Nebuchadnezzar answered and said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, Who has sent His angel and delivered His servants, Who trusted in Him and, and set aside the king's command...”

   - Daniel 3.28

The frail, oppressive, and fleeting glory
of the kings of the present world is laid low by God’s will.

   - Columba, Altus Prosator, Irish, 6th century

Scripture speaks of the civil magistrate as a servant of God who is to be obeyed because he wields the sword on behalf of good (Rom. 13.1-4). 

That is strictly a qualified obedience, however, as Daniel’s three friends remind us. We are not called to obey the civil magistrate when doing so means we must disobey God or shirk our Kingdom duties. The sense of shock in Nebuchadnezzar’s “set aside the king’s command” is almost palpable in the text. Who would ever dare to stand against a powerful ruler and refuse to abide by his command?

Only those who recognize a higher Lord than the temporal government under whose oversight they pass this earthly sojourn.

God is Lord of all people, including all kings and rulers. He intervenes on behalf of His faithful people to ensure their wellbeing and continuity. Yet they, in order to engage that shepherding care, must make certain their ultimate allegiance is to God and His Law. When this is the case, we will seek the Kingdom of God and His righteousness above all else. We will not rest easy with laws, statutes, or policies that contradict divine precepts; rather, we will devote our strength to the pursuit of holiness in every sphere of life, and for the benefit of all people, not just ourselves.

If we focus on doing God’s will at all times, we will be more likely to realize God’s blessings and glory for ourselves and our posterity. He Who is the Lord of kings uses His faithful people to shape even the policies of those who govern them, as long as we trust in Him and set aside any practices or precepts which are contrary to the righteousness, peace, and joy in the Spirit that is ours in the Kingdom of God.

God lays low every fleeting earthly power and glory. But His power and glory, nothing can oppose.

Psalm 72.5, 6, 9-11 (Martyrdom: “Alas! And Did My Savior Bleed?”)
Let nations fear You while the sun and moon endure on high;
Refresh, renew us every one, like sweet rain falling from the sky.

O let the Righteous rule the earth, and let His foes bow low;
Let nations praise His matchless worth, and all His bidding do.