I am praying that all my families, friends, and readers have not been overly impacted by the winter storm that has moved through the US. Here in my area of Mississippi, we had lots of rain, some freezing rain, and more rain, along with high winds and very cold temperatures. The outside temperature this morning is 22 degrees, with a wind chill of 10 degrees.
This post was delayed as we had flickering lights, so I shut down my computer a couple of times.
COMMENT & DEFINITION
I had to look up the author of today’s quote, and while I am sure we would not agree on some things, on this point we would. How appropriate for the events unfolding in America, especially this past week in Minnesota. One has to admit, as sickening as their tactics are, the crazed left is committed to their cause, whatever that might be.
What I find most interesting and disturbing is the numerous groups calling the invasion of a church “Civil Disobedience.” Seriously, do they even know the definition of the word Civil? Let me help:
CIV´IL a. [L. civilis, from civis, a citizen; Fr. civil; It. civile; Sp. civil. Qu. the Welsh cau, to shut, inclose, fence, hedge; for the rude inhabitants of antiquity fortified their towns with hedges, stakes or palisades.]
- Relating to the community, or to the policy and government of the citizens and subjects of a state; as in the phrases, civil rights, civil government, civil privileges, civil war, civil justice. It is opposed to criminal; as a civil suit, a suit between citizens alone; whereas a criminal process is between the state and a citizen. It is distinguished from ecclesiastical, which respects the church, and from military, which respects the army and navy.
- Relating to any man as a member of a community; as civil power, civil rights, the power or rights which a man enjoys as a citizen.
- Reduced to order, rule, and government; under a regular administration; implying some refinement of manners; not savage or wild; as civil life; civil society.
- Civilized; courteous; complaisant; gentle and obliging; well-bred; affable; kind; having the manners of a city, as opposed to the rough, rude, coarse manners of a savage or clown.
Where civil speech and soft persuasion hung. - Grave; sober; not gay or showy.
Till civil suited morn appear. Milton. - Complaisant; polite; a popular colloquial use of the word.
- Civil death, in law, is that which cuts off a man from civil society, or its rights and benefits, as banishment, outlawry, excommunication, entering into a monastery, &c., as distinguished from natural death.
- Civil law, in a general sense, the law of a state, city or country; but in an appropriate sense, the Roman law; the municipal law of the Roman empire, comprised in the Institutes, Code and Digest of Justinian and the Novel Constitutions. Blackstone.
- Civil list, the officers of civil government, who are paid from the public treasury; also, the revenue appropriated to support the civil government. Blackstone.
The army of James 2 was paid out of his civil list. Hamilton. - Civil state, the whole body of the laity or citizens, not included under the military, maritime, and ecclesiastical states.
- Civil war, a war between people of the same state or city; opposed to foreign war.
- Civil year, the legal year, or annual account of time which a government appoints to be used in its own dominions, as distinguished from the natural year, which is measured by the revolution of the heavenly bodies. Bailey. Encyc.
- Civil architecture, the architecture which is employed in constructing buildings for the purposes of civil life, in distinction from military and naval architecture; as private houses, palaces, churches, &c.
Noah Webster, Noah Webster’s First Edition of An American Dictionary of the English Language. (Anaheim, CA: Foundation for American Christian Education, 2006).
These groups claim they are engaging in “Civil Disobedience.” Yet if we look back to the civil rights marches of the 1960’s or the civil disobedience protests of the Vietnam War, there was little to no vulgarity, or wanton destruction of property, and no one ever considered invading a house of Worship.
CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE
Civil disobedience is not the invention of the modern age. The Bible records approximately a dozen examples of legitimate civil disobedience. Most examples occur when a government specifically commands individuals to disobey God, so that civil disobedience is at the same time religious obedience. In such cases, God commends those who suffer consequences at the hands of the government for the sake of righteousness, and he usually rescues them.
One cluster of examples occurs when a ruler either prohibits the worship of God or commands the worship of some other god. The story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego (see Daniel) illustrates three godly men’s response to the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar’s decree that the “peoples, nations, and languages … fall down and worship the golden image” that Nebuchadnezzar had erected (Dan 3:5 NRSV). Because such a command contradicts the first commandment forbidding idolatry, these men refuse to bow down. When confronted by the king with their disobedience, they claim to be obeying a higher authority that overrides that of the king (Dan 3:16). Although God saves them from their punishment, they acknowledge that whatever the outcome of their punishment, they fear God more than they fear men (vv. 17–18). God’s rescue of these men fully commends their action as a legitimate case of civil disobedience.
A similar case occurrs when Darius, the Persian ruler, forbids prayer to any god but the king for thirty days (Dan 6). The issue behind this case is faithfulness to God, and Daniel refuses to be unfaithful despite the government’s decree (Dan 6:5). He not only continues to pray three times a day as he has done before, but he makes no attempt to disguise his actions. Accordingly he is thrown into the lions’ den as punishment. Once again, however, God demonstrates to Daniel’s persecutors that God’s law is higher by delivering him from death in the den.
