For fifteen years, I served in Venezuela as part of a church-planting team. During those years, Hugo Chavez came to power. I was told that, for a time after he was pardoned for a failed coup and allowed to return from exile, he stayed in the same apartment complex where I lived. The euphoria that followed his election as President quickly

gave way to worry, then fear, as the last vestiges of democracy disappeared. During those tumultuous years, I wondered where God was. I sometimes still wonder.

We can look back at past leaders and wonder where God was during some of their tenures in office. Inevitably, someone in one of our studies on trust brought up Hitler’s name and infamy. Where was God then? What was He doing?

It’s not hard to identify others, past and present, who have wielded power and committed unimaginable horrors. Is God sovereign over the nations and their rulers? Is that sovereignty limited to other eras? Has God, for some reason, abdicated that rule in our age?

Let’s take a look at some of the Biblical events that might provide clues to help us address our questions. Among the amazing happenings in Scripture are several incidents where God works for the benefit of believers through authorities and others who are unbelievers.

Such was the case for the Hebrews as they neared the end of their years of slavery in Egypt. When Jacob and his family first arrived in Egypt, they had no cause for concern. They were foreigners in a foreign land, with a culture and beliefs very different from those of their hosts. However, Jacob’s son, Joseph, was the Pharaoh’s right-hand man. The Hebrews were tolerated. But Pharaohs die, as did Joseph. Others, less agreeable, came into power. The Hebrews prospered, but so did the fear among the Egyptians that these foreigners would overwhelm them. Rather than take that chance, they enslaved Jacob’s descendants. Decades later, the time came for God to respond to the cry of His oppressed people. It took much persuasion, including the deaths of Egypt’s firstborn. But permission was finally granted, and the Hebrews were allowed to leave their bondage behind.

There was no reason for the Egyptians or the Pharaoh to be predisposed to kindness toward their former slaves, given all that Egypt had suffered at the persuasive hands of Jehovah. But the Scriptures tell us in Exodus 3:21-22: “And I will make the Egyptians favourably disposed towards this people, so that when you leave you will not go empty-handed. Every woman is to ask her neighbour and any woman living in her house for articles of silver and gold and for clothing, which you will put on your sons and daughters. And so you will plunder the Egyptians.”

And so it was. After all that the Egyptians had suffered, when their natural response should have been anger, hate, and vengeance, this is said of them: “The Israelites did as Moses instructed and asked the Egyptians for articles of silver and gold and for clothing. The Lord had made the Egyptians favourably disposed towards the people, and they gave them what they asked for; so they plundered the Egyptians.”^[i]

God moving the heart of a nation, as in Egypt during the exodus, was not a unique experience for Israel. Many years later, after their exile from the Promised Land, the Jews returned to Palestine. The return and the rebuilding were financed by those who had plundered her in the first place. Ezra 1:1 tells us, “In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfil the word of the Lord spoken to Jeremiah, the Lord moved the heart of Cyrus, king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and also to put it in writing.” What Cyrus says is a recognition of the power of God, though it lacks an acknowledgement of personal faith in God. The king proclaims: “The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. Any of his people among you may go up to Jerusalem in Judah and build the temple of the Lord, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem, and may their God be with them. And in any locality where survivors may now be living, the people are to provide them with silver and gold, goods and livestock, and with freewill offerings for the temple of God in Jerusalem.”

The Persians contributed to the building of the temple in the same way the Egyptians “contributed” to the Hebrews on their way out of Egypt.

Cyrus was not a believer. But that makes no difference to The Almighty. God is sovereign even over those who do not believe. He is at work in their lives just as He is in ours. Isaiah is very specific about this particular king when he writes: “This is what the Lord says to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I take hold of to subdue nations before him and to strip kings of their armour, to open doors before him so that gates will not be shut: I will go before you and will level the mountains; I will break down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron. I will give you hidden treasures, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, who summons you by name. For the sake of Jacob my servant, of Israel my chosen, I summon you by name and bestow on you a title of honour, though you do not acknowledge me. I am the Lord, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God. I will strengthen you, though you have not acknowledged me…”^[ii]

Take note that Cyrus is referred to as God’s “anointed,” one summoned by God and honoured by God. Cyrus acknowledges that he has been blessed by a God he does not personally follow.

