any justice is out in the halls."
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And that's about the truth. You surely can't get it in the courtroom. You say, "Well, Brother Weaver, what can I do?" You can live as holy and as godly and as obediently as you can by the grace of God in your life. You say, "What good will that do?" Have you ever stopped to think as wicked and as ungodly as Sodom and Gomorrah were? God was willing to spare those countries, those cities, if there were what? Ten righteous people.
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There's way more than that in this room. Way more than that in this room. You see, we have to understand, we have to fight for what is right. Or we get judged as well. We have to stand up for truth or the judgment of God falls on us. Government has been ordained of God and it is covenantal in nature. Let's pray. Father, we ask in the name of Jesus Christ that you would help us tonight.
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Build us up in the most holy faith. Help us to see the absolute necessity and importance of having a biblical view of government. Lord willing, Father, we will continue this tomorrow night and show the purpose of government and show, Lord, exactly why you have ordained it. Give us, Lord, an understanding heart. In the name of Jesus Christ, we ask and pray, Amen. All right, well, that was a two-star for attacking the wood.
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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-06T05:19:33Z

Christian & Civil Government # 1

John Weaver | Freedom Ministries

John Weaver introduces a series on the Christian and civil government, establishing that Jesus Christ is King over all spheres of life and that the entire Bible is applicable today. He argues from Romans 13 and other passages that God ordained civil government to be His deacon, exactor of righteousness, and public worship, making government inherently religious. Weaver outlines biblical qualifications for rulers, explains the covenantal nature of government, and contends that when rulers violate their covenant, the people are loosed from obedience. He applies this to the American founding and warns that God judges nations when they tolerate wicked rulers.

Opening

Scripture Reading — Romans 13:1-8

"Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God. The powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God, and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation or condemnation. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? Do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same. For he that is the civil magistrate is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid, for he beareth not the sword in vain. For he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. Wherefore, ye must needs be subject not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake."

Introduction and Two Basic Presuppositions

Scripture Reading — Psalm 119:89

There is absolutely nothing that does not fall under His authority. For instance, the Bible says in Matthew 28 and verse 18, Christ Himself said, "All power" or "all authority is given unto me in heaven and earth." So, Jesus Christ then has all power and all authority. The Bible in 1 Timothy chapter 6 verse 15 says that Jesus Christ is the only potentate, and the word potentate literally means the all-powerful one. So Jesus Christ himself declares that he is the all-powerful one. So he is literally head and king of everything. The second basic presupposition I have is this: that the entirety of the Bible is the Word of God and is applicable to us today. The Word of God says in Psalm 119 and verse 89, "Forever, O Lord, is thy word settled in the heavens." And so whatever God says is true. And whatever God has given us is applicable to us. The Bible said in 2 Timothy 3 and verse 16, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for correction, for reproof, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto every good work."

God Ordained Civil Government

In this passage, you have wisdom personified, who is none other than Jesus Christ. And listen to what he says in Proverbs 8, beginning there with verse 15. Christ says,

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 8:15-16

"By me kings reign, and princes decree justice. By me princes rule, and nobles, and all the judges of the earth."

Scripture Reading — Daniel 2:21, 37

Now, Nebuchadnezzar, why is it that you have authority over other kings? Why are you unique? Here's why. "Thou, O king, art a king of kings, for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, strength, and glory." So, Daniel is telling Nebuchadnezzar, you have the power, you have the authority that you have, only because God gave it to you. Now, Nebuchadnezzar was a proud, arrogant, haughty monarch. And God had to teach Nebuchadnezzar a lesson. So if you look in Daniel chapter 4 and verses 16 and 17, God decrees to do exactly that. The Bible says, "Let his heart be changed from a man's, and let a beast's heart be given unto him, and let seven times" or seven years "pass over him."

Scripture Reading — Daniel 4:16-17, 28-32

"This matter is by the decree of the watchers and by the command of the word of the holy ones."

