God Moves through Governmental Decisions
David W Palmer
Times had been very testing for Joseph because of Mary’s mysterious pregnancy out of wedlock. However, he had assumed responsibility for Mary and the baby because an angel spoke to him in a dream. Life must have already been challenging for Joseph—especially socially; and he would have been protective of his fledgling family, trying to set up a safe and comfortable home—one suitable for raising children. But astonishingly, the government in Rome announced a very disruptive decision—for their own reasons. This was easy for Caesar living miles away in his palace in Rome. But for Joseph and Mary, this was a seeming nightmare; they would have to radically alter their plans, and make the arduous and dangerous trip to Bethlehem. Under normal circumstances, this would have been a gruelling undertaking; but to complicate matters, Mary was “with child”:
(Luke 2:1, 3–5 NKJV) And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. ... {3} So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city. {4} Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, {5} to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child.
Joseph had no option but to submit to the government’s decision. Yet, despite the insensitivity, the hardship, the effort, and the seeming rejection upon arrival, God used this governmental decree to bring to pass his will; he had prophesied centuries earlier that his son would be born in Bethlehem:
(Matthew 2:4–6 NLT) He (King Herod) called a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law and asked, “Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?” {5} “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they said, “for this is what the prophet wrote: {6} ‘And you, O Bethlehem in the land of Judah, are not least among the ruling cities of Judah, for a ruler will come from you who will be the shepherd for my people Israel.’”
God needed Joseph and Mary to be in Bethlehem for the birth. But this time, instead of speaking to them by the angel, he chose to do it through the government. This is a very important point for us to learn. Writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the apostle Paul put it this way:
(Romans 13:1–2, 5 NLT) Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. (2) So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished. ... (5) So you must submit to them, not only to avoid punishment, but also to keep a clear conscience.
This says that God has instituted the governments that rule over us. In our modern democracies, we feel it’s the voters—influenced by the media and the “politicking” of the candidates—who decide who governs. But God says that he has “placed” people in positions of authority. The Holy Spirit further says that instead of rebelling against them, we “must submit to them.” This seems reasonable when it comes to their road rules, free market legislation, and laws for the protection of families and citizens, etc. But what about their unwise decisions, and the laws that we don’t like? What do we do about them? According to certain passages in God’s word, his divine wisdom and infinite power are able to use what appears to be governmental mismanagement to bring about his purposes.
For example, in the Old Testament, Amaziah the king of Judah made an executive governmental decision that could have seemed all wrong to the godly people living under his rule. Even Joash, the king of Israel, gave him advice that would have seemed very wise and much better for his subjects, but he would not listen. Why?