What was true of Cyrus was also true of a later ruler, Darius. Ezra 6:22 records this, “For seven days they [the Jews] celebrated with joy the Festival of Unleavened Bread, because the Lord had filled them with joy by changing the attitude of the king of Assyria so that he assisted them in the work on the house of God, the God of Israel.”

In an age when, even in our democratic societies, we fear the power of our “king” to shut down our places of worship and limit the exercise of our religious freedoms, what assurance do you find in these examples from Biblical history?

At times, God’s work in the hearts of those who do not believe saves those who do believe from making huge mistakes. For example, Abraham found himself in a sticky situation when he tried to protect himself from Abimelek, king of Gerar. Sarah, the patriarch’s wife, was a desirable woman. Abraham, thinking the king might kill him to get her, told the king that Sarah was his sister—she was, sort of! But God’s plan was to provide an heir for Abraham through Sarah, and there wasn’t going to be any question about an illegitimate child or who the child’s father was! So God spoke to Abimelek in a dream to reveal the truth and prevent him from touching Sarah. Though Abimelek was not a believer, he wisely did what he was told.

Fear of God plays a prominent role in the changing of heart attitudes. In Ezra 6:6-10, King Darius instructed his governors to provide the Jews with everything they needed and not to interfere with the work of rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem. He was determined that the Jews should be able to offer their sacrifices as they once had. His reason? So that they could “…pray for the well-being of the king and his sons.” Somehow Darius understood that the God of the Hebrews had the power to bless or curse his family. Disobeying the king’s command was punishable by death, indicating how seriously Darius took the Lord’s urging to help the Jews.

Sometimes the authorities over us are not benevolent. At these moments, we are likely to panic and allow fear to overwhelm our trust. There were times when God did not hold back Israel’s enemies but allowed them to restrict His people. We find this in both Ezra and Nehemiah. We aren’t always told why these events happened. Why did God urge pagan authorities and nations to become a blessing to His people in some cases, yet in other cases they became a curse? Trust in a sovereign God demands that we understand that God is working out His purposes when we are allowed to move forward and when we are held back.

We seldom recognize how God is working in the lives of those who rule over us. We do not understand the purposes of God being worked out in and through them. We fear what we don’t understand, which reflects a lack of trust in the One Who sees all, knows all, and is over all. We fear the attacks of those who threaten our freedoms and religious practice, forgetting that the same God of Exodus 34:23, 24 guards our worship as He wills. An interesting episode in these verses offers encouragement. This was the command of the Lord: “Three times a year all your men are to appear before the Sovereign Lord, the God of Israel. I will drive out nations before you and enlarge your territory, and no one will covet your land when you go up three times each year to appear before the Lord.”

God’s people were commanded to go and worship. Their hold on the land they had conquered and claimed was tenuous. Surrounded by their enemies, leaving their homes unguarded and untended would have been a frightening prospect for the Israelites. All around them were people who disliked them and would have loved to take back what had been taken from them. But the Lord said that during the fulfilment of their spiritual duties, their enemies would not even “covet” what the Israelites had, let alone come and repossess it.

If God wants us to worship freely without fear, we will. If He chooses to delay the work or force us to go underground because of our faith, that too will work for good and for His glory. We have ample evidence, both in church history and up to this present day, that persecution is often the catalyst for phenomenal church growth.

Joseph is the prime example of how bad things can happen to good people. His story also illustrates how God uses pagan authorities as instruments of His blessings on His people. The boy sold into slavery by his brothers and transported to a foreign country would rise to become second-in-command to the Pharaoh of Egypt. By the end of his story, Joseph understood that God had meant all of it, good and bad, for the ultimate good of his family. He may even have discerned that his presence in Egypt was key to a blessing that would unfold far in the future. He says to his brothers in Genesis 50:20, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” What prompted Potiphar to see God in Joseph’s life? What prompted the jailer to see the same? What prompted Pharaoh to make Joseph his “right hand man,” when he could have easily taken his advice, tossed him back into prison, and put one of his own in charge of gathering the harvests for the years of famine? God works in the hearts of even those who do not believe.

Why would God allow Joseph to be defamed, thrown into jail, and forgotten by an absentminded servant? We know the end of the story and why God sent Joseph to Egypt under some nasty circumstances. But why all the drama while he was there? Shouldn’t there have been an easier way? Any thoughts?