Now look,

Scripture Reading — Daniel 4:16-17, 28-32

"to the intent that the living may know that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever He will."

The Nature and Titles of the Civil Magistrate

Sphere Authority and the Limits of Government

Biblical Qualifications for Rulers

Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 17:15-20

"But he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he should multiply horses: forasmuch as the Lord hath said unto you, Ye shall henceforth return no more that way."

Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 17:15-20

"Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away. Neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold."

Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 17:15-20

"neither shall he multiply to himself silver and gold."

I'm going to deal with that in another passage in just a moment. Look, if you would please, in verse 18 and 19. Here's another qualification.

Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 17:15-20

"And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites. And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God, and to keep all the words of this law and these statutes to do them."

Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 17:15-20

"That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment to the right hand or to the left: to the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he and his children, in the midst of Israel."

Scripture Reading — Exodus 18:21

"Moreover, thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness, and place such over them to be rulers."

Now watch.

Scripture Reading — Exodus 18:21

"Moreover, thou shalt provide out of all the people able men,"

Now look in Deuteronomy 1, verse 13. This ties right together. He said, Deuteronomy 1, verse 13,

Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 1:13

"Take you wise men and understanding and known among your tribes and I'll make them rulers over you."

The Covenantal Nature of Government

Scripture Reading — 2 Kings 11:17

"between the king also and the people."

Historical Application: The American Founding

Corporate Responsibility and Judgment

Application and Call to Holiness

Christian & Civil Government # 1

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	111902995
Subject	Civil Government
Course	Civil Government: Magistracy, Authority, and Romans 13: Christian & Civil Government
Genre	Sermon
Date	2000-12-04
Dictation Name
Book	Book 022: Christian & Civil Government — Chapter 1
Source Timed Segments	146

Lecture Guide

Outline

Introduction and Two Basic Presuppositions: Weaver states his purpose is to equip Christians with knowledge about their duty toward government. He presents two presuppositions: Jesus Christ is King of everything, and the entire Bible is applicable today.
God Ordained Civil Government: From Romans 13:1, Weaver argues that God instituted government and all authority derives from Him. He cites Proverbs 8:15-16, Psalm 75:6-7, and Daniel 2:21, 4:17 to show God sets up and removes rulers.
The Nature and Titles of the Civil Magistrate: Weaver examines Greek terms in Romans 13:1-6, showing the civil ruler is called God's deacon (servant), exactor of righteousness, and public worshiper (leitourgos). Government is a theological issue and cannot be separated from religion.
Sphere Authority and the Limits of Government: God ordained three institutions—family, church, and state—each with limited sphere authority. When government leaves its sphere, it loses its authority. Submission is not owed to tyranny or totalitarianism.
Biblical Qualifications for Rulers: From Deuteronomy 17:15-20, Exodus 18:21, and other passages, Weaver lists qualifications: must be a believer, have unquestionable morality, hate covetousness, be wise and understanding, and rule in the fear of God.
The Covenantal Nature of Government: Government is covenantal, involving a covenant between God, the king, and the people, and a separate covenant between king and people. When one party violates the covenant, the other is loosed from obedience.
Historical Application: The American Founding: Weaver reads from the Fairfax Resolves and the Declaration of Independence to show the American colonies acted on the principle that when a ruler violates the covenant, the people may resist and form a new government.
Corporate Responsibility and Judgment: Because of the covenantal nature of government, when rulers sin openly and the people do not resist, God judges the nation along with the ruler. Examples include Saul and the Gibeonites, David's census, and Manasseh.
Application and Call to Holiness: Weaver warns that America will not escape God's judgment for tolerating wicked rulers. He urges believers to live holy, godly lives, contend with the wicked by keeping God's law, and recognize that righteous people can spare a nation.

Major Themes

Key Arguments

All Authority Derives from God

God alone has inherent authority; all human rulers derive their authority from Him. Therefore, their authority is limited, and they are accountable to God.

