God Raises Up Rulers and Nations – (Proverbs 19:12)

Daily Bible Study
This passage speaks of the authority and sovereignty of a king. When that king is a godly king, his anger and favor are used for righteousness sake and to build up his people and not abuse them. However, when we rebel against the king or not act in the best interest of his kingdom, his punishment and wrath toward us can be overwhelming, like the roaring of a lion. But, if we do what is right, honest and good for others, then the blessings of the king should be with us. This is the same thought Jesus conveyed in Mark's Gospel chapter twelve when He said, "render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's." The apostle Paul also echoed this thought in his letter to the Roman church in chapter thirteen when he spoke about submitting to authority. Paul said, "Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God." As Christians, we have to understand that God raises up nations and rulers and we are to submit to the authority of those God has placed over us and the laws of the land. Those laws that do not violate God's moral law. This means we in our day to day lives are to operate in the best interest of those around us and society as a whole.

And this also means that we are doing what we can on a daily basis to strengthen others in a godly way. Moreover, as followers of Jesus, we are to obey our Lord and spread the message of eternal life through Christ Jesus who strengthens us. We are helping to build the kingdom of God by telling people about the love God has for them, and the eternal life which awaits them through faith alone in Jesus alone. And lastly, we have to understand what is not directly stated in these passages. Because the wrath of the king can be terrible like a roaring lion, the effects of wicked or ungodly rulers can be much worse. When the ungodly rule, they can tear a country apart. And they do so because they promote wickedness, which is at enmity with God. And when that happens society as a whole is brought down from the decay of moral standards. Through wicked rulers, evil becomes more acceptable and more commonplace in society. People become desensitized to the presence of evil the longer wicked rulers stay in power. As Christians, we have to understand all people have a sin-nature and therefore we all have a fallen nature about us. And when that sin-nature is indulged by wicked rulers, the morals of society, not only becomes degraded, but if allowed to continue long enough, people will fight and rebel against any attempt to return back to God's moral law. This in turn causes that kingdom to destroy itself from the inside out.