We know from Scripture that God, who softens the unbelieving heart, is also the One who hardens it. That truth is hard to accept at times. Deuteronomy 2:30 records Moses’ retelling of Israel’s history. He recounts how Sihon, king of Heshbon, refused to allow the Israelites to pass through his territory, “…for the Lord your God had made his spirit stubborn and his heart obstinate in order to give him into your hands as he has now done.”

There are times when God orchestrates events to bring judgment on those whose cup of evil is now full. Pharaoh was given several opportunities to allow the Hebrews to leave Egypt. He granted permission several times, only to go back on his word. The Scriptures say that he changed his mind. But in the middle of the story, something else changed. Another opportunity to let Israel go had been given. This time, it was no longer Pharaoh who hardened his heart, but God who hardened it for him. The king had had his chance to release the slaves, but now the point of no return had been reached, and God’s cup of wrath against Egypt was full. There was no longer any chance of escaping judgment.

When the Israelites were about to enter the land of Canaan, they were ordered to destroy all the inhabitants. In Joshua 11:20, as Joshua leads Israel in taking possession of the Promised Land, he reminds them: “For it was the Lord himself who hardened their hearts to wage war against Israel, so that he might destroy them totally, exterminating them without mercy, as the Lord had commanded Moses.” But we also see in Scripture that not all of the Canaanites were destroyed. Rahab is one example of those who were spared and assimilated into the nation of Israel. Mercy was extended to some.

Many people are repelled by the brutality of these kinds of statements. Once again, we need to understand that God, who is long-suffering, does reach a point where He will no longer tolerate evil. He will judge, as is His right. Back in Genesis 15, God makes His covenant promise to Abram. He tells the father of the nation He had chosen to represent Him before the world that his descendants will be taken into slavery in a foreign land. He also reassures Abram that his descendants will return to the land of promise. At the same time, God explains why He will wait so long before sending His chosen people back into the Promised Land. He says, “…the sin of the Amorites [dwellers in the land of Canaan] has not yet reached its full measure.” The return of the Hebrews to claim the land marked the moment when those sins had finally crossed a line that demanded justice. And Israel would deliver that judgment.

But what was God doing until the sins of the Amorites became intolerable? God’s mission is redemption. The people of Canaan knew something of God through the Israelites’ exploits as they travelled through the wilderness on their way to Canaan. They were afraid, but not repentant. Like Pharaoh, they had the opportunity to receive God’s mercy. We are not told when or how they finally crossed the point of no return. But without doubt, God was at work among them.

Israel was well aware that her own rebellion against God could result in her being on the receiving end of the same judgment she would now mete out to the Canaanites.

We read the Old Testament accounts of God’s actions against Israel. We are horrified by the judgment He brought on her through pagan nations. We are also faced with this question: Why, having chosen pagan nations to punish Israel, did God then punish those nations for what they did? One of the biblical examples that addresses this question is found in Isaiah 10. The Assyrians became God’s instrument of judgment on Israel. But then He punished them because, as the passage tells us, “When the Lord has finished all his work against Mount Zion and Jerusalem, he will say, ‘I will punish the king of Assyria for the wilful pride of his heart and the haughty look in his eyes. For he says: “By the strength of my hand I have done this, and by my wisdom, because I have understanding. I removed the boundaries of nations, I plundered their treasures; like a mighty one I subdued their kings…”

Whether this king or nation began to follow Israel’s God was not the issue. Of course, that would have been the ultimate goal. God is unwilling to allow anyone to perish. But unlike rulers such as Nebuchadnezzar and Cyrus, this king failed to acknowledge that it was Israel’s God who allowed him and his people to be an instrument of judgment. He took the credit for himself, which was unacceptable. That decision was a sign not only of an unrepentant heart but also of an arrogant one.

Cyrus and Nebuchadnezzar acknowledged God even though they were not followers of God. Other nations and rulers, used by the Almighty to carry out His will, did not even acknowledge God, let alone follow Him. For those who refused God, the power and privilege given to them would be revoked. They would be judged for failing to understand where that power and privilege came from and for going beyond the limits of their mandate. Isaiah 10:5-16 tells us of the sad end of Assyria: “I will punish the king of Assyria for the wilful pride of his heart and the haughty look in his eyes…Does the axe raise itself above the person who swings it, or the saw boast against the one who uses it? As if a rod were to wield the person who lifts it up, or a club brandish the one who is not wood! Therefore…”

In Psalm 75:6-8, the psalmist describes God’s dealings with the nations this way: “No one from the east or the west or from the desert can exalt themselves. It is God who judges: he brings one down, he exalts another. In the hand of the Lord is a cup full of foaming wine mixed with spices; he pours it out, and all the wicked of the earth drink it down to its very dregs.”