Weaver says: 'God reigns by virtue of His own authority and rights. All others rule and reign by derivation.' He cites Daniel 4:17: 'the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever He will.'

Government Is Inherently Religious

Because God ordained government to be His minister and public worship, there is no separation between government and religion. All law is based on someone's religion.

Weaver argues: 'You cannot separate government and religion. You see, government is either going to be a Christian government or it's going to be a pagan government, but it's still religious.'

Submission Is Conditional on Righteous Rule

Romans 13 commands submission to government only insofar as it fulfills its God-ordained role as deacon, exactor of righteousness, and public worship. Tyranny is not a legitimate form of government.

Weaver states: 'God is nowhere in this passage demanding that we submit to a tyrannical government, a usurped power, a usurped authority that God never gave.'

Covenant Violation Releases Obedience

In biblical covenants, when one party breaks the covenant, the other party is freed from obligation. This principle applies to government: when rulers become tyrannical, the people may resist.

Weaver cites Joshua 2:20 and the Fairfax Resolves, and quotes the Declaration of Independence: 'whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it.'

The People Share Responsibility for Rulers' Sins

Because of the covenantal nature of government, when the people allow their rulers to sin openly without resistance, God judges the nation corporately.

Weaver explains: 'Every Israelite knew that what David was doing was wrong. Even Joab the murderer knew it was wrong. And no one lifted a finger to stop him. And so God judged the people with the ruler.'

Scripture References

Romans 13:1-8: Read as the foundational passage on submission to civil government, with emphasis on 'higher powers' being ordained of God.
Hosea 4:6: Quoted by Greg earlier; Weaver references it to highlight the destruction that comes from lack of knowledge.
John 8:32: Cited to show that knowing the truth brings freedom, and ignorance brings bondage.
2 Corinthians 3:17: Paraphrased to argue that where the Spirit of the Lord is not, there is bondage.
Matthew 28:18: Used to support Christ's universal kingship: 'All power is given unto me in heaven and earth.'
1 Timothy 6:15: Cited to show Christ is the only potentate, the all-powerful one.
Psalm 119:89: Used to assert the eternal settled nature of God's Word.
2 Timothy 3:16: Cited to show all Scripture is profitable and applicable, with Paul primarily referring to the Old Testament.
Proverbs 8:15-16: Wisdom personified as Christ declares that by Him kings reign and princes decree justice.
Psalm 75:6-7: Promotion comes from God alone; He puts down one and sets up another.
Daniel 2:21, 37: God changes times and seasons, removes and sets up kings; Nebuchadnezzar's authority given by God.
Daniel 4:16-17, 28-32: Nebuchadnezzar's humiliation to teach that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men.
1 Peter 2:13-14: Submission to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake; 'ordinance' interpreted as type of government, not every law.
Deuteronomy 17:15-20: Qualifications for a king: must be a brother (believer), not multiply horses, wives, or gold; must write and read God's law.
Exodus 18:21: Rulers must be able men, fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness.
Deuteronomy 1:13: Rulers must be wise and understanding.
2 Samuel 23:1-3: David claims direct inspiration: 'He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God.'
2 Samuel 5:12: David perceived God established him king for the sake of God's people Israel.
2 Kings 11:17: Jehoiada made a covenant between the Lord, the king, and the people, and also between the king and the people.
1 Chronicles 11:3: David made a covenant with the elders before the Lord.

