Tag Archives: Authority

Day 117: God Chooses King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon

Jeremiah 27:1-7

In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from Yahweh, saying, Yahweh says to me: “Make bonds and bars, and put them on your neck. Then send them to the king of Edom, to the king of Moab, to the king of the children of Ammon, to the king of Tyre, and to the king of Sidon, by the hand of the messengers who come to Jerusalem to Zedekiah king of Judah. Give them a command to their masters, saying, ‘Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel says, “You shall tell your masters: ‘I have made the earth, the men, and the animals that are on the surface of the earth by my great power and by my outstretched arm. I give it to whom it seems right to me. Now I have given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant. I have also given the animals of the field to him to serve him. All the nations will serve him, his son, and his son’s son, until the time of his own land comes. Then many nations and great kings will make him their bondservant.

No one should ever accuse God of failing to communicate. God is the very best communicator and this book of Jeremiah is a great example. God has been speaking much the same message over and over in various ways to various people on earth through Jeremiah. Here, God chooses to send an illustration out with messengers to the nations in the middle east. He has Jeremiah make bonds and bars and then makes him wear them. Then, he gets messengers and sends these bonds and bars to five nations. You can imagine how getting a bond or a bar in the mail would get your attention. If the messenger was then to tell you that Jeremiah, a prophet in Israel, wore these and took them off to have me bring them to you. Then he would tell them that Jeremiah said that Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon is going to take over your land and all of the land in the area because Israel’s God, the One who made it all, has decided. That would communicate don’t you think?

God is also communicating to us right now through this message. He’s reminding us that He “made the earth, the men, and the animals that are on the surface of the earth” by His power. It reminds us that He is the One who is in complete control of all of the leadership on the face of the earth. Notice that eventually, even Nebuchadnezzar’s time of judgment was to come and at that time, the land was to be taken from him. I’m not sure that Nebuchadnezzar was willing to admit that He was God’s servant at first, yet, that’s what God called him. The Bible tells us that God calls all who have positions of authority, His servants. God even chose us to be parents or older siblings or aunts and uncles. We were given authority by our birth order not by our power. God has and always will control the governments of the world and we have nothing to worry about. Our job is to depend on God’s good purposes and obey His word.

Day 111: Refusing to Listen to God

Jeremiah 25:7-14

“Yet you have not listened to me,” says Yahweh; “that you may provoke me to anger with the work of your hands to your own hurt.”

Therefore Yahweh of Armies says: “Because you have not heard my words, behold, I will send and take all the families of the north,” says Yahweh, “and I will send to Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will bring them against this land, and against its inhabitants, and against all these nations around. I will utterly destroy them, and make them an astonishment, and a hissing, and perpetual desolations. Moreover I will take from them the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the sound of the millstones, and the light of the lamp. This whole land will be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations will serve the king of Babylon seventy years.

“It will happen, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation,” says Yahweh, “for their iniquity. I will make the land of the Chaldeans desolate forever. I will bring on that land all my words which I have pronounced against it, even all that is written in this book, which Jeremiah has prophesied against all the nations. For many nations and great kings will make bondservants of them, even of them. I will recompense them according to their deeds, and according to the work of their hands.”

The reason that I am so serious about going through the Bible like this, is because I can’t think of anything more important to people today. The reason that our world is suffering so much, is because people are continuing to avoid God’s word. It should not be a surprise to me that people will avoid my blog and Daily Bible Radio too because that’s what people tend to do to God’s word, but the reason I do it anyway is because the consequences are so high and this passage talks about that.

When we refuse to listen to the Bible, it’s a sign that there’s something else that we would rather have. We don’t want the Bible to tell us that we can’t have something we deeply desire, so we would rather provoke God to anger than to give up our sin. God makes it clear that it will be to our own hurt if we continue to live this way.