The thought that there is a limit to God’s mercy toward a nation is a frightening one. It is one we ought to bear in mind. Ezekiel 22 describes the sins committed by the people of Jerusalem that ultimately led to God’s judgment upon them. The whole chapter is an indictment with astonishing parallels in our society today. But judgment could have been held back. The passage ends by saying: “I looked for someone among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so that I would not destroy it, but I found no one. So I will pour out my wrath on them and consume them with my fiery anger, bringing down on their own heads all they have done, declares the Sovereign Lord.”

This statement is another of those First Testament pictures that point us to Christ. He was the man who stood in the gap before God and held back the judgment meant for us. The passage also reminds us of the importance of our role as the church, as salt and light on the earth, as those whose presence holds back, for a time, the judgment of God yet to come. Ezekiel’s words serve as a rebuke. If we neglect our role in God’s mission, we will bear some responsibility for the judgment God will bring on our land and the consequences attached to that judgment.

After reading Ezekiel 22, how might you and other believers be, or become, those who stand before God in the gap on behalf of the nation?

Many people reject God because of the violent nature of some stories in the Old, or First, Testament. God is portrayed as a destroyer, and that is a difficult reality to accept. We prefer to focus on the God of love that He also is. Those who reject Him fail to recognize how long God waited before judgment fell, the hundreds of years of God’s mercy and patience. They fail to realize that Israel was chosen to be the nation that would show all the others there was another option. Israel was to, by word and example, demonstrate that the unbelieving nations did not have to suffer God’s wrath because of their rebellion. Israel was to sound the warning. They were to live out who God was. In essence, Israel was to the pagan nations what we, the church, are to a lost world. We are the bearers of the news that there are options. No one needs to suffer the wrath of God because of their sins. There is a remedy. But when the limit of God’s mercy has been reached, judgment will fall.

Peter wrote his letters to persecuted believers who were longing for the Lord's return. Their suffering was great. The believers felt that His coming would be their only relief. But it seemed so long in coming. As an explanation for the delay, the apostle writes: “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”

Does God’s apparent inactivity, this divine “patience” with which we are so often impatient, cause you to doubt His power to deliver justice? In what way do Peter’s words reassure you?

The universal question remains: If God exercises such control over man’s will, is God then the author of sin? We struggle to understand how God can exercise control over man’s will and yet allow man freedom to choose. We don’t understand. What we do know is that the Bible is clear that both are true.

When it comes to whether God is the author of sin, the Scriptures are again clear. We are reminded of James 1:13-14: “When tempted, no one should say, ‘God is tempting me.’ For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed.”

We can’t say “the devil made me do it” or that we had no choice because God didn’t allow us one. Joseph’s brothers sold their brother into slavery because they were jealous. If they had resisted that temptation, God would have provided another way. But God allowed and used what they chose to do to accomplish His purposes. His purpose ultimately is salvation: the restoration and return of what is His to His kingdom.

Peter recognized this truth. The Jewish and Roman authorities conspired to kill the Messiah. In Acts 4:27-28 he prays, “Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen.” The cross was inevitable. Who would be the instruments of His death was always negotiable. If Herod had believed or Pilate had refused, others would have stepped into their roles in the death of Jesus. The presence of the Son of God before both authorities was one last chance for them to repent.

In the midst of Revelation's symbolism, we find similar references. Revelation 17:17 tells us, “For God has put it into their hearts to accomplish his purpose by agreeing to hand over to the beast their royal authority, until God’s words are fulfilled.”

One of the many blessings we have as believers is the knowledge that there is no longer any condemnation for those who have placed their faith in Christ. The Sovereign God covers us, keeps us, and comforts us.

There are huge thoughts to consider and overwhelming ideas to process in this chapter. What adjustments do you need to make in your perception of who God is, as revealed through all these verses from Scripture?

