WHAT ARE THEIR CHARACTERISTICS? (ROM.ch.13; DEUT.17:14-20)
1)
Established by God (Rom.13:1; Deut.17:15)
2)
A terror to those who do wrong (Rom.13:3)
3)
Commends those who do what is right
(Rom.13:3)
4)
God’s servant for good (Rom.13:4)
5)
God’s servants/agents to bring punishment on
the wrongdoer (Rom.13:4)
6)
God’s servants, who give their full time to
governing (Rom.13:6)
7)
Does not commit adultery, murder, theft, covetousness
(Rom.13:9)
8)
Loves his neighbor as himself (Rom.13:9)
9)
Must be from among his people; not a
foreigner (Deut.17:15)
10) Must not acquire
great number of horses/cars for himself (Deut.17:16)
11) Must not take many
wives (Deut.17:17)
12) Must not accumulate
large amounts of silver and gold/wealth (Deut.17:17)
13) He is to write for
himself on a scroll a copy of this Law of God (Deut.17:18)
14) The copy of the Law
of God is to be with him at all times (Deut.17:18)
15) He is to read it
(the Law of God) all the days of his life (Deut.17:19)
16) He must learn to
revere the Lord his God and follow carefully all the words of
this law and
these decrees (Deut.17:19)
17) He must not consider himself better than the common
people (Deut.17:20)
18) He must not turn
from the law to the right or to the left (Deut.17:20)
Not all leaders are appointed servants of God.
Our standard of who our leaders should be has been determined by
God in His Written Word.
What they sell voters as to their abilities and good intentions don’t
matter at all. What matters is what God
tells about them in His Word.
++++++++++++
[(Romans ch.13)
1Let 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. 2 Consequently,
whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has
instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. 3 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. 4 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. 5 Therefore,
it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible
punishment but also as a matter of conscience.
6 This is
also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give
their full time to governing.7 Give to everyone what you
owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if
respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.
8 Let no
debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for
whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. 9 The
commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You
shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other command there
may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as
yourself.” 10 Love does no
harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
11 And do
this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to
wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we
first believed. 12 The night is
nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of
darkness and put on the armor of light. 13 Let
us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and
drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension
and jealousy. 14 Rather,
clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how
to gratify the desires of the flesh.]
[(Deuteronomy 17:14-20)
14 When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you and have taken possession of it and settled in it, and you say, “Let us set a king over us like all the nations around us,” 15 be sure to appoint over you a king the Lord your God chooses. He must be from among your fellow Israelites. Do not place a foreigner over you, one who is not an Israelite. 16 The king, moreover, must not acquire great numbers of horses for himself or make the people return to Egypt to get more of them, for the Lord has told you, “You are not to go back that way again.” 17 He must not take many wives, or his heart will be led astray. He must not accumulate large amounts of silver and gold.
18 When he takes the throne of his kingdom, he is to write for himself on a scroll a copy of this law, taken from that of the Levitical priests. 19 It is to be with him, and he is to read it all the days of his life so that he may learn to revere the Lord his God and follow carefully all the words of this law and these decrees 20 and not consider himself better than his fellow Israelites and turn from the law to the right or to the left. Then he and his descendants will reign a long time over his kingdom in Israel.]
14 When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you and have taken possession of it and settled in it, and you say, “Let us set a king over us like all the nations around us,” 15 be sure to appoint over you a king the Lord your God chooses. He must be from among your fellow Israelites. Do not place a foreigner over you, one who is not an Israelite. 16 The king, moreover, must not acquire great numbers of horses for himself or make the people return to Egypt to get more of them, for the Lord has told you, “You are not to go back that way again.” 17 He must not take many wives, or his heart will be led astray. He must not accumulate large amounts of silver and gold.
18 When he takes the throne of his kingdom, he is to write for himself on a scroll a copy of this law, taken from that of the Levitical priests. 19 It is to be with him, and he is to read it all the days of his life so that he may learn to revere the Lord his God and follow carefully all the words of this law and these decrees 20 and not consider himself better than his fellow Israelites and turn from the law to the right or to the left. Then he and his descendants will reign a long time over his kingdom in Israel.]