Then what we have are two examples of nations that refused to listen to God’s word. First, we have Israel. Because Israel stubbornly refused to listen to God, their cities were going to be deserted and become a national example of what happens when people decide to ignore God. Then we have the example of “the land of the Chaldeans.” Because Babylon also refused to follow God’s word, they would become “desolate forever.” It doesn’t matter if you are God’s favorite, like Israel was, or you are a nation of the world, God’s word cannot be avoided. I believe that this implies that the opposite is also true. Whether you are Israel, or another nation of the world, following God’s word will make your nation great.

We also have a very interesting detail about God’s world-wide control over all authority on earth. Notice that God says: “I will send to Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon…” God took full responsibility for the actions of this foreign government official. There is a great deal more we learn about how God dealt with this man in the book of Daniel, but here we clearly see that God was in charge of Him. He even called this Gentile leader: “my servant”. It could be that Nebuchadnezzar became a follower of the God of Israel, but we also know that God claims to be over all kings on earth. Whether a king believes in Him or not, God is the one in charge of their actions because He is the highest authority and is the one who gives that authority to the nations. When those nations avoid His word, it eventually leads to their end.

Day 110
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Day 112

Day 33: A Man and Much More

John 4:4-10 : He needed to pass through Samaria. So he came to a city of Samaria, called Sychar, near the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son, Joseph. Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being tired from his journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour. A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. The Samaritan woman therefore said to him, “How is it that you, being a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.”

We learn a great deal about Jesus by taking a close look at this passage. For one, Jesus not only stopped in Samaria, but He decided to sit down and start chatting with Samaritans. We find out right here in the text that Jews didn’t believe in associating with Samaritans. Obviously, Jesus did. This speaks volumes about Jesus. He really was for the world not just for the Jews, although much of His ministry on earth last time was focused on the Jews according to God’s plan. Ultimately, Jesus knew that He would be for the whole world as John speaks a great deal about in this book.

Let’s back up a little bit. Notice that it says that Jesus was tired from His journey. Jesus was human. He knew what it was like to get tired. Notice that it is ok for us to sit down by wells and rest. God knows that we need rest. This is another part that shows that Jesus was not a spirit or a phantom as some have said.

It is very interesting to me how Jesus starts up a deeper conversation. Just like when He was talking to Nicodemus, He starts to use unusual word pictures such as “living water.” He tells her that she should be the one asking for water from Him. Again, Jesus takes an authoritative tone and starts to tell her what she should do. It is interesting that Jesus never drops His authority just because people don’t want to hear it.

Some people accept his authority, others don’t, but He continues to say what He should say. You can read ahead to find out how this woman reacted to such bold talk.

Day 32
Day 34

Day 24: A Sign of Authority

John 2:18-22 : The Jews therefore answered him, “What sign do you show us, seeing that you do these things?” Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” The Jews therefore said, “It took forty-six years to build this temple! Will you raise it up in three days?” But he spoke of the temple of his body. When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he said this, and they believed the Scripture, and the word which Jesus had said.

These Jewish leaders didn’t really want a sign from Jesus because when they asked Him to provide a sign and He responded, they mocked His answer. They thought that He was bragging about His ability to rebuild the temple building.

The fearful thing is that they were mocking one who was talking about bringing the dead back to life. It’s easy for me to understand that a person who can bring the dead back to life has authority. It would be a frightening thing to be fighting against a person who cannot die and that is exactly what they were doing. Their minds must have been cloudy because we will see that they continued this behavior to an even greater degree when an impressive sign was done later on.

Bible History: The temple at that time took 46 years to build. This was, evidently, Herod’s temple project we know from other sources. Talking about it this way may have made him angry and King Herod wasn’t someone that you would like to fight against you, on top of that he was to become paranoid about Jesus (Mark 6:16). The Herod family had very bad history and Jesus was already protected from being destroyed by an earlier king in that family (Matthew 2:16). This was also the one who would kill John the Baptist (Mark 6:17-29). This argument was later to be used as an accusation before Jesus’ execution (Matthew 26:51, Mark 14:58). Jesus not only had authority, He had courage too.