Righteous rulers are a good thing. The trouble is that, like the proverbial “hen’s teeth,” they are extremely rare. That leaves us constantly concerned about the evil committed by those who hold power over us. But regardless of whether they are good or bad, we are told to pray for those authorities. 1 Timothy 2:1, 2 tells us, “I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.” Notice the word “thanksgiving”. Yes, we want to live in peace, so we pray for those responsible for acting on our behalf to maintain that peace. We know that God can turn the hearts of even the most evil rulers so they act for our benefit as believers.

When they don’t act as we think they should we need to remind ourselves again that, as Ephesians 1:11 tells us, God “…works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will…” We are not always privy to the plans of heaven, but they are good plans.

A revelation was given to Jeremiah during his visit to the potter’s house. That vision clearly shows us, as it did the prophet, that God exercises supreme power over the nations.

“This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: ‘Go down to the potter’s house, and there I will give you my message.’ So I went down to the potter’s house, and I saw him working at the wheel. But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him, Then the word of the Lord came to me, He said, ‘Can I not do with you, Israel, as this potter does?’ declares the Lord. ‘Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, Israel. If at any time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down, or destroyed, and if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned. And if at any time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be built up and planted, and it does evil in my sight and does not obey me, then I will reconsider the good I had intended to do to it. Now therefore say to the people of Judah and those living in Jerusalem, “This is what the Lord says: Look! I am preparing a disaster for you and devising a plan against you. So turn from your evil ways, each of you, and reform your ways and your actions.” But they will reply, “It’s no use. We will continue with our own plans; we will follow the stubbornness of our evil hearts.”’”^[iii]

What are God’s intentions for the nations? On what do God’s dealings with the nations depend?

We need to look at the big picture. When we consider the birth of Jesus, we can’t do so without considering the political conditions of the time. Evil ruled. Israel was under the thumb of the Roman oppressors. Jewish taxes fed the armies of Israel’s enemies. And it was the need for that funding that took Joseph, Mary, and the unborn Child to exactly where they needed to be: “In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world…And everyone went to their own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.”^[iv]

Was Roman rule, the census, and taxation an accident? No, it was God setting the stage for the fulfilment of prophecy and the coming of the One who, by His death and resurrection, signalled the defeat of all evil. Micah 5:2 tells us, “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”

The Jews railed against the conditions of their bondage under the Romans, but those conditions were divinely ordained to enable God to fulfill His purposes.

Sometimes people describe this faith, which believes despite the inexplicable and the unimaginable, as “blind.” In a sense, it is. We have to learn to trust God to do the right thing when what we experience doesn’t seem very “right” to us. Hebrews 11:1 reminds us that faith “…is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” I interpret the “what we hope for” as our belief that God will always do what is right.

But in another sense, faith is not blind at all. As we grow in the Lord, we gain knowledge of God through life’s experiences and our study of the Scriptures. We begin to experience His love and understand His purposes a little better. That knowledge will never be perfect on this side of heaven, but as it grows, it helps us trust Him in the next experience, believe where we do not understand, and recognize the connection between what He gives or withholds and the link between our well-being, or lack thereof, and His greater mission.

What challenges are you experiencing right now that are an exercise of that faith, a faith which hangs its hope on a just and loving God even though it can’t see or understand what God is up to?

Peter and John, released from prison, rejoined the believers who had been praying for them. They had been imprisoned for preaching the Gospel of Jesus. The authorities were determined to stamp out this sect, which was gaining momentum. The believers were ecstatic to see them! Together, they responded to what God had done, as recorded in Acts 4:24-30. In the prayer, they acknowledged God's sovereign control over the nations and the authorities that rule them. They began with a quote from Psalm 2: “‘Why do the nations rage and the people plot in vain? The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the Lord and his anointed one.’ Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servant to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”

But read the rest of Psalm 2. What is God’s response to all the plots and conspiracies against Him? Verses 2-4 say, “…The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the Lord and against his anointed, saying, ‘Let us break their chains and throw off their shackles.’ The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them.” God is not bothered by the conspiracies, threats, petty kings’ actions, or the politics of powerful nations determined to overthrow Him. He laughs. The disciples, embracing that truth, were not afraid, not cowed, not driven to quit.

The followers of Jesus knew that God was in control. They also knew that there might be times (as with Stephen and James) when they might not be rescued as Peter had been. Yet they prayed for boldness to go out and speak in Jesus’ name. What gave them this confidence?