In the NT the most significant challenge to God’s commandments occurrs when the Jewish leaders command the disciples “not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus” (Acts 4:18 NRSV). However, having the command from Christ to proclaim the gospel to all nations (Mt 28:19–20), the apostles refuse. Peter replies to their command, “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29 RSV). From then on the church is persecuted with flogging, imprisonment and death for their refusal to comply with the government’s decree.
Other cases involve people who disobey government injunctions that do not directly demand that they disobey God but that do involve their tacit compliance in unrighteous practices. In the events leading up to the exodus, the Hebrew midwives help the Hebrew women to deliver their children and hide them despite Pharaoh’s decree to put all the newborn males to death (Ex 1:15–22). God commends these midwives for their fear of him, blessing them with households of their own. In similar manner Moses’ mother disobeys the king’s edict to destroy Hebrew males (Ex 2:1–10).
Soon after this, Moses himself participates in civil disobedience, leading the children of Israel out of Egypt against Pharaoh’s will. He begins his career of civil resistance when he kills an Egyptian taskmaster who has beaten a Hebrew slave (Ex 2:11–12), his first recorded act of choosing to share ill-treatment with the people of God (Heb 11:24–25). Because God commanded him to lead the people out of Egypt, by God’s direction he assaults Pharaoh and his people with a series of plagues that persuade the king to finally release the people (Ex 6–12). However, soon after he has let them go, Pharaoh pursues them with the intent to reenslave them. Moses is God’s agent in the miraculous defeat of the Egyptian army by the sea (Ex 14). Although he had ostensibly negotiated with Pharaoh for his people’s release, Moses is in fact instrumental in forcing Pharaoh to release the people, an act he performs at God’s command.
In another act of civil disobedience, Rahab the Canaanite hides the Hebrew spies from her city leaders (Josh 2). Rahab fears the God who has given her land to these people, and she desires to fight on the side of Yahweh (Josh 2:9–13). Thus she hides the spies who come to her and lies to the king of Jericho, saying that they have already left the city (Josh 2:5). God commends her act, claiming that her faith and obedience saved her from death at the Israelites’ hands (Heb 11:31).
Some of the prophets also disobey their kings at God’s command or in response to God’s condemnation of their rule. King Ahab attempts several times to kill Elijah because of his message. Elijah announces a great drought on the land and is then forced to hide from Ahab’s wrath (1 Kings 17). In addition, Elijah humiliates and slays the prophets of Baal, who the king supports, and then flees to Sinai (1 Kings 18). Obadiah similarly disobeys the king to obey God. When Jezebel attempts to kill all of God’s prophets, Obadiah hides a hundred of them in caves and provides them with food (1 Kings 18:4). God praises him for this act, declaring that “Obadiah feared the LORD greatly” (1 Kings 18:3).
The NT also endorses stories of people protecting those who are persecuted by the government. The three wisemen worship the infant Jesus and disobey Herod’s command to inform him about the newborn king (Mt 2:7–12). When the Jews and King Aretas attempt to capture and put the newly converted Paul to death, several of his disciples hide him and then helped him escape by letting him down in a basket through one of the city wall’s openings (Acts 9:20–31; 2 Cor 11:32–33).
Finally, even Jesus refuses to submit to the religious authorities of his time. Although he has no complaint against the Roman civil authority, he consistently challenges the authority of the Jewish leaders. He heals a man on the Sabbath and overturns the tables of the moneychangers and vendors in the temple (Mt 12; 21). Although he commands submission to the governing authorities, Jesus demonstrates that his own authority is greater than that of the ruling priests because his authority comes from God. Thus he shows that in some cases in which God’s authority conflicts with that of a government, civil disobedience is necessary.
See also BABYLON; BONDAGE/FREEDOM; EGYPT; EXODUS, SECOND EXODUS; PHARAOH; RESCUE.
Leland Ryken et al., Dictionary of Biblical Imagery (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2000), 154–155.
STUDY
The Bible records three types of Laws in the Old Testament:
- CEREMONIAL – Laws that governed the religeous proceeding of the Jewish peoples
- CIVIL – or Judicial Laws that govern the legality of society
- MORAL – these are the laws that governed and directed how mankind interacted with each other
Although Christians today are under the New Testament, the Civil and Moral Laws have not been done away with. Even non-believers are without excuse for their ugly behavior. It is not that man does not know their actions are evil, it is that they like the evil more than the good (John 3:19).
What types of laws are in the Bible?
Question: When is civil disobedience allowed for a Christian?
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SERMON
The Wise Conclusion
James Smith
“We must obey God — rather than men!” Acts 5:29
Jehovah, as our glorious Creator and benevolent Preserver — has a right to command whatever He pleases, and to require of us obedience to His commands. But such is the wisdom, holiness, and benevolence of His nature — that He cannot command anything trifling, impure, or unkind! Wisdom, holiness, and kindness, are stamped upon all His requirements; and all of His commands are plainly revealed in His Word...
CONTINUED @ SOURCE
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