Important Bible Fact: The Bible says that Jesus’ body died and came back to life. The reference here is to a physical resurrection and disproves the argument that Jesus came back only as a spirit as some say. To disbelieve the physical resurrection is to disbelieve the Bible. John’s other Bible book: 1 John, has even more to say on this topic.

Day 23
Day 25

Day 21: Honor Your Mother

John 2:1-5 : And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there: And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage. And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come. His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.

This is a very interesting exchange. Jesus and His disciples have been invited to a wedding, and for some reason, there wasn’t any wine. I’m pretty sure that Mary knew that Jesus didn’t have any jugs of wine available when she asked Him to do something about it. It appears that she was asking Him to do something miraculous at the wedding.

Jesus knew that now was not the time for Him to do what she was asking. I don’t really know what it was that she was asking, but Jesus knew. I believe that Mary may have been acting out of line with what God wanted at that time. In a sense, she was not believing in God’s timing. Jesus did, however, honor His earthly mother even though her actions may have been unbelieving ones. This gives us an example of how to give honor and respect to those who we owe honor and respect to, even when they are not believing. We should honor them, but we are to always do what God wants us to do. In this case, Jesus figures out a way to quietly obey His earthly mother. It isn’t clear to me what Mary was asking. Perhaps Mary was expecting her son to get popular starting at that time. Maybe she thought it would be good advertising for the new Rabbi, whatever it was, Jesus knew that He couldn’t actually do it now.

I have found this to be a problem for me in many of my relationships with those who are not being faithful yet have some kind of authority over me. Sometimes, I am not able to reconcile the two and am forced to go with God alone. These times are difficult, but they prove whose side we are on; God’s or man’s.

It is important for us to remember that it is our spiritual family that is the most important:

Matthew 12:46-50 : While he yet talked to the people, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him. Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee. But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.

Now Jesus may have still gone out after saying this to talk with his birth mother and brothers. The story isn’t clear at that point, but the message here is clear. The family of God is more important than our earthly families. It isn’t that we have permission to not care for our earthly families, it is just that we must do what God has told us to do first and one of those things is to take care of our earthly family’s needs and not merely their desires that conflict with the will of God. We also should respect those that God has put in authority as much as we are able under God.

Day 20
Day 22

Why Is Mandatory Vaccination Wrong?

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Mandatory vaccination by the government is wrong because God did not give the government the job of stopping disease. Nowhere in the Bible will you find God declaring or demonstrating that disease control is a governmental responsibility. God does give individuals the responsibility to isolate themselves and gives priests guidance as to how to determine if someone is infected with certain diseases. That’s it. God does have a lot to say about governments that suppress people and take their freedoms away. When a man creates a law that God doesn’t require, it places God’s people under man’s control. Those leaders rebel and usurp His power. As Christians, we have a duty to not allow this to happen. Here’s what the Bible says:

“You were bought with a price. Don’t become bondservants of men.“

1 Corinthians 7:23

Is it wrong for a government to force us to do things for the good of all? Isn’t there a case in which it would be prudent for a government to protect everyone through vaccination? If the only way to protect everyone from a disease was to require everyone to be vaccinated, then it would seem to make sense, but whether we think it makes sense or not, we should trust God’s knowledge more than our own. In this case, God has also provided a clear reason why governments should not force vaccination. Vaccinations can cause injury and even death. Here’s what the CDC says in their crafty disclaimer:

“As with any medicine, there is a very remote chance of a vaccine causing a serious injury or death.”

https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vac-gen/side-effects.htm

The way things are with vaccines today, the government would be choosing to risk the lives of a few for the sake of the rest. To put it simply, they would be demanding that innocent people take the risk dying from their medicine by forcing it upon them. That would only make sense if the government was given domination over the lives of people by God, but it is not. Here’s what God says the government is for:

“Do that which is good, and you will have praise from the authority, for he is a servant of God to you for good.”