Confidence grows when we settle the question of who is in charge and when we believe what Proverbs 16:9 says: “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.” We might have good reason not to trust humans, but we can trust God.

One of the passages of Scripture that causes us consternation is found in Romans 13:1-7. What do we do when those who have authority over us make demands of us? If anyone knew that the authorities were not always on the side of the followers of Jesus, Paul was that one. After all, he had been a persecutor of believers himself, carrying letters of authority for their destruction signed by his superiors. Still, he wrote these words: “Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience.”

Look at the underlined words. I believe there are some layers here that we need to examine. First of all, who has put these authorities in place?

What is their purpose?

What are the consequences of disobedience?

What might be an example of a believer doing something wrong and getting into trouble with the civil authorities?

What might be an example of a believer doing what is right, yet being condemned by the authorities rather than commended? Who then will do the commending?

How are these instructions by Paul balanced by Peter’s experience in Acts 5, when he was told not to speak about Jesus but insisted in verse 29 that, “…we must obey God rather than human beings!”?

To prevent chaos in society, God has put authorities in place to govern us. We are to obey them not because they are perfect or because we agree with them, but because of Who has given them the privilege and responsibility attached to their position. We are commended by God for doing so. But please take note: We are to be governed by any rules that do not violate those given to us by our ultimate Authority—God. When His instructions put us into conflict with the perversities of the authorities that govern us, they may condemn us, but He will commend our obedience to Him whatever the cost to us.

It’s fascinating to read how some pagan kings came to recognize God’s sovereignty over the nations, including their own. As we have seen, Nebuchadnezzar was one of them. The king is quoted as saying: “The decision is announced by messengers, the holy ones declare the verdict, so that living may know that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes and sets over them the lowliest of people”^[v] I suspect he was referring to himself as one of those “lowliest.”

Nebuchadnezzar’s experience certainly fulfilled what is said in Psalm 76:10-12, “Surely your wrath against mankind brings you praise, and the survivors of your wrath are restrained. Make vows to the Lord your God and fulfil them; let all the neighbouring lands brings gifts to the One to be feared. He breaks the spirit of rulers; he is feared by the kings of the earth.”

The magnificence of the rule of God is eloquently described in verses such as those found in Isaiah 40:22-24, “He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heaven like a canopy, and spreads them out like a tent to live in. He brings princes to naught and reduces this world to nothing. No sooner are they planted, no sooner are they sown, no sooner do they take root in the ground, than he blows on them and they wither, and a whirlwind sweeps them away like chaff.”

Those of us who live in democratic societies vote based on the best information and understanding we have. But even those votes and the results they produce are subject to the will of God. Proverbs 16:33 tells us, “The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord.” Our candidate may not win, and though we disagree and are disappointed, we must recognize our limitations. We do not see the “big picture.” We don’t know what God is doing when He allows those to rule who might not be our choice, or when we live to regret our choice if our candidate fails to meet our expectations.

There are reasons behind even bad choices. A fascinating example appears in Ezekiel 21:18-22. The Lord speaks to His prophet and explains how He is going to bring judgment down on His people. “The word of the Lord came to me: ‘Son of man, mark out two roads for the sword of the king of Babylon to take, both starting from the same country. Make a signpost where the road branches off to the city. Mark out one road for the sword to come against Rabbah of the Ammonites and another against Judah and fortified Jerusalem. For the king of Babylon will stop at the fork in the road, at the junction of the two roads, to seek an omen: he will cast lots with arrows, he will consult his idols, he will examine the liver. Into his right land will come the lot for Jerusalem, where he is to set up battering-rams to give the command to slaughter, to sound the battle cry, to set up battering-rams against the gates, to build a ramp and to erect siege works.”

This king is not consulting God, but God is making sure the correct path is taken—and it is the path that will bring trouble to His people.

In 2 Samuel 16 and 17, we read the account of how God brought about judgment on David’s son, Absalom, by frustrating the advice given to the king’s son by his counsellor, Ahithophel.

