davidbowerkingwood

Could Anything Catch God by Surprise?

Absolutely nothing can catch God by surprise. When considering an eternal omniscient God one quickly realizes this is way beyond our understanding; the almighty God we worship knows perfectly the end from the beginning and works all things after the counsel of His own will.

He has known from eternity past exactly what we would be facing today; He knows perfectly what is going on in our government and what is most fascinating to me is the fact that everything is proceeding in perfect accord with His plan for this nation.

Is this what the Bible says about God and government? Is God really in control of events to that extent? For starters let’s see if there may be some Bible verses which could provide a clear indication of how God works with governments.

 What Does the Bible Say About God and Governments?

The Bible has several things to say about God and governments; the first one that comes to mind is in Daniel 4:17 where we read, “The decision is announced by messengers, the holy ones declare the verdict, so that the living may know that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes and sets over them the lowliest of men.”

To me that seems very clear; God is sovereign over all nations and gives them to anyone He chooses, even the “lowliest of men.” This seems to be adequately demonstrated today in the United States.

In Romans 13:1 we read, “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.”

That also seems clear; all governmental authorities have been established by God. We should also keep in mind that when those words were written Nero, a cruel tyrant of a ruler, was Caesar.

What Does This Mean?

Since national leadership is chosen and placed in power by God then what does that mean to us as Christian citizens? What is God trying to tell us about His plans for this nation?

Before we get into that there is one point that should be clarified and that is the nature of the church’s home. The church has not been given a land, the church has been given a city, the New Jerusalem. That is where our home is and that is where we shall live. On this earth only one nation has ever been given a land by God and that nation is Israel and they were given the land described in Genesis 15:18-21. Although Israel has never occupied the entire tract described in those verses it is absolutely certain they shall possess it at the appointed time.

Although many of us presently reside in the United States it is not our God appointed home. Here we are ambassadors for Christ and will collectively remain until called home by our Lord God.

Nations That Spurn God

Nations have turned their backs on the God of heaven and have suffered the consequences of their folly; nations that have received more grace receive more judgment. Israel was guilty of this in spite of God’s repeated pleas through His prophets. Finally a nation can go too far as we see of Israel in Jeremiah 15:1-7; this judgment resulted in the Babylonian captivity.

Later Babylon was judged when we read in Daniel 5:26-28, “This is what these words mean: [Mene]: God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end. [Tekel]: You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting. [Peres]: Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.” Even as Babylon served as God’s instrument of judgment so was Babylon finally judged by God.

Has the United States Gone Too Far?

Where ever one looks around the United States today one sees Christianity under attack. The Bible is under attack as a hate book and Christians are under attack as dangerous to society. In some circles it is being promoted to view Christian education of children as child abuse.

Only God knows how close we may be to the situation described in Matthew 24:9, “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me.” The exclusivity of Christ is an offence to those who reject the testimony of the Bible. “How dare Christians say that Christ is the only way to be saved; the only way to be delivered from the coming judgment.”

I mentioned Jeremiah 15:1-7 which reads in part, “Then the LORD said to me: “Even if Moses and Samuel were to stand before me, my heart would not go out to this people. Send them away from my presence! Let them go!” 

Is the United States of America to this point yet? Only God knows but I fear the time is short. The outcome of this next election may well determine whether we will experience God’s grace or God’s judgment on this nation. Let us pray for the restoration of God’s hand of grace and mercy on the United States of America.