Romans 13:3b-4a

The government is supposed to be protecting good people, not managing which of them must die for the rest of us. So, the risk of illness and death as a result of vaccines is a very serious reason for a government not to require them, but there’s another thing we know about this. We also know that it isn’t necessary to vaccinate everyone in order to bring a disease under control.

Consider how diseases are controlled naturally. When there is no vaccine, diseases are passed around until enough people have had it already and the disease has no where to go. The disease may not go away for a long time, it simply becomes very, very rare as fewer and fewer people are susceptible to it. When people willingly choose to be vaccinated, in theory, it lowers the number of people susceptible to the disease, but there are those who catch the disease and survive. These people usually develop an immunity and they are no longer susceptible. Then, there are the very healthy people. These people have a strong natural immune system. When the disease comes knocking on their door, the disease is attacked and killed making them insusceptible as well. When a disease runs out of “susceptibles” the risk of anyone catching or spreading the disease drops very low. Often only a part of a community has to be vaccinated in order for the whole group to become safe. So, It is unnecessary for a government to mandate vaccines anyway because a disease can be controlled without a mandate. We have already experienced this fact with other serious diseases that have run their courses.

So, if there is a way for people to be protected without a mandate, it is actually evil for a government to mandate people risk their lives. I believe that this is a violation of one of the Ten Commandments:

“You shall not murder.”

Exodus 20:13 and Deuteronomy 5:17

At this point, it should be obvious why vaccination mandates are wrong, but there’s still more to consider.

There are certain conditions under which a specific vaccine is immoral. There are some popular vaccines that were created using aborted babies. Even some of the COVID-19 ones are being developed this way. For the record, I know that they don’t all have aborted fetal cells in them but were created using them. God has clearly said throughout the Bible that he hates the shedding of innocent blood. Allowing pharmaceuticals to abuse mankind in order to make money is just another form of slavery and murder. As you can see there’s a consistent theme in the behavior of those who push for mandates.

It’s important that we consider another thing. The Bible does warn individuals about their responsibility to not spread disease. In fact, there’s a lot of information in the Bible that deals with it. The actual mandates from God are given to Jewish individuals and to their priests. You can find some of these rules in Leviticus 13. These rules tell us that the process of disease control is not through vaccination, but through observation and isolation. The first step is for an infected individual to brought to the priest for observation. The Bible teaches these priests what to look for when someone is infected and when to require that they be isolated and for how long. The observation process is objective, which means that they can’t just be making it all up.

So we see that the Bible doesn’t support a government vaccine mandate, but does require visibly infected individuals to be observed to determine if isolation is necessary for the protection of the community. Notice that observation is done by men of God, not the government. Does that mean that we physically go to church for this? I don’t think so. We have doctors and nurses trained in these things and churches already recognize them to be the ones trained for the task, but it’s pretty obvious that we don’t need a government mandate for this either. Also notice that symptomatic people were to be tested not asymptomatic ones. I did a short investigation about asymptomatic diseases in the past and found out that the flu can also be asymptomatic. God knew about the flu when He made these rules. He also knows that men often lust for power over other men and He made sure that His laws stop tyrants. If a disease is asymptomatic, it can’t be observed and since it relies on tests that are not certain, it is an inappropriate way to judge the guiltiness of a person.

What the Bible does tell us is that people who are sick have an individual responsibility to stay away from those who are well. When we are reckless with our health and refuse to confine ourselves when we know that we have a deadly disease, we may cause someone to get sick and die. When we are reckless with another person’s life and they die, we are guilty ones.

The Bible clearly tells us that the government’s job is to punish those who break God’s civil laws. When we are reckless, the government is mandated to stop us but if a government attempts to mandate risky medicines for those who are well, they risk breaking the very laws they are required by God to uphold.

“Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive… To be “cured” against one’s will and cured of states which we may not regard as disease is to be put on a level of those who have not yet reached the age of reason or those who never will; to be classed with infants, imbeciles, and domestic animals.”― C.S. Lewis, God in the Dock: Essays on Theology (Making of Modern Theology)