The frustration of good advice appears in other stories as well. Jeroboam, who would assume leadership over part of Solomon’s kingdom, listened to bad advice. The Scriptures say in 1 Kings 12:15, “So the king did not listen to the people, for this turn of events was from the Lord, to fulfil the word the Lord had spoken to Jeroboam son of Nebat through Ahijah the Shilonite.”^[vi]

The greatest army, the highest-tech weaponry, and the best-thought-out battle plan can’t succeed unless the Lord allows it. Proverbs 21:30, 31 reads, “There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the Lord. The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but victory rests with the Lord.”

It always seems odd to me that opposing nations, armies, and political candidates all claim to have God on their side, yet someone always loses. The real question is not whether God is on my side, but whether I am on His! The only “side” is God’s, and He chooses the so-called winners and losers.

God frequently reminds His people that victory is in His hands, not theirs, by placing them in situations where it is clear they cannot succeed unless He grants it. No story demonstrates this more clearly than Gideon’s experience against the Midianites, as told in Judges 7. Faced with more Midianites than could be counted, God reduces Gideon’s force to a mere 300 and then grants them an astonishing victory over an army that should have crushed them like pesky flies.

Jonathan, Saul’s son, said it all in 1 Samuel 14:6, “Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few.” He too was fighting a superior force and was a witness to God’s work in defeating those who should have defeated him. “Then panic struck the whole army—those in the camp and field, and those in the outposts and raiding parties—and the ground shook. It was a panic sent from God.”^[vii]

Whether through believers or non-believers, God works to bring about His will. He works in sometimes mysterious ways. Naaman, who would later go to Elisha to find a remedy for his leprosy, is described in 2 Kings 5:1 in this manner, “Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the Lord had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy.”

Does it surprise you that God would give a pagan army victory over His people just to reveal Himself to one man? From reading this story, my guess is that God wanted Naaman to encounter the wisdom of a young Hebrew girl. She was likely captured by one of Naaman’s raiding parties and became a slave in his household, serving his wife. Through this girl, Naaman would come to know about Elisha. Through Elisha, he would come to learn about God. Through the miracle of his healing, Naaman came to faith in the God of Israel. This journey of faith began with God giving victory to a pagan army and sending a Hebrew girl into captivity.

When it appears that unbelieving nations and their rulers “win,” what assurance does it give you that God is at work in them too?

Psalm 33 beautifully affirms the truth of God’s sovereignty over the nations. “The Lord foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples. But the plans of the Lord stand firm for ever, the purposes of his heart through all generations. Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people he chose for his inheritance. From heaven the Lord looks down and sees all mankind; from his dwelling-place he watches all who live on earth—he who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do. No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength. A horse is vain hope for deliverance; despite all its strength it cannot save. But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine.”

Israel was chosen to be a blessing to the nations by being a witness to the greatness of Almighty God. This was the promise given to Abraham in Genesis 12:3 and confirmed in Genesis 22:18. Ultimately, this blessing of the nations through Israel came in the gift of God’s own Son. Jesus would bring salvation to all who believe. Paul writes in Galatians 3:14, “He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.” We, the church, those who believe, have been assigned the responsibility of being witnesses. Can you imagine what eternity will be like when the true scope of what is alluded to in Revelation 7:9 is revealed? “After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb.”

Why does God do what He does? His mission is to restore what was lost in Eden, to save those who were and are lost because of sin, and to enable them to find their way back into relationship with God. The redeemed will come from every nation, tribe, people and language.

Daniel’s prayer in Daniel 9 is a magnificent confession offered on behalf of a nation that had rebelled against God, been punished, and was in need of restoration. Daniel was one of many who had suffered the consequences of Israel’s sin. He prays, “Just as it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster has come on us, yet we have not sought the favour of the Lord our God by turning from our sins and giving attention to your truth. The Lord did not hesitate to bring the disaster on us, for the Lord our God is righteous in everything he does; yet we have not obeyed him.”

God did not spare disobedient Israel at the time His representative was chosen to show His glory to the nations. How do you think He might respond to His modern-day representative, the church, chosen to show the glory of the Gospel to the nations, if it finds itself drifting away from Him as Israel did?

^[i] Exodus 12:35, 36

^[ii] Isaiah 45:1-5

^[iii] Jeremiah 18:1-12

^[iv] Luke 2:1-5

^[v] Daniel 4:17

^[vi] 1 Kings 11:29-39

^[vii] 1 Samuel 14:15

(From A Question of Trust, © Lynda Schultz, 2021, ISBN: 979-8-7420-5863-2)