Monday, October 22, 2012

If God Were King


             I have been interested in politics and government all of my adult life. In 2011, in anticipation of this year’s election, I attempted to cultivate a theology of government.
            That project didn’t last long.
            Later, I began studying the book of Deuteronomy. I had never preached Deuteronomy and desired to do so to our Sunday night group.
            While journeying through Deuteronomy, I came as close as I ever will to a compiling a theology of government. I preached it in detail in the spring. I thought I would share in this blog some of my amazing insights (he said tongue planted firmly in cheek).
            The thing about Deuteronomy is it comes the closest to telling us what God was thinking when it comes to running a country. God inspired Moses to preach sermons; in them, Moses is saying, in essence, God is King… here is how he wants his nation run. I believe Moses’ words offers us insight today, which we can apply to our own nation.
            [Disclaimer: In Deuteronomy, God was talking to an ancient people in the Middle East 3500 years ago. No direct one-to-one correlation should be made between that ancient government and the United States of America. Attempts to do so may cause arthritis, stomach cramps, high blood pressure, and irritation. If any of these symptoms appear, please consult a doctor.]
            Now, one thing I was reminded of in this great book: God shows his love for people by becoming involved in their lives. He showed his love for the Hebrews in Egypt by rescuing them from the tyranny of the Egyptians.
            He expected a response from these rescued slaves: wholehearted love and devotion to God. They were to offer God heart, soul, mind, and strength, and they were to offer it to God alone (Deut. 6:5-6.)
            The natural result of this commitment was love for one’s neighbor. As one has stated, since these people were loved by God, they were qualified to extend God’s love to their neighbors—Israelites or otherwise. (When Jesus was talking about the Great Commandment and how to live it out, this perhaps was what he was thinking.)
            Unfortunately, this did not occur naturally. To keep people from hurting and killing each other, God gave humanity government.
            Now, regarding us today, as God blessed those Hebrews, so has he blessed us. How will we apply those blessings? How do we love our neighbor?
            Doug McIntosh, in his commentary on Deuteronomy, illustrates the importance of this point. There was a fellow who lost control of his car and crashed into the front porch of another’s house. Rescue crews and other skilled groups arrived on the scene.
            A utility crew began checking for gas leaks. They discovered that the homeowner’s chimney and gas pipes were clogged by rubbish. As a result, carbon monoxide had been seeping into the house for a while.
            For two years, the homeowner had been experiencing flulike symptoms, trembling, headaches, chills, and nausea. He had also been blacking out occasionally. The owner had no explanation for any of this.
            Because of the accident, the homeowner was able to address the problems in his house, and his symptoms vanished. Without that wreck, he may have died as a result of the poisonous gas.
            Strangely enough, the homeowner had formerly made his living… as a building contractor. He knew the blessings of chimneys and furnaces, and he knew how dangerous furnaces and chimneys could be. He had always warned his customers to check them two or three times a year. Nevertheless, he had never checked his own.
            A lot of American citizens today are guilty of the spiritual equivalent. God has blessed us with a nation that is, compared to others, healthy and safe. However, provision must be made to keep things in check.
            Human nature produces a lot of “rubbish.” Unchecked, that rubbish—selfishness, greed, immorality, or whatever form it may take—can poison us all. God has given human beings government to address this problem and to facilitate the proper application of the blessings of God.
            May we the people apply the blessings of God in the proper way. 

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