Historical References

Lex Rex by Samuel Rutherford (1640): A book arguing that the law is king, written against the divine right of kings. Weaver recommends it as a key historical resource.
Vindiciae Contra Tyrannos by Hubert Languet (Junius Brutus): A 1689 edition (possibly earlier) vindicating liberty against tyrants. Weaver quotes Languet on the covenantal nature of government.
A Christian View of the Civil Magistrate by Thomas Cobbet (1653): A rare book on the Christian view of civil government; Weaver notes it is exceedingly beneficial but hard to find.
Fairfax Resolves (July 18, 1774): Drafted by George Washington, George Mason, and Charles Broadwater; 24 resolutions petitioning King George III to fulfill his covenantal duties. Weaver reads several resolutions.
Declaration of Independence: Quoted to show the founding fathers' belief that when government becomes destructive, the people have the right to alter or abolish it.
King George III: Referred to as the king of the American colonies who violated his covenantal agreement, leading to the American Revolution.
Bobby Kennedy's statement on humanism: Weaver mentions that Bobby Kennedy, as Attorney General, said humanism was the official religion of the United States.
Supreme Court ruling on humanism as religion: Weaver states the Supreme Court has said humanism is a religion.
Thomas Jefferson's inauguration: Weaver tells a story of Jefferson waiting for a seat at a boarding house after his inauguration, illustrating the servant attitude of early presidents.
Gus Hall, communist: Quoted for his remark that the only place to get justice is in the halls, not the courtroom.

Important Quotes

Jesus Christ is king of the world. He is not just simply head or king of the church. He is indeed that. But he is king of everything. He is king of politics. He is king of economics. He is king of government. He is king of education. Jesus Christ is king of everything.

Establishes the foundational presupposition of Christ's universal sovereignty over all spheres of life, including civil government.

God ordained government to publicly worship Him, just like he ordained the family and the church to publicly worship him.

Argues that civil government has a religious purpose as God's leitourgos (public worshiper), making government inherently theological.

There is no such thing as a separation between government and religion.

Counters the modern notion of a secular state, asserting that all government is based on some religious foundation.

God is nowhere in this passage demanding that we submit to a tyrannical government, a usurped power, a usurped authority that God never gave.

Limits the command of Romans 13 to legitimate, God-ordained government, not tyranny.

When the king defends not true religion but presses upon the people a false and an idolatrous religion, in that they are not under the king but are presumed to have no king so far and are presumed to have the power in themselves as if they had not appointed any king at all.

Quote from Samuel Rutherford's Lex Rex, supporting the right of resistance when a ruler violates the covenant.

If you think for one minute that America is going to escape God's judgment for what we have allowed our leaders to do, you're mistaken.

Warns of impending divine judgment on America for tolerating wicked rulers, based on biblical precedents.

Discussion Questions

[Question]

What does it mean practically that Jesus Christ is King over politics, economics, and government? How should this affect our voting and political engagement?

[Context]

Weaver's first presupposition is that Christ is King of everything, not just the church.

[Question]

How does the biblical teaching that government is God's 'deacon' and 'public worship' challenge the modern idea of a secular state?

[Context]

Weaver explains the Greek terms in Romans 13:4,6, showing government's religious role.

[Question]

In what ways has our government overstepped its God-given sphere of authority? How should Christians respond?

[Context]

Weaver discusses sphere sovereignty and the limits of government authority.

[Question]

How do the biblical qualifications for rulers (Deuteronomy 17, Exodus 18) apply to our selection of leaders today? Should Christians support candidates who do not meet these qualifications?

[Context]

Weaver lists qualifications such as being a believer, moral, and hating covetousness.

[Question]

What is the covenantal nature of government, and how does it affect our obligation to obey? When is resistance justified?

[Context]

Weaver explains the two covenants in Scripture and the principle that covenant violation releases obedience.

[Question]

How does the American founding reflect the biblical principle of resisting tyranny? Are there situations today that might warrant similar action?

[Context]

Weaver reads from the Fairfax Resolves and Declaration of Independence.

[Question]

Why does God judge a nation corporately for the sins of its rulers? What responsibility do citizens have to oppose wicked policies?

[Context]

Weaver uses examples like Saul, David, and Manasseh to show corporate judgment.

[Question]

What does it mean to 'contend' with the wicked by keeping God's law? How can personal holiness impact national judgment?

[Context]

Weaver cites Proverbs 28:4 and the example of Sodom to encourage holy living as a form of resistance.

